Chess Tip Of The Day 554

Almost all combinations are made possible by an undefended or inadequately guarded piece. This means that whenever you see a piece that is "loose," perk up and look for a trick to take advantage of it.

Jeremy Silman, The Reassess Your Chess Workbook

Calvià Round Two

Santa Ponça

I was upfloated.

Spanton (2035) - José Alonso de la Huerta (1497)

French Alekhine-Chatard

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7

This is the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but the fashionable 4...dxe4 is preferred by Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4!?

This famous pawn offer is the engines' top choice, at least for a while - Stockfish18 comes to prefer the mainline 6.Bxe7.

How should Black respond to White's pawn offer?

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6...h6

This is the engines' second choice. Stockfish18's main line runs 6...Bxg5 7.hxg5 Qxg5 8.Nh3 Qh4!? (8...Qe7 is normal) 9.Nb5 Kd8 10.Qd2 a6 11.Nc3, awarding White a slight edge. Dragon1 likes the unusual 6...Nc6!?, continuing 7.Qd2 a6 7.Nf3 h6 8.Bxe7 Nxe7!? 9.Ne2!? c5, but accepts 10.c3 gives White the upper hand. However, both engines' choices and evaluations change quite a lot, depending on how much time they are allowed, so there is plenty to investigate, certainly from an engine-approval viewpoint.

7.Bxe7 Qxe7 8.Qg4

This is the main move in Mega26, but the engines prefer 8.f4!?

8...0-0!?

This may look like castling into it, ie encouraging a white attack, but Stockfish18 reckons the move equalises, while Dragon1 gives White 'only' a slight edge.

9.0-0-0

This and 9.f4 are roughly equally popular in Mega26, but the latter scores 12 percentage points better, and is preferred by the engines, albeit marginally in Stockfish18's case.

9...a6

Strong players have generally preferred 9...c5, which is also the engines' top choice.

10.f4 f5

This is narrowly the main continuation in Mega26, but the engines again prefer ...c5.

How should White proceed?

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11.Qf3

11.exf6 Nxf6 12.Qf3 has been played by a 2579, and gives the upper hand, according to the engines, but they reckon best is 11.Qg6!?, claiming 11...Qf7 12.Qxf7+ Rxf7 13.Nf3 leaves White with at least the upper hand, an maybe a positionally won game (Stockfish18).

11...c5 12.Nge2 Nc6 13.g4 fxg4 14.Qxg4 cxd4 15.Nxd4 Nxd4 16.Rxd4 b5!?

Apparently a novelty - known moves are 16...Nc5 and 16...Re8 - and quite liked by the engines, although they agree White is on top (without Black having made a move that causes them to flash red).

17.Rg1 Rf7 18.Qh5?!

Almost certainly better is 18.Bd3.

18...Kf8?

After 18...b4 19.Ne2 Kh8!? Black is equal (Stockfish18) or only slightly worse (Dragon1).

19.Bd3 Qc5 20.Ne2 Re7?!

The engines suggest 20...Nb8!?, but agree 21.Bg6 is winning, eg 21...Rc7 22.Rdd1 Nc6 (22...Qxc2?? 23.Bxc2) 23.Kb1 Ne7 24.Nd4 Rb8 25.f5!?, when White is crashing through, the engines' main line running 25...Nxf5 26.Bxf5!? exf5 27.e6 Rb6 28.Qxf5+ Kg8 29.Qg6.

21.Qg6 Kg8??

This allows mate in three. Possibly best is 21...b4 22.Kb1!? (the immediate 22.Qh7 is also very strong) Bb7 23.Qh7 Ke8 24.Rxg7 Kd8 25.Qxh6, when White's advantage is roughly the equivalent of being up a rook, but Black can play on and hope to somehow pull off a swindle.

22.Qh7+ Kf8 23.Qh8+ 1-0

Calvià Round One

Playing hall before tonight's first round

Spanton (2035) - Josep Santandreu Tost (1701)

French Winawer

1.e4 e6 2.d5 d5 2.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Ne7 5.Bd2 0-0!?

More common is 5...b6 and especially 5...c5.

