Lessons From Bad Wörishofen III

IN rounds three and eight I faced the same somewhat-unusual variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined.

Both games began 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.e3!?, reaching what is probably best described as a line from the Normal Position,  or System, of the QGD.

I wrote somewhat-unusual because this position occurs 19.728 times in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, which means it is far from a rarity

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Black, not surprisingly in view of White's slow fourth move, has quite a free hand as how to continue, but in all 11 games in my praxis I have played 4...c5.

More popular in Mega25 are 4...c6 and 4...Be7, but all three score a respectable 48%, and, as Black in many lines of  the QGD goes to some pains to get in the move ...c5, it seems sensible to play it when the chance is offered.

I was discussing the position with Geoffrey Stern of Luxembourg, and he said that on first facing it he played the most popular move, 4...Be7, but got into a passive position and lost.

Naturally 4...Be7 cannot be blamed for the loss, but all-in-all I feel 4...c5 is perfectly reasonable, and may even be best at club level, where most players are far better at attacking than defending.

What made my BW games truly unusual is that both continued 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bb5+, reaching a position occurring 667 times in Mega25.

What is Black's best response?

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In round three, against a 1719, I played 6...Bd7, which is the commonest continuation in Mega25.

After 7.Bxd7+ I recaptured with the queen's knight, at which point Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckon White can get an edge with both 7...b3!? and 7....dxc5!?

Instead my opponent met 7...Nbxd7 with 8.0-0, after which the engines agree 8...c4!? is better than the more popular 8...Bd6 and 8...Be7, although the game was drawn.

Three years ago in Brno, the only previous time I have faced 6.Bb5+, Stefan Arndt (2176) - Spanton (1771), went 6...Bd7 7.Bxd7+ Qxd7, which seems at first glance to be asking to be punished by 8.Ne5, but the engines reckon that is well-met by Jonathan Speelman's 8...Qc7, or their suggested novelty of 8...Qe6!?

Instead the Brno game went 8.0-0 Nc6 9.b3 cxd4!? 10.Nxd4 Be7 11.Bb2 0-0, with an isolated queen's pawn position that the engines reckon slightly favours White (but ½–½, 24 moves).

In round eight at Bad Wörishofen I switched to 6...Nc6, meeting 7.0-0 with 7...a6!?, which the engines do not like.

However they are unsure as to what Black should play, fluctuating between 7...Be7, 7...Be6, 7...Bd7, 7...Bd6 and 7...cxd4!?, in each case giving White a slight edge.

So which move is better: 6...Bd7 or 6...Nc6?

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Actually, the question should be, which move is best?, for there is a third option, the rarely played 6...Nbd7!? (43 appearances in Mega25, against 275 for 6...Nc6 and 349 for 6...Bd7).

It scores much better percentagewise, and it is the top choice of the engines.

The main reply is 7.dxc5!?, when the engines like 7...a6!?

After 8.Bxd7+ Bxd7 White can try to hold on to the pawn with 8.b4 a5 9.Qd4, but Black has enough compensation, eg 9...axb4 10.Qxb4 Ra4!? 11.Qxb7 Bxc5, with the bishop-pair and more development.

Second-most popular in Mega25 is 7.0-0, when 7...c4!? is the engines' top suggestion, one line running 8.b3 a6 9.Bxd7+ Bxd7 10.bxc4 dxc4 11.e4 Bb4!?, with the engines preferring Black's queenside majority over White's centre.

A third choice is 7.Nc3, when Black has what seems a pleasant choice between 7...c4!? and 7...a6.

LESSON: there is a lot to think about in the position in the second diagram above, but it seems the slightly counterintuitive 6...Nbd7!? is worth a try. It could easily catch White unprepared, and comes with engine endorsement.

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WAS supposed to play on board one (of four) for Battersea against South Norwood in division three of the Croydon & District League last night, but my scheduled opponent, Paul Dupré (1911), failed to show. Battersea won the match 3.5-0.5.

