Previously I had declared a line in the French dead, but apparently it has a second life. The novelty is the only other move that doesn’t get evalued +1.45 or better for white.
[Event "European Championship"]
[Date "2018.03.18"]
[White "Sutovsky, E."]
[Black "Pijpers, A."]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Qb6 9. Qd2 Qxb2 10. Rb1 Qa3 11. Bb5 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 a6 13. Bxd7+ Bxd7 14. Rb3 Qe7 15. Rxb7 Rc8 16. O-O Qd8 17. Qe3 Rc4 18. Rfb1 Be7 19. f5 Bc8 $1 {N} 20. Ra7 Bg5 21. Qd3 O-O 22. f6 gxf6 23. Bb6 {Now 23. Ne4 loses by force, so Emil bails out.} Qe8 24. Bd4 Qd8 25. Bb6 1/2-1/2
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This variation is actually quite important for the evaluation of the Classical French, because it contains a lot of forced lines that all seem to equalize, at least according to the machine.
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 cxd4 8. Nxd4
Qb6 9. Qd2 Qxb2 10. Rb1 Qa3 11. Bb5 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 a6 13. Bxd7+ Bxd7 14. Rb3 Qe7
15. Rxb7 Rc8 16. O-O Qd8 17. Qf2 Rc4 (17...Rxc3 $5) 18. Rfb1 Ba3 19. R1b3 Be7 20. f5 exf5 21.
Qg3 Bc8 22. Qxg7 (22. Bb6 Bc5+ 23. Bxc5 Rxc5 24. Qxg7 Rf8 25. e6 fxe6 26. Qxh7
Qf6 (26... Bxb7 27. Rxb7 Qd6 28. Ra7 Rc8 29. Qg6+ Kd8 30. Qg5+ Ke8 31. Qg6+ $11
) 27. Rc7 Rf7 28. Qg8+ Rf8 29. Qh7 Rf7 $11) 22... Rf8 23. Qh6 (23. Bb6 Bc5+ 24.
Bxc5 Rxc5 25. Ra7 Qh4 26. Qg3 Qd4+ 27. Kf1 Rc4 28. Ra8 Qd2 29. Qf3 Rg8 30. Ne2
Rgg4 31. Rd3 Qxc2 32. Qxd5 Rcf4+ 33. Nxf4 Rxf4+ 34. Rf3 Qb1+ 35. Kf2 Qb2+ $11)
23... Rg8 24. Qxh7 (24. Bb6 Bc5+ 25. Bxc5 Rxc5 26. e6 fxe6 27. Qxh7 Qg5 28. g3
Rxc3 29. Re7+ Kd8 30. Rxc3 Qc1+ 31. Kg2 Qd2+ 32. Kf1 Qd1+ $11) (24. Rxe7+ Kxe7
25. Ne2 Qa5 26. c3 Qxa2 27. Bc5+ Rxc5 28. Qd6+ Ke8 29. Qxc5 Rxg2+ 30. Kxg2
Qxe2+ 31. Kg1 Qe1+ 32. Kg2 Qe2+ $11) (24. Rb8 Rg4 25. Bb6 Qd7 26. Qxh7 d4 27.
h3 Rg5 28. Ne2 Qd5 29. Qh8+ Bf8 30. Nf4 Qe4 31. Qf6 Be7 32. Qh8+ Bf8 $11) 24...
Rf8 25. Qh6 Rxd4 26. Qc6+ Bd7 27. Qxa6 Bc5 28. Kh1 Qh4 29. Rb1 f4 30. Rb8+ Ke7
31. Qa5 Rc4 32. Nxd5+ Ke6 33. Nc7+ Ke7 34. Nd5+ Ke6 1/2-1/2
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