6.a3 Bxc3 7.Bxc3

Stockfish18 and Dragon1 at first prefer 7.bxc3!?, the former more than the latter, but Stockfish18 comes to prefer the text, while at the same time Dragon1's enthusiasm for 7.bxc3!? grows. However, later Dragon1 flips between the two moves.

7...Nd7 8.f4 c5 9.Nf3 b6 10.Bd3 Ng6

Not 10...c4? 11.Bxh7+!, eg 11...Kxh7 12.Ng5+ Kg6 13.Qg4 f5 14.Qg3, with a large advantage for White.

11.Qd2 c4!?

The engines strongly dislike 11...c4!?, which has the usual effect of challenging White's light-square bishop, but taking pressure off White's extended centre

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12.Be2

The engines like 12.Bxg6!?, meeting 12...hxg6 with 13.h4, and 12...fxg6!? with 13.Bb4 Re8 14.h4.

12...f5 13.h4

White often likes to capture en passant when Black plays ...f5 in the French, but here 13.exf6?! Nxf6 loses most of White's advantage.

13...a5 14.h5 Nh8!? 15.Ng5 Qe7 16.Kf2!? Nf7 17.Nf3 Bb7 18.Rag1 Nh6 19.Nh4 Qf7 20.Ke1!? Ng4

21.Nf3

The engines like 21.Bxg4!? fxg4 22.Rf1 Qxh5 23.f5, with a strong attack.

21...h6 22.Qd1 b5!?

On 22...Ne3 I intended 23.Qc1 Ng4 24.Bd2.

23.Qd2!?

How should Black proceed?

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23...b4!

This pawn sacrifice gives Black interesting play, and the engines agree it is the best continuation.

24.axb4 axb4 25.Bxb4 Ra1+ 26.Bd1 Rfa8

How should White proceed?

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27.Ke2?

Better is 27.Nh2 - getting rid of the g4 knight makes the white king a lot safer.

27...c3!

A second pawn sacrifice, and again it is the engines' top choice.

28.Bxc3 Ba6+ 29.Ke1 Nb6?

Black has at least the upper hand, according to the engines, after both 29...Rb1 and 29...Bb5!?, eg 29...Rb1 30.b3 Bb5 31.Rh3 Ra2 32.Rgh1 Nb8!? 33.Ng1 Qa7, with strong pressure that the engines reckon much more than compensates for being two pawns down. If 30.Nh2, the engines give the spectacular 30...Ndf6!! 31.exf6 Nxf6, eg 32.Nf3 Ne4 33.Ne5 Qe8, when the white queen cannot be saved as 34.Qe3 is met by 34...Qa4, and if 35.b3, then 35...Qa2, when one line runs 36.Nd3 Qxc2 37.Nf2 Nxf2 38.Qxe6+ Kh8 39.Bd2 Nxh1 40.Rxh1 Qxd1+ 41.Kf2 Qxd2+ 42.Kg3 Rxb3+ 43.Kh2 Qxf4+ 44.g3 Qxg3#.

30.b3 Ra2 31.Be2?

The engines reckon White has the upper hand after 31.Rh3, and other moves also leave White with at least an edge.

31...Qc7 32.Bxa6 R2xa6 33.Bb4?

The position is equal after 33.Qd3, 33.Ke2 or 33.Rh3, according to the engines.

Black to play and gain a winning advantage

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33...Ra2!

If 33...Rc8, White is fine with, for example, 34.Bc5.

34.Bc5 Nd7?!

Black is still better after this, according to the engines, but they reckon strongest is 34...Qc6, when, among other things, Black threatens 35...Nc4! 36.bxc4 Qa4, with ...Rxc2 to come.

35.b4?

After 35.Ke2!? Nxc5 36.dxc5 d4! 37.Rc1!? Qxc5 38.Qd3 Qd5 Black has more than enough for a pawn, according to the engines, but the game continues. However, if 37.Nxd4, one line runs 37...Qxc5 38.Rh3 Qd5! (threatens 39...Qe4+) 39.Qd3 Ra1 40.Rhh1 Rd1!! 41.Qxd1 (41.Rxd1 Qxg2+ 42.Ke1 Qf2#) Qe4+ 42.Kf1 Qe3 43.Qe1 Ra1! 44.Qxa1 Qf2#.