Lessons From Bad Wörishofen II

MY round-two game featured a battle of structure against the bishop-pair, which is typical of the Rossolimo Variation in the Sicilian

That arises from the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5, and in the game my opponent played the unusual 3...a6!?, strongly inviting the aforementioned battle.

After the further moves 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5.d3 d5!? (marginally more popular in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database is 5...d6) 6.0-0 Black continued active play with 6...Bg4.

This position occurs 113 times in Mega25

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As I understand it, White's plan is to keep lines closed, and in particular to fix the central pawn-structure with a long-term view of exploiting the weakness of Black's queenside formation.

Black's plan, again as I understand it, is to remain flexible, looking for ways to exploit the striking power of the bishops.

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckon White in the diagram has the upper hand.

The game continued 7.Nbd2 e6 8.Re1 Nf6 9.b3 Be7 10.Bb2 0-0.

How should White continue?

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Two games reach this position in Mega25. A 2337 played 11.h3, which is the engines' top choice, and a 2181 chose 11.Nf1, which is the engines' second choice.

I preferred 11.c4?!, which in this specific position may be a mistake.

Often the move c4 is good in this structure as it helps fix the centre, but here what may be of more importance is that it takes the c4 square away from a white knight, which would be excellently placed on c4 in the event of Black grabbing space in the centre with ...d4.

The game saw 11...Nd7, which may be better than immediately pushing on.

The engines reckon White should reply 12.cxd5!? cxd5 13.exd5 exd5 14.d4, which dissolves the doubled pawns and opens lines, but to a certain extent fixes the centre, giving equal chances, according to the engines.

Instead the game continued 12.Qc2?! d4!, which closes the centre but gains space, and, as Black correctly reasons, it will be a relatively simple matter to open lines by pushing the f7 pawn.

After 13.e5 Qc7 14.h3 Bh5 15.Qd1?! (the engines suggest 15.Re4) Rae8 16.Qe2 Black was ready to play 16...f6.

How should White respond?

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The game went 17.g4 Bf7!? (17...Bg6 may be stronger) 18.Rad1 fxe5 19.Nxe5 Nxe5 20.Qxe5 Bd6 21.Qe2 Bg6, after which Black's active bishops, extra space in the centre and safer king give an advantage, although not as big a one as would be the case if the light-square bishop had gone straight to g6.

The engines reckon a slightly better approach from the diagram is 17.exf6 Rxf6 18.Rf1, but again lines have been opened, and Black's advantages in the centre and on the kingside massively outweigh White's potential on the queenside.

LESSON: imbalanced positions, such as the one in the first diagram, put a premium on understanding one's strengths, and playing to them, while understanding the opponent's weaknesses, and playing against them.

Lessons From Bad Wörishofen

MY round-one game featured a dilemma often facing Black in the London System.

White has just played 9.Nf3-e5!? as preparation for castling short (avoiding the reply ...Bxg3)

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Black's dilemma lies in deciding what to do about the white knight that has crossed the dividing line and is well-placed to menace the black king's position.

If Black does nothing immediately, White can reinforce the knight by 10.Ndf3, or by10.f4 with possibly Ndf3 to come.

I chose to nip these threats in the bud by 9...Bxe5?!, a move that is strongly disliked by Stockfish17 and Dragon1.

After 10.dxe5 Nd7 my opponent played 11.Nf3, the game continuing 11...f6 12.exf6 Nxf6 13.0-0 Qe7 14.Ne5 Nxe5 15.Bxe5, when White has the bishop-pair, and Black is left with a bad bishop.

Nevertheless, Black has more space and is only slightly worse, according to the engines.

However, after 10...Nd7 the strongest players have tended to prefer 11.f4, and this is also the choice of the engines.

If then, as in the game, 11...f6, White has 12.Qh5, when 12...f5 13.Bh4 gives White the upper hand, according to the engines.

