Bad Wörishofen Senioren Round Six

Frank Krumland (1744) - Spanton (1919)

Sicilian Hyper-Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.c3 Bg7 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 d5 6.e5 Bg4 7.Qa4+!?

A rare try. Many other moves are more common in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, including 7.h3, 7.Nbd2, 7.Be2, 7.Nc3 and especially 7.Bb5+.

How should Black respond?

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7...Nd7?!

This is probably the worst of the plausible continuations, behind 7...Bd7, 7...Qd7 and 7...Nc6, the last-named being the top choice of Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1.

8.Nc3!?

Apparently a novelty, and, according to the engines, an improvement on the known 8.Qb3, when 8...Bxf3!? 9.gxf3!? e6 10.Qxb7 is a risky pawn-grab, eg 10...Rb8 11.Qxa7? loses material to 11...Qc8! 12.Nc3 Ra8. Better is 11.Qa6, but the engines reckon Black has more than enough for a pawn.

8...Nh6!

This pawn sacrifice is the top choice of the engines, although Dragon1 does for quite some time fluctuate between the text and 8...Bxf3 9.gxf3 e6, when 10.Nb5 Bf8 11.Bg5 Be7 12.Nd6+ Kf8 keeps Black in the game. The problem with an immediate 8...e6?! is 9.Nb5 Bf8 10.Bg5 Be7, when 11.Bxe7 Nxe7 12.Nd6+ Kf8 13.Ng5 is winning.

9.Bxh6?!

The engines reckon White has a slight edge after 9.h3!?, 9.h4!? or 9.Ng5!?

9...Bxh6 10.Nxd5 0-0

Who stands better?

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White's extra pawn is backward and on a half-open file, and White is yet to castle, but has more central space. Black has the bishop-pair and a slight initiative. Equal chances, according to the engines.
11.Be2 Be6!? 12.Ne3 Nb6 13.Qb5 Rc8 14.b3?

Too slow. Probably best is 14.0-0

14...Bxe3!? 15.fxe3 Nd5 16.e4 Ne3?!

This loses much of Black's advantage, whereas 16...Nf4 is difficult to meet satisfactorily, eg if, as in the game, 17.Kf2, then 17...Rc2 18.Rhe1 Qc7 ratchets up the pressure, one line running 19.Rad1 Bd7 20.Qb4 a5!? 21.Qa3 (21.Qxe7 Nxe2, when 22.Rxe2 Rxe2+ 23.Kxe2 loses to 23...Bb5+) Qc3 22.d5 Bb5 23.Nd4 Bxe2 24.Nxe2 f5! If 17.g3, then 17...Bd7 18.Qxb7 Nxe2 19.Kxe2 Bg4 20.Rhd1 Rc3 wins.

17.Kf2 Ng4+ 18.Kg3!? f5 19.exf6 Rxf6?

Black is well on top after the engines' 19...Rc3!, eg 20.h3 Qc7+ 21.e5!? a6!? 22.Qa4 Ne3!? (better than 22...Nxf6, according to the engines) 23.Qa3!? (it is hard to come up with a better suggestion) Nf5+ 24.Kh2 Nxd4 25.fxe7 Nxf3+ 26.Bxf3 Qxe5+ 27.Kg1 Re8 28.Qb2 (28.Bxb7? Qd4+ 29.Kh2 Qf2 and mates) Rxe7, after which Black has restored material equality, but has much the better piece-coordination.

20.h3 Nh6 21.Rhc1

Black has no compensation for a pawn

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21...Rxc1 22.Rxc1 Qb8+?!

The engines suggest 22...Nf7 or 22...g5, but agree White is winning.

23.Qe5 Qd6?! 24.Qxd6 exd6 25.d5

Black is losing a second pawn.

25...Bd7 26.Rc7 Be8 27.Rxb7 Rf7 28.Rb8 Re7

28....Rf8 29.Ra8 is hardly an improvement.