35...Qb7 36.Ke2

Best may be 36.Rh4!?, but 36...Nxc5 37.dxc5 R8a3 leaves White unable to meet the twin threats of ...Re3+ and ...Ra1+.

36...Qb5+ 37.Kd1

Or 37.Qd3 Rxc2+ 38.Nd2 Rxd2+ 39.Kxd2 Ra2+ 40.Qc2 Qc4! (even stronger than 40...Rxc2+) 41.Rc1 Nxc5 42.bxc5 Qd4+ 43.Ke1 Qe3+ 44.Kf1 Qxf4+ 45.Kg1 Rxc2 46.Rxc2 Qd4+ and 47...Qxf2#.

37...Ra1+ 38.Qc1 Rxc1+ 39.Kxc1 Nxc5 40.bxc5 Qb4 0-1

Getting There (Calvià)

CAUGHT Ryanair's 12:25 from Stansted to Palma de Mallorca, and then an A11 bus, arriving at my hotel in Palmanova before 17:30 Spanish time.

View from my balcony

League Chess

PLAYED on board one (of five) for Battersea Galacticos against OTB 2 in Central London League Division Two last night.

Joaquín Inga Paiva (2240) - Spanton (1942)

Sicilian Closed

1.e4 c5 2.d3!?

One of the ideas of this quiet move is to play the Closed Variation of the Sicilian, but without committing to the move Nc3, the point being that in lines with Nc3, White often later moves the queen's knight a second time, so as to evict a black knight from d4 with the move c3. Another idea is that, depending on how Black meets 2.d3!?, White might switch into a King's Indian Attack.

The position occurs 17,046 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database - how should Black respond?

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2...Nc6

The problem with 2...d5!?, which has been played by Kamsky and other top grandmasters, is that 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nc3 leaves Black with nothing better than 4...Qd8, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1, when White's edge in development may amount to something.

3.g3 d5

But now this is well-playable, although 3...g6!? is more popular.

4.Bg2

The engines give 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Nf3 Nd4!?, claiming complete equality.

4...dxe4 5.dxe4!?

This is almost three times as common as 5.Bxe4.

5...Qxd1+ 6.Kxd1 Bg4+ 7.f3 0-0-0+ 8.Nd2!? Bh5 9.c3 Nf6 10.Kc2

With queens off the board, and both kings in relative safety, how would you assess the position?

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The engines, perhaps not surprisingly, reckon the game is equal, although naturally there is still a lot of play in the position.

10...e5

The engines are not keen on this, suggesting 10...g5!? or 10...h6.

11.Ne2

White is slightly better after 11.h4 Bg6 12.Nf1!?, according to Stockfish18, although Dragon1 is less sure.

11...Be7 12.g4 Bg6 13.Ng3

The engines still like h4.

13...Rhe8

They strongly dislike this (one point of the move is to give Black the option of meeting 14.Nf5 with 14...Bf8, but the engines reckon 14...Bxf5 is better anyway).

14.Nc4 h6 15.a4 b6 16.h4 Kc7 17.Be3 Bf8 18.h5 Bh7 19.g5

The engines give White at least the upper hand after 19.Nf5 or 19.Bf1!?

19...Nd5!?

How should White proceed?

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20.gxh6?

White should play 20.Bf1!? or 20.Bd2, in each case with a roughly equal game.

Black to play and gain a winning advantage

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20...gxh6

The engines point out the very strong 20...Na5!, when White has no good reply, eg 21.Bg5 can be met by 21...Nxc4 (22.Kb3 Na5+; 22.Bxd8+ Rxd8 23.hxg7 Bxg7), while 21.hxg7 can be met by 21...Nxc4 or 21...Bxg7.
21.Rhe1

White is slightly better after 21.Bc1!?, according to the engines.

