The opening was a French Defense, Winawer, Poisoned Pawn Variation with 7… Nf5. Although 7… Nf5 is a book move, it could still be a mistake. At depth=71, Stockfish 16’s choice is 7… Kf8. Next, I might try the French Defense, Winawer, Poisoned Pawn with 7… Kf8. The game is copied below.
[Event "1200min/40+1200min/40+1200min"]
[Site "Quebec"]
[Date "2023.08.24"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Stockfish 16"]
[Black "Stockfish 15.1 BMI2"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C18"]
[Annotator "Bernier,David"]
[PlyCount "124"]
[TimeControl "40/72000:40/72000:72000"]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Ne7 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. Qg4 Nf5 8. Bd3 {0.83/63 4859} h5 {0.84/49 636} 9. Qf4 {0.75/63 1318} b6 {0.69/49 517 (cxd4)} 10. Nh3 {0.81/63 5450 (Bxf5)} cxd4 {0.79/49 189} 11. Bxf5 {0.75/63 1132} exf5 {0.82/49 123} 12. Qg3 {0.76/63 3567} Kf8 {0.91/49 108} 13. cxd4 {0.78/63 1283} h4 {0.89/49 87} 14. Qf3 {0.83/63 2664} Nc6 {0.89/49 131} 15. Qd3 {0.78/63 440} Qd7 {0.87/49 632} 16. O-O {0.87/63 2317} Nd8 {0.86/49 724} 17. a4 {0.76/63 531 (Bd2)} Kg8 {0.72/49 438 (Qc6)} 18. Bd2 {0.85/63 1385} Qb7 {0.86/49 221} 19. Ng5 {0.87/63 469 (Rfb1)} Ne6 {0.90/49 537 (Bd7)} 20. h3 {0.97/63 7142} Qe7 {0.81/49 127 (Nxg5)} 21. Nxe6 {1.01/63 581} Qxe6 {0.81/49 113} 22. Ra3 {0.98/63 897 (Rfb1)} Bd7 {0.80/49 213} 23. a5 {0.94/63 868} a6 {0.73/49 141} 24. Rb1 {1.15/63 297 (Qf3)} b5 {0.98/49 215 (Bb5)} 25. Rc3 {1.30/63 2139} Kh7 {1.01/49 33 (Qg6)} 26. Qf3 {1.54/63 1248 (Bg5)} Qg6 {1.14/49 294} 27. Rc5 {1.54/63 925} Rac8 {1.47/49 250} 28. Qf4 {1.69/63 2017} Rxc5 {1.42/49 181} 29. dxc5 {1.55/63 1592} Qh6 {1.42/49 57 (Qh5)} 30. Qxh6+ {2.63/63 1048 (Qd4)} gxh6 {1.82/49 93} 31. Rb4 {2.85/63 1052} Kg6 {2.02/49 35} 32. Rxh4 {2.85/63 700} h5 {2.26/49 160} 33. Rd4 {3.11/63 1922} Rc8 {2.32/49 64} 34. Rxd5 {3.12/63 557} Be6 {2.44/49 169} 35. Rd6 {3.20/63 906} Rxc5 {2.45/49 117} 36. c3 {3.21/63 507} Rd5 {2.45/49 32 (Rc4)} 37. f3 {3.36/63 454} Rxe5 {2.46/49 43} 38. Rxa6 {3.72/63 1647} Rd5 {2.46/49 4} 39. Be3 {3.76/63 923 (Bf4)} Rd3 {3.09/49 356} 40. Kf2 {3.87/63 577} Rxc3 {3.20/49 167} 41. Rd6 {3.84/63 856} Rc2+ {3.32/49 211} 42. Kg3 {4.04/63 562} h4+ {3.37/49 146} 43. Kh2 {4.04/63 235} Kf6 {3.44/49 105} 44. a6 {4.20/63 1396} Ke5 {3.55/49 133} 45. Rb6 {4.40/63 1248 (a7)} Bd7 {3.66/49 172} 46. a7 {4.38/63 747} Ra2 {3.67/49 76} 47. Rh6 {4.55/63 2374} f4 {3.68/49 132} 48. Bc5 {4.66/63 2208 (Bb6)} Kd5 {3.68/49 456} 49. Rh5+ {4.75/63 2004} f5 {3.70/49 122} 50. Bb6 {4.78/63 1098} Ke5 {3.91/49 384 (b4)} 51. Rxh4 {4.83/63 1125} b4 {4.01/49 117} 52. Bc7+ {4.83/63 757} Kd5 {4.07/49 348} 53. Bb6 {5.14/63 2489 (Bxf4)} Ke5 {4.40/49 335} 54. Bc7+ {5.14/63 149} Kd5 {4.40/49 41} 55. Bxf4 {5.16/63 1105} Rxa7 {4.40/49 36} 56. Bd2 {5.26/63 1338} b3 {4.40/49 12 (Ra4)} 57. Rb4 {4.96/63 318} Ba4 {4.67/49 606 (Ra2)} 58. Bc1 {5.90/63 1327} Rc7 {4.87/49 151} 59. Ba3 {5.90/63 193} Ra7 {4.95/49 224 (Be8)} 60. h4 {6.64/63 5962} Ra6 {5.45/49 775 (Ke6)} 61. Kg3 {7.39/63 10428} Rg6+ {5.94/49 1614 (Ra7)} 62. Kf4 {8.58/63 12312 (Kh3)} Ra6 {7.80/49 2471} *
The game with 7… Kf8 was a win for White. In Grandmaster Repertoire on the French Defense, the author considers two replies to 7. Qg4: one is 7… cxd4 and the other is 7… O-O . He writes that “Part l of the book is dedicated to the notorious Poisoned Pawn Variation, which I prefer co enter via the 7…. cxd4 move order, rather than the more common 7 . . . Qxc7” . I’m currently having Stockfish 16 evaluate the position after 7. Qg4, to find a better move 7 for Black. The game with 7… Kf8 is copied below.
