Magdeburg Round Four

Spanton (2039) - Hartmut Krien (1900)

Alekhine

1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3

Wimping out? It's hard to argue with that, but my record with the text is better than with 2.e5.

2...d5 3.e5 Ne4!?

Magnus Carlsen has tried this, but he has also played the mainline 3...Nfd7.

How should White respond?

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4.Qe2!?

A rare continuation. The main line in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database runs 4.Nce2!? d4!? 5.c3!? Nc6 6.cxd4 Ng5!? (6...Nxd4?? loses to 7.Qa4+), with White enjoying at least a slight edge, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

4...Nxc3 5.dxc3 c6

The engines fluctuate between several moves, including 5...a6!?, 5...c5, 5...e6 and 5...Nc6.

6.Be3 Bf5 7.Nf3

The engines like 7.g4!?, eg 7...Bg6 8.h4 h5 9.e6!? fxe6, and either 10.0-0-0 or 10.Bh3.

7...e6 8.g3

The engines prefer 8.0-0-0 or 8.c4.

8...Nd7

HK offered a draw.

9.Bg2 Bg4!

The vulnerability of e5 justifies this second move with the light-square bishop.

10.Bf4 g5!? 11.Bd2 Bg7

HK offered a draw in my time.

Objectively, should White take the draw?

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Yes! White is not getting enough for a pawn.

12.Qe3 Bxf3 13.Bxf3 Nxe5 14.Bh5

How should Black proceed?

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14...Nc4?

This turns the upper hand for Black into a winning advantage for White. The engines reckon both 14...h6 and 14...g4 are strong.

15.Qf3?

Not 15.Qxg5? Qxg5 16.Bxg5 Nxb2, but winning is 15.Qxe6+! Qe7 16.Qxe7+ Kxe7 17.Bxg5+, when White emerges a pawn up and with the bishop-pair.

15...0-0 16.h4!?

Stockfish18, but not Dragon1, prefers 16.Bc1!?

16...Nxd2

That's the bishop-pair gone, but opposite-coloured bishops let White hope.

17.Kxd2 Qf6?!

The engines give 17...g4!? 18.Bxg4 f5 19.Bh3, reckoning Black has a winning advantage. Also probably better than the text is 17...d4.

18.Qxf6 Bxf6 19.hxg5 Bxg5+ 20.f4 Be7

Black still has at least a slight edge, according to the engines, but White's pressure down the h file, combined with opposite-colour bishops, gives counterplay

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21.Be2 Kg7 22.Rh5 h6 23.Rah1 Rh8 24.Bd3

Much better, according to the engines, is 24.c4 or 24.a4.

24....Rae8

The engines like 24...b5!?

25.Re1

Pushing either the c pawn or the a pawn two squares was apparently still the way to go.

25...Bd6 26.c4 f6 27.cxd5 exd5 28.Rhh1 Bb4+!?

This is Stockfish18's top choice, the idea being to meet ...

29.c3

... with:

29...Bc5

However, it is far from clear what Black has gained.

30.Rxe8 Rxe8 31.Re1 Rxe1

Avoiding exchanging off rooks with, say, 31...Rf8 is possible, but it is hard to see how Black can make progress with White having the open file.

32.Kxe1

How would you assess this ending?

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It is drawn, but, as always, at least a modicum of care is required.

32...Kf7 33.Bf5 Ke7 34.Ke2

There is nothing in 34.Bc8, as, after 34...b5 35.Bb7, Black has 35...Kd6.

34...b5 35.Bd3 a5 36.b3 Kd6 37.g4 Bg1 38.Kf3 Bc5

Worth a try is 38...Kc5, when 39.Kg2? loses to 39...Be3 40.Kf3 Bd2, but White seems fine after 39.Bf5 or 39.Bg6, eg 39.Bf5 b4 40.cxb4+ Kxb4 41.Bd7 c5 42.Bc6 d4 43.Ke4, and, if 43...Ka3, then 44.Bd5, when 44...Kxa2 can be met by 45.b4+, drawing.

39.Ke2 ½–½

I May Not Know Much About Architecture ...

... but I like Magdeburg's Green Citadel

Model of the building, which consists of shops, offices, flats and a hotel, and is 'green' in the sense of having a grassed-over roof with trees

Inner courtyard

Not just for the birds

Magdeburg Round Three

Hans Hauke (1838) - Spanton (2039)

Scotch

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nb3 Bb6 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Bd3

More popular are 7.Bg5 and especially 7.Qe2. After the latter, the main line in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database runs 7...0-0 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bh4 a5!? 10.a4 Nd4!? 11.Qd3!? Nxb3 12.cxb3, with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

After 7.Bd3, how should Black respond?