21...Nxe3+ 22.Nxe3 Be7 23.Nf5 Bg5 24.Rad1 Rxd1 25.Rxd1 Rd8 26.Bf1 Rxd1 27.Kxd1

How would you assess this minor-piece ending?

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Black has the bishop-pair, but it is probably fair to say the bishops are no better than the knights. The engines reckon the game is completely equal.

27...Ne7 28.Bh3 Nxf5 29.Bxf5 Bg8 30.c4!? f6 31.b3 Bf7 32.Bg4 Bf4 33.Nf5 Bg5 34.Ng7 Kd6 35.Nf5+ Kc7 36.Kc2 a5!? 37.Kd3 Bf4 38.Ng7 Kd6 39.Bc8 Kc7 40.Be6 Bxe6 41.Nxe6+

How would you assess this bishop-v-knight ending?

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The bishop is bad in that every black pawn is on a dark square, and every white pawn is on a light square, giving the bishop no targets. But Black is in no danger of falling into zugzwang, as the bishop can move fairly freely along the g5-c1 diagonal, and in particular can protect the weak h6 and f6 pawns, especially with the help of the black king. The position is completely equal, according to the engines.

41...Kd6 42.Ng7 Ke7 43.Nf5+ Ke6 44.Ke2 Kd7 45.Kf2 Ke6 46.Kg2 Kd7 47.Kh3 Ke6 48.Kg4 Bg5 49.Kg3 Bf4+ 50.Kh3 Bg5 51.Kg4 Bf4 52.Nh4 Bc1 53.Ng6

Or 53.Ng2 Bd2.

53...Bg5 54.Nf8+ Ke7 55.Nh7 Ke6 56.Kh3 Kf7 57.Kg4 Ke6 ½–½

OTB 2 won the match 3.5-1.5.

My Battersea Season 2026-7

DATE.....EVENT...........................COL..RATING..OPP'S RATING..SCORE..SEASON PERF

29/9/26  Club Championship         W     1953              1411                1                  *

1/10/26  Central London League   W     1942              2094                =              2094

5/10/26  London League                B      1942              2042                =              2068

6/10/26  Club Championship          B      1942             1541                 1                  +

8/10/26  Central London League    B      1942             2240                 =             2125

*I am ignoring my win against a 1411 as it counts as an 1811 performance, which, unless I have a very bad season, would lower my season's rating performance, despite me winning.

+I am also ignoring my win against a 1541 as it counts as a 1941 performance, which, at least for now, would lower my season's rating performance, despite me winning.

Ballearic Chess

AM making final preparations for flying to Mallorca tomorrow for the Calvià U2350 tournament, which has 135 entries from 24 countries.

The time control is 40 moves in 90 minutes, a further 15 minutes to finish, and a 30-second increment throughout.

There are nine rounds over nine days, starting on Saturday, with the first seven rounds at 20:00, followed by rounds at 15:30 and 10:00.

Mallorcan salt flats

Championship Chess

PLAYED in the second qualifying round of the Battersea club championship last night.

Hendrik Esman (1541) - Spanton (1942)

English Symmetrical

1.c4 c5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.b3!?

5.b3 is seventh-most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, the main move being 5.Nf3

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5...d6 6.Bb2 e5

This is Dragon1's top choice, albeit marginally, but is not liked by Stockfish18, presumably because of the hole created at d5.

7.d3 Nge7 8.Qd2!?

This is the engines' top choice, at least for a while, although they fluctuate with other moves, Stockfish18 liking 8.h4!?, and Dragon1 suggesting 8.e3!?

8...0-0 9.Nf3

Lev Psakhis (2480) - Yevgeniy Vladimirov (2445), USSR Championship (Vilnius) 1978, went 9.0-0-0 Be6 10.f4!? d5 11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Nh3 Nb4 13.Bxd5 Bxd5 14.Nxd5 Qxd5 1539.Kb1 a5, with the upper hand for Black, according to the engines (0-1, 39 moves).

9...Rb8 10.0-0

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position?

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White has a slight lead in development; Black has more space in the centre. The engines call the position equal, satisfied, it seems, that Black can deal with the consequences of having a hole at d5.