Seemingly better is the immediate 11...f5, when the engines agree White has the upper hand, but differ on how to exploit it, Stockfish17 suggesting 12.Nf3 or 12.Qh5, Dragon1 12.exf6.

Going back to the diagram, it is clear the engines simply do not like capturing on e5.

Instead they suggest 9...Bb7, which is also the most popular continuation in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.

White usually responds with 10.f4, but the engines reckon 10...Ne7!? gives Black at least equality.

Their idea is that after 11.Qf3, which is easily the commonest continuation, 11...Nf5 is good.

Alexei Shirov is among those who have tried 12.Bxf5?! exf5 13.Bh4, but the engines reckon it gives Black at least the upper hand after 13...cxd4!? (this seems to be a novelty), eg 14.exd4 Qe8!?

Probably better is 12.Bf2, but then 12...Be7!? clears the way for ...Nd6 and ...Nfe4.

White could instead give up any idea of castling long by playing 11.0-0, but then both 11...Ne4 and the commoner 11...Nf5 seem to give White a fine game.

LESSON: there is no need for panic stations just because a white knight has landed on e5.

Summing Up Bad Wörishofen

MY score in the seniors of +4=2-3 gained exactly 11 Fide elo.

Farewell gift, capturing a happy moment before the mistakes started coming

Bad Wörishofen Round Nine

Spanton (1911) - Norbert Bruchmann (2034)

French Exchange

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.c4!?

This is second in popularity to 5.Bd3 in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, but scores 14 percentage points better.

5...c6 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Bg5 0-0!?

How should White proceed?

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8.c5!?

On 8.Bxf6!? Qxf6 9.cxd5 Black has 9...Qg6!, meaning 10.dxc6? leaves White in a complete mess after 10...Re8+. Similarly White cannot win a pawn with 8.cxd5 cxd5 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 10.Nxd5 as, in addition to 10...Qg6, Black has 10...Qe6+ 11.Ne3 Bb4+ 12.Nd2 Qf6 etc.

8...Re8+ 9.Be2 Bc7 10.0-0 b5!?

This may be a novelty. Known moves are 10...b6, 10...h6 and 10...Nbd7.

11.a3 h6 12.Bh4 Bf5 13.Bd3!?

Stockfish17 like this offer to exchange White's good bishop for Black's bad one. The point is that while the black light-square bishop is technically bad, and the white light-square bishop technically good, Black's bishop is active, while White's is passive.

13...Bg4!? 14.h3 Bh5 15.g4

The engines slightly prefer 15.Bf5!?, one line running 15...Nbd7 16.Qd3, when White threatens 17.g3 Bg6 18.Bxg6 fxg6 19.Qxg6, so Black should probably play 16...Bxf3, giving White the bishop-pair.

15...Bg6 16.Bxg6 fxg6 17.g5!?

The engines prefer 17.Qd3 g5 18.Bg3 Bxg3 19.fxg3, with what they reckon is an equal position.

How should Black respond?

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17...Ne4?!

The engines give 17...hxg5 18.hxg5 Nbd7, claiming a slight edge for Black.
18.gxh6 g5?

Better is 18...Qd7, but after 19.Re1 the engines give White the upper hand.

19.h7+?!

Much better, according to the engines, is 19.Nxe4 gxh4 20.Nfg5!? Re7 21.Nd6!? Bxd6 22.Qh5 with a very strong attack. If 19...Rxe4, then 20.h7+ Kh8 21.Ng5!? with horrible threats.

19...Kh8 20.Nxe4 gxh4

Not 20...Rxe4? 21.Ng5!?, transposing to the second line in the last note.

21.Nexg5

This seems best, but 21.Nd6!? and 21.Nfg5!? are also serious candidates.

21...Qf6 22.Kh1 Nd7 23.Rg1 Nf8 24.Qd3 Ne6 25.Nxe6

The engines reckon 25.Raf1!? may keep a slight edge.

25...Rxe6 26.Rg2?

The position is completely equal after R(either)e1, according to the engines.