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7...d6

This is the commonest continuation in Mega26, but it seems Black can play the 'great equaliser' in double e-pawn openings, ie 7...d5!?, and if 8.Bg5, then 8...h6! (not 8...Bxf2+?? 9.Kxf2 Ng4+? 10.Qxg4), as 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 is fine for Black, thanks to the threat to f2. 

8.h3!?

This seems a little slow, to me, but it has been the choice of  the highest-rated players to reach the position, and it scores an excellent 66% in Mega26.

8...Be6 9.Na4!?

This seems to be a novelty. The engines are not keen on going after the bishop-pair in this way, presumably because it costs time.

9...d5!?

The engines agree this classic central counter to flank play is the best continuation.

10.Nxb6 axb6 11.Bg5?

The engines give 11.exd5 Qxd5 12.0-0 0-0-0!?, awarding Black a slight edge.

11...dxe4 12.Be2

Or 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.Bxe4 Qxb2.

12...Qxd1+ 13.Bxd1

White has the bishop-pair, but Black's extra pawn and lead in development add up to a winning advantage, according to the engines

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13...0-0 14.c3!?

This is Stockfish18's top choice for quite some time, while Dragon1 suggests 14.Nd2. However, both engines fluctuate, with 14.a3!?, 14.Nc1!? and 14.0-0 also being favoured at one time or another. If 14.0-0, then best may be 14...Bxb3 15.cxb3 h6!?, with an advantage for Black that the engines reckon is the equivalent of being up two pawns.

14...Bc4 15.a3!? Ne5 16.Nc1!?

This is the engines' top choice, narrowly ahead of 16.Bc2, but if such a retreat really is the best move. it only shows how desperate is White's position.

16...Rfe8 17.Be3 Rad8 18.b3 Bd3 19.Ne2?!

The engines' 19.c4 is probably better, but leaves Black well on top.

19...Nd5 20.Rc1

Again, c4 may be best, whereas 20.Bd2?! is well met by 20...Nf3+!

20...Nxe3!?

Eliminating the bishop-pair is perhaps the most solid way to maintain Black's advantage.
21.fxe3 Bxe2!?

The engines like 21...Ba6!?, and if 22.0-0!?, then 22...Rxd1!?

22.Kxe2!?

This may be marginally better than 22.Bxe2.

22...Nd3 23.Ra1 Re5 24.b4

This is Stockfish18's top choice; Dragon1 prefers 24.Bc2.

24...Rg5 25.g4 h5 26.Rg1 hxg4 27.hxg4 Ne5 28.Kf2 Rd2+ 29.Ke1

As I went to make my next move, HH started to hold out his hand, but withdrew it when he saw me pick up the d2 rook - he said after the game he had been about to resign as Black has a mate

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29...Rh2

There is no mate, but Black does not need one.

30.Be2?!

This loses in short order. but after the best move, 30.Kf1, Black is well on top.

30...Nf3+ 31.Bxf3 exf3 32.Kf1 f2 33.Rg2 Rh1+ 0-1

Magdeburg - A Potted History

MAGDEBURG is first mentioned in a document from 805 as a "mighty fortress" owned by Charlemagne, the Frankish king crowned Emperor by Pope Leo III.

The city's position on the Elbe river gave it strategic importance, and it was created the centre of an archbishopric by the 10th-century Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great.

Magdeburg was a leading member of the trading coalition known as the Hanseatic League, and an early adopter of Lutheranism, but never recovered its former glory after more than 20,000 people, mostly civilians, were massacred when the city was sacked by the Catholic League in 1631.

Towards the end of WW2, Magdeburg was captured by the Americans, but handed to the Soviets, staying under communist rule until it became the capital of Saxony-Anhalt on German reunification in 1990.

Main entrance to the cathedral, which is sited on one of the few large rock formations in the area, much of the surrounding land being composed of soft soil

View of the Elbe from the city wall

The 15th-century Peek-In-The-Kitchen fortified tower, so-called because guards could look into the kitchen of the archbishop's palace

Plan of a section of the fortifications

Not much remains, but you can still experience a little of how it must have felt to walk around the defences

Magdeburg Round Two

I WAS upfloated.

Spanton (2039) - Jürgen Gottschalk (1711)

Spanish Steinitz

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6

The Steinitz Defence is generally out of fashion, but is still the third-most popular continuation in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, behind 3...Nf6 and especially 3...a6.