10...a6 11.Ne1!?

The start of a common manoeuvre when Black, as here, has adopted a Botvinnik formation. The white king's knight heads via c2 and e3 for d5. When White uses the same Botvinnik setup, Black often has a manoeuvre in which the king's knight goes via e8, c7 and e6 to d4.

11...b5 12.Nc2 b4 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.Bxd5 Nd4

The engines slightly prefer 14...Ne7, attacking White's light-square bishop.

15.Nxd4 exd4 16.a3 a5 17.a4?!

On 17.axb4 I intended 17...Rxb4, although I confess I had not considered the engines' top reply, 18.Bc1!? The text is problematic in that, with the queenside locked, all attention switches to the kingside, where, admittedly, White has a well-placed bishop, but Black has more space.

17...Bg4 18.e4?!

18.e4?! is not as bad as it may at first appear, but it puts the onus on White to find strong moves

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18...Bf3 19.h3?

White more-or-less had to play 19.Qf4!?, when the engines reckon 19...Be2 20.f3!? Bxf1 21.Rxf1 is completely equal, the point presumably being that White's light-square bishop is as good as either black rook, and anyway it is not easy for Black to open lines for the rooks. The engines suggest Black meets 19.Qf4!? with 19...Qf6!?, when they reckon 20.Qxf6 Bxf6 favours Black, and so suggest 20.Rae1 (Stockfish18) or 20.Bc1!? (Dragon1), but again reckon Black is better.

Black to play and gain what the engines agree is a winning position

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19...g5!

This takes the f4 square away from White's queen (and also stops the queen going to h6 after Black plays ...Be5), as well as inhibiting h4, and preparing a possible ...g4. Having said that, Stockfish18 reckons the immediate 19...Be5 is also very strong, and Dragon1, after for a long time ranking 19...Qd7 as its second-best move, comes to at least partly concur with its fellow engine.

20.Rae1

It seems White has no defence, eg 20.Kh2 Be5 21.Rg1 Kh8 22.Bc1 h6 23.Qe1 Qd7 24.Ra2 Rg8 leaves White without any useful move (the engines' top two choices are 25.Rg2!? and 25.Re2!?, in each case offering the exchange), allowing Black to build up and prepare a decisive breakthrough at leisure.

20...Be5 21.Bc1 h6 22.h4?

Better is 22.Kh2, but play would proceed in a similar way to the previous note.

22...Qd7! 23.Kh2 Qg4 0-1

My Battersea Season 2026-7

DATE.....EVENT...........................COL..RATING..OPP'S RATING..SCORE..SEASON PERF

29/9/26  Club Championship         W     1953              1411                1                  *

1/10/26  Central London League   W     1942              2094                =              2094

5/10/26  London League                B      1942              2042                =              2068

6/10/26  Club Championship          B      1942             1541                 1                  +

*I am ignoring my win against a 1411 as it counts as an 1811 performance, which, unless I have a very bad season, would lower my season's rating performance, despite me winning.

+I am ignoring my win against a 1541 as it counts as a 1941 performance, which, at least for now, would lower my season's rating performance, despite me winning.

League Chess

PLAYED on board five (of eight) for Battersea against Albany in London League Division Two last night.

Vince Sagues (2042) - Spanton (1942)

Réti

1.c4 e6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 d4!?

This may look strange, as Black has spent a tempo on ...e6, but I discussed the issues here, and the text, although unusual, has been played by Carlsen, and is the top choice, albeit marginally, of Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

4.Nf3 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7

But the engines are not keen on this, preferring 5...Nc6 or 5...c5, eg 5...c5 6.e3 Nc6 7.exd4 cxd4 8.d3 Bd6 9.Bg5 h6 10.Bxf6!? Qxf6, with equality, according to Stockfish18, although Dragon1 fluctuates between equality and giving White a slight edge.

How should White proceed?

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6.e3

This is easily the commonest move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but possible is 6.b4!?, when 6...Bxb4?! runs into 7.Qa4 Nc6 8.Ne5.

6...c5 7.exd4 cxd4 8.Re1 Nc6 9.d3 0-0

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position?

