Cap Negret 65+ Round Five

I've heard of a pub with no beer, but I've never before seen a harbour with no boats

Spanton (1971) - Antonio Chamorro Iglesias (1793)

English Symmetrical

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 c5!?

An unusual way to enter the Symmetrical Variation, but there are 108 examples of the move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, and, with transpositions, the resulting position occurs 287 times.

How should White respond?

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4.Bg2 Nc6

So far, so obvious, but how should White continue?

5.e3

This is second in popularity to 5.d3, after which the main line in Mega26 runs 5...Be7 6.Nf3 0-0 7.0-0, with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish19 and Dragon1.

5...d6

The engines suggest an apparent-novelty in 5...d5!?, the idea being to meet 6.cxd5 with 6...Nb4, when 7.e4 (the engines prefer 7.a3, 7.Nf3 or 7.d3) c4!? 8.Bf1!? b5 gives Black enough compensation for a pawn, according to Stockfish19, although Dragon1 reckons White is slightly better. Nevertheless, although the latter engine sticks with 5...d5!? as its top choice, Stockfish19 fairly quickly comes to prefer the text, or 5...g6.

6.Nge2 Be6 7.d5

More common is 7.b3!?, but that allows 7...d5!?, when the engines agree Black is better.
7...Bxd5!?

This has been played by at least one grandmaster, and scores an excellent 56% in Mega26, albeit from a small sample, but giving up Black's better bishop to go pawn-hunting, before castling, is decidedly double-edged.

8.cxd5 Nb4

How should White proceed?

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9.d4!?

This apparent-novelty is Stockfish19's second choice, at least for some time, but the engines agree best is 9.Qb3, when a sample line continues 9...Qb6 10.0-0 Be7 11.Rd1!? 0-0 12.d3!?, with the upper hand for White, according to the engines, but there are many reasonable alternatives along the way.

Leonardo Andrade (2238) - Ľubomír Ftáčnik (2551), Portuguese Team Championship 2010, went 9.0-0 Qd7 10.e4!? Be7 11.a3!? Nd3, with equal chances, according to the engines (0-1, 41 moves).

9...exd4!?

Perhaps Black should take the plunge with 9...Nbxd5!?, although both 10.Qb3 and 10.0-0 are promising.

10.exd4 Qa5?!

This is almost certainly a mistake. The engines suggest 10...Be7, but give White the upper hand.

11.0-0

This is much better than 11.Bd2? Nd3+.

11...Be7

Not 11...Nbxd5? 12.dxc5 Qxc5, when White is spoilt for choice, with several winning moves, including 11.Nf4, 11.Qa4+ and 11.Re1.

12.Bd2 Qc7 13.Rc1

Perhaps even stronger is 13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Nc3.

13...Na6?!

The engines suggest 13...Qd7.

14.dxc5 dxc5 15.Bf4 Bd6 16.Qa4+ Qd7 17.Qxd7+ Kxd7

How would you assess this queenless middlegame?

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White's bishop-pair, passed pawn and safer king more than outweigh any advantage Black may derive from having a queenside pawn-majority and fewer pawn-islands. The engines reckon White has a positionally won game.

18.Bg5!

Almost certainly not 18.Bh3+?!, as 18...Ke7! greatly reduces White's advantage, since White has difficulties defending d5 at the same time as preserving the bishop-pair.

18...Ne8 19.Bh3+

But now this is good.

19...Kc7 20.Nc3 f6?!

The engines agree with driving away the bishop, but reckon 20...h6 is the better way to do it.

21.Be3

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 21.Nb5+!? Kb6 22.Nxd6 Nxd6, and then Be3.

21...Rd8 22.Rfd1 b6 23.Nb5+ Kb7 24.a3?!

Probably too slow. Best may be 24.Bg2!?, when one line given by the engines runs 24...g5!? 25.a4 Kb8 26.f4!? h6 27.Bd2!?, with what they reckon is at least the upper hand.

24...Bb8?!

Better is 24...Nc7, maintaining the blockade.

How can White take advantage of Black's last move?

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25.d6!

Giving up the passed pawn to get at Black's king.

25...Nxd6 26.Bg2+ Kc8 27.Nd4 Nf7!?

This may be best, but the engines also suggest 27...g6 and 27...Rd7.

