Monday 18 March 2024

Inside The Numbers

MY nine games at Bad Wörishofen threw up some interesting stats.

*Four games finished in 18 moves or fewer, but only one of them was drawn, and that only after a threefold repetition.

*I blundered my queen in consecutive games, with my other loss coming when I allowed a mate-in-two.

*My score of +4=2-3 gained 10.2 elo, whereas last year in the same U2000 tournament I lost 6.2 elo after scoring +5=2-2.

*My first two opponents and my last two had surnames starting with K.

*In round five I played Boris Litfin. It was the fifth time since 2018 we have met in this tournament, and I have won every time, despite being the lower-rated player each year except 2022.

*Both my wins against higher-rated opponents came on the black side of the Vienna: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6.

Sunday 17 March 2024

Summing Up Bad Wörishofen

MY score in the U2000 of +4=2-3 gained 10.2 Fide elo. I was seeded 30th, finishing tied for 23rd-38th (23rd on tiebreak).

Saturday 16 March 2024

Bad Wörishofen Round Nine

Helmut Kessler (1924) - Spanton (1876)
English
1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.e3 Nge7 6.Nge2
How should Black respond to White's threat to advance in the centre?
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
6...Nf5!?
The mainline in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database runs 6...0-0 7.0-0 d6, and if 8.d4 (8.d3 is more popular) then 8...exd4 9.exd4 Nf5 10.d5 Ne5 11.b3, with maybe a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1
7.Rb1 a5 8.a4?!
This seems to be a novelty, and probably not a good one. Normally in this type of position White plays a3 in order to get in b4.
8...d6 9.d3 Rb8!?
Protecting b7 so the queen's knight and bishop are free to move.
10.Nd5 Nb4 11.Qb3
The engines suggest 11.e4!? or 11.Qd2.
11...Nxd5
And here the engines like 11...Na6!?
12.cxd5!?
The engines agree this is the best way to recapture, even though it restricts the white king's bishop.
12...Bd7 13.Nc3 0-0 14.Bd2 h5 15.h4 Bf6 16.Ne4 Bg7 17.Nc3
If 17.Bxa5 then 17...Ra8, eg 18.Bd2 Bxa4 19.Qc4 (19.Qxb7 Bc2) b5!? 20.Qc3 b4!? 21.Qxb4 Bc2 22.Rc1 Bxd3, reaching what the engines reckon is complete equality.
17...c6 18.Qd1!?
How should Black proceed?
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
18...Ne7!?
Planning to play in the centre, but the engines do not like this. Komodo14.1 suggests 18...Qb6, stopping 19.b4, while Stockfish16 prefers 18...Nh6 19.b4 axb4 20.Rxb4 c5.
19.b4 axb4 20.Rxb4 cxd5
Stockfish16 agrees with this, but now Komodo14.1 likes 20...c5.
21.Nxd5 Nxd5 22.Bxd5 Bc6?!
Missing a chance to get rid of the weak b pawn with 22...b5.
23.Qb3 Qd7?!
It was probably better to keep the queen in touch with the queen's rook, eg 23...Qc7, or to put pressure on the a file with 23...Ra8.
24.0-0
Even stronger, according to the engines, is 24.Bxc6 Qxf6 25.0-0.
24...Ra8 25.a5?
White has at least the upper hand after 25.Bxc6 bxc6 26.Rb7, according to the engines.
25...Ra6?
Black equalises with 25...Rxa5!, more-or-less forcing 26.Bxc6, when 26...bxc6 is solid as 27.Rb7 can be met by 27...Ra3! Note that 26.Rxb7?? loses to 26...Qxb7. Also better than the text is 25...Bf6, although White is definitely for choice after, say, 26.Ra1.
26.Rb1 Rfa8 27.Bxc6 bxc6 28.Rb7
Black to play and lose immediately
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
28...Qg4?? 1-0