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The diagram is fairly typical of the type of position that can arise when Black pushes ...d4 in the Réti Opening. White has more space on the queenside and the endgame asset of a farside pawn-majority, while Black has more space in the centre and an extra pawn on the two central files. The engines come to agree White has a slight edge, but only if  continuing 10.Na3!?, when play might run 10...Re8 (the engines are not keen on the popular 10...Nd7) 11.Bf4 Nh5 12.Bd2 Bxa3!? 13.bxa3, with an imbalanced position that the engines assess as giving White the better part of equality.

10.Bg5 h6 11.Bxf6!? Bxf6 12.Nbd2 e5

The engines dislike this, preferring 12...a5, 12...Bd7 or 12...Qb6!?

13.b4!?

Getting this move in, often as a sacrifice, or a pseudo-sac, is a thematic manoeuvre for White when Black has played ...d4, but here the engines prefer 13.a3 (Stockfish18) or 13.c5!? (Dragon1).

How should Black respond?

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13...Nxb4

This is almost certainly best.

14.Nxe5 Re8?

This unprotects f7, which proves significant. I rejected 14...Bxe5 15.Rxe5 Nxd3 because of 16.Rd5 Qf6?? 17.Ne4, but the engines reckon Black is fine after 16...Qc7 17.Rxd4 Ne5.

15.a3 Na6

The engines prefer 15...Nc2!? 16.Qxc2 Bxe5, but give White the upper hand after 17.Bd5 or 17.Rab1.

16.Nef3?

Missing 16.Qh5, when 16...Bxe5 (16...Re7? 17.Nxf7!) 17.Rxe5 gives White at least the upper hand, according to the engines, eg 17...Rb8 18.Rxe8+!? Qxe8 19.Nf3 Qe8 20.Re1, when White's four active pieces contrast strongly with Black's four huddled on the queenside.

16...Rxe1+ 17.Nxe1!?

The engines agree this is best, but the knight has made a sad journey from the fifth rank to the first.

17...Nc5 18.Ne4 Nxe4 19.Bxe4 Qc7

Possibly better is 19...Rb8.

20.Rb1

Can you predict what the engines recommend for Black (well done if you get it in three guesses)?

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20...Qa5

The engines suggest 20...g6!?, partly, perhaps, to prevent a later Qh5 and partly to give the king an escape square at g7 (h7 being covered by the white bishop). The problem with 20...Rb8 is White has 21.Qa4, threatening mate in one as well as the a7 pawn.

21.Qb3

White has at least the upper hand after 21.Bxb7 Bxb7 22.Rxb7 Qxa3 23.Qh5, according to the engines.

21...Rb8 22.Qb4!?

The engines agree this is best.

22...Qxb4 23.axb4 a6

Black has the bishop-pair, but White's bishop is the most active piece on the board, and d4 is probably more of a liability than an asset

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24.Nf3 b6 25.Nd2 Be7 26.Nf3 Bf6 27.Nd2 Be7 28.Nf3 Bf6 ½–½

The engines reckon Black should have played on with, for example, Kg2, enjoying the upper hand (Dragon1) or at least a slight edge (Stockfish18).

Battersea won the match 5.5-2.5

My Battersea Season 2026-7

DATE.....EVENT...........................COL..RATING..OPP'S RATING..SCORE..SEASON PERF

29/9/26  Club Championship         W     1953              1411                1                  *

1/10/26  Central London League   W     1942              2094                =              2094

5/10/26  London League                B      1942              2042                =              2068

*I am ignoring my win against a 1411 as it counts as an 1811 performance,,which, unless I have a very bad season, will lower my rating performance, despite my win.

Miniatures 47

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

Spanton (164 BCF) - Paul Stimpson (154 BCF)

Hastings Challengers 1992-3

Scotch Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4

This scores two percentage points higher than 4.Nxd4 in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.

4...Be7

This position also arises from the Hungarian Defence: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.d4 exd4

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5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 d6 7.0-0 a6!? 8.a4 Bd7 9.Bg5 Qc8?