29.Bb5 Kf7 30.Bxe8+ Rxe8 31.Nf7 Ke7 32.Rxe8+ Kxe8 33.Nxh7 Nf7 34.Nf6+ Ke7 35.Ng4 Kd7 36.Kf4 Kc7 37.e5 a5 38.e6 Nh8 39.Kg5 1-0

Latest addition to my collection of chess pens

Bad Wörishofen Senioren Round Five

FACED a Norwegian.

Spanton (1919) - Jan Vidar Vestly (2027)

French Exchange

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Qe2+!?

A rare continuation. Normal are 6.c5 and especially 6.Nc3.

How should Black reply?

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6...Qe7

Stockfish171. and Dragon1 suggest 6...Be7!?, the idea being presumably to show White's queen is misplaced.

7.c5 Qxe2+ 8.Bxe2 Be7 9.Nc3!?

This may be a novelty. The engines prefer it over the known 9.Bf4.

9...b6?!

This is a thematic response to an early c5 in positions with pawns on d4 and d5 (just as b3 is a thematic response to an early ...c4 in such positions). However, here it is doubtful because it allows White an expansive but apparently sound continuation. Instead of the text, the engines suggest 9...c6 or 9...0-0, but award White a slight edge.

10.Bf4
Even stronger, according to the engines, is 10.Nb5 Na6 11.c6!?

10...c6

The engines give 10...bxc5 11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.Bxc7, claiming a slight edge for White.

11.b4 a5 12.b5!? bxc5

White to play and gain a large advantage

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13.0-0?!

Almost certainly too slow. Instead 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.0-0 gives at least the upper hand, according to the engines, which reckon Black has to play 14... cxb5!? 15.Bxb5+ Ke7!?, which gives White tremendous compensation for a pawn. But even stronger seems to be 13.Na4!?, threatening 14.Nb6. Black can defend with 13...Nfd7!?, but 14.dxc5!? is very hard to meet, eg 14...Bxc5 15.0-0 Be7 16.Rac1 leaves White with a winning position, according to the engines. Perhaps Black should prefer 14...0-0, but 15.Nd4 is good, eg 15...cxb5 16.Nxb5 Nc6 17.Rc1, when material is equal, but the engines again reckon White is winning. At move 13, rather than meet 13.Na4!? with 13...Nfd7, Dragon1 suggests 13...Bd8, but 14.dxc5 restores material equality, leaving White with a large lead in development.

13...c4!

Establishing a protected passed pawn and interfering with the ability of White's light-square bishop to play on the queenside.

14.Na4

This is still Dragon1's top choice. Stockfish17.1 suggests 14.a3 or 14.a4.

14...Nfd7?!

Probably better is getting on with development with 14...Bf5.
15.Rab1

The engines suggest 15.b6 or 15.Rfe1.

15...0-0 16.Bxb8!?

This may be best.

16...Nxb8

Not 16...Rxb8? 17.bxc6.

17.bxc6?

This gives Black too many options. Correct is 17.Nb6 Ra7 18.bxc6, when 18...Nxc6?! allows 19.Nxd5, after which White may even be slightly better. However, Black has 18...Be6 19.Ne5, with an unclear position, but one that seems to favour Black, eg 19...Rd8 20.Bf3 (Dragon1 likes the piece sacrifice 20.Bxc4!?, but it is far from clear it works) Na6 21.Rfd1 g6!?, when the engines give Black the upper hand.

17...Nxc6 18.Nb6 Bf5!? 19.Nxa8 Bxb1 20.Rxb1 Rxa8

Complications are over, and Black has emerged a protected passed pawn to the good

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Not only that, but d4 is weak, and opposite-colour bishops favour Black.

21.Rb6 Rc8 22.Kf1?!

Probably better is 22.Bd1, but 22...c3!?, with the threat of ...Nb4, decides matters.

