Chess Tip Of The Day 392

When your head is spinning with success, that is the time when the blunders occur. So try to develop the rule for yourself that when you seem to be getting close to a win, be on the lookout.

Alexander Kotov, Think Like A Grandmaster

4NCL Round Nine

PLAYED on board one (of six) for Wessex B against Iceni B this afternoon.

Spanton (1940 ECF/1911 Fide) - John Feavyour (1843 ECF/1944 Fide)

Sicilian Bb5(+)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.Qe2 Nc6

This position occurs 1,535 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database

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7.c3

Trying to build a centre is the main continuation, but also popular is 7.Rfd1.

7...g6

The main line in Mega26 runs 7...e6 8.d4 cxd4 9.cxd4 d5!? 10.e5 Ne4 11.Be3 Be7 12.Ne1!? f6!? 13.f3 Ng5 14.Nd3 0-0, when Black has equalised (Stockfish17.1) or is only slightly worse (Dragon1).

8.d4 Bg7!?

Black more usually plays 8...cxd4 9.cxd4 Bg7!?, although the engines fluctuate between 9...Bg7!? and 9...d5!?, with, in the latter case, play similar to the previous note.

9.d5!?

The engines prefer this over the commoner 9.Rd1.

9...Ne5

The engines suggest 9...Na5 or 9...Nb8.

10.Nxe5 dxe5 11.Nd2 0-0

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

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White has the better pawn-structure, a fine outpost on c4 for the knight, and a little more space in the centre. The engines give White the upper hand.

12.Nc4 Nh5 13.Be3 Nf4!? 14.Bxf4

This seems better than 14.Qf3 f5 15.Bxf4 fxe4 16.Qxe4 Rxf4, although the engines reckon White would still have an edge.

14...exf4 15.Rfd1 b6

On 15...b5!?, White has 16.Na5, with Nc6 to come, although it is not clear the knight is better on c6 than on c4.

16.a4 Rab8 17.e5!? Qf5 18.d6

The engines suggest 18.Rd2 or 18.f3.

18...exd6 19.exd6 Rfe8 20.Qf3 Qe4?

This looks like a forcing move in that the black queen hits the knight as well as the white queen, but there is a serious flaw

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21.d7!

White wins the exchange.

21...Qxc4 22.dxe8=Q+ Rxe8

Black has an extra pawn, but it is doubled and weak, and so provides little compensation

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23.Rd7!? Qb3?

If 23...Qxa4!?, White has 24.Qd1!? (Rxa4?? Re1#), eg 24...Qxd1+ 25.Raxd1 a5 26.Rd8, getting down to a rook-v-bishop ending, when Black's two extra pawns will soon fall. Nevertheless, the engines reckon 23...Qxa4!? is better than the text, although they suggest meeting 24.Qd1!? with 24...Qe4, allowing 25.Rdxa7.

24.Qxf4 Qe6 25.Rdd1 Qb3

Black now has no compensation for the exchange, and can only play for tricks

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26.Qc1 Qc4 27.g3 h5 28.Re1 Rd8 29.Qc2 Bf6 30.Re4 Qd5 31.h4 Qf5 32.Kg2 Bg7 33.Rae1 Kh7 34.Qe2 Bh6 35.f4!?

This weakens the position of the white king, but it is playable because White's advantage is so large.

35...Qd5 36.Kh2 Bg7 37.Re7 a5 38.Rf1 Qf5 39.Rd1 Rf8!?

This is horribly passive, but keeps pieces on the board.

40.Qe4 Qg4 41.Rd6

At least one black queenside pawn must fall.

41...Qc8 42.Rxb6 Qd8 43.Rbb7 Qd2+ 44.Qe2 Qd5 45.Rb5 Bf6 46.Re3 Bc8 47.Qd3 Qc6 48.Re5 Bf6!?

The engines reckon this may be Black's best move, which only goes to show how desperate Black's position is.

49.Rxh5+ Kg7 50.Rhxc5 Qe6 51.Rd5 Qe1 52.Qd2 Qf1 53.Qg2 Qe1 54.Rd2 Re8 55.Rbd5!?

How should Black proceed?

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55...Bxh4!?

This should not work, but it is surely Black's best practical try.

56.gxh4

Simpler is 56.Qf2!?

