[Event "French Mac McCutcheon: 7... g6 with 9... c5"] [Date "2019.01.22"] [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... c5"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/rZO3ab0D/DlEojQPZ"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/SoftwareChess"] [UTCDate "2019.01.22"] [UTCTime "09:27:39"] [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... c5 10. Bd3 (10. dxc5 Qa5 11. Ne2 Nc6 $17) 10... h5 (10... Nxc3 11. dxc5 { transposes in a line favourable for white. } 11... Qa5 12. Qb4 $16) (10... Qa5 11. Ne2 Nxc3 12. Bd2 cxd4 13. Nxd4 $16) (10... cxd4 11. cxd4 { Now there is no pawn to be captured on c3, and Black Knight is simply stuck on e4. } 11... h5 12. Qd1 Nc6 13. Kf1 Ne7 14. Ne2 Nf5 15. Bc1 h4 16. f3) 11. Qf4 g5 12. Qf3 Nxc3 13. dxc5 Nc6 (13... d4 14. Bd2 Nc6 15. Bxc3 (15. Qg3 h4 (15... Qd5 16. Qxg5 Nxe5 17. Qg7 Rf8 18. Bh6 $16) 16. Qxg5 Qxg5 17. Bxg5 Rh5 18. f4! Nxe5 19. Nf3 Nxf3+ 20. gxf3 $14 { and even with the ugly pawns white is slightly better } 20... Na4 21. c6 bxc6 22. Be4 Bd7 23. Bf6 Nc5 24. Rg1 Kf8 25. Bxd4 Nxe4 26. fxe4 $16) 15... dxc3 16. Qf6 (16. Rd1 Qc7 17. Be4) 16... Qxf6 17. exf6 Ne5 18. Ne2 Rh6 19. Nxc3 Bd7 $14) (13... Nd7 14. Qg3 h4 15. Qxg5 Qxg5 16. Bxg5 Nxc5 17. Ne2 (17. Nf3 h3) 17... N3e4 18. Be3 b6) 14. Bd2 { white enters intentionally in a line that works only if he has seen 16.Bb5!! } 14... Na4 (14... d4 15. Qg3 { white now pressures the weakness on the kingside } (15. Bxc3 dxc3 16. Qf6 Qxf6 17. exf6 Ne5 18. Ne2 Nd7 19. Nxc3 Nxf6 $10) 15... h4 (15... g4 16. Bxc3 dxc3 17. h3 Rg8 18. hxg4 hxg4 19. f4 Qa5 (19... Qe7 20. Qe3) 20. Nf3 Bd7 (20... Qxc5 21. Ng5 $18) 21. Ng5 Nd4 22. Nxf7 Kxf7 23. Rh7+ Ke8 24. Qh4 Nxc2+! { computer move } (24... Qxc5 25. Qf6 Nxc2+ 26. Kf1 Qf8 27. Bxc2 Qxf6 28. exf6 Rf8 29. Bg6+ Kd8 30. Rd1) 25. Bxc2 Qxc5 26. Qf2 Qxf2+ 27. Kxf2 $16) (15... Rg8 16. Nf3 g4 17. h4 Qd5 18. O-O Ne4 19. Bxe4 Qxe4 20. Rac1 Bd7 21. Rfe1 Qd5 22. Ng5 $16) (15... Qd5 16. Qxg5 Qxe5+ 17. Ne2 Nxe2 18. Bxe2 Qxg5 (18... Bd7 19. Rb1 Qxg5 20. Bxg5 Rg8 21. h4 $16) 19. Bxg5 e5 20. Rb1 $14) 16. Qxg5 Qxg5 17. Bxg5 Rh5 18. f4 Nxe5 19. Nf3 Nxf3+ (19... Nxd3+ 20. cxd3 Bd7 21. Kd2 Nd5 22. g4 Rh7 23. Rhe1 f6 24. Bxh4 Nxf4 25. Re4 Nh3 26. Rb1 (26. Rxd4 Bc6 { [%draw full,f3] [%draw full,h4] }) 26... O-O-O 27. Rxd4 Rh6 28. Bg3 $16) 20. gxf3 Na4 21. c6 bxc6 22. Be4 Kd7 23. O-O-O e5 24. fxe5 Rxg5 25. Rxd4+ Kc7 26. Rxa4 Rxe5 $14) (14... Nxe5 15. Qg3 Nxd3+ 16. cxd3 d4 17. Bxg5 f6 18. Bd2 Kf7 $13) 15. Qe3 Qc7 (15... d4 16. Qxg5 Qxg5 17. Bxg5 Rg8 18. Nf3 Nxc5 19. h4 Nxd3+ 20. cxd3 b6 $16) 16. Bb5!! Nxc5 17. Qxc5 Qxe5+ 18. Be3 Qxa1+ 19. Kd2 Bd7 20. Bxc6 Rc8 (20... Bxc6 21. Bd4) 21. Nf3 Qg7 (21... Qxh1 22. Bxd7+ Kxd7 23. Ne5+ Ke8 24. Qxc8+) 22. Bxd7+ Kxd7 23. Qb5+ Kd8 24. Bd4 f6 25. Re1 $16 { White is better in a very complex position. } *