28.Nc6 Rxd1+ 29.Rxd1 Bd6?!

Perhaps best is 29...c4!? 30.Rd4 Ne5 31.Ne7+ Kc7 32.f4!? Ng4 33.Nd5+ Kc8, but 34.Rxc4+ wins back the sacrificed pawn, with a continuing attack. Note that if Black gets the king's rook into play with 29...Re8, White has 30.Bh3+ and 31.Rd7+.

30.Nxa7+ Kb8 31.Nb5 Rd8!?

This is best, according to the engines, as moving the bishop allows White's rook to occupy the seventh rank.

White to play and gain a large advantage

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32.Rxd6! Nxd6 33.Bf4 Kc8 34.Nxd6+ Kd7 35.Nb5 g5 36.Be3 Nc7!?

This is Dragon1's top choice. Stockfish19 very marginally prefers 36...Ke6.

37.Nxc7 Kxc7

How would you assess this ending?

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Two bishops are usually much stronger than a rook, even in an ending, but making progress in this position proves to take a long time. The engines reckon White's advantage is about +4.5.

38.Bf3 Kd6 39.Kf1 b5 40.Bd2 Rb8 41.Bc3 Ke6 42.Bg4+ Ke7 43.Bf5 h6 44.Ke2 Rb6 45.Bd3 c4 46.Bf5 h5 47.Kf3 Kf7 48.Bb4 Rb8 49.Bd7 Rb7 50.Bc6 Rb6 51.Bd5+ Kg6 52.Ke4 Rb8

It might seem as if White has made little or no progress, but White's advantage has grown to about +6.5, according to the engines

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53.Kf3

Getting cold feet about letting the rook into White's position, but there was nothing wrong with 53.Kd4, eg 53...Re8 54.Kc5!? Re2 55.Bc3 Rxf2 56.Kxb5 Rxh2 57.a4 h4 58.gxh4 gxh4 59.a5 Re2 60.a6 Re7 61.Bd4 etc.

53...f5 54.Kg2!? Re8 55.Bc6 Rb8 56.Bf3 g4 57.Be2 Re8 58.Kf1 Re4 59.f3 Rd4 60.Kf2 f4?

This simplifies White's task.

61.Bc3 fxg3+ 62.hxg3 Rd8 63.fxg4 hxg4 64.Bxg4 Kg5 65.Bf3 Rd3 66.Ke2 Rd6 67.Bd2+ 1-0

Cap Negret 65+ Round Four

Altea promenade

Federico Sancho Castiello (1804) - Spanton (1971)
Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 0-0 8.Bb3 d5!?

8...d5!? dates back only to 1960 in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but rose in popularity after Boris Gelfand started championing it in 2016

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The move ...d5, without first playing ...d6, is thematic in the Accelerated Dragon, and 8...d5!? here is also the top choice of Stockfish19 and Dragon1.

9.exd5 Na5 10.0-0

A main line has yet to be established, it is probably fair to say, but this is the most popular continuation in Mega26, and scores an excellent 64%.

10...Nxb3 11.Nxb3

11.axb3!? has been played, but Black immediately regains the pawn with 11...Nxd5.

11...b6 12.d6!?

The engines agree with giving the pawn back, but saddling Black with an isolani.

12...exd6 13.Qf3 Bg4 14.Qg3 Bh5?!

Apparently a novelty, and almost certainly not a good one. Known moves are 14...Bf5 and 14...Rc8.

15.Bd4

The unsubtle 15.f3!? is also strong.

15...Re8

This is Dragon1's top choice, at least for a while, but better may be 15...h6 16.f3!? g5!?, although the engines reckon 17.f4!? gives White a positionally won game.

16.f3!? Qd7?

Reducing the protection of f6 causes Black big problems. Perhaps best is 16...Rc8!?, and if, as in the game, 17.Qh4, then 17...Rc4, as 18.g4? Rxd4! 19.Nxd4 Nxg4! 20.Qxd8 Bxd4+ 21.Kh1 Rxd8 22.fxg4 Bxg4 23.Rf4 Bxc3 24.bxc3 Bf5 sees Black emerge with two pawns for the exchange, and the much better pawn-structure, the engines reckoning Black would enjoy the upper hand. However, White improves with 18.Rae1, gaining at least the upper hand, according to the engines.