26...Rf8 27.Ng5 Re7 28.Rag1 Bf4 29.Nf3 Bc7 30.Nh2

If 30.Ng5, hoping for threefold repetition, the engines reckon 30...a5 is very strong, one line running 31.Rf1 Bf4 32.Nf3 Re4 33.Rd1 a4 34.Qf1 g5, after which Black will pick up the h7 pawn in due course, and meanwhile continue to build up against White's king and queenside.

30...Qf5 31.Qd2?

Better is 31.Qxf5 Rxf5 32.b4 Kxh7 33.Ra1!?, but the engines reckon White's queenside is too vulnerable for the game to be saved.

31...Qxh3 32.Qg5 Ref7 33.Qg4?!

Probably better is 33.Qe3, but Black is on top after various moves, eg 33...Qd7, when 34.Rf1 h3 35.Rgg1Bxh2!? 36.Kxh2 Rf3 37.Qe2 Qf7 38.Kh1 Rxf2 39.Rxf2 Qxf2 40.Qg4 Qf3+ 41.Kh2 Qxg4 42.Rxg4 Rf2+ 43.Kxh3 Kxh7 is just one winning line given by the engines.

33...Qxg4 34.Nxg4 Kxh7?!

Even clearer is 34...h3 etc.

35.Re1?

Better, but almost certainly still losing, is 35.Ne5 Bxe5 36.dxe5, eg 36...Re7 37.b4 Rf3.

35...Rf4 36.Re7 R8f7 37.Rxf7 Rxf7 38.Ne3 Kh6 39.Kg1 g5 40.Rg4 Kh5

With the 40-move time control reached, I could have resigned with a clear conscience - Dragon1 reckons Black is the equivalent of more than a queen ahead

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41.Rg2 Rf4 42.Nc2 Bd8 43.Kf1 Bf6 44.Ke2 Bxd6 45.Nxd4 Rxd4 46.Rg1 g4 47.b4 Re4+ 48.Kd3 Rf4 49.Ke2 Rf3 (0-1, 65 moves)

Bad Wörishofen Round Eight

FACED a Swiss.

Paul Remensberger (2038) - Spanton (1911)

QGD Normal

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.e3!?

How should Black respond to White's slow fourth move?

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4...c5

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 like the most popular continuation, 4...Be7, and also 4...b6. The text can hardly be bad, but it may be what White hopes to provoke as the text makes it is easy for the first player to create an imbalance.

5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bb5+ Nc6

In round three I played the more popular 6...Bd7 against a 1719, gaining an equal position out of the opening (but failing to gain the full point). The engines suggest the rare 6...Nbd7!?

7.0-0 a6!?

The engines are not keen on this, presumably on the ground that capturing on c6 is part of White's plan anyway.

8.Bxc6+!? bxc6 9.Nc3 Be7 10.Na4!?

10.Na4!? seems to be a novelty, and is the top choice of Stockfish17, although Dragon1 fluctuates between it and one of the eight known moves, 10.Qc2

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10...cxd4

How should White recapture?

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11.exd4!?

The engines very much agree this is best. Indeed their second-choice move is 11.h3!?, claiming White has full compensation for a pawn after 11...dxe3 12.Bxe3.

11...Bg4 12.Qd3

The engines reckon White has the upper hand after 12.Qc2!?, eg 12...0-0!? 13.Ne5 (13.Qxc6?! Bxf3 14.gxf3 Rc8!? 15.Qxa6 Nh5 gives Black dangerous play) Bd6!? 14.Bg5!? Be6!? 15.Qxc6, although it is a series of moves unlikely to be seen at club level.

12...Bxf3!?

Giving up the bishop-pair is the engines' top choice.

13.Qxf3 Ne4 14.Nc3 Nd6 15.Be3 0-0

Now both sides have castled. how would you assess the middlegame?

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Black has the better bishop, but two pawn weaknesses (a6 and c6) against White's one (d4), although White's weakness is arguably the easiest to get at. The engines call the position equal.

16.Rac1 Nc4 17.Rc2 Re8 18.b3 Nxe3 19.fxe3!?

The engines prefer the other recapture.

19...Bf6 20.Rfc1

The engines suggest 20.Ne2 or 20.Na4.

20...Re6 21.Na4 Qe8 22.Rc3 Bg5 23.Re1 h6?!

The engines reckon 23...Bf6 24.Rd3 Be7!? is good for Black, one line continuing 25.Qe2 a5 26.Rf1 Bb4 27.Rf3 Ra7!? 28.h3 h5 29.Kf2!? Rae7 30.Nc3 h4, when they give Black a positionally won game.

24.Nc5 Re7 25.g3 Bf6 26.Rd3 Re4!? 27.Qf2

The engines give 27.Rdd1 Re7 28.e4!? dxe4 29.Nxe4 Re6 30.Nxf6+ gxf6, after which Black has five isolated pawns, two of them doubled, but White has no more than the better part of equality, according to the engines.

27...Re7 28.Qf3 Re4!? 29.Qf2 Re7 ½–½

Bad Wörishofen Round Seven

Spanton (1911) - Holger Hinz (2006)

Pirc

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 a6!?

This is seventh-most popular in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, the main moves being 5...c5 and especially 5...0-0.

How should White respond?

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6.a4!?

The main line in Mega25 runs 6.Bd3 0-0 7.0-0 b5 8.e5 Ne8, with a positionally won game for White, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1.

6...0-0 7.Bd3 Nc6 8.0-0 e5!?

Stockfish17 prefers the main move in Mega25, 8...Bg4, while Dragon1 likes 8...Nb4. After the latter, Jiří Nun (2365) - Andrzej Adamski (2350), Wrocław (Poland) 1980, continued 9.e5!? dxe5 10.fxe5 Ng4?! 11.Ne4 Nxd3 12.Qxd3, with White enjoying the upper hand, according to the engines (but ½–½, 35 moves).

9.fxe5 dxe5 10.d5 Ne7!?

This may be a novelty. Known moves are 10...Nd4 and 10...Nb4.

11.Nxe5!? Nxe4?!

A better capture seems to be 11...Nfxd5, when 12.Nxd5 Nxd5 13.Nxf7 Rxf7 14.Rxf7 Kxf7 15.Bc4! gives White at least the upper hand, according to the engines. However their top suggestion is 11...c6!?, when 12.dxc6?? loses to 12...Qd4+ etc. White's best may be 12.Bg5!?, when the long but largely forcing line 12...cxd5! 13.Bxf6 Qb6+ 14.Kh1 Bxf6 15.Nxd5 Nxd5 16.Nc4 Qd4 17.exd5 Bf5!? leaves White with a slight edge, according to the engines.

12.Nxe4 Bxe5

White to play and gain what the engines reckon is a winning advantage

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13.Bh6?!

The engines give 13.Bg5!? Bf5 14.Nf6+ Bxf6 (14...Kg7? 15.Bxf5 gxf5? 16.Qh5 leads to mate, while 14...Kh8? 15.Qe1 is not much better) 15.Bxf6 Bxd3 16.Qxd3 Qd7 17.c4, one line continuing 17...Nf5 18.Rf3 Rae8 19.c5!? Ng7 20.Rg3 Qg4 21.d6 cxd6 22.cxd6 Qd7 23.Be7 etc.

How should Black proceed?

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13...Bg7?!

Probably best is 13,,,Nxd5!?, when after 14.Bxf8 Ne3 15.Qf3 Nxf1 16.Rxf1 Qxf8 White's lead in development partially compensates for being a pawn down and facing the bishop pair. However the engines' 14.h3 may give White equality, although after 14...Re8 the engines disagree as to whether 15.Qf3 or 15.Bg5 is correct.

14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Bc4

Now Qd4+ is a huge threat.

15...Nf5 16.g4!?