This appears to be a novelty - the move still does not appear in Mega26 - and not a good one. Known moves are 9...h6 and 9...0-0.

10.f4

Even stronger, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1, is 10.Nd5!?

10...Bg4?

The bishop becomes a target here. The engines suggest 10...0-0, but agree White is better.

11.Qd2 h6?! 12.Nxc6

The engines prefer 12.e5 or 12.Bxf6, and if the latter is met by 12...Bxf6, then 13.e5.

12...bxc6 13.Bxf6!? gxf6?! 14.f5!? d5!? 15.exd5 Bxf5 16.dxc6 Rg8

The engines suggest 16...Be6, but Black's position cannot be saved, eg 17.Nd5 Bxd5 18.Qxd5 Qe6!? 19.Rad1!? Qxd5 20.Rxd5 Rd8 21.Rfd1 Rxd5 22.Rxd5 Bd6 23.Bxa6, when opposite-coloured bishops are not enough to rescue Black's game.

17.Kh1 Rg5 18.Rae1 Kf8?! 19.Nd5 Bd6 20.Nxf6 1-0

Black is 'only' two pawns down, but the engines reckon White's advantage is worth at least +7.50.

LESSON: in sharp, open games, it is dangerous to fall behind in development.

County Chess

FACED a junior (born 2016) on board 13 (of 14*) for Kent at Middlesex in the opening weekend of the Southern Counties championship.

Spanton (1942) - Aviraj Bhaduri (1937)

Sicilian ...e6

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 d5!?

This is fifth-most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, behind ...b6, ...d6, ...a6 and especially ...Nc6, but has been played by grandmasters.

4.cxd5 exd5 5.exd5 Nf6

How should White continue?

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6.Nc3

This is second in popularity behind 6.Bb5+, but best, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1, is 6.Bc4!?, when play might continue 6...Qe7+ 7.Qe2 Bg4!? (7...Qxe2+ 8.Kxe2!?) 8.Qxe7+ Bxe7 9.Ne5, with the upper hand for White, according to the engines.

6...Nxd5 7.Bb5+ Nc6

At least two players rated over 2400 have played 7...Bd7?, but 8.Qe2+ Ne7 (forced) leaves Black in trouble, eg 9.d4 Bxb5 10.Qxb5+ Qd7 11.dxc5, resulted in White being up a pawn, and ahead on development, in Leonid Starozhilov (2318) - Christopher Woojin Yoo (2455), Chess.com Blitz 2021 (1-0, 42 moves).

8.Qe2+

The engines prefer 8.0-0 or 8.d4, claiming a slight edge for White.

8...Be6!?

Apparently a novelty - the engines like it as much as the known 8...Be7.

9.d4 a6 10.Bc4!? Be7 11.Be3?!

The engines strongly dislike this, preferring 11.dxc5 or 11.Bxd5 Bxd5 12.dxc5.

What should Black play?

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11...Nxc3

This is Dragon1's second choice, but it prefers 11...Nxe3, claiming a slight edge for Black, while Stockfish18 reckons 11...cxd4 gives Black the upper hand. Play can be very sharp, eg 11...cxd4 12.Nxd5 Bxd5 13.Nxd4 Bxg2 14.0-0-0!? Bxh1 15.Nf5 0-0!? 16.Rxd8 Raxd8, which seems to favour Black, but there are plenty of plausible alternatives along the way.

12.bxc3 Bxc4 13.Qxc4 cxd4 14.Nxd4 Nxd4

The engines at first reckon 14...Ne5!? 15.Qa4+ b5 16.Qc2 0-0 gives Black a slight edge, but come to downplay Black's advantage if given more time.

15.Qxd4 0-0 16.0-0 Qxd4 17.Bxd4 Rac8 18.Rfe1 Bc5 19.Rab1 Bxd4 20.cxd4 b5 21.a4!? Rc4

If 21...bxa4, then 22.Rb4.

22.axb5 axb5 23.Rxb5 Rxd4 24.Kf1 ½–½
*Apparently Middlesex were unable to raise a full team of 16, so the captains agreed to make it a 14-board match.

Kent won the match 8-6.