17.Qh4

Black is losing material

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17...Re6

There is nothing better.

18.g4 g5 19.Qxg5 Bg6

How should White, who is again a pawn up, proceed?

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20.f4!

This looks double-edged as every white kingside pawn advance leaves White's king a little more vulnerable, but the engines agree it is best, although Dragon1 also likes 20.Qd2!?

20...h6 21.Qh4 Rae8?

The engines prefer 21...Bxc2, when 22.f5 forces Black to give up the exchange with 22...Re5.

22.f5 Re4!? 23.Nxe4 Rxe4 24.h3

Black is already the exchange and a pawn down, and more material loss is unavoidable

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24...Bxf5!? 25.Bxf6 Bxf6 26.Qxf6 Bxg4 27.Kh2!?

Simplest is probably 27.Rf4, but the text is plenty good enough.

27...Bxh3 28.Qf3!? Qe6

There is no perpetual, let alone checkmate, after 28...Bxf1 29.Qxf3 Qh3+ 30.Kg1.

29.Rf2 Re3 30.Rg1+ Kf8 31.Qa8+ Ke7 32.Qxa7+ 1-0

Cap Negret 65+ Round Three

I TOOK a halfpoint bye in the first of today's double-round games.

Spanton (1971) - Elías Pelegri Castello (1853)

Caro-Kann Modern Variation

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7

This is third in popularity in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, behind 4...Nf6 and especially 4...Bf5.

5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Ng3

There are 4,724 examples of the text in Mega26, just behind the 4,884 of 6.Nxf6!?, after which the main line runs 6...Nxf6 7.Bc4 Bf5 8.0-0 e6 9.c3 Be7, with a slight edge for White, according to Dragon1, although Stockfish19 is less sure.

6...e6 7.Bd3 Be7 8.0-0 0-0

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

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White has more space in the centre, but this is of little consequence, according to the engines, presumably because Black is well-placed to get in a quick ...c5, without White being able to push on with d5. The engines reckon the game offers equal chances.

9.Re1 b6

This is second in popularity to an immediate ...c5.

10.Qe2 Bb7 11.Nf5!?

This is Dragon1's top choice. Stockfish18 suggests 11.Ng5!? or 11.Bf4.

11...c5!?

An apparent-novelty, and liked by the engines. Known moves are 11...Bb4!? and 11...exf5?!

12.Nxe7+ Qxe7 13.c3 Bxf3!?

This is the engines' top choice.

14.Qxf3 cxd4 15.cxd4 Qd6 16.Be3 Rfc8!?

The engines prefer 16...Rfd8 or 16...Nd5.

How should White proceed?

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17.Rad1

The engines give 17.Ba6 Rf8!? 18.Bb7 Rad8 19.Bf4!? Qxd4 20.Bc7 Rde8 21.Rad1 Qxb2 22.Re2, when they reckon White has more than enough for two pawns, eg 22...Qb4!? 23.Bd6 Nc5 24.Red2, but the position is hardly clear.

17...Qd5 18.Qxd5 Nxd5 19.Rc1 N7f6 20.Ba6 Rd8 21.a3 Rab8 22.Bg5 Rd7 23.Rc2 h6 24.Bh4

The engines prefer 24.Be3.

24...Nh5!?

Black is at least slightly better after 24...g5!? 25.Bg3 Nf4!?, according to the engines.

25.Bb5 Rc7 26.Rec1 Rxc2 27.Rxc2 g5 28.Bg3 Nxg3

EPC offered a draw.

How would you assess the rook-and-minor-piece ending?

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After ...

29.hxg3

... White has what is normally an advantageous matchup of rook and bishop against rook and knight. But here that is balanced by Black having fewer pawn islands, and in particular not having an isolani. The engines reckon the position is equal, albeit marginally preferring Black.

29...Rd8 30.Ba6 Rd7!? 31.Rc8+ Kg7 32.Bb5 Rc7 33.Rxc7 Nxc7

How would you assess the minor-piece ending?

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White's extra pawn island, and a lack of meaningful targets for the bishop, mean Black is slightly better, according to Dragon1, although Stockfish19 disagrees.

34.Bc6 f5!? 35.Kf1 Kf6 36.f4?!

Played to prevent ...e5, but probably a mistake.