Friday 15 March 2024

Bad Wörishofen Round Eight

Spanton (1876) - Dirk Kampfmeier (1836)
Pirc
1.Nc3 Nf6 2.d4 d6 3.e4 g6 4.f4
Via a slight transposition we have reached the starting point of the Austrian Attack
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
4...Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2
Developing the white king's bishop to d3 is commoner.
6... c6
Black's more popular reply is 6...c5!?, the idea being to meet 7.dxc5 with 7...Qa5.
7.a4
Normal is castling.
7...Nbd7 8.0-0 Qc7?!
Preparing ...e5, but Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 reckon this is too slow, wanting to play the immediate 8...e5!?, meeting 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.fxe5 with 10,,,Ng4.
9.e5 Nd5 10.Ne4
Stockfish16 suggests what seems to be a novelty in 10.Nxd5!?, and after 10...cxd5 continuing 11.Ng5!?, claiming White is positionally winning, although Komodo14.1 gives White just a slight edge.
10...c5?
This is a mistake because it unprotects the king's knight. The engines prefer the known moves 10...Rd8 and 10...a5.
11.dxc5 Nb4 12.exd6
Even stronger, according to the engines, is 12.cxd6!? Qxc2 13.dxe7 Re8 14.Qxc2 Nxc2 15.Rb1.
12...exd6 13.c3 Nc6?
Black should play 13...d5 or 13...Nxc5.
14.Qxd6 Qd8!?
Objectively better, at least according to the engines, is swoping queens, but as DK pointed out in the postmortem, Black is then two pawns down and with little hope of conjuring a swindle.
15.Bc4 Re8?
White to play and win
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
16.Bxf7+! Kxf7 17.Neg5+ Kg8 18.Qd5+ 1-0

Thursday 14 March 2024

Bad Wörishofen Round Seven

Robert Walz (1955) - Spanton (1876)
Spanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1!?
This retreat is overwhelmingly most popular in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database.
7...Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re2!?
Unusual, but Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 reckon it is as good as the normal 10.Re1.
10...Re8 11.Bf4 Nf5?
White to play and win
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
12.Bxc7! 1-0

Bad Wörishofen Round Six

Spanton (1876) - Heinz Hamlack (1984)
English Symmetrical
1.e4 d6 2.c4!? g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.g3 c5 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.Nge2
By an unusual order of moves we have reached a position from the Symmetrical Variation of the English in which White has a Botvinnik setup
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
6...Bd7 7.0-0 Qc8!?
This is the most popular move in Chessbase's 2024 Mega database.
8.Nd5!?
Preventing 8...Bh3? as White continues 9.Bxh3 Qxh3 10.Nc7+ etc. However after ...
8...e6 9.Ndc3
... Black has got in the move ...e6 for free.
9...Nd4 10.d3 Ne7 11.Bf4 Qc7!? 12.Nxd4 Bxd4 13.Qd2 Bxc3?!
Giving up the bishop-pair, while intending to lock the centre to make the position bishop-unfriendly. Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 strongly dislike the idea.
14.bxc3!? e5 15.Bg5 Be6?!
Perhaps hoping to follow up with ...Qd7 and ...Bh3, but the bishop becomes a target on e6. The engines suggest 15...Ng8!? or the pawn sacrifice 15...h6!?, but much prefer White.
16.f4 h6!?
This is Komodo14.1's second choice, but the engines again suggest ...Ng8.
17.Bxh6!? Ng8 18.f5
Also strong-looking is the engines' piece sacrifice: 18.Bg5 f6 19.fxe5!? fxg5 20.exd6 Qxd6 21.e5!? with an attack.
18...Bxc4?
Capturing on h6 is better.
19.Be3?!
Probably even stronger is 19.Bg5, and if 19...f6 then simply 20.dxc4.
19...Ba6 20.fxg6 fxg6 21.Bg5 Qh7
The engines prefer 21...Ne7.
22.h4 Nh6 23.c4 Nf7 24.Bh3 b6 25.Be6 Nd8
The engines reckon 25...0-0!? may be a tad better - Stockfish16 fluctuates between the two moves - but in either case Black's position is horrific.
26.Bxd8 Rxd8
26...Kd8 fails to 27.Rf7.
27.Qg5 Qh6
Has White a quick finish?
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
Not immediately, eg the black king escapes after 28.Qf6 Rf8 29.Bf7+ Kd7. However White has a winning advantage after the simple 28.Bf7+ Kd7 29.Qxg6 as 29...Qe3+ is nothing to be feared. Stockfish16 gives as best 28.Rf8+!? Qxf8 29.Qxg6+ Ke7 30.Rf1, while Komodo14.1 likes 28.Qg4!?, which threatens mate-in-seven, starting with 29.Bf7+.
28.Qxg6+?? Qxg6 0-1