56...Qxh4+ 57.Qh3

Not 57.Kg1?? Re1+.

57...Qxf4

On 57...Qf1 I planned 58.f5!?, the point being 58...Rh8? loses to a mate that starts with 59.f6+!

58.Qg3 Rh8+ 59.Kg2 Qe4+ 60.Kf2 Rh1 61.Rd1?!

61.Qe5+ puts an end to Black's threats.

61...Qc2 62.R1d2 Qb1 63.Ke3 Re1+ 64.Kd4 Qe4+ 65.Kc5 Qe7+ 66.Qd6 Qa7+ 67.Kb5 Re6!?

This loses instantly, but Black has anyway run out of checks.

68.Qxe6! fxe6 69.Rd7+ 1-0

After today's games, the triangular match stands as follows:

Wessex B 2-1 Iceni2

Ashfield 2 1.5-1.5 Wessex B

Iceni 2 0-3 Ashfield 2

That Was Quick!

HAVING reported a problem with the Chess Tip Of The Day feeder on my blog, I received an answer within a couple of hours from a Blogger "Diamond Product Expert."

He told me he had successfully reproduced the issue I was experiencing and had reported it to the powers that be for fixing.

Meanwhile, he gave me a workaround that seems to work ...

4NCL Final Weekend

AM playing for Wessex B in the the fourth division of the Four Nations Chess League.

It is the last weekend of the 2025-6 season, and is being held at a Holiday Inn about five miles from Coventry rail station.

Three rounds will be played over three days, each with a time limit of 40 moves in 90 minutes, a further 30 minutes to finish, and a 30-second increment throughout.

Because there is an odd number of teams, three teams (in this case Iceni B, Ashfield B and Wessex B) will receive 'triangular' pairings today and tomorrow.

This is an ingenious system that caters for odd numbers without resorting to byes.

Like many clever ideas, it is much simpler to understand than to explain, and for those interested, the details are here, but basically today one half of Wessex B will play one half of Iceni B, while the other half of Wessex B will play half of Ashfield B.

Meanwhile, those halves of Iceni B and Ashfield B not playing Wessex B, will play each other, and the same happens tomorrow, except the halves are rotated so everyone plays someone new.

[Round 11 on Monday will feature a half-triangular match between three other teams. If you understood how a full-on triangular match works, you will probably be able to guess how a half one operates.]

Image by uxwing

Blogger Snafu

FOR  more than a year I have been publishing on this blog a Chess Tip Of The Day.

It appears on the righthand side of the page, near to the top, although, due to another Blogger snafu, it is only visible on the web version of the blog, not on the mobile version.

I write the tips at another blog, which acts as a feeder to Beau Chess.

Unfortunately, two days ago, the feed stopped updating, and I have been unable to fix it.

I have asked for help from the Blogger community, and it may be it is simply one of those Blogger sanfus that, like others, will be corrected within a few days by Google.

Until that happens - if it happens at all! - I will publish the Chess Of The Day here, which is not so aesthetically pleasing, but hopefully will be serviceable.

For the moment, I will keep the feed on the main page in the hope it will start working again.

Chess Tip Of The Day 390
Under normal circumstances in the Sicilian, White will attack on the kingside and Black on the queenside. David Levy & Kevin O'Connell, How To Play The Sicilian Defence

League Chess

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

Spanton (1938) - Tony Niccoli (2285)

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.Be3 0-0-0

This position occurs 279 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database

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10.f3

Long castling was played in 222 of those games.

10...Ne7 11.Rd1

Ruling out castling on the queenside - in fact the plan can be to not castle at all.

11...Ng6 12.Kf2!?

Emanuel Lasker often developed his king this way in the Exchange Variation of the Spanish, the idea being the king is well-placed on f2 to later assist an advance of White's pawn-majority. On the other hand, the absence of the king from c1/b1 leaves the white queenside pawns more vulnerable.

12...Ne5 13.Nb3!?

This may be a novelty, and is not liked by Stockfish17.1 or Dragon1. They suggest 13.h4 or 13.b3.

13...b6 14.h3

Preparing f4, without allowing a black piece to land on g4.

14...Nc4 15.Bc1 Bd6 16.f4?!

But, played this early, the move is probably too loosening.

How should Black exploit White's last?