[Event "HPLAPTOP, 65 Ply / 49 Ply"]
[Site "Quebec"]
[Date "2023.08.31"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Stockfish 16"]
[Black "Stockfish 15.1 BMI2"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C18"]
[Annotator "0.63;0.80"]
[PlyCount "231"]
{12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700H 2688 MHz W=65.0 plies; 5,786kN/s B=49.0 plies; 7,797kN/s} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Ne7 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. Qg4 Kf8 8. a4 {0.63/65 19975} Qc7 $1 {0.80/49 661} 9. Qd1 {0.69/65 2685} b6 {0.87/49 315 (Nbc6)} 10. Nf3 {0.91/65 9911} Kg8 {0.81/49 271} 11. Bb5 {0.92/65 13504 (Ba3)} c4 {1.00/49 651 (Ba6)} 12. a5 {0.84/65 6032} bxa5 {0.81/49 171} 13. h4 {0.84/65 2423 (Ba3)} h5 {0.95/49 430} 14. Ng5 {1.03/65 8392} Bd7 {1.01/49 284} 15. Bxd7 {1.15/65 6484} Nxd7 {0.83/49 231} 16. Nh3 {1.10/65 2830} a4 {0.81/49 206 (Rb8)} 17. Rxa4 {1.30/65 11601} a5 {1.06/49 486} 18. O-O {1.28/65 8811} Qc6 {0.82/49 194} 19. Ra1 {1.20/65 4730} Nf5 {1.03/49 189} 20. g3 {1.39/65 13850} f6 {1.23/49 508} 21. Nf4 {1.45/65 7301} fxe5 {1.06/49 422} 22. dxe5 {1.29/65 11410} Kf7 {1.04/49 763} 23. Re1 {1.53/65 4213 (Ba3)} g6 {1.19/49 289 (Nf8)} 24. Qd2 {1.53/65 7751} Nf8 {1.28/49 602 (Nc5) Time} 25. Kh2 Rh7 26. Nh3 Rg7 27. f3 Kg8 28. g4 hxg4 29. fxg4 Nxh4 30. Qf2 g5 31. Bxg5 Nhg6 32. Bf6 Rf7 33. Qe3 Rh7 34. Kg3 a4 35. Ng5 Rb7 36. Rh1 Qb6 37. Qxb6 Rxb6 38. Rh5 Rb7 39. Rah1 Rg7 40. Bxg7 Kxg7 41. Ra1 Ra6 42. Nf3 Ra7 43. Rhh1 Nd7 44. Ng5 Ngf8 45. Rhf1 Nc5 46. Rfb1 Kh6 47. Rb5 Ncd7 48. Nf3 Kg7 49. Rbb1 Ng6 50. Rb2 Nc5 51. Kf2 Nf8 52. Ke3 Nfd7 53. Rbb1 Ra5 54. Rh1 Nf8 55. g5 Ra8 56. Rhg1 Ra6 57. Rgb1 Ra8 58. Rb6 a3 59. Rbb1 Ng6 60. Rb5 Ne4 61. Rb6 Nf8 62. Rb7+ Kg8 63. g6 a2 64. Nd4 Ng5 65. Kf4 Ne4 66. Ke3 Ng5 67. g7 Ng6 68. Rb6 Re8 69. Rxa2 Nxe5 70. Raa6 Nef7 71. Kf2 Ne4+ 72. Kg2 Kxg7 73. Nxe6+ Kg8 74. Kf3 Nd2+ 75. Ke3 Ne4 76. Kd4 Ng3 77. Kxd5 Nh5 78. Ra7 Nf6+ 79. Kd4 Nh6 80. Ke5 Nfg4+ 81. Kf4 Kh8 82. Rba6 Nf2 83. Kg5 Rg8+ 84. Rg7 Rxg7+ 85. Nxg7 Kxg7 86. Rxh6 Nd1 87. Rg6+ Kf8 88. Kf4 Nb2 89. Rh6 Nd1 90. Rg6 Nb2 91. Kf5 Nd1 92. Ke5 Ke8 93. Re6+ Kf7 94. Kd5 Nxc3+ 95. Kxc4 Kxe6 96. Kxc3 Kd5 97. Kb4 Kc6 98. Kc4 Kd6 99. Kb5 Kc7 100. c3 Kb7 101. c4 Kc7 102. Kc5 Kd7 103. Kb6 Ke8 104. c5 Kd7 105. c6+ Kd8 106. Kb7 Ke7 107. c7 Kf6 108. Kc6 Ke5 109. c8=Q Kd4 110. Qe6 Kc3 111. Qe3+ Kb2 112. Qd2+ Ka1 113. Kc5 Kb1 114. Kc4 Ka1 115. Kc3 Kb1 116. Qb2# *