36...Ke7 37.Ke2 Kd6 38.Bb7 Nd5

This is Dragon1's recommendation for quite some time, but Stockfish19 much prefers 38...g4!?, claiming Black is winning. Dragon1 comes to agree 38...g4!? is best, but is far less sure how strong it is.

After 38...g4!?, best play may run 39.Ke3 a5 40.Kd3 Ne8!? 41.Bc8 Nf6 42.Ke3 Nh5 43.Kf2 Kd5 44.b3 Kd6!? 45.Bb7 Nf6 46.Ke3, when the engines are enthusiastic about Black's chances, but it is not clear how Black makes progress.

39.Kf3?

Much better, according to the engines, are 39.Bxd5 and 39.fxg5!?

39...a5

The engines agree Black is winning after 39...g4+!? and 39...Nf6, but especially after the former.

White to play and gain good drawing chances

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40.fxg5! hxg5 41.g4!?

Preventing a favourable ...g4 seems to be the key to White's salvation.

41...Nf6 42.gxf5 exf5 43.g3 Kc7 44.Ba6 Kd6 45.Bc8 Kd5 46.Ke3?!

This may be OK, but a simpler way to a halfpoint is 46.Bxf5.

46...Ng4+ 47.Kf3!?

Dragon1 reckons this loses, but Stockfish19 disagrees. However, their evaluations fluctuate, and they agree the text is better than 47.Kd3? Nf2+. but possibly not as good as 47.Kd2!?

47...Kxd4 48.Bxf5 Ne5+ 49.Ke2 Nc4 50.b4 Nxa3 51.bxa5 bxa5

White to play and draw

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52.Kf3?

Eight moves draw, according to the Syzygy endgame tablebase, including 52.Bd7 and 52.Kd2, but not the text.

Black has two winning moves

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52...Nc4?

52...a4!? and 52...Nb5!? win, eg 52...Nb5!? 53.Kg4 a4 54.Bb1 a3 55.Kxg5 Kc3!? 56.Ba2 Kb2 57.Bf7 Nd4 58.Kf4 Nb3 etc.

White to play and draw

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53.Bc2!

An only-move. Dragon1 reckons is inadequate, but it draws, as Stockfish19 quickly realises. Note that the similarly motivated 53.Bd7?? loses trivially to 53...Ne5+.

53...Ne5+

Dragon1's other 'winning' move, 53...Nb2, fails to 54.Kg4.

54.Ke2 Nc4 55.Kf3

Also drawing is 55.Ba4.

55...Ne3 56.Ba4 ½–½

Cap Negret 65+ Round One

Looking out to sea on a cloudy morning

FACED a fellow Englishman.

Jon Konig (1685) - Spanton (1971)

Sicilian Grand Prix Attack

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.a4!?

A relatively rare continuation, featuring in just 427 out of 24,360 games in ChessBase's 2026 Maga database, ie 1.75% of the time, but it is marginally the top choice of Stockfish19, so can be expected to become more popular.

How should Black respond?

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5...b6

The main line in Mega26 runs 5...e6 6.e5!? d6 7.Bb5 Nge7 8.Ne4!? dxe5 9.fxe5 0-0 10.Nf6+ Kh8 11.d4!?, with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish19, although Dragon1 is less sure.

6.Bc4 Bb7 7.0-0 Nd4 8.d3 e6

The engines agree this apparent-novelty is an improvement over the known 8...Nxf3+.

The position after 8...e6 occurs twice in Mega26, but in each case with Black to move, White having played Bb5, before dropping the bishop back to c4

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9.Nb5 d6?

Black should play 9...Nxb5!?, according to the engines, despite 10.axb5 giving White pressure against a7. After the text, the engines reckon White has a positional advantage worth at least a minor piece.

10.Nbxd4

Also very strong are 10.Nfxd4 and 10.f5!?

10...cxd4 11.Bb5+

This natural move leaves White winning, but seemingly even stronger is the engines' 11.f5!?

11...Kf8 12.Bc4?!

This throws away much of White's advantage, which would be preserved by moves such as 12.a5 and 12.Qe1, according to the engines.

12...Ne7?!

12...d5 is much preferred by the engines.

13.Qe2 Rc8 14.Bb3!?

This is the engines' top choice, marginally ahead of 14.Bd2.

