British 65+ Round Two

Owen Phillips (1924 ECF/1925 Fide) - Spanton (1940 ECF/2003 Fide)

1.Nc3

1.Nc3 c5 2.g3!?

Stockfish18 and Dragon1 are not keen on this.

2...d5!?

The engines prefer the text over the more-popular 2...Nc6.

How should White proceed?

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3.e4!?

By playing 3.d4!? White would transpose into a Chigorin, with colours reversed and White enjoying an extra tempo (2.g3). But the engines are not impressed by the Chigorin at the best of times, and they do not like White's position. The text was played by the highest-rated player to reach the diagram as White, but the engines prefer 3.Bg2 or 3.d3!?

3...d4 4.Nb1!?

This is Stockfish18's top choice. Dragon1 at first marginally prefers 4.Nce2, but later switches to 4.Na4!?, and then to the text.

4...Nc6 5.d3!?

The engines agree this is best, although they give Black a slight edge.

5...Nf6 6.Bg2 Bg4

The engines do not like this, preferring 6...e5, or an apparent-novelty, 6...h6!?

7.f3!?

Another apparent-novelty, and preferred by the engines over the known 7.Ne2.

7...Bh5!? 8.g4!? Bg6 9.f4

Kingside pawn advances like this are often double-edged, but with the centre more-or-less closed, it seems White has little to worry about.

9...h6 10.f5 Bh7

How would you assess this unusual opening position?

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Black's lead in development probably does not count for much, but meanwhile Black's centre-queenside space advantage squares off against White's extra space on the kingside. The engines give Black a slight edge.

11.Bf4 e5 12.Bg3

Black has the upper hand after 12.fxe6 fxe6, according to the engines.

12...Be7

One move liked by the engines is 12...c4!?, when they reckon 13.dxc4?! Qb6 gives Black a large advantage.

13.h3!?

Protecting g4 to make Nf3 possible.

13...Nd7 14.Nf3 Bg5!? 15.Nxg5 hxg5

White is equal after 15...Qxg5 16.0-0!?, according to the engines.

16.Nd2

How should Black proceed?

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16...Nb6?!

The engines strongly dislike this, claiming Black has at least the better part of equality after 16...Bg8!?

17.Nf3 f6?!

The engines reckon Black should give up a pawn with 17...Bg8!?, when 18.Bxe5 (18.Nxe5?? Qd6) Nxe5 19.Nxe5 Qc7 20.Nf3 f6 is good for White, but not, according to the engines, winning.

After 17...f6?!, what should White play?

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18.b3?!

Too slow. White has at least the upper hand after 18.h4, eg 18...Bg8 19.hxg5!? Rxh1+ 20.Bxh1, when Black cannot regain the lost pawn, or 18...gxh4?! 19.Rxh4, when material is level for the moment, but the engines reckon White's pressure gives a winning advantage, a sample line running 19...Kd7 20.g5 fxg5!? (apparently best, but not a pleasant move to have to make) 21.Rh5 g6!? 22.Rxg5 gxf5 23.Rg7+ Kc8 24.Nxe5 Nxe5 25.Bxe5, with the position opening nicely for White's bishop-pair.

18...Bg8 19.Kf2

Playing h4 still gives an advantage, according to the engines, but is not decisive.

19...Nd7 20.Qd2 Qa5 21.Ke2

OP offered a draw.

Objectively, should Black accept?

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½–½

I correctly saw that probably Black's best move is 21...Qa3!?, but failed to correctly assess the resulting position, fearing White would still have good chances on the kingside. The engines, however, reckon White should further-offer an exchange of queens with 22.Qc1!?, although reckoning 22...Qxc1 23.Rhxc1 leaves Black with at least the better part of equality after 23...Bf7 or 23...Ke7.

British 65+ Round One

Spanton (1940 ECF/2003 Fide) - Michael Binks (1933 ECF/1811 Fide)

Sicilian Bb5(+)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.0-0 g6

This has been played by many grandmasters, but more popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database are 5...Nf6 and especially 5...Nc6.