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16...Rde8

Black can seize the initiative with 16...g5!?, when 17.fxg5?! fxg5 gives White an isolani and an exposed king. Better is 17.f5, and the engines suggest 17.Nd4!?, the idea being to meet 17...gxf4 with 18.b3, when 18...Ne5 allows 19.Bxf4, after the engines still much prefer Black, but they reckon even better is 18...Bb4!?, when 19.bxc4 Bxc3 20.Bxf4 equalises the number of pawns, but both 20...Rhe8 and 20...c5 leave Black much better.

17.Rhe1 Bb4 18.Rd3 Re7 19.a3 Bd6 20.Nd2 Bc5+ 21.Kf3 Be6?

Black should swop knights.

How can White exploit Black's last?

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22.Nxc4?

Missing 22.Na4!?, after which Black loses the bishop-pair, and contracts tripled c pawns, as 22...Bd6? is met by 23.Nxb6!

22...Bxc4 23.Rdd1 Rhe8 24.Be3 Bd6

Swopping bishops may be better.
25.Bxb6 Bxa3

How should White proceed?

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26.bxa3?

This is possibly the worst of the plausible choices. Best is probably the engines' 26.Bxc7!, when 26...Bxb2 27.Ba5!? more-or-less obliges Black to give up the bishop-pair with 27...Bxc3, after which the engines reckon White is at least slightly better. If Black tries to preserve the dark-square bishop with 27...Ba3?, White has 28.Na4!, with very strong play as Black does not seem to have a good answer to the threat of Nb6+, forking king and light-square bishop, eg 28...Bb5 29.Nb6+ Kb7 30.c4.

26...cxb6

Black has lost the bishop-pair, but straightened the queenside pawns, so who stands better?

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No one, according to the engines.

27.Rd6 Kc7 28.Red1 Bf7 29.R6d4 Be6!? 30.g4 a5 31.Ne2 Rd7!?
The engines reckon an exchange of rooks favours White.

32.f5!?

The engines prefer 32.Rxd7+ Bxd7, and now 33.f5!?

32...Rxd4 33.Rxd4 Bf7 34.Nf4 b5

Black has a slight edge after 34...g5!? or 34...c5, according to the engines.

35.Nd3 Rd8 36.Ke3 Ba2

Possibly better is 36...Rxd4 37.Kxd4 Kd6, with what the engines agree is complete equality.

37.Nc5 Rd6?

White has at most a slight edge after 37...Rxd4, according to the engines.

38.Rxd6 Kxd6 39.Nb7+ Ke5 40.Nxa5 c5 41.Nb3 Kd6 42.Nd2 Ke5 43.Nf3+ Kd6 44.h4 Bb1 45.Kd3!? b4 46.axb4 cxb4

White to play and maintain a winning position

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47.g5?

The simple 47.Nd2 snuffs out Black's counterplay, and, after 47...Ba2, the time is right to play 48.g5.

47...b3

Exploiting White's self-pin at move 45.

48.Nd4

An only-move.

48...bxc2

White to play and draw

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49.Nxc2?

White holds with 49.Kd2, eg 49...c1=Q+ 50.Kxc1 Bxe4 51.Kd2 Ke5 52.Ne6, or 49...Ke5 50.Ne6.

Black to play and win

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49...Ke5

But not 49...Bxc2+?? 50.Kxc2 Ke5 51.Kd3 Kf4, as 52.gxf6 gxf6 53.Kd4 wins for White, as does 51...fxg5 52.hxg5 Kf4 53.f6.

50.gxf6 gxf6 51.h5 Bxc2+ 52.Kxc2 Kxe4 0-1

TN: "Sorry."

Me: "It was my fault."

Hammersmith won the match 4-1.

