Improve Your Chess: White Misses Theoretical Novelty

Improve Your Chess: White Misses Theoretical Novelty

Opening: B01: Sicilian Defense

Player(s):

In a sharp line of the Portuguese Variation of the Center Counter, White captures a couple of dangerous pawns and ends up in a position which every book I have says is lost by move 8. But engine Stockfish finds a Theoretical Novelty that seems to show that White is not lost at all. Unfortunately, White does not find the engine's move, and quickly ends up losing material to a fairly basic tactic. Black displays good technique and quickly garners the full point. In fact, the game was so easy to play for Black that once White failed to find the correct defense, Black was able to play almost perfectly since his winning moves were very easy to find and play (that happens sometimes when the opponent plays badly enough).