Group 1: Double King-Pawn Openings

Ernest Colding - Ariel Mengarini [C41] Eastern Masters Somerset, New Jersey, 28.05.1992 [Rohde, M.: Philidor's Defense]

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 c6 The newly fashionable Prible Defence. 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.Nf3 More aggressive is 5 f4 a la the Byrne variation against the Pirc. As Colding plays it, the opening develops into a Philidor's Defence, where White's bishop on g5 is subject to an early exchange. 5...e5 6.Qd2 Be7 7.h3 To be considered was 7 Be2 h6 8 Bh4, as 8 ... Nh5 fails to 9 Bxe7 Qxe7 10 Nxe5. 7...0-0 8.Be2 Re8 9.0-0 h6 10.Be3 Probably White should retain the pressure with 10 Bh4. Then 10 ... Nxe4? 11 Nxe4 Bxh4 12 Nxd6 is good, or 10 ... Nh7 11 Bg3! Bf6 12 Rad1. Most logical after 10 Bh4 would be 10 ... Qc7 with the idea Nd7-f8-g6. If then 11 Bg3 b5 12 a3 Bb7 13 Nh4 leads to wild complications. 10...Bf8 11.Bd3 b5 Black assumes the initiative. 12.a3 Qc7 13.dxe5 Nxe5 Active-looking, but better was 13 ... dxe5, because Black's Nd7 had a rosy future ahead on c5, whereas White's Nf3 was prospectless. Moreover, the text move frees White's f-pawn. But Mengarini never shies away from complications. 14.Nxe5 dxe5 15.f4 Bb7 16.fxe5 Rxe5 Unable to resist the temptation of a rooklift. 16 ... Qxe5 was more rational. A good "What's the Best Move?" position. The choices are a) 17 Bxh6, b) 17 Rxf6, and c) 17 Bf4. 17.Rxf6 Wrecking Black's kingside pawn structure, but it is not that easy for White to get his pieces into the attack. Best was 17 Bxh6! Black would have no compensation after 17 ... Bc5+ 18 Be3, or 17 ... Rh5 18 Bf4. Black could get the pawn back, at the cost of a precarious position, with 17 ... Nxe4 18 Nxe4 gxh6 19 Nf6+, etc. Perhaps Black's best chance would be the positional 17 ... gxh6 18 Rxf6 Bg7. The alternative 17 Bf4 wins nothing, but also costs nothing, and leads to a strong position after 17 ... Qb6+ 18 Kh1 Re6 19 e5. 17...gxf6 18.Rf1 Rh5 Completing the rooklift. The rook is surprisingly hard to budge. White could try 19 Ne2. 19.Be2 Rxh3 The combination is good enough for a draw after 20 gxh3 Qg3+, etc. But White tries for more. 20.Rf4 Qxf4 Because 21 Bxf4 Bc5+ wins. 21.gxh3 Qg3+ 22.Kf1 Qxh3+ 23.Ke1 Qh4+ 24.Bf2 Qh1+ 25.Bf1 Bc8 26.Qf4 Be6 27.Ne2 Qh5 1-0