My Battersea Season 2025-6

Date       Event  Colour  Rating  Opp's Rating  Score  Season's Perf

16/9/25   CLL       W       1936         1952             0           1552

18/9/25   CLL       W       1936         1797             =           1675

16/10/25 CLL       W       1889         2047             0           1665

23/10/25 CLL       B        1889         1823             1           1805

18/11/25  LL         W       1891         1980             =           1840

20/11/25  CLL      W       1891         1866             1            1911

25/11/25  BCC     B        1891         1817             1            1955

9/12/25    LL         W       1904         1982             1            2008

16/12/25  LL         B        1904         2046             0            1968

18/12/25  CLL      B        1904         2066             1            2018

6/1/26      CLL      W       1929         2150             =            2066

7/1/26      LL         W       1929         1971             =            2058

8/1/26      CLL      B        1929         1800?           =            2038

13/1/26    LL         B        1929         2035             1            2067

27/1/26    LL         B        1929         2089             0            2041

29/1/26    CLL      B        1929         1882             =            2031

3/2/26      BCC     W       1928         1836             1            2043     

12/2/26    CDL      B        1928        1890              1            2057

25/2/26    LL         B        1928        1863              =            2047

26/2/26    CLL      B         1928        2015             0            2025

3/3/26      CDL      B        1914        1976              1            2043

24/3/26    BCC     W        1921        1780             1            2049

26/3/26    CLL      B         1921        1942             =            2045

31/3/26    CDL      B        1921         2091             0            2030

7/4/26      BCC     B         1938        1505*            1            2030

9/4/26      CLL      W        1938        2012              =           2029

30/4/26    CLL      W        1938        2285              0           2023

CLL: Central London League

LL: London League

BCC: Battersea club championship

CDL: Croydon & District League

I also have a win-by-default in the Central London League

*A win against a 1505 counts as a 1905 performance, so I have excluded this game from calculating my season's performance as it would lower my average despite me winning.

Prep

ON the flight to Albania I had a fascinating conversation with England manager Nigel Povah, who is an international master of 43 years' standing.

He told me he normally spends five hours on preparation for a game, reckoning he keeps himself fit enough that this is not tiring.

Later, I was walking in Durrës with another quite-strong senior, who told me he often spends around two hours.

Impressive stuff?

Well, discussing the same matter over a drink in the hotel bar, Richard McMichael (2116) confessed his preparation usually takes around 10 minutes, and consists of looking to see which lines his opponent plays, and whether there is anything he would like to avoid, or would be particularly keen to face.

Grandmaster Nigel Davies, who also played in the world team seniors in Durrës, has gone on record stating he no longer does preparation, as he finds it tiring, preferring to do nothing before a round, apart from going for a short walk, and maybe a little light reading.

I tend to follow the McMichael Method, combined with a large does of Davies-style Do-Nothing.

Image by uxwing

As with many ideas in chess that are not directly related to moves on the board, which method is best is subjective, and hard to prove one way or another.

Summing Up Durrës

ENGLAND 5 were seeded 46th, but finished 37th, winning three matches, drawing two and losing four, with all nine matches against higher-seeded teams.

37. England - 5 (RtgAvg:1881, Captain: Freeman, Richard / TB1: 8 / TB2: 17)
Bo.		Name	Rtg	FED	FideID	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Pts.	Games	RtgAvg
1		Freeman, Richard C P	1897	ENG	410349	½	½	0	0	½	½	½	½	1	4	9	2139
2	CM	Stokes, Michael	1861	ENG	442542	0	1	½	0	1	1	0	0	0	3,5	9	2039
3		Spanton, Tim R	1908	ENG	404802	0	1	1	1	1	0	1	1	½	6,5	9	1983
4		Marshall, Michael	1859	ENG	1409956	½	½	1	0	0	0	0	½	½	3	9	1950

Elo Changes

Freeman +40.6 (2096 performance)

Stokes +19.8 (1959 performance)

Spanton +58.4 (2149 performance)

Marshall -8.2 (1825 performance)

Players were not permitted to use their own pens during games, but at the end were allowed to keep an official Fide world championship ballpoint, so I have a new pen for my collection of chess writing implements

Full results of the 54-team 65+ championship, along with the 36-team 50+ championship, can be found at Chess-Results.com.

World Team 65+ Round Nine

Bo.	46	England - 5	Rtg	-	40	Brazil	Rtg	0 : 0
18.1		Freeman, Richard C P	1897	-		Okamura, Milton Kasuo	1979
18.2	CM	Stokes, Michael	1861	-		Gambale, Eduardo De Aquino	1944
18.3		Spanton, Tim R	1908	-		Moyses Sobrinho, Elias	1896
18.4		Marshall, Michael	1859	-		Vieira, Alexandre Letizio	1826

Spanton (1908) - Elias Moysés Sobrinho (1896)

Scandinavian

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nb6 5.Nf3 Bf5

The main continuations in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database are 5...Bg4 and especially 5...g6, although the text is the second choice of Dragon1, at least for a while. However, it and Stockfish17.1 come to agree 5...g6 is best.