4.d4 exd4

Steinitz almost always played 4...Bd7, but the text is preferred by Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

5.Nxd4 Bd7 6.0-0

More common is 6.Nc3, maintaining the option of castling long.

6...Nf6 7.Nc3 Be7 8.b3!?

The engines do not like this. They suggest 8.Nxc6, when Black usually replies 8...bxc6, after which they reckon 9.Bd3 0-0 10.f4 gives White the upper hand.

8...a6!?

They also dislike this, because of the possibility of White replying 9.Nxc6.

9.Be2!? Ne5!?

Black should probably castle.

10.f4!?

Apparently a novelty, and an improvement, according to the engines, over the known 10...a4.

After 10.f4!?, how should Black respond?

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10...Ng6

This is probably best, as 10...Nc6!? represents the loss of two tempi, while 10...Neg4? 11.h3 Nh6 is very good for White, eg 12.e5!? (this seems even better than 12.g4, when the engines' 12...d5!? just about keeps Black in the game) c5!? 13.Nf3 dxe5 14.fxe5 Nh5 15.Qe1, with an advantage worth about a minor piece, according to the engines.

11.Bb2 c5?!

The engines suggest castling or 11...b5.

After 11...c5?!, how should White proceed?

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12.Nf5!

White would have enough for a pawn, but no more, after 12.Nf3 Nxf4 13.e5 dxe5 14.Nxe5 Nxe2+ 15.Qxe2 Be6, according to the engines.

How should Black continue?

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12...0-0!?

The engines reckon this is best, as 12...Bxf5 13.exf5 Nh4 can be well-met by 14.Qd3 or 14.g4, but probably not 14.Bd3?!, when Black has 14...d5!, eg 15.g3 c4! but almost certainly not 14...Qd7?!, as then 15.Qe1! Nxf5 16.g4 Nd4 17.g5! is strong, one line running 17...Qg4+ 18.Kh1 Ng8 19.Nd5, with a large advantage for White.

13.Nxd6 Qc7!?

Possibly better is 13...Bc6, although 14.e5 is good for White, and 14.Nf5!? may be even better, eg 14...Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Bxe4 16.Nxg7.

14.e5 Ne8?

Definitely better is 14...Bxd6 15.exd6 Qb6, but White would be a pawn up, and with the better position.

15.Nd5 Qb8

This is Dragon1's top choice; Stockfish18 marginally prefers 15...Qd8.

16.Nb6

It is unusual, to say the least, for a player to get two knights to the sixth rank this early in a game

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16...Bc6!?

The engines agree this is best, but there is no way for Black to avoid serious material loss.

17.Nxe8 Rxe8 18.Nxa8 Qxa8 19.f5!? Nh4

Retreating the knight seems even worse.

20.f6 gxf6 21.exf6 b5!?

Muddying the waters. Objectively best, according to the engines, is 21...Bd6!?, although they reckon 22.Qxd6 Rxe2 23.Rf2 Rxf2 24.Kxf2 leaves White with an advantage worth more than a rook.

22.fxe7 Nxg2

Perhaps a better try is 22...Bxg2, or 22...Rxe7, but both can be successfully met by, among other moves, 23.Bh5.

The game finished:

23.Bh5 Rxe7 24.Qg4+ Kf8 25.Qg7+ Ke8 26.Bxf7+ Kd7 27.Rad1+ Kc7 28.Qg3+ Kb6 29.Rd6 Ne3 30.Rff6 Nf5 31.Rxc6+ Qxc6 32.Rxc6+ Kxc6 33.Qf3+ 1-0

Personalised Pen

My latest chess pen has my name on it, and came in handy yesterday when the one I was using ran out halfway through the round

Magdeburg Round One

Klaus-Michael Hansch (1806) - Spanton (2039)

Veresov

1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 h6!?

Asking White: do you really want to give up the bishop-pair, and speed Black's development, for the sake of doubling pawns?

4.Bh4 c5 5.e3 e6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0

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

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The position is typical of the type that often arises in the Veresov, although this exact setup only occurs five times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database. Stockfish18 and Dragon1 reckon Black is at least equal.

9.Re1 b6 10.Bf1!?

This retreat may be a novelty, but the engines are fine with it.

10...Bb7 11.Nb1!?

But they are not so happy about this, suggesting moves such as 11.h3, 11.Rc1!? and 11.a3.

11...Ne4!? 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.c3 Rad8 14.Nbd2 f5!?

This is probably OK, but Black needs to be careful about the number of black pawns accruing on light squares.

15.Bb5!

Moving this bishop for the third time, but the move is the top choice of the engines.

How should Black respond?