Tuesday 12 March 2024

Riviera Calling

DETAILS of the 2nd Riviera Congress - the 'new Paignton' - are now available at Congress Org UK's website.
There is a seven-day Fide-rated open, from Saturday August 31 to Friday September 6, and four five-day ECF-rated tournaments.
The venue is Torquay's TLH Carlton Hotel.

Bad Wörishofen Round Five

Boris Litfin (1938) - Spanton (1876)
Vienna Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4!? Nxe4!?
This 'equalising' capture is well-known, but is a lot less common in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database than 3...Bc5 and especially 3...Nc6.
4.Qh5
After 4.Nxe4 d5 Black has the upper hand, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1.
4...Nd6 5.Bb3 Be7!?
The famous sacrificial line 5...Nc6 6.Nb5 g6 7.Qf3 f5 8.Qd5 Qe7 9.Nxc7+ Kd8 10.Nxa8 b6 used to be considered good for Black, but modern engines much prefer White.
6.Nf3 Nc6 7.0-0?!
The engines are not keen on this, but agree it is an improvement on Litfin (1818) - Spanton (1912), Bad Wörishofen U2000 2022, when I met 7.Nb5?! with the novelty 7...g6!, immediately gaining a large advantage (0-1, 43 moves). All six games in Mega24 to reach the position after 7.Nb5?!, including Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2801) - Anish Giri (2782), Chess.com Blitz 2018, saw Black castle.
White's most popular seventh move in Mega24 is 7.Nxe5, after which 7...g6 8.Nxc6 dxc6 9.Qf3 is equal, according to the engines.
7...g6!?
Preventing White from quickly regaining the sacrificed pawn, but weakening the kingside. The engines again prefer this over castling.
8.Qg4 Nf5 9.Nd5!?
Stockfish16 fluctuates between the text and 9.Qe4. Komodo14.1 also likes 9.Qe4, along with 9.d3.
9...d6 10.Nxe7 Qxe7
How would you assess this middlegame?
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
White has the bishop-pair and has castled, but Black is a pawn up and has a strong-looking centre. The engines reckon Black has a large advantage.
11.Qe4 Be6 12.Ba4 Bd7 13.d3 0-0-0!? 14.c3 Kb8
Not just a safety-first move, but preparing a sacrifice.
15.b4
How should Black continue?
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
15...d5!?
The engines prefer the solidifying 15...f6, or 15...h5.
16.Qe1?!