6.c3 Bg7 7.d4 Nf6!?

Stockfish18 and Dragon1 prefer this over the 'automatic' Sicilian capture ...cxd4.

8.Qe2

The engines reckon Black equalises after 8.e5 dxe5 9.Nxe5 Qd5, and after 8.e5 dxe5 9.Nxe5 Nd5. However, as well as the text, they like 8.Re1.

8...cxd4 9.cxd4 0-0

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

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White's space advantage gives a slight edge, according to the engines.

10.Nc3 e6 11.Rd1 a6!?

The engines reckon this apparent-novelty is an improvement over one known move, 11...d5?!, but not as good as the also-known 11...Nc6. One point about the latter is that 12.d5 (11.d5 would have been a good answer to 10...Nc6) can be met by 12...exd5 13.exd5 Ne7. The problem with 11...d5?!, according to the engines, is that 12.e5 is strong, although all three games that saw the move in Mega26 ended in draws, and Black was slightly the weaker player in at least two of them.

12.h3!? Re8 13.e5!?

The engines suggest 13.Bg5 or 13.Bf4.

 Nd5 14.Ne4 dxe5 15.dxe5 Qc7 16.Nd6 Rf8

16...Rd8?! 17.Ng5.

After 16.Rf8, how should White proceed?

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17.Bg5?!

The engines suggest 17.b3!? Nc6 (17...Nc3 18.Qc2) 18.Bb2, claiming a slight edge for White, or 17.Be3!?, when they reckon 17...Nxe3 18.Qxe3 may also give White a slight edge, but they are less sure.

17...Nd7?

Black is at least equal after 17...Nc6 18.Rac1 Qb8 19.Nc4 h6, according to the engines.

18.Rac1 Qb8

What should White play?

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19.Rxd5!

A temporary exchange sacrifice that gives White a clear edge.

19...exd5 20.Be7

How should Black respond?

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20...b5?

Best, according to the engines, is 20...Re8 21.Nxe8 Qxe8 22.Bd6, although they give White the upper hand.

White to play and win

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21.Bxf8?

Black has no answer to 21.e6!

After 21.Bxf8?, it is Black to play and equalise

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21...Nxf8??

Also bad are 21...Bxf8?? 22.Rc8 Qa7 23.e6, and 21...Kxf8?? 22.Rc8, but 21...Qxf8 gives complete equality, according to the engines, although White has to find 22.Rc6 to avoid being at least a little worse (if, as in the game, 22.Ng5??, then 22...Nxe5).

22.Ng5 Ra7 23.Rc8!

The engines reckon this is significantly better than immediately capturing on f7.

23...Qb6 24.Ngxf7

Possibly even stronger is 24.Qf3!?

24...Rxf7 25.Nxf7 Qe6

Not much better is 25...Kxf7 26.Qf3+ Ke7 (26...Kg8 27.Qxd5+ Kh8 28.e6) 27.Qxd5 Qe6 28.Rc7+ Nd7 29.Qxe6+ Kxe6 30.f4, when the engines calculate White's advantage as the equivalent of being roughly a rook up.
26.Rc7 Nd7 27.Ng5 Qxe5 28.Qxe5 1-0

The exchange-down ending is hopeless for Black.

Tricky Tube Puzzle

SPOTTED the following serial number on a Northern Line carriage: 51618
As usual with these tube puzzles, each number should be used once, and once only, and must be added, subtracted, multiplied or divided to make a balanced equation.
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My solution: 8 - 5 = 6 ÷ (1 + 1)

Championship Chess

AM making final preparations for traveling to Warwick University at Coventry tomorrow for the British chess championships.

I have entered the 65+ tournament, which has 66 entries, part of an overall field of 1,941 players, meaning the final total may well pass 2,000.