14...h6!? 15.Qf2 Nc6?

Counterplay with 15...d5!? is the engines' preference.

16.f5!

White's advantage is worth a rook (Stockfish19), or at least more than a minor piece (Dragon1)

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16...gxf5 17.exf5 e5

White to play and win

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18.Nh4?

Black has no defence to 18.f6! Qxf6 19.Qg3, eg 19...Rc7 20.Nh4 Qd8 21.Ng6+!

18...Bf6

An only-move, but good enough for equality.

19.Ng6+??

White has to play 19.Nf3.

19...fxg6 20.fxg6 Kg7

The black king is more vulnerable than White's, but the g6 pawn acts as a shield, and White's attack is not worth a piece

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21.Qf5 Qe7 22.Bd2 Rcf8 23.Bf7!? Nd8 24.Qg4 Bc8!?

Not the only solution, but arguably the simplest.

25.Qxc8 Nxf7 26.Qf5 Nd8!? 27.Qe4 Qe8 28.Rf3 Bg5

Not 28...Qxg6?? 29.Rg3 Bg5 30.Qxg6+ Kxg6 31.h4.

29.Bxg5 hxg5 30.Raf1 Rxf3 31.Rxf3 Rf8 0-1

Getting There (Cap Negret)

CAUGHT Easyjet's 12:30 from Gatwick to Alicante, and then a shuttle with Beniconnect, arriving at the venue hotel, Cap Negret, shortly after 19:00 local time.

Playing hall

Seventh Heaven

BEAU Chess passed seven million views this morning, reaching - as I write - 7,076,262.

By contrast, my other main blog, 10mm and all that!, has 1,395,465 hits, and Chess Tip Of The Day, which is primarily a feeder for Beau Chess, and has been active for a much shorter time, has 32,058.

League Chess

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

Mark Murrell (1838) - Spanton (1955)

Colle System

1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 Nc6!?

There are 1,066 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but it lags in popularity behind 3...c5 and especially 3...e6. After the text, White can choose between continuing Colle-style with 4.Nf3, or making the opening a Stonewall Attack with 4.f4.

4.Nf3 Nb4!?

This is the top choice of Stockfish19 and Dragon1.

How should White respond?

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5.0-0!?

The main line, albeit from a small sample size, runs 5.Be2 Bf5 6.Na3, with equal chances, according to the engines.

5...Nxd3 6.Qxd3

Black has won the bishop-pair, but it has cost two tempi (...Nb4 and ...Nxd3), which White has used to castle and develop the queen

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Database analysis by international master - now grandmaster - Larry Kaufman shows the bishop-pair is worth, on average, half a pawn, while it is generally accepted a pawn in the opening is worth three tempi (sometimes 2.5 tempi are quoted, or even "two-three" tempi). This suggests that, all other things being equal, Black's bishop-exchanging manoeuvre is not quite worth it. However, the engines reckon the position is equal, and it may be that the passive 2.e3 is responsible for all other things not being equal.

6...c6!?

Apparently a novelty. The engines reckon it is roughly equivalent to the known 6...a6, but better than the other known move, 6...Bg4!?, when 7.Ne5 and 7.Qb5+ are both promising.

7.Nbd2 e6 8.e4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Qxe4 Qd5 11.Qxd5

Exchanging queens helps Black, according to the engines. They suggest 11.Qe2 Bd6 12.c4.

11...cxd5 12.Bf4 Be7 13.Rfc1!?

This is Dragon1's top choice, at least for a while, and comes to be also liked by Stockfish19.

13...Bd7 14.Ne5 b5!? 15.a4 b4

The engines prefer 15...bxa4 or 15...a6!?

16.Nxd7 Kxd7 17.c4 dxc4

The engines reckon 17...Rac8!? gives Black a slight edge, despite allowing White to create a protected passed pawn with 18.c5, when the engines continue 18...g5!? 19.Bg3 h5 20.h3 Bf6 21.Rd1, with ...Kc6 to come to blockade the passer.

18.Rxc4 Rhc8 19.Rac1 Rxc4 20.Rxc4 Rc8 21.Rxc8 Kxc8

How would you assess this bishop-and-pawn ending?

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White has an extra pawn-island, but the position is completely equal, according to the engines.