With 16.Qxd5 Nxb4 17.cxb4 (best, according to the engines) Bxa4 18.Qxe5, White restores material equality, although thoughts of a queenside attack are gone, and the engines reckon White's inferior pawn-structure gives Black the upper hand.
After the text, White has fallen well behind in development, and Black gets a central initiative.
16...e4 17.dxe4 dxe4 18.Bxc6?
Better is the engines' 18.Ng5. After the text White no longer has the bishop-pair, and still has to do something about the attacked knight.
18...Bxc6 19.Nd4!?
The engines fluctuate between this and 19.Nd2 (19.Ng5?! h6 20.Nh3 Bb5 is surely even worse), which only goes to show how bad White's position is.
19...Nxd4 20.cxd4 Bb5 21.Qc3 Bxf1 22.Kxf1 Qd6 23.Be3 Qxh2 24.Rc1
White has pressure against the black queenside, but Black's material advantage (an exchange and two pawns) should tell
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
24...Qd6 25.g3 Rd7 26.d5!?
This becomes the engines' top choice. If 26.Bf4, then 26...Qe7, and 26...Qa6+ followed by 27...Rc8, are plenty good enough. But not 26...Qxd4 as 27.Qxd4! (this is stronger than 27.Bxc7+) Rxd4 28.Be5 Rhd8 29.Bxc7+ Kx8 30.Bxd8 Rxd8 31.Rc7 gives drawing chances.
26...Rc8 27.Qd4 b6 28.Rd1 f5 29.a4 Rcd8 30.Qc4 Qe7 31.a5 Rd6 32.axb6 cxb6
How should White proceed?
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
33.Bc5!?
Hoping for complications. On 33.Bf4 I intended 33...g5!? 34.Bxd6+ Qxd6, giving back the exchange but remaining two pawns up.
33...Qd7!?
The bishop can be taken, as, after 33...bxc5 34.bxc5 Qc7 the rook check 35.Rb1+ can be met by 35...Rb6, while queen checks, eg 35.Qb4+, can be met by 35...Qb7.
34.Be3?!
Black now goes three pawns up, as well as the exchange, so capturing on d6 is objectively much better.
34...Rxd5 35.Bf4+ Ka8 36.Rxd5 Qxd5 37.Qc7 Qd7 38.Qe5 Rc8
There is a much quicker finish after 38...Qd1+ or 38....Qd3+
39.Kg2 Qc6 40.Be3 Rd8 41.Qe7 Qd7 42.Qf6 Kb7 43.b5 Re8 44.Qh4!? Re5 45.Qf6 Rxb5 46.Qh8 a5 47.Bf4 Rc5 48.Be3 Rc8 49.Qa1 Qc6 50.Qg7+ Rc7 51.Qd4 h6 52.Kh2 Rd7 53.Qe5 Qd6 54.Qb5 h5!? 55.Bxb6!?
Winning two pawns, but the queens come off.
55...Qc6 56.Qxc6+ Kxc6 57.Bxa5 Kb5 58.Bc3 Kc4 59.Be5 Kd3 60.Bf4 Ke2 61.Kg2 Rd3 62.Bg5 Rf3 63.g4 Rxf2+ 64.Kg1 hxg4 65.Bh4 Rf3 66.Kg2 e3 67.Bg5 f4 68.Bh4 Rh3 0-1
Bizarrely, despite playing to the bitter end, BL did not try 69.Bf2, hoping for 69...exf2?? stalemate.