22...Nb4 23.a3 c3!? 0-1

Crucifix near Eichwald

Close-up of an accompanying display of local stuffed birds

Bad Wörishofen Senioren Round Four

Ulrich Fernschild (1671) - Spanton (1919)

Colle-Zukertort

1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 c5!? 3.e3

This narrowly edges out 3.c4 for popularity in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but the latter move is preferred by Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1.

3...Nf6 4.b3 e6 5.Bb2 cxd4!?

How should White recapture?

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6.exd4!?

This is the top choice of the engines, even though the move blocks the long dark-square diagonal. The point is that the white queen's bishop will play an important role in supporting the king's knight, which at some point is likely to land on e5.

6...b6!?

A rare continuation.

How should White respond?

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7.Bd3

Yahli Sokolovsky (2369) - José Eduardo Martínez Alcántara (2591), Chess.com Blitz 2022, continued 7.Bb5+ Bd7 8.Bd3, with a slight edge for White, according to the engines (but 0-1, 55 moves).

7...Bb7 8.Nbd2 Nc6!?

This interferes with the light-square bishop's action on the long light diagonal, but means White will probably be obliged to spend a tempo on preventing ...Nb4.

9.a3

This is not immediately necessary, eg 9.Ne5!? prevents 9...Nb4?? as the latter loses to 10.Bb5+ Ke7 11.Ba3, with c3 to come.

9...Bd6

Carlsen played 9...g6!? in a rapid game, but the engines are unimpressed. 

10.Ne5 Qc7 11.f4

The engines agree this is better than 11.Ndf3, but they also like 11.Qe2!?

11...Ne7!?

The engines suggest an apparent-novelty in 11...Ne4!?, the point being 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Bxe4 can be met by 13...Nxe5, when 14.Bxb7 Qxb7 15.fxe5 Qxg2 16.Rf1 Rc8!? seems roughly equal.

12.Rc1 0-0 13.0-0

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

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White has a well-placed knight at e5, and more space on the central-kingside, but Black has no weaknesses, and enjoys some pressure against the white queenside. Equal chances, according to the engines.

13...Rac8 14.Qe2 Ng6 15.c4

The engines suggest another apparent-novelty, this time 15.c3!?, a possible continuation being 15...a6!? 16.a4 Ne7!? 17.Bb1!? (17.Bxa6 Bxa6 18.Qxa6 Nf5 gives Black reasonable compensation for a pawn, according to the engines) Ng6!? 18.Bd3!? Ne7!? 19.Rf3, with a roughly equal position, but there is a lot about these moves I do not understand.

Popular in Mega26 is 15.g4, when the engines suggest 15...b5!?, the point being 16.Bxb5 can be met by 16...Ne4, eg 17.Qe3 Nh4 18.Be2 f5, with what they reckon is more than enough for a pawn. And if White instead continues on the kingside with 16.g5, then 16...Ne4 17.Nxe4 dxe4 18.Bxe4 Bxe4 19.Qxe4 f5!?, and again Black has good compensation for a pawn, according to the engines.

15...Qe7 16.b4 dxc4 17.Ndxc4 Bb8 18.Nxg6

Vacating e5 so the square can be occupied by White's other knight, but the engines disapprove, suggesting 18.b5!?, 18.f5 or 18.g3.

18...hxg6 19.Ne5 Nd5

Both knights are well-placed

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20.Ba6?!

Seeking to swop off White's good light-square bishop, but this is probably inadvisable at a time when White is saddled with a dark-square bishop that could be a liability in an endgame as it is hemmed in by its own pawns.

20...Rxc1 21.Bxc1

Forced, as the king's rook is needed to defend f4.

21...Rc8 22.Bxb7

It is difficult to safely withdraw the bishop, eg 22.Bd3 can be met by 22...Rxc1 23.Rxc1 Nxf4 24.Qe3 Nxg2. However, possible is 22.Nxg6!? fxg6 23.Bxb7 Qxb7 24.Qxe6+, but it seems the engines' 24...Kf8 25.f5 g5 wins for Black, although the position remains sharp.