How should White respond?

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6.c5!?

The main move is 6.Nc3, but the text has some interesting points.

6...Nd5 7.Qb3 Bc8!?

The engines suggest an apparent-novelty in 7...Nc6!?, when their main line runs 8.Bb5 e6 9.Ne5 Ne7, with a sharp position that they reckon gives White the upper hand, but they do not agree on how White should continue.

8.Nc3

The engines slightly prefer the relatively rare 8.Bg5!?

8...e6 9.Bc4 c6 10.0-0 Be7 11.Re1 0-0

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

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Black has an outpost at d5, but White has more space and development. The engines reckon White has at least the upper hand.

12.Bd3!? Nd7

Varying from Vitor Luis de Jesus Silverio (2016) - Moysés Sobrinho (1948), Manaus (Brazil) 2024, which went 12...b6 13.Nxd5 exd5 14.Qc2 g6 15.Bh6 Re8 16.b4, with a positionally won game for White, according to the engines (1-0, 21 moves).
13.Qc2 N7f6 14.a3 b6 15.Nxd5!? Qxd5 16.Re5!? Qd7 17.b4

Almost certainly much stronger is 17.Rg5!?, when the rook, despite being off the back rank early in the game, is in little danger of being embarrassed as it has both g3 and h3 as safe squares, at least in the medium term.

17...bxc5

How should White recapture

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18.dxc5

Getting rid of the backward pawn, but allowing Black counterplay down the a and d files. Stockfish17.1  much prefers 18.bxc5, but Dragon1 for quite some time is less sure.

18...Rd8 19.Bf1?!

Probably better is 19.Re3, as Black cannot play 19...Ng4? or 19...Nd5? as White has 20.Bxh7+.

19...a5 20.Bb2 axb4 21.axb4 Rxa1 22.Bxa1 Qd1!? 23.Qxd1 Rxd1 24.Re1 Rxe1 25.Nxe1 Nd5

How would you assess this minor-piece ending?

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White's queenside majority is held up a single pawn, so the position is equal, according to the engines.

26.Nc2

Not 26.Nd3? Ba6.

26...Bf6?!

This lets White seize the initiative. The engines suggest 26...f6, 26...Bd7 or 26...Bg5.

27.Bxf6 Nxf6

Stockfish17.1 fluctuates between the text and 27...gxf6, but Dragon1 prefers the former.

28.Nd4 Bd7?

Correct is 28...Bb7, and if, as in the game, 29.b5 cxb5 30.c6, then 30...Ba6, eg 31.Bxb5 Bc8, when White has no way of promoting the pawn. However, the engines recommend 29.Bc4 or 29.g3, claiming at least a slight edge.

29.b5! cxb5 30.c6

This zwischenzug gives White a winning position.

30...Be8

Or 30...Bc8 31.Nxb5 Ba6 32.Nc7 Bc8 33.Na8 Nd5 34.Bc4 Ne7 35.Nb6.

White to play and win

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31.Bxb5?

Winning is 31.c7 Bd7 32.Bxb5! Bc8 33.Nc6 Nd5, and now the move I missed, 34.Bc4, which is easy to see on reaching the position, but not so easy from the diagram.

31...Nd5 32.f4!?

Preventing ...e5, and opening a diagonal for the white king.

32...Kf8 33.Ba4!?

Dragon1 strongly dislikes this, preferring 33.Bc4 or 33.Kf2, but it may hold.

33...Ke7 34.Kf2 Nb6!?

The immediate 34...Kd6 may be better, one line running 35.Nf3!? h6!? (35...Nxf4 36.c7! Bd7 37.Ne5 Bc8 38.Nxf7+ Kxc7 39.Bc2 gives White excellent drawing chances, according to the engines) 36.g3 Ne7 37.Ke3 Bxc6 38.Bxc6 Nxc6, although with pawns on only one side of the board, it will be difficult to win.

35.Bc2 h6

If 35...Kd6 36.Bxh7 g6, White rescues the bishop with 37.h4 etc.

36.Be4 Kd6 37.Nb5+ Kc5 38.Na7 Kd6

How should White proceed?

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39.Ke3!?