The engines suggest 16.Re1!? or 16.a5, claiming a slight edge for White.

What should Black play?

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16...Qe7?

After 16...Nd6? Black loses in a similar way to the game, but 16...Qh4 holds the balance, according to the engines, as long as Black meets 17.Rf4 with 17...h5.

17.Qd3 Nd6 18.Qd4+ f6 19.Nxf6! Rxf6

After 19...Nxc4? White has several winning lines, the simplest perhaps starting with 20.Nd7+.

20.g5 Bf5 21.Rae1!

This is even better than immediately capturing on f6.

21...Qd8 22.gxf6+ 1-0

A likely continuation was 22...Qxf6 23.Re7+ Nf7 24.Qxf6+ Kxf6 25.Rxc7, when White is the exchange and a pawn up, and with a continuing attack.

Bad Wörishofen Round Six

Spanton (1911) - Bernhard Vonach (1836)

Spanish Exchange

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 bxc6!?

The other recapture is much more popular, but the text has been played by grandmasters

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5.Nc3!?

This is fourth-most popular in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, behind 5.d4, 5.Nxe5!? and especially 5.0-0.

5...d6

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 like the rare 5...Qf6!?, albeit reckoning White is slightly better.

6.d4 exd4

How should White recapture?

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7.Nxd4

The engines prefer the less popular 7.Qxd4!?

7...c5!?

One of first-world-correspondence-champion Cecil Purdy's aphorisms - I do not have the reference to hand - is that it usually pays to advance the front member of a pawn-duo, and here the move is the top choice of Stockfish17, although Dragon1 prefers 7...Ne7!?

8.Nf3

The engines suggest an apparent-novelty, 8.Nc6!? meeting 8...Qd7 with 9.Na5 (not 9.Qd5?? Nf6).

8...Bg4!?

The position after 8.Nf3 is reached six times in Mega25, with six different moves played. The engines do not like the text. 

9.h3 Bh5?

The bishop should retreat along the h3-c8 diagonal (even 9...Bxf3?! is better than the text).

10.0-0?!

White has at least the upper hand after this, according to the engines, but stronger is 10.Qd5 Nf6 (10...Bxf3? 11.Qc6+ Ke7 12.Nd5+ Ke6 13.Nxc7+ etc) 11.Qc6+ Nd7 (11...Ke7? 12.Bg5, with Nd5+ to come) 12.g4 (other moves are also good) Bg6 13.Nd5 Ra7 14.Bg6 f6 15.e5!? fxg5 16.e6, with a large advantage, according to the engines.

10...Bxf3?!

The engines suggest 10...Be7 or 10...Ne7!?

11.Qxf3 Qf6?

Hoping to relieve pressure by getting queens off, but the black queen becomes a target on f6 in a way that the white queen does not on f3.

12.Qe2

The engines reckon even stronger is 12.Bf4, with Nd5 or e5 to come.

12...Qd8?!

Black should probably cover the d5 square with ...Ne7 or ...c6.

13.Rd1!?

This seems best as it makes the pawn-push e5 strong.

13...Ne7 14.Be3

Despite Black's last move, 14.e5!? is still best, the idea being to meet 14...d5 by 15.Nxd5! Nxd5 16.c4 c6 17.cxd5 cxd5 18.e6, with a large advantage, according to the engines.

14...Qb8 15.Qd2

The text threatens 16.Bxc5! as 16...dxc5?? allows mate in one, but the engines still like pushing the e pawn.

15...Qb6 16.Bg5 f6 17.Nd5 Qc6

This is probably better than 17...Nxd5 18.Qxd5.

18.Bh4 Nxd5

The engines fluctuate between the text, 18...Ng6 and 18...Kf7!?

19.cxd5 Qd7 20.Re1+ Be7 21.Qe3

21.Re6 allows time for 21...0-0.

21...Kf7!? 22.Re2 Rae8 23.Qd3

How should Black proceed?

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23...Bd8!