22...Qxb7 23.Bb2

23.Nxg6!? fxg6 24.Qxe6+ transposes to the previous note.

23...Rc7 24.b5!?

How should Black respond to White's threat to play Nc6, blocking the open file? 

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24...Ne7

This may be best. Black could sacrifice the exchange with 24...Qc8 25.Nc6 Rxc6!? (25...a6 26.a4) 26.bxc6 Qxc6, but 27.Rc1 lets White fully mobilise, giving a completely equal position, according to the engines. The alternative pawn captures, 26...Bxf4 and 26...Nxf4, do not seem to be improvements. However the engines point out the possibility of temporarily sacrificing the knight with 25...Nxf4!?, when 26.Rxf4 Rxc6 27.bxc6 Bxf4 nets a pawn, although the position is not completely clear after the continuation 28.g3!? Bd6 29.Qc4. One point about the text is that, as well as preventing Nc6, it rules out Nxg6 ideas.

25.Qd2

The engines dislike this, suggesting 25.h4, or the pawn sacrifice 25.d5!? to liberate White's bishop. Either way, they reckon Black has at least the upper hand.

25...Qd5 26.Qb4?

This allows liquidation into an ending that White has little chance of holding, so the engines suggest 26.Qd3 or 26.Qe2!?, albeit agreeing White is anyway losing.

26...Rc2 27.Rf2

Both 27.Nf3? Bd6, and 27.Rf3? Bxe5 28.fxe5 (28.dxe5? Qd1+ 29.Rf1 Qe2) Nf5, are even worse for White.

27...Rxf2 28.Kxf2 Bxe5 29.dxe5

White's king is even more exposed after 29.fxe5?!

How would you assess this queen-and-minor-piece ending?

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White's bad bishop and exposed king, combined with Black's good knight, make this a very good ending for Black, provided a) perpetual check is prevented, and b) queens stay on the board (at least until any resulting minor-piece ending is a trivial black win).

29...Nf5 30.g3?

UF was presumably worried about ...Nh4, but the engines give 30.Bc3!? as 30...Nh4 can be met by 31.Kg3! However, 30...Nh6 is strong, eg 31.Bd4 Qe4 32.Qd2 Qb1 33.Bb2 Qa2 34.h3 Qb3 35.Qe2 Nf5, when White is still hanging on, but the practical difficulties of defending such a position are huge.

30...Qd3

Probably even stronger is 30...Qh1.

31.Qc3!?

This is best, according to the engines, but now b5 falls.

31...Qxb5 32.Qd2 Qc5+ 33.Kg2 Ne3+ 34.Kf3 Nd5 35.Qc1!? Qb5

35...Qxc1?! may win, but it is a lot less clear than keeping queens on.

36.Kg2?!

This speeds the losing process, but White was anyway the equivalent of almost a rook down, according to the engines.

36...Qe2+ 37.Kh3 Ne3 0-1

Entrance to Villa Diogenes at Hotel Alpenhof

Bad Wörishofen Senioren Round Three

Spanton (1919) - Achim Heller (2045)

Caro-Kann Tartakower

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.Be3!? Na6!?

The main move is 6...Bd6, but the text has been played by Magnus Carlsen.

How should White respond?

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7.a3

This is the main continuation in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database. Either the text or 7.c3 is obligatory if White wishes to play Bd3 without the bishop being harassed by ...Nb4. The move c3 is common in the Tartakower Variation of the Caro-Kann, usually played at move six. But one of the main points of 6.Be3!? is to allow c4 without spending a tempo on c3, hence the text. The radical alternative, 7.Bxa6!?, does not, contrary to first impressions, damage Black's pawn-structure as Black can reply 7...Qa5+!

7...Bd6 8.Bd3 0-0 9.Ne2!?

9.Nf3 allows the pinning ...Bg4, although that is not necessarily a bad thing for White.

9...Re8 10.0-0

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

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There are 30 examples of the position in Mega26, with both sides' setups being fairly typical for the Tartakower Variation, except that the white dark-square bishop is somewhat passively placed, and the black queen's bishop seems a little out of place in that it normally heads for the kingside via d7. Dragon1 gives White a slight edge, and Stockfish17.1 comes to agree if given enough time.

10...Nc7

Ian Nepomniachtchi (2771) - Carlsen (2830), World Blitz Championship (Samarkand, Uzbekistan) 2023, went 10...Bg4 11.Qd2 Nc7 12.c4 Bxe2!? 13.Bxe2 f5 with an equal game, according to the engines (½–½, 37 moves) They suggest 11.h3, 11.Re1 and 11.Bxa6!? as possible improvements.

11.c4 b5!? 12.Qc2

The engines much prefer the thematic 12.c5, a move that does not appear in Mega26.

12...bxc4!? 13.Bxh7+

The engines prefer 13.Bxc4.

13...Kh8 14.Ng3!?

Samuel Zenelaj (2290) - Yixing Wu (2151), Hvar (Croatia) 2023, continued 14.Be4 Nd5 15.Nc3 Rb8, with a slight edge for Black, according to the engines (½–½, 25 moves).

14...Bxg3!?

The engines reckon 14...g6 15.Bxg6 fxg6 16.Qxg6 Qe7 gives Black the upper hand.

15.hxg3 Nd5 16.Be4 g6 17.Rfe1 Kg7

How should White proceed?

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18.Qxc4??

The position is equal after a move such as 18.Bd2, 18.Rac1 or 18.Qc1!?, according to the engines.

18...Rxe4 19.Bh6+

Not 19.Qxc6? Bf5.

19...Kxh6 20.Rxe4

Giving up two bishops for rook and pawn is rarely a good deal, and this is no exception as White's remaining pieces cannot easily get at the black king, and meanwhile the black knight has an unchallengeable central outpost.

20...g5 21.f4?!

Almost certainly an improvement is 21.Qxc6, although Black has a comfortable advantage after both 21...Bf5 and 21...Be6.

21...gxf4 22.Qxc6 Bf5 23.Re5 Be6 24.Rxe6!?

There is nothing better.

24...fxe6 25.Qxe6 Qg8 26.Qh3+ Kg7 27.Qd7+ Qf7 28.Qg4+

AH now tried to play 28...Re8, until I pointed out he was in check.

28...Kf8 29.fxg4

How would you assess this late-middlegame?

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White has three pawns for a knight, and the slightly safer king, but the black king is not easily got at. The engines agree Black is winning.

29...Re8 30.Rc1 Qe7

Threatening to win White's rook with 30...Qe3+.

31.Qh3 Qe3+?!

Not 31...Nxf4?? 32.Qh6+, but the engines reckon Black should go after White's pawn weaknesses with 31...Qe4.

32.Qxe3 Rxe3

32...Nxe3 may be slightly better.

What should White play?

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33.Rc8+?

33.Rc5 keeps Black's edge to a minimum, eg 33...Nxf4 can be met by 34.Rf5. The engines give 33...Ne7 34.Ra5, with good drawing chances.

33...Kf7 34.Rd8?!

Perhaps 34.f5 is best, but Black is winning, according to the engines.

34...Nxf4 35.d5 Re7 36.d7 Rb7 37.b4 Ke6 38.Kf2 Rd7 39.Re8+

The engines reckon exchanging rooks increases Black's advantage.

39...Kxd6 40.g4 Ne6 41.Ke3 Ke5 42.Ra8 Rg7 43.b5 Nc7!? 44.Rb8

Not 44.Rxa7? Nd5+ and 45...Rxa7.

44...Rxg4 45.Rb7 Nd5+ 46.Kf2 Ra4 0-1

Mural of St Christopher unwittingly carrying the Christ-child across a river

Bad Wörishofen Senioren Round Two

FACED an Austrian.

Robert Hafner (2031) - Spanton (1919)

Colle-Zukertort

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 Nf6 4.b3 Bd6

Throwing in the moves 4...Bb4+ 5.c3, and then 5...Bd6, probably does not make much difference as White will likely want to play c4 at some point anyway.

5.Bb2 0-0 6.Be2 b6 7.Nbd2 Bb7 8.0-0

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

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The pawn-structure is symmetrical, and the piece-setup is not far off it. Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 reckon the game is equal.

8...Nbd7 9.c4 Rc8 10.Rc1 Qe7 11.Qc2 c5 12.Rfd1 Rfd8 13.Qb1 h6!?

Possibly a novelty. The engines suggest 13...dxc4, 13...cxd4 or 13...Bb8.

14.h3 Ne4!? 15.cxd5!?

This is the engines' top choice. They reckon 15.Nxe4 dxe4 gives Black at least a slight edge.

15...exd5 16.dxc5!?

Again the pawn capture gets engine approval.

16...Bxc5

The engines are not keen on this, reckoning 16...Ndxc5 keeps White's advantage to a slight edge.

What is Black's threat, and how should White respond?

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17.Nd4!?

This is the engines' top choice, although they also quite like 17.Nxe4. White had to be careful, though, as Black threatened 17...Nxf2!

17...Qh4?

Best seems to be the engines' 17...Ne5, but also better than the text are 17...Nd6 and 17...Bxd4!?

18.Nxe4 Qxe4

Worse is 18...dxe4? 19.Nf5.

19.Bd3

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 19.Qxe4!? dxe4 20.Nf5, eg 20...Bf8 21.Rxc8 Bxc8 22.Bb5 a6 23.Bc6 h5 24.g4 hxg4 25.hxg4 g6 26.Bf6 Re8 27.Bxd7 Bxd7 28.Rxd7 gxf5 29.gxf5, when White is a pawn up and with much the better pieces. If 20...f6, then  21.Bc4+ Kf8 22.Be6 Bc6 23.Nd4 Ke7 24.Bg4 is very good for White.

19...Qe8 20.Nf5 Ne5

Not 20...Bf8? 21.Nxh6+!

21.Be2!?

The engines fluctuate between the two bishop retreats.

21...Bf8 22.Qa1!?

The engines like this. It induces a weakening of the black king's position.

22...f6 23.Qb1!? Rxc1!?

Played on the principle that a weak IQP is easier to defend with fewer heavy pieces on the board.

24.Rxc1 Rc8 25.Nd4!? Rxc1+ 26.Qxc1 Qc8 27.Qxc8 Bxc8

How would you assess this minor-piece ending?

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The isolated queen's pawn constitutes a major weakness, giving White the upper hand, according to the engines.

28.f4!? Ng6 29.Bf3 Bb7 30.Kf2

In the postmortem RH suggested 30.Nb5, when the engines continue 30...a6 31.Nc7 Bc5 32.Kf1!?, the point being 32...Bxe3 33.Nxd5 Bxd5 34.Bxd5+ Kf8 35.g3 leaves White with the bishop-pair on a relatively open board. The engines reckon Black should prefer 32...Ne7, but agree 33.Bd4!? Bxd4 34.exd4 gives White at least a slight edge.

30...Bc5 31.Ne6 Bd6 32.g3 Ne7 33.Nd4!?

This is better than 33.Nc7 Bc8!?

33...Kf7 34.Nb5 Bb8 35.Ba3

How should Black proceed?

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35...Ke6?

Several moves seem to hold, including 35...Bc6 and 35...Bc8.

36.Bg4+

There is no satisfactory reply to this.

36...Kf7

Certainly not 36...Nf5?? 37.Nd4+, while after 36...f5?! 37.Nd4+ Kf6 38.Bxe7+ Kxe7 39.Nxf5+ the bishop-pair is nowhere near enough compensation for being a pawn down and with a continuing weakness at d5.

White to play and gain what is probably a winning advantage

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37.Nd6+?

RH rejected 37.Bd6!? because of 37...a6 38.Bxb8 axb5 39.Bc7 Nc8, when 40.Bxc8? Bxc8 41.h4 and 42.Bxb6 wins a pawn, but opposite-colour bishops should save Black. However, White has several improvements at move 40, including 40.Bd7!?, when 40...Bc8 41.Bxb5 Bxh3 leaves the number of pawns equal, but 42.a4!? sets in motion White's newly acquired farside majority, and that wins, according to the engines. Note that 37...Ba6? 38.Bxb8 Bxb5 39.Bxa7 gives White a huge advantage.

37...Bxd6 38.Bxd6

Black to play and draw

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38...f5?!

The simple 38...Bc8 gets the bishop-pair off the board, and so draws easily. Other moves also probably hold, according to the engines, including 38...g6, 38...Nc6 and 38...Ke8.

39.Bf3 Ke6 40.Be5

This is a good outpost for the bishop, and meanwhile Black's remaining bishop looks a sorry piece.

40...g6 41.Bg7

White has the upper hand after 41.g4!?, according to the engines. They reckon the reply 41...fxg4!? is almost mandatory, but after 42.hxg4 they are unsure how Black can put up the best resistance, one line running 42...Ba6 43.Ke1 Bb5 44.Bg7 Ng8 45.Kd2 Bd7 46.Kd3, with continuing white pressure.

41...h5!?

This puts another black pawn on the same colour complex as Black's bishop, but now White will find creating a breakthrough on the kingside difficult.

42.Be2 Nc8 43.Be5 Nd6!?

Correctly judging that the good-v-bad bishop ending is drawn.

44.Bxd6

White can hardly hope for winning prospects if the knight is allowed to settle on e4.

44...Kxd6 45.b4 Bc6 46.Ke1 a5 47.a3 axb4 48.axb4 b5!?

Blockading the queenside, but Black's task is made trickier by putting yet another black pawn on a light square

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49.Kd2 Bd7 50.Kc3 Kc6 51.Kd4 Kd6
Clearly White's king cannot be allowed access to e5 or c5.

52.Bf3 Be6

52...Bc6!? allows 53.g4, when Black may still be OK, but the defence gets more complicated.

53.Bg2 Bf7 54.Bf1 Be8 55.Be2 Bd7 56.Bd1 Be6 57.Bb3 Bf7 58.Kd3 Be6 59.Bc2 Kc6 60.Kd4 Kd6 61.Bd3 Bd7 62.Kc3 Kc6 63.Kd2 Kd6 64.Ke2 Kc6 65.Kf2 Kd6 ½–½

Tournament hall

Bad Wörishofen Senioren Round One

THIS game ended a streak in which I had seven consecutive blacks.

Spanton (1919) - Detlef Sombetzki (1577)

Pirc/Philidor

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 4.f4 e5 5.Nf3 exf4!?

The main line in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database runs 5...exd4 6.Qxd4 c6 7.Be3 d5!? 8.exd5 Bc5!? 9.Qd3 Qe7!? 10.Nd4 Nb6 11.dxc6 bxc6 12.0-0-0, when Black does not have enough for a pawn, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1.

6.Bxf4 Nb6

The engines suggest 6...Be7, although Stockfish17.1 fluctuates between the text and 6...c6 as its second choice. Dragon1 definitely prefers 6...c6 as a second choice; indeed, if given enough time, it prefers 6...c6 to 6...Be7.

7.Bd3 h6

Possibly a novelty. The known moves are 7...Bg4 and 7...Be7.

8.0-0 Be7 9.Qd2 Bd7 10.Rae1

Now White is fully mobilised, how would you assess the position?

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White's large lead in development and central space advantage give a positionally won game, according to the engines.

10...Nh5 11.Be3 c6 12.a4 a5 13.b3!?

The fact that a consolidating move like this is not only possible, but is possibly the best move in the position, according to Stockfish17.1, demonstrates Black's lack of counterplay. However, I should add that, given more time, Stockfish17.1 comes to fluctuate between the text and Dragon1's preference, 13.d5.
13...g5!?

Trying to take advantage of the white king's knight having no safe square to which it can move.

How should White respond?

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14.d5

Also strong is 14.Qf2, and there are other moves that maintain a large white advantage.

14...c5 15.e5!? 0-0

Not 15...g4? 16.exd6!

16.exd6 Bxd6 17.Ne4 Bf4 18.c4!?

Simple consolidation. Now White has a potential endgame advantage, as well as continuing middlegame chances.

18...Bxe3+ 19.Qxe3 Nf4 20.Bb1

Possibly even stronger is the double-sacrifice 20.Nfxg5!? hxg5 21.Rxf4!?

20...Re8 21.Qc3!? 1-0

Black lost on time (the time control is 40 moves in 90 minutes, plus 30 minutes to finish, with a 30-second increment throughout). The engines reckon Black's best is to give up the exchange with 21...Rxe4!?, but White keeps a winning advantage.

Shrine near Dorschhausen

Getting There (Bad Wörishofen)

CAUGHT British Airways' noon flight from Heathrow to Munich.

From the latter airport I took the S-Bahn metro into the city, transferred to train going west to Buchloe, and then caught the branch line to Bad Wörishofen.

Despite disruption on the German train network, at least in Bavaria, I reached my hotel before 19:00 central European time.

Foyer of my hotel

Tube Puzzle

SAW this serial number on a Northern Line carriage: 51519.

As usual, each number should be used once, and once only, and must be added, subtracted, multiplied or divided to make a balanced equation.
There is a perfect solution, ie one that uses the numbers in the order they appear.
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My solution: 5 + (1 x 5) = 1 + 9

German Congress

AM making final preparations for flying to Munich tomorrow for the 41st annual Bad Wörishofen chess festival.

Organised by ChessOrg.de, it is split into three sections: open, seniors and U2000.

I have entered the seniors, which has 157 entries, including two international masters and six Fide masters.

All three tournaments start on Friday, and consist of nine mostly-afternoon rounds over nine days.

Miniatures 29

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

Peter Szabo (141 BCF) - Spanton (147 BCF)

Barbican (London) Rapid 1990

King's Indian Attack

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nbd7!? 4.0-0

Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 suggest preventing ...e5 with 4.d4, or attacking Black's centre with 4.c4.

4...e5 5.d3 Be7 6.Nbd2 0-0

With both sides castling early, how would you assess the position?

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It looks like a Pirc, but with colours reversed and 'White' - Black in this case - having played the queen's knight to a somewhat unusual square. The engines reckon the position is equal.

7.c3 c6 8.e4 dxe4 9.dxe4

The engines prefer 9.Nxe4.

9...Qc7 10.Qe2 Nc5

The engines suggest 10...a5 or 10...Rd8.

How should White proceed?

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11.b4?!

Kicking the knight, before Black consolidates its position with ...a5, is normal in this type of position, but here specific analysis suggests it is too weakening. The engines suggest 11.Nc4 or 11.a4.

11...Na4 12.Qd3 Rd8 13.Qc2 Nb6

The engines like 13...b5!?

14.Nb3

White maintains equality with 14.Bb2, according to the engines.

14...Be6 15.Nfd2?!

The engines strongly dislike this, suggesting 15.Be3 or 15.Nc5!?

15...Nc4

Black has an edge after this, but even better, according to the engines, are 15...Na4 and 15...Nbd7!?

16.Rd1 Bg4 17.f3??

White is only slightly worse after 17.Re1.

17...Ne3 0-1

Resignation is not premature as, after 18.Qb1 Nxd1, White can hardly play 19.fxg4?! as Black has 19...Qb6+ etc.

LESSON: when an enemy knight is established on your fourth rank, tactics are rarely far away.