22.b3 Bf6 23.Be3 Kb7

White gets a slight edge, or at least the better part of equality, after 23...Kc7 24.d5!?, according to Dragon1, but Stockfish19 disagrees.

24.Kf1 a6 25.Ke2 Kc6 26.g4!? Kd5 27.Kd3 h6 28.f3 Bg5!? 29.Bf2

Not 29.Bxg5? hxg5, eg 30.Ke3 a5 31.Kd3 f6!? (31...f5? 32.gxf5 exf5 33.Ke3 is equal) 32.Ke3 f5 33.gxf5 exf5 34.Kd3 f4!, after which d4 drops. Note that in the bracketed line, if Black continues 33...f4+, then 34.Kd3 g6 35.h3 is drawn as long as Black finds 35...g4! 36.hxg4 (36.fxg4? g5 wins for Black) g5, eg 37.Ke2 Kxd4 38.Kd2.

29...Bf4 30.h4 f5 31.h5 Bg5 32.Be1 a5?

32...Be7 holds, as does 32...gxf4 33.gxf4 Be7 (or 33...Bf6). The text leaves too many Black pawns on the same colour complex as the bishops.

33.Bg3 gxf4

Or 33...f4 34.Bh2 Bf6 35.Bxf4 Bxd4 36.Bc7.

34.gxf4 Bf6 35.Bf2 ½–½

White wins with 35.Bc7 Bxd4 36.Bxa5, a possible continuation being 36...Bc5 37.Bc7 e5 38.a5 e4+ 39.Ke2 Bd4 40.Bb6 Bxb6 41.axb6 Kc6 42.Ke3 Kxb6 43.Kxe4 Kc6 44.Kd4 Kb5 45.Kd5 Kb6 46.Kc4 Ka5 47.Kc5, etc.

However, the text spoils nothing (White's advantage is roughly the equivalent of being a rook up after 35.Bf2, according to the engines, although Dragon1 has to be shown some of the lines to change its evaluation from completely equal), but offering a draw did.

Black cannot stop White's plan even after 35.Bf2, eg 35...Be7 36.Bg3 Bd6 37.Bh4 Bc7 38.Be7 e5 39.Bf8! exd4 40.Bxg7 Bf4 41.Bxd4, with an easy win.

Battersea Galacticos 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

20/10/26 Club Championship          B      1942             1765                 1             2135

21/10/26 London League                W     1944              2291                 0             2086

3/11/26   London League                W      1955             1954                 0             1998

5/11/26   Central London League    B      1955             1838                 =             1975  

*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.

El Chess

AM making final preparations for flying to Spain tomorrow for the fourth Cap Negret seniors' congress on the Costa Blanca.

I have entered the 65+, which has 130 entries, including a grandmaster and two international masters. There is also a 50+, with 44 entries.

There are nine rounds over eight days, so I have booked a halfpoint bye in the first game of the double-round day. Six of the rounds start at 16:30; three at 10:00.

The time control is 90 minutes, with a 30-second increment throughout, and the rules show the prize money to be the same in each tournament, despite the discrepancy in numbers.

Hilltop church in nearby Altea

League Chess

FACED a junior (born 2011) on board one (of eight) for Battersea 2 against Hammersmith Juniors in London League Division Three last night.

Spanton (1955) - Tom Balmond (1954)

Spanish Exchange

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nc3 f6 6.d4 exd4 7.Qxd4 Qxd4 8.Nxd4 Bd7 9.Bf4!?

This is very much second in popularity to 8.Be3. Stockfish19 and Dragon1 suggest 9.h4 or 9.f3. All four moves have been played by grandmasters.

9...0-0-0 10.0-0-0

White has more space and the better pawn-structure; Black has the bishop-pair. The engines reckon Black has at least the better part of equality

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10...Ne7 11.f3 Ng6 12.Be3!?

More logical is 12.Bg3 as the text loses a tempo on lines in which White plays 8.Be3 rather than 8.Bf4.

12...Bd6 13.g3?!

The engines dislike this apparent-novelty. The known move is 13.Nb3.

13...Rhe8 14.Nb3 Bh3!? 15.Rhg1 Ne5 16.Nd2 Be6 17.a3 c5 18.Bf4!? g5 19.Bxe5!? Bxe5

Black's knight was powerful, but now Black has a 'pure' bishop-pair, ie two bishops opposed by two knights. The engines give Black the upper hand

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20.Ne2 Bd6 21.c4?!