The best move in a difficult position, according to the engines. After 23...Qb5?! (protecting the a6 pawn) 24.c4 Qd7 24.Rae1 Black is in big trouble, eg 24...g6 25.Re6 Bd8 26.Qe3 Rhf8 27.g4 with continuing intense pressure.

24.Qxa6 Rxe2!?

Possibly better is activating the queen with 24...Qf5.
25.Qxe2 Re8 26.Qd3 Qa4 27.Qxh7!?

This is good but perhaps 27.c4, protecting d5 and cutting the black queen off from the kingside, is simpler.

27...Re4!?

This wins back a pawn since White cannot save both the bishop and c2.

28.Bg3 Qxc2 29.Kh2!?

This is best (Black threatened, among other things, to win the white queen with 29...Re1+ etc).

29...Re2

White to play and maintain a winning advantage

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30.Qxc2?

This throws away almost all of White's advantage, whereas 30.Qh5+ Kg8 31.a4 Qxb2 32.Rb1! Qxb1 (forced) 33.Qxe2 wins easily, eg 33...Kf8 34.a5 Qa1 35.Qb5 c4 36.a6 c3 37.Bf4 c2 38.Qc6 leaves Black helpless.

30...Rxc2

BV thought for a few seconds after making this move, and then offered a draw.

How would you assess this rook-and-bishop ending?

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White is, at least temporarily, a pawn up, and has the better bishop, but Black's rook is very active, and Black will be able to free his queenside pawns by playing ...Ke7-d7 and ...c6. The engines at first reckon White has the better part of equality, but Dragon1 comes to call the position completely equal, and Stockfish17 very nearly does.

31.a4!? Rxb2 32.a5 Rb7 33.f4!?

The engines at first do not like this, but Stockfich17 comes to regard it as fine. Dragon1 slightly prefers 33.a6 Ra7 and 34.Bf4 or 34.h4.

33...Ke7 34.Be1!?

Again a move that the engines do not like at first, but it comes to be Dragon1's top choice, at least for a while.

34...Kd7 35.f5?

But the engines strongly dislike this, preferring 35.g4 or 35.h4!?, eg 35.g4 c6 36.dxc6+ Kxc6 37.h4 d5 38.g5 fxg5 39.fxg5 d4 40.a6 Ra7 41.Kg3, reckoning the position is equal, although it would still be difficult (for humans) to play.

The difference between the text and the engines' suggestions at move 35 is, I believe, that the text leaves White needing an extra tempo to create a kingside passed pawn.

35...c6 36.dxc6+ Kxc6 37.g4 d5 38.Kg2 d4 39.Kf3 Kd5!?

This allows the black rook to be trapped, but the resulting position is still winning for Black.

40.a6 Ra7 41.Bg3!?

This seems to be objectively inferior to, for example, 41.h4, but it complicates matters, whereas after 41.h4 c4 Black's winning plan is a lot more straightforward.

41...c4 42.Bb8 Ra8 43.a7

Black is effectively the exchange down, but Black's advantage is roughly the equivalent of being a rook up, according to the engines

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43...Bb6 44.h4 d3 45.g5 c3 46.gxf6 gxf6 47.h5 Kc4 48.h6 Bxa7!

This piece sacrifice is the only way to win as 48...d2 is met by 49.Ke2, and 48...c2 by 49.Bf4.

49.Bxa7

Black to play and win

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49...d2?

White has no answer to 49...c2.

50.Ke2 Re8+ 51.Be3 Kb3 52.h7 Kc2 53.Rd1

Black to play and draw

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53...Rh8?

Three moves draw: 53...Rd8, 53...Kb3 and 53...Rxe3+!?

54.Bxd2!?

Another bishop sacrifice, but there is nothing difficult about this one.

54...Rxh7

Or 54...cxd2 55.Rxd2+ Kc3 56.Rd7 etc.

55.Rc1+ Kb2 56.Rxc3 Rh2+ 57.Kd3 Rh3+ 58.Kc4 Rh4+ 59.Kd5 Rh2 60.Rd3 Kc2 61.Rd4!? 1-0

Bad Wörishofen Round Five

Ewald Larem (2019) - Spanton (1911)

QGD 4...c5

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 c5!?

This is fifth-most popular in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, the main moves being 4...Nbd7 and especially 4...Be7.

5.cxd5 cxd4

This continuation is known as the Dutch Gambit, whereas 5...Qb6!? is the Peruvian Gambit, which has largely fallen from favour.

6.Qxd4 Be7

How should White proceed?

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7.Nf3

The main line in Mega25 runs 7.e4 Nc6 8.Qd2, and now 8...Nxd5!? and 8...Nxe4 are equally popular. When I reached the position more than 30 years ago in John Quinn (187 BCF) - Spanton (161 BCF), Metropolitan (London) 1993, I played 8...Nxd5!?, the game continuing 9.exd5 Bxg5 10.f4 Bh4+ 11.g3 exd5 12.gxh4 Qxh4+ 13.Qf2 Qe7+ 14.Qe2 Be6 15.Nf3 d4 16.Ne4?! (Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckon 16.f5!? is a major improvement) 0-0?! (a novelty that still does not appear in Mega25) 17.Kf2, when Black's compensation for being a knight down is two pawns and the safer king - probably not enough (but 0-1, 36 moves).

7...exd5 8.e3 0-0 9.Bd3!?

Much more popular is 9.Be2, but the engines are happy with the text.

9...Nc6 10.Qf4!?

This seems to be a novelty, and is liked by the engines, along with 10.Qa4. Most popular in Mega25, albeit from a small sample size, is 10.Qh4?!, when the engines reckon 10...h6 gives Black the advantage, but play is complicated - I have played 10...h6 three times, beating an unrated, drawing with a much higher-rated opponent, and losing to a much lower-rated one.

How should Black respond to the game's apparent-novelty?

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10...Re8

The engines suggest 10...h6!? and 10...Be6. One point about the former is that 11.Bxh6? fails to 11...Nh5, forcing the white queen away from the kingside, after which Black can play 12...gxh6 in safety.

11.0-0 Be6 12.Rac1 Qa5

Still playable is ...h6!?

13.Qh4 h6

More-or-less forced.

What should White play?

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14.Bxh6!?

Black is slightly better after 14.Bxf6 Bxf6.

14...gxh6 15.Qxh6 Ne4

Black also holds the balance with 15...Qd8, according to the engines.

16.Nxe4 dxe4 17.Bxe4 Bf5 18.b4!?

Possibly slightly better is the engines' 18.Rc4!?

How should Black proceed?

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18...Nxb4??

Unguarding the queen loses in a simple manner. Correct is 18...Bxb4, when 19.Qg5+ Bg6 20.Bxg6 Qxg5 21.Bxf7+ Kxf7 22.Nxg5+ gives a late-middlegame in which White has four connected passed pawns, and the safer king, but materially Black has a bishop for three pawns. Dragon1 calls it equal, but Stockfish17 gives Black a slight edge, and in any case the position is very difficult to play for both sides.

19.Qh5

White wins back the piece, emerging two pawns up and with a continuing attack against an exposed king.

19...Bf6 20.Bxf5 Qxa2

This reduces the material deficit, but White's attack is too strong.

21.Ng5 Re7 22.Nh7 Bg7 23.Rfd1

White has not found the very best moves, according to the engines, but nevertheless is the equivalent of almost a rook ahead.

23...Rae8 24.Qg5 Nd5?! 25.Rxd5! Qb2

If 25...Qxd5 then 26.Nf6+ etc.

The game finished:

26.Rcd1 f6 27.Qg6 Qb6 28.h4 Kh8 29.Rd6 Qc7 30.h5 Rg8 31.Nxf6 Bxf6 32.Qxf6+ Rgg7 33.Rd8+ 1-0