Monday 11 March 2024

Bad Wörishofen Round Four

I WAS downfloated for this afternoon's game.

Spanton (1876) - Hans Leutz (1941)
Caro-Kann Two Knights
1.e4 c6 2.Nf3!? d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Bc4
5.d4 transposes to a mainline of the Modern Variation.
5...Ngf6 6.Neg5 e6 7.Qe2 Nb6!?
This is the most popular move in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, but Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 prefer 7...Nd5 or 7...Qe7.
How can White exploit Black's possible inaccuracy?
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
8.Nxf7?
This combination does not work. However 8.Ne5 is very promising, eg 8...Nxc4 9.Qxc4 Qd5 (what else?) 10.Qxd5 exd5 11.Ngxf7 Rg8 12.Ng5, after which Black surely does not have enough for a pawn.
8...Kxf7 9.Ng5+
If 9.Bxe6+ Bxe6 10.Ng5+ Kg6 11.Nxe6, the engines suggest the apparent-novelty 11...Qd6!?, claiming Black is winning.
9...Ke8
The only (winning) move, but good enough.
10.Bxe6
How should Black proceed?
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
10....Bxe6?
Winning is 10...Qe7.
11.Nxe6 Qe7 12.Nc7+ Kd7 13.Qxe7+ Bxe7 14.Nxa8 Rxa8
How would you assess this late-middlegame?
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
White has two pawns and a rook for a pair of knights, which would be advantageous in an ending, but here it will not be easy to create a passed pawn, and meanwhile Black has a large lead in development. The engines reckon chances are equal.
15.d3 Re8 16.0-0!?
The engines prefer this - marginally in the case of Komodo14.1 - over 16.Be3.
16...h6 17.Bd2 c5 18.Rfe1 Nbd5 19.a3 a6 20.Rad1
The engines suggest 20.c4!?, claiming a slight edge for White.
20...Bd6!? 21.Rxe8 Nxe8 22.Re1 Nef6 23.g3 g5!? 24.Kg2 Ne7 25.h4!?
The engines prefer 25.Bc3 or 25.c4!?
25...gxh4 26.Bxh6 hxg3 27.Bg5!?
This loses a pawn, but allows the rook to be fully activated. The engines slightly prefer 27.fxg3.
27...gxf2 28.Kxf2 Ng4 29.Kf3 Ne5+ 30.Ke4 N5c6 31.Rh1 Nd4 32.c3 Ndf5 33.Rh7
How would you assess this ending?
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
White has rook and pawn for two knights, and is generally more active. But Black is solid and it will be hard for White to create a passed pawn without it being isolated. The engines reckon the position is completely equal.
33...a5 34.a4 Kc6 35.Rf7 Ng3+ 36.Kf3 Ngf5?!
36...Nd5 maintains complete equality, according to the engines.
37.Ke4
White is better after 37.Kg4, the engines giving best-play as 37...b5! 38.Rxf5 Nxf5 39.axb5+ Kxb5 40.Kxf5, after which White is a pawn up but Black has decent-looking drawing chances.
37...Ng3+
After making the move and pressing the clock, HL offered a draw.
38.Kf3 Ngf5?! 39.Bf4?!
The position is again completely equal, according to the engines
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
39...Nh4+?!
Both 39...Kd5 and 39...Kd7 seem to hold the draw comfortably.
40.Kg4
This time the white king should go the other way - the engines reckoning 40.Ke4 gives a slight edge.
40...Nhg6 41.Bxd6 Kxd6 42.Rf6+ Kc7 43.Kg5!?
Perhaps 43.d4, or centralisation with 43.Kf3, is better.
43...Ne5 44.d4
Black is at least slightly better after 44.Re6?! N7c6.
44...cxd4 45.cxd4 N5c6 46.Rf7 Kd6 47.Kf6
What should Black play?
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
47...Kd5!?
If 47...Nd5+, then 48.Kf5 Nxd4+ 49.Ke4 is equal. Komodo14.1, but not Stockfish16, reckons 47...b6 gives a slight edge.
48.Rxe7 Nxe7 49.Kxe7 Kxd4 50.Kd6 Kc4 51.Kc7 b5
Also drawing are 51...Kb3, 51...Kb4 and 51...Kc5.
52.Kb6 bxa4 53.Kxa5 Kb3 54.Kb5
I offered a draw.
54...Kxb2 55.Kxa4 ½–½

Sunday 10 March 2024

Bad Wörishofen Round Three

Rudolf Forster (1925) - Spanton (1876)
Vienna Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2?!
Apparently going for rapid development, but that does not sit well with playing e4 and g3. The mainline in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database runs 4.exd5 Nxd5 5.Ng2 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bd6, with an equal position, according to Stockfish16, although Kmodo14.1 prefers White.
How should Black proceed?
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
4...dxe4
Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 prefer 4...d4
 5.Nxe4 Nxe4 6.Bxe4 Bc5
Threatening 7...Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qd4+ etc.
7.Ne2 Nc6 8.c3?!
It is hard to believe White has time for this. The engines give 8.d3, but award Black a slight edge.
8...Qf6 9.0-0!?
It took me ages to realise White could play this without catastrophe. Even so, after ...
9...Bh3 10.Bg2 Bxg2 11.Kxg2 h5
... the engines give Black the upper hand.
12.d4!?
Perhaps White should prefer 12.h4, or 12.b4 and then 13.h4.
12...exd4 13.cxd4 0-0-0 14.h4 Nxd4 15.Nxd4 Rxd4 16.Qc2 Qc6+
White to play and keep the game going
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
17.Kh2?
Anything but this (apart from 17.Qe4??).
17...Rxh4+! 0-1