It was probably better to sit tight, as the text weakens d3 (and d4), and gives Black a hook for advancing the queenside pawns.

21...Be5 22.Kc2 Rd7 23.Nc3 Bd4 24.Rge1 c6?!

The engines reckon 24...Bxc3!? 25.Kc3 Red8 leaves Black with at least the upper hand.

White to play and equalise

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25.Re2?

The engines give 25.Na4 Kc7 26.Nb3!?, eg 26...b6 27.Nxd4 cxd4 28.c5! b5 29.Nb6, or 26...Bxc4 27.Naxc5 Bxb3+ 28.Nxb3. The text not only misses this chance, but makes White weaker down the d file.

25...Red8 26.b3 b5 27.a4!? Bxc3

The engines reckon 27...b4!? is also very strong.

28.Kxc3 Rd3+ 29.Kc2 bxc4 30.bxc4 Bxc4! 31.Rb1 R3d4 32.Nxc4 Rxc4+ 33.Kb3 Rb4+ 34.Kc2 Rxa4

After a mostly forced tactical sequence, Black emerges two pawns up, albeit with doubled and isolated pawns

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35.Rb2 Rc4+ 36.Kb1 Rd1+ 37.Ka2 Ra4+ 38.Kb3 Rb4+ 39.Kc2 R1d4 40.e5 Rxb2+ 41.Kxb2 f5!? 42.Kc3 Kd7 43.Ra2

Possibly better is 43.e6+ Ke7, and now 44.Ra2.

43...Rd5?!

The engines much prefer 43...Rd1.

44.Rxa6 Rxe5 45.Ra7+ Kd6 46.Rxh7 Re3+ 47.Kc4 Rxf3 48.Rh6+ Ke5 49.Kxc5 Rc3+ 50.Kb4 Rc2 51.Kb3 Rg2 52.Kc4 Ke4 53.Rh5 g4 54.Kc5 Rc2+ 55.Kd6

No better is 55.Kb4 - both moves leave Black with an advantage worth more than a rook, according to the engines.

55...c5 56.Ke6 Rf2 57.h3 gxh3 58.Rxh3 c4 59.Rh4+ Kd3 60.Kd5 c3 61.Rd4+ Ke3 62.Kc4 c2 63.Rd3+ Ke2 64.Rc3 Kd1 65.Rd3+ Rd2 0-1

Battersea 2 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

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

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

20/10/26 Club Championship          B      1942             1765                 1             2135

21/10/26 London League                W     1944              2291                 0             2086

3/11/26   London League                W      1955             1954                 0             1998          

*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.

ECF v Fide

MY 'worst ever tournament', and the discussion it prompted, both at Beau Chess, and last week while talking to other players during the English championships at Peterborough, led to further discussion about my over-the-board elo ratings, both national (ECF) and international (Fide).

My ratings have varied quite a lot since they became directly comparable in January 2021, which was when the English Chess Federation introduced four-digit ratings, replacing three-digit grades.

I have created the following graph, showing how my ratings have stood at each quarter, ie in January, April, July and October of the years 2021-6, using a handy tool at the US's National Center for Education Statistics.

Note that a large part of the rise in my Fide rating in early 2024 was due to a recalibration by Fide, designed to correct perceived deflation in the elos of players rated U2000

I am not sure what the graph proves, if anything, but it may be significant that my ECF rating, although fluctuating, has not moved about as much as my Fide rating.

But even that impression is misleading, as the recalibration in early-2024 is responsible for a large chunk of the Fide rating fluctuation.

Take out the recalibration, and the green line does not vary significantly more than the red line, at least to my eyes.

The ECF's rating manager made an interesting observation yesterday at the English Chess Forum: "While there is great variation, a rule of thumb is that those over 60 on average lose 0.5 of an ECF rating point per game played."

I am 69, and I play roughly 70 ECF-rated games a year, which means my ECF rating should, on average, be falling 35 elo a year.

My annual total of Fide-rated games is roughly twice that number, so I guess my Fide rating should be falling some 70 elo a year.

[Note that there is some overlap, eg games at the British and English championships are rated for both the ECF and Fide.]

Fortunately, this decline does not seem to have happened, yet ...