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15...Nb8!?

Avoiding a swop of bishop for knight, followed by Ne5. But the engines reckon that is no big deal, one of their lines running 15...Rc8!? 16.Bxc6 Bxc6 17.Ne5 Be8, although after 18.Nxe4 fxe4 there is a sharp divergence of opinion, with Stockfish18 giving White a slight edge, while Dragon1 prefers Black.

16.Ne5 Qh4?!

The engines reckon 16...a6!? 17.Ba4 Qc7 keeps White's advantage to a minimum.

17.Qe2

Possibly slightly stronger is the engines' 17.Nxe4 fxe4 18.Rf1!?

17...Qf6 18.f4!?

Fixing the centre. The engines also like 18.Nxe4.

18...Kh7 19.Rf1 Nd6 20.Bd3 Rg8 21.a4

The engines suggest immediate kingside play with 21.g4!? or 21.Ndf3.

21...c4!?

The engines prefer 21...g6, 21...Qe7 or 21...Nc6.

22.Bc2 a5 23.Rf3 Nf7 24.Nxf7!?

Probably stronger is increasing the pressure with 24.g4 g6 25.Rh3.

24...Qxf7 25.Rh3 Rh8 26.Nf3 Kg8 27.Ne5 Qf6

How should White proceed?

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28.Qh5

Even stronger is 28.g4, or preparing it with 28.Kf2 and Rg1, according to the engines.

28...Bc6 29.Nxc6?

The engines reckon this throws away almost all of White's advantage, which, according to them, would have remained substantial after, say, 29.Qe2.

29...Nxc6 30.Rg3 Ne7 31.Qe2 Kh7 32.Rh3 g6 33.Qe1 Rb8 34.Rf3 Rb7 35.Rf2 Rhb8 36.Ra2!? Ng8 37.Qe2?!

The engines reckon White should initiate queenside play with 37.b3 or 37.Qa1!?, eg 37.Qa1!? Qe7 38.b3 cxb3 39.Bxb3 Nf6 40.Bc2, albeit they give Black a slight edge.

37...h5 38.h3!?

The engines are OK with this, even though after ...

38...h4

.... White has a weak hole at g3.

39.Qf3 Rg7 40.Kh1 Nh6 41.Ra1 Rg8 42.Rg1 Kh8 43.Rgf1!? Qe7 44.Qe2 Rb8!?

Continuing to play on the kingside, eg with 44...Nf7, may well be better.

45.Bd1!? Ng8 46.Qc2 Nf6 47.Bf3 g5?!

But here the engines much prefer queenside play with 47...b5!?

48.fxg5 Rxg5 49.b3!?

The engines agree this is best.

49...Qc7 50.bxc4

How should Black recapture?

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50...dxc4?

This lets White open lines for White's better coordinated pieces. Instead, 50...Qxc4 51.Be2 Qc7 52.Rf4 Rc8 holds the balance, according to the engines.

51.e4 f4?

As so often happens, a mistake is immediately followed by another. However, even after, for example, 51...Re8 52.Qd2 Qg7 53.Qf4, Black is in big trouble, one line running 53...Qh6 54.exf5 exf5 55.d5, with an advantage for White worth much more than a minor piece, according to the engines.

52.e5 Nh7 53.Bg4 Rxg4!?

Desperation.

54.hxg4 Ng5 55.Qg5 Rg8 56.Qh6+ Nh7 57.Rxf4 h3!? 58.Qxh3 Qg7 59.Rf7 Qg6 60.R1f6 Qd3 61.Rxh7+!? 1-0

Getting There (Magdeburg)

CAUGHT Ryanair's 12:00 from Stansted to Berlin.

Getting through German passport control took an hour, following which I took the metro to Berlin's main rail station, followed by a train to Wolfsburg, and another to Magdeburg, arriving at the venue-hotel, Maritim, shortly before 20:00 central European time.

Maritim - a short walk from Magdeburg station

Tournament room

Tube Puzzle

SAW this serial number on a Northern Line carriage: 51667.

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 + (6 ÷ 6) = 7

East Germany

AM making final preparations for flying to Berlin tomorrow for the 34th seniors' championship of Saxony-Anhalt, which starts at Magdeburg on Monday.

There are two sections, 65+ with 107 entries and 50+ with 39 entries.

Both tournaments have seven, mostly-morning, rounds over seven days, with a time control of 40 moves in 90 minutes, a further 30 minutes to finish, and a 30-second increment throughout.

The venue-hotel, Maritim, is also the venue for next spring's world senior team championships.

Image: German Tourist Board