There appear to be 11 grandmasters - 10 in the main championship, and one - Keith Arkell - in the 65+, with both tournaments having a time control of 40 moves in 90 minutes, plus 30 minutes to finish, and a 30-second increment throughout.

Miniatures 44

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

Robert Willmoth (194 BCF) - Spanton (156 BCF)

Hastings Challengers 1991-2

Vienna Game

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bc5!?

Very much third in popularity behind 2...Nc6 and especially 2...Nf6.

3.g3 f5?!

An extravagant choice, especially when straightforward and good moves such as 3...Nf6 are available.

4.exf5 Nf6 5.Bg2 d5 6.g4!? h5!?

This seems to a novelty, and is preferred by Stockfish18 and Dragon1 over the known 6...d4?! and 6...0-0.

How should White respond?

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7.h3!?

The engines agree this is best.

7...hxg4?!

Probably better is 7...Nc6.

8.hxg4 Rxh1 9.Bxh1 g6 10.g5 Nh5?!

The engines suggest 10...Ne4!? 11.Nxe4 dxe4, but reckon White is better after 12.f6!?

11.f6 Nxf6?

The engines give 11...e4 or 11...Be6, but much prefer White.

12.gxf6 Qxf6 13.Qf3 Qh4 14.Nxd5 Bg4?? 15.Nf6+ 1-0

LESSON: it is difficult to recover from early and frequent tactical mistakes.

Miniatures 43

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

H Chan (135 BCF) - Spanton (156 BCF)

Middlesex League 1991

King's Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.Nf3 d5!? 4.exd5

This is slightly more popular than 4.Nxe5 in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, and scores 10 percentage points better.

4...e4

How should White proceed?

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5.Qe2!?

Most popular in Mega26 is 5.Ne5, while the engines suggest 5.d4.

5...Nf6

Stockfish18 and Dragon1 like an apparent-novelty in 5...Ne7!?, followed by a quick ...0-0.

6.d4?

6.d3 gives a slight edge, according to the engines.

6...0-0!

Not in Mega26, and better than 6...Bb4+, which was seen in a game in 2008.

7.Qc4?

Possibly best is 7.dxc5, although 7...exf3 8.Qxf3 Bg4 gives Black more than enough compensation, according to the engines.

7...exf3 8.dxc5 Re8+ 9.Kf2 Ne4+ 10.Kxf3 Qh4 11.g3

This is best, according to the engines, but Black has an obvious and strong reply.

11...Nxg3! 12.hxg3 Qxh1 13.Kf2 Bg4 14.Qd3 Nd7 15.b4 Nf6 16.Bd2 0-1

White resigned without waiting for 16...Ne4+.

LESSON: an uncastled king is often a liability when tactics start.

Miniatures 42

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

Anthony D Brown (143 BCF) - Spanton (156 BCF)

Highbury (London) Rapid 1991

Giuoco Piano

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 Nf6 5.b4!?

A rare continuation, although it was played by Morphy, Staunton, Marshall and Tartakower, and is closely related to the Evans Gambit.

How should Black respond?

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5...d5?!

Black has the upper hand after 5...Bxb4, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

6.exd5 Nb4 7.Nxe5 Nbxd5 8.d4 Bb6?

This lets White trap the black king in the centre. The engines suggest 8...Be7 or 8...Bb4.

9.Ba3 Be6 10.Re1 Nf4?

Better is the engines' 10...c6.

11.Bb5+?

White has a big advantage after several moves, especially 11.Qf3.

11...c6 12.Nxc6?

Black is only slightly better (Dragon1) or has the upper hand (Stockfish18) after 12.Bxc6!? bxc6 13.Qf3.

Black to play and gain a winning advantage

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12...bxc6?

Correct is 12...Qd5!, one point being 13.Nxa7+ fails to the simple 13...Kd8 as Black threatens the a7 knight as well as mate in one.

13.Bxc6+ Nd7 14.Qf3!? Rc8 15.Qxf4 Rxc6 16.d5 Rxc2?!

Probably better is 16...Qc7.

17.dxe6 Nf6? 18.Qa4+ Nd7 19.exd7#

LESSON: tactics are easier when you have the safer king.

Miniatures 41

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

Spanton (156 BCF) - M O'Connell (100 BCF)

Barbican (London) Rapid 1991

Queen's Fianchetto Defence

1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.Nc3 e6 4.Nf3 Be7!?

The main line in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database runs 4...Bb4 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.Qe2 d5 7.e5 Ne4 8.Bd2 Nxd2 9.Qxd2, with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

5.Bd3 d6!? 6.Qe2 Nd7 7.Bf4!?

This is the engines' top choice.

7...Ngf6

How should White proceed?

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8.0-0

The engines like long castling.
8...0-0 9.e5 Bxf3?!

This is not in Mega26. The engines prefer the known 9...dxe5.

10.Qxf3 Ne8 11.Rfe1 d5 12.Re3 Bg5?

The engines suggest 12...g6, albeit giving White the upper hand.

13.Qh5 Bh6?

Best play, according to the engines, runs 13...h6 14.Bxg5 Qxg5 15.Qh3!? Qe7!? 16.Ne2, with promising kingside chances for White.

14.Rg3 Kh8 15.Bxh6 gxh6 16.Qxh6 f5 17.exf6 Rf7 18.Rg7! 1-0

LESSON: playing an offbeat opening as Black requires good tactical control, as early positional concessions are inevitable.

Miniatures 40

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

Spanton (156 BCF) - Glenn Cross (148 BCF)

Isle Of Man Major 1991

Sicilian Irregular

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Nf3!?

This is how Paul Morphy liked to play against the Sicilian.

3...d6 4.Bc4

But Morphy continued with 4.Nxd4. One point of the text is to leave open the possibility of a Morra Gambit.

4...Bg4?

Normal is 4...Nf6, but other moves are also liked by Stockfish17 and Dragon1, eg 4...e6 and 4...Qa5+.

Five games reach this position in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database

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5.0-0?

All five saw 5.Bxf7+!

5...Nc6? 6.Bxf7+! Kxf7 7.Ng5+ Ke8 8.Qxg4 Nf6 9.Qe6 Qd7??

The black king needs the d7 square, so the queen should probably go to b6 or c7.

10.Qf7+ Kd8 11.Ne6+ Kc8 12.Nxf8 Ne5 13.Nxd7 1-0

LESSON: bishop sacs on f7 are a common theme in openings where Black plays neither ...e6 nor ...d5.

Miniatures 39

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

JC Walton (158 BCF) - Spanton (156 BCF)

Highbury (London) Rapid 1991

Spanish Berlin

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1!?

A fashionable continuation these days (and engine-approved), but much less so in the 1990s. However, my opponent had a trap in mind.

5...Nd6 6.Nxe5 Nxe5

Much more popular is 6...Be7, but the text is also fine.

7.Rxe5 Be7 8.Nc3!?

The main move is 8.Bf1!?

How should Black proceed?

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8...Nxb5?!

Black is close to lost after this natural-looking move, which nevertheless scores 52% in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.

9.Nxd5!

Much better than capturing the knight.

9...c6?

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 give 9...Kf8!? 10.Rxe7! c6 11.Qf3! f6 12.Qg4 Rg8 13.Re2!?, claiming the upper hand for White, one point being 13...cxd5?! runs into 14.Qb4+ etc.

10.Nxe7 Qxe7??

Better, but miserable, is 10...Kf8.

11.Nxe7 Kxe7 12.d4 d5 13.Bf4 Bf5 14.a4 Nd6 15.Qe2+ Kd7?? 16.Qe5 1-0

LESSON: it is far from immediately obvious that 8...Nxb5?! leads to difficulties, but I should not have been so ready to assume White's fifth move was a positional error.