Keeping the game going, whereas 39.Nb5+ Kc5 is likely to lead to a quick draw.

39...Nd5+ 40.Kd4 Bxc6 41.Nxc6 Kxc6

Black has won a pawn, but the active White king ensures equal chances

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42.Ke5 Kc5 43.f5 Nc7 44.f6!? gxf6+

Not 44...g6? or 44...g5?, as both are answered by 45.B(x)g6!.

45.Kxf6 Kd4 46.Bf3 e5 47.Kxf7 e4 48.Bxe4!?

There is nothing better.

48...Kxe4 49.Kg6 Kf4 50.h4 Kg4 51.h5 Nd5 52.Kxh6 Nf4 ½–½

Team Result

Freeman 1-0 Okamura

Stokes 0-1 Gambale

Spanton = Moyses Sobrinho

Marshall = Vieira

England 5 2-2 Brazil

World Team 65+ Round Eight

Bo.	37	Norway - Golden Oldies	Rtg	-	46	England - 5	Rtg	0 : 0
27.1		Esbensen, Arnt	2169	-		Freeman, Richard C P	1897
27.2		Taksrud, Vidar	1931	-	CM	Stokes, Michael	1861
27.3		Johnsen, Oystein	1949	-		Spanton, Tim R	1908
27.4		Bjorgvik, Jan Arne	1818	-		Marshall, Michael	1859

Øystein Johnsen (1949) - Spanton (1908)

London System

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4 Bd6 4.Bg3 Nf6 5.e3 b6 6.Nbd2 0-0 7.Bd3 Bb7

How should White proceed?

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8.Bh4!?

Presumably ØJ did not fancy 8.0-0 Bxg3. The main move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database is 8.Ne5, when 8...c5 9.c3 Nc6 is equal, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1.

8...Nbd7 9.0-0

With both sides having castled, how would you assess the position?

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The position is largely symmetrical, with the notable exception of the queens' bishops, but the engines award Black at least the better part of equality, perhaps because having the move in such a position confers a small initiative.

9...Re8

But this is not the way to pursue it, according to the engines. They suggest 9...c5 or 9...Qb8!?

10.c3 h6!?

Anticipating 11.Qc2.

11.Qc2 c5 12.b3 Rc8 13.Rac1 Qc7 14.Bg3!?

The engines fluctuate between the text, 14.Qb1 and 14.Qb2.

14...Bxg3 15.hxg3

So White has allowed ...Bxg3 anyway

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15...Ng4 16.e4!?

This is the classic pawn break in this sort of position, but the engines are not keen on it here.

16...dxe4

Possibly stronger is 16...cxd4, eg 17.cxd4 Qxc2 18.Bxc2!? Ndf6!?, when 19.e5 Ne4 favours Black, according to the engines, but so does 19.exd5 Nxd5.

17.Bxe4!?

The engines reckon this is better than 17.Nxe4 cxd4 18.cxd4 (18.Nxd4?! Qe5! 19.Nf3 Qh5 is risky for White) Qxc2 19.Rxc2 Rxc2 20.Bxc2 Rc8.

17...Ndf6 18.Bxb7 Qxb7 19.Rfe1 Red8 20.dxc5 Rxc5 21.Ne4 Nxe4 22.Qxe4 Qxe4 23.Rxe4 Nf6

Where should the rook go?

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24.Rd4!?

This is the engines' top choice.

24...Rdc8 25.c4 b5 26.Kf1 Kf8

The game is completely equal after 26...bxc4 27.Rdxc4 Rxc4 28.bxc4, according to the engines.

27.Ne1!?

This seems playable, but probably better is 27.Nd2.

27...e5 28.Rd2?!

The active 28.Rd6!? is better, according to the engines, eg 28...bxc4 29.Ra6!? cxb3 30.Rxc5 Rxc5 31.Rxa7 bxa2 32.Rxa2, when Black is a pawn up, but all the pawns are on one side of the board, and the engines reckon Black has only a slight edge.

28...cxb4 29.Rdc2

The engines prefer 29.bxc4 Rxc4 30.Rd8+!? Rxd8 31.Rxc4, when Black is again a pawn up, but with pawns on both sides of the board, giving Black at least the upper hand, according to the engines.

29...Ne4 30.b4 R5c7?!

Probably better is taking the open file with 30...Rd5!?, one point being 31.Rxc4?? Rxc4 32.Rxc4 loses to 32...Nd2+ and 33...Nxc4.

31.Ke2?

Black has at best a slight edge after 31.Re2, according to the engines.

31...Ke7 32.Ke3 f5 33.g4 g6 34.gxf5 gxf5 35.g4?!

The engines much prefer 35.Nd3!?, eg 35...Kd6 36.Nb2 Kd5 37.Rd1+ Ke6 38.Rh1 c3!? 39.Rxh6+ Kd5 40.Nd1, although after 40...f4+ Black has pressure.

35...Kf6

The engines suggest 35...c3 or 35...Nd6.

36.f3

And here they like 36.Nf3 or 36.Rd1.

36...Nd6 37.Rh2 f4+ 38.Kf2 Nf7 39.Rc3 Rd8 40.Kf1 Kg6 41.Rhc2 Rd4 42.Ra3!? Rd6 43.Rac3 Rdc6?!

The engines give 43...Rd4, and if 44.Ra3, then 44...Nd6, claiming a large advantage for Black.

44.Nd3!? a6 45.Nc5 Nd6 46.Re2 Kf6 47.Ne4+!?

Forcing a double-rook-and-pawn ending, but the engines reckon White is better off keeping knights on, challenging Black to find a way to make progress after 47.Rc1 or 47.a3.

47...Nxe4 48.Rxe4

How would you assess this ending?

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Dragon1 reckons Black is winning, but Stockfish17.1 gives Black only a slight edge. The practical point, however, is that unless Black gets careless and lets White create something with the 2-1 pawn-majority on the a-b files, there are only two likely outcomes - a draw or a black win.

48...Ke6 49.Re2?!

The rook is well-placed on e4. White should almost certainly be centralising the king, as far as is possible, with 49.Ke2 or 49.Ke1.

49...Rb7 50.a3 Rd7 51.Ke1?

Much better, but still losing, according to the engines, is going for counterplay with 51.Rh2.

51...Rd3 52.Rec2 Rd4?

This is probably still winning, but much stronger is 52...Rxc3 53.Rxc3 Kd5, eg 54.Kd2 Kd4 55.Kc2 Rg6!? 56.Kb2!? (56.Kd2 h5!) e4!? 57.fxe4 Rxg4.

53.Rd2 Kd5 54.Rdc2 Rc7 55.Rh2 Rc6 56.Rhc2 Re6 57.Kf2 e4 58.fxe4 Rexe4 59.Rh3 Rd3 60.Rh5+ Kd4 61.Rxh6

Black to play and win

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61...Rxa3?

One of the few plausible moves that does not win, whereas 61...c3, 61...Ree3 and even 61...Kd5!? win comfortably.

62.Rd6+ Ke5 63.Rc6 c3 64.R2xc3 Rxc3 65.Rxc3 Rxb4

This is a tablebase draw

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66.Ra3 Ke4 67.Ra6 Rb2+

White to play and draw

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68.Ke1?

The Syzygy endgame tablebase shows only 68.Kg1! draws.

The problem with the text will soon become apparent, whereas 68.Kf1? loses to 68...f3! (only-move), and if, as in the game, 69.g5, then 69...Kf4 (another only-move), eg 70.g6 Kg3 (a third only-move, but the easiest of the lot to find) 71.Ra1 Rh2 (71...Rf2+ also wins) 72.Kg1 f2+ 73.Kf1 Rh1+ 74.Ke2 Rxa1.

After 68.Kg1, Black can again try 68...f3, but 69.Rf6! draws, eg 69...Ke3 70.g5 Rb1+ (70...f2+ 71.Kg2) 71.Kh2 f2 72.g6, when Black has to take a draw as 72...f1=Q?? loses to 73.Rxf1 Rxf1 74.g7 etc.

68...Kf3

White cannot prevent the black king from occupying g2, as 69.Kf1? allows 69...Rb1#.

69.g5 Kg2 70.g6 f3 71.Rf6

Black to play and and maintain the win

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71...Rb1+?

There are two winning lines: 71...Re2+ 72.Kd1 Re7, eg 73.Rf7 f2!? (73...Re8 also wins) 74.g7 Re8 75.Rf8 f1=Q+, and 71...Rb7 72.Rf5 Re7+ 73.Kd2 f2, eg 74.Rