[Event "granp9's Study: French MacCutcheon - 4....,Bb4"] [Date "2019.01.21"] [White "French MacCutcheon"] [Black "4....,Bb4"] [Result "*"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C12"] [Opening "French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Janowski Variation"] [StudyName "French Mac McCutcheon"] [ChapterName "7... g6 with 9... Nxc3"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/rZO3ab0D/1eSk0Z6S"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/SoftwareChess"] [UTCDate "2019.01.21"] [UTCTime "09:10:08"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 { This is a sharp variation that produces positions closer to the Winaver line. } 5. e5 { This is the main line: white accepts weak pawns in c2-c3 in order to weaken the dark squares on the kingside. } (5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Bxf6 gxf6) (5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 dxe4 7. Qe2 Qd5 8. Bxf6 gxf6) (5. Ne2 dxe4 6. a3 Be7 7. Bxf6 Bxf6 8. Nxe4 O-O 9. Qd3 b6) 5... h6 6. Be3!? { This is an interesting possibility. White's idea is to play against the knight e4 which lacks of square. The play is now characterized by a wild fight in the first moves. White will often ends up with weak pawns in c5 and e5, and will try to get the initiative while black tries to capture them. I decide to make it my favorite variation, because the lines with Bd2 often become too schematic, with fixed pawn structure and easy play for black. } (6. exf6 hxg5 7. fxg7 Rg8 8. h4 gxh4 9. Qg4 Qf6 10. Nf3 Rxg7 11. Qxh4 Qxh4 12. Rxh4 $10) 6... Ne4 7. Qg4 (7. a3 Nxc3 8. Qg4 (8. Qd2?! Ba5! $17) 8... Bf8 9. bxc3 c5 10. dxc5 Nc6 11. Nf3 Qa5 12. Bd2 Bd7 13. Bd3 Qxc5 14. O-O Na5) 7... g6 8. a3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 { At this point black has several plans: to take c3 and try to defend the pawn passively; to strike in c5; to harrass the white queen (h5) } 9... Nxc3 10. Bd3 { to control more squares where black knight can go. Now black can opt for: developing b6-Ba6; developing Nc6, Na4-b6; interposing c5 or h5 } 10... b6 { white replies to the plan with b6-Ba6 by letting black take in d3, in order to open the c file, playing a4 to remove squares for the Nc3 and developing play on the kingside with manouvers like Qh4-Qf6, Nf3-Ng5. Tactical ideas are Qf6, Rh7, Bxh6, Rxh6, Qg7 Rh5, g4 and then Ng5 picking the trapped rook. Otherwise he can quickly push h4-h5 and after g5 open the kingside with f4 (see Gashimov-Nakamura 2011). Also there the game is balanced. } (10... Nc6 { Now black intends to slow down, regroup its pieces like Na4-Nb6 and Ne7 and possibly to castle long. Best for white is to play Qh3 in order to place the bishop in g5 and then in f6. The knight develops in f3 and then, is black really castle long, it can go Nd2-Nb3-Nc5/a5. It is usefeul to force the knight to go a4, with Bd2, so that b1 is available for one rook. Often the best chance for black is to sacrifice back the pawn by playing Ne4, to obtain good play on the white squares. Another possible plan is h4-h5. } 11. Nf3 (11. h4 Ne7 12. h5 g5 13. Ne2 { Najer-Nepomniachtchi (2006) }) 11... Bd7 (11... Ne7 12. Bd2 Ne4 13. Bxe4 dxe4 14. Qxe4 Bd7 15. O-O Bc6 16. Qd3 g5 17. c4 Qd7 18. d5 g4 19. Nd4 exd5 20. c5 { with a nice position for white. }) 12. Bd2 (12. h4 Qe7 13. h5 g5 14. Nh2 O-O-O $15 { Svidler-Vysochin, but black is better after long castle. }) 12... Na4 (12... Ne4! 13. Bxe4 dxe4 14. Qxe4 Ne7 15. Qxb7 Bc6 16. Qb3 Nf5 17. O-O Rb8 (17... Nxd4 18. Nxd4 Qxd4 19. Qb4 Qxb4 20. axb4 Bb5 21. Rfc1 Bc4 22. Ra5 $16) 18. Qc3 Bxf3 19. Qxf3 Nxd4 20. Qd1 $10) 13. Qh3 { threat Bg5 } 13... Qe7 14. Bg5 Qf8 15. Bf6 Rg8 16. Rb1 Nb6 17. O-O Ne7 18. Nd2 O-O-O 19. Nb3 $14 { white is better. }) (10... c5?! { [%draw arrow,a1,b1] [%draw arrow,e3,d2] [%draw arrow,d4,c5] [%draw arrow,g4,h4] [%draw arrow,h4,f6] this move does not look correct in this moment. White simply open the position by taking c5, and plays on the dark squares with Qh4, Qf6, to avoid long caste, Bd2 to harrass black knight and make b1 available for the rook. Pushing the pawn in c4 is also a good idea sometimes. White needs to watch out for ideas like g5-h5 trapping the queen. } 11. dxc5 { obviously white needs to open the position, and not allowing c4. } 11... Nc6 12. Nf3 Qc7 (12... Qa5 13. O-O Qa4 14. Qxa4 Nxa4 15. Rab1 a6 (15... Nc3 16. Rb3 Ne4 17. Bxe4 dxe4 18. Nd2 Nxe5 19. Bd4 f6 20. Nxe4 $18) (15... g5 16. c4 $16) 16. Rfc1 Ke7 17. c3 g5 18. Be2 g4 19. Nd2 Nxe5 20. Bd1 Nd3 21. Bxa4 Nxc1 22. Rxc1 $16) (12... Qe7 13. O-O Bd7 14. Bd2 Qxc5 15. Qh4 Rc8 (15... Nb5 16. Qf6 Rg8 (16... Rh7 17. Nh4) 17. Bxb5 Qxb5 18. Bxh6 Qc5 19. c4 dxc4 20. Rfd1 Qe7 21. Qf4 O-O-O 22. Bg5) 16. Rfe1 $16 { with black king forever exposed in the center white has compensation and even more. }) 13. O-O Bd7 (13... Nxe5 14. Nxe5 Qxe5 15. Bd4) 14. Rfe1 O-O-O 15. a4 (15. h4 f6 16. exf6!! { the same idea of the main line } 16... e5 17. Qg3 e4 18. Bf4 Qa5 19. f7 { white is a piece down but it is positionally winning. } 19... exd3 20. cxd3 { [%draw arrow,g3,g6] [%draw arrow,f4,d6] [%draw arrow,f7,f8] }) 15... f5 (15... Kb8 16. a5 a6 17. Ra3 Ne4 18. Rb1 Ka8 19. Rab3 Nxa5 (19... Bc8 20. Bxe4 dxe4 21. Qxe4 $16) 20. Rb6 g5 21. Bxe4 (21. Bxa6? h5 $13) 21... h5 (21... dxe4 22. Qxe4 Bc6 23. Qb4 $18) 22. Qxg5 dxe4 23. Nd2 $16) (15... h5 16. Qh4 $16) 16. exf6!! e5 17. Qg3 e4 18. Bf4 Qa5 19. Ne5! exd3 (19... Nxe5 20. Bxe5 exd3 21. cxd3 d4 (21... Nxa4 22. f7 Rhf8 23. Qxg6) 22. Bd6 Nd5 23. f7 g5 24. Qf3 Nb4 25. f8=Q Rhxf8 26. Bxf8 Nc2 27. Rab1 Bc6 28. Qf5+ Bd7 29. Qe4 Bc6 30. Qe6+ Bd7 31. Qb3 Bc6 32. Re7) 20. Nxc6 Bxc6 21. cxd3 { white is a piece down but it is positionally winning. } 21... Qxc5 22. Qxg6 d4 23. f7 b6 (23... Nd5 24. Qf5+ Bd7 25. Rac1 Bxf5 26. Rxc5+) 24. Bxh6 Nd5 25. Bg7) (10... h5?! { too weak. White combines ideas from the other lines (Qf4-Qh6, Bd2, letting black to exchange Ba6-Bxd3, etc.) and obtains the better position. } 11. Qf4 b6 (11... c5 12. dxc5 Nc6 13. Nf3 d4 14. Nxd4 Bd7 15. Bd2 Nd5 16. Qe4 Nxd4 17. Qxd4 Bc6 18. O-O $16) (11... g5 12. Qxg5 Qxg5 13. Bxg5 $16) 12. Nf3 Ba6 13. a4 Bxd3 14. cxd3 Qd7 15. Qf6 $16) (10... Bd7 11. Ne2 Nxe2 12. Qxe2 Nc6 13. O-O h5 14. Qd2 Kf8 15. Bg5 Qe8 16. c4 Ne7 17. Qb4 Bc6 18. cxd5 Bxd5 19. Rfc1 Rc8) 11. Nf3 (11. h4 { is another plan. } 11... Ba6 12. h5 g5 13. f4 { Gashimov-Nakamura (2011). }) 11... Ba6 12. a4 Bxd3 13. cxd3 Qd7 14. Qh4! b5 (14... Nxa4 15. Qf6 (15. Bg5 { this is a different idea: Bf6 and Ng5 } 15... h5 16. Bf6 Rg8 17. Qf4 Nc3 18. Kd2 Nb5 19. Rhb1 $13 { stockfish gives equality even if white is two pawns down }) 15... Rh7 16. Bxh6! Rxh6 17. Qg7 Rh5 (17... Qb5 18. O-O! (18. Qxh6?! Qxd3 19. Rxa4 Qb1+ 20. Kd2 Qb2+ 21. Ke3 Qb3+ 22. Kf4 Qxa4 23. Qh8+ Kd7 24. Qf8 Qc4 25. Qxf7+ Kc8 26. Qxe6+ Kb7 { with a crazy position }) 18... Rh5 19. Rfc1!! c6 20. g4 Qxd3 21. Ne1 Qxd4 22. gxh5 Qg4+ 23. Ng2 gxh5! 24. Qh8+! (24. Qxg4 hxg4 25. Rxa4 { this is not so clear! }) 24... Kd7 25. Qf8 $18) 18. g4 Rh3 19. Ng5 Qe7 (19... Rxd3 20. Qg8+ Ke7 21. Qxf7+ Kd8 22. Qf8+ Qe8 23. Nxe6+ Kd7 24. Qxe8+ Kxe8 25. Rxa4 $16) 20. Nxh3 b5 21. f4 $16) 15. Qf6 Rh7 (15... Rg8 16. Bxh6 b4 17. Bd2 Nc6 18. Qf4 $13) 16. Bxh6 Qe7 { this position is given as equal by stockfish, but it is not easy to find a plan for white. Nh7-Nf6 seems a possibility, but it is not easy to achieve, and it is not clear if it would bring something. } (16... b4 17. Bd2 Qc6 (17... Nc6 18. Rc1 Nxa4 19. h4 b3 20. Ng5 Rh5 21. g4 b2 22. gxh5 bxc1=Q+ 23. Bxc1 Nb6 24. Qh8+ Ke7 25. Ba3+)) (16... Nxa4 17. Bd2 { [%draw full,h7] [%draw arrow,g2,g4] [%draw arrow,f3,g5] }) (16... Rxh6 17. Qg7 Rh5 18. g4 Rh3 19. Ng5 Qe7 (19... Rxd3 20. Qg8+ Ke7 21. Qxf7+ Kd8 22. Qf8+ Qe8 23. Nxe6+ Kd7 24. Nc5+) 20. Nxh3 Nxa4 $16) 17. Qxe7+ (17. Qf4) 17... Kxe7 18. Bg5+ Kd7 19. axb5 Nxb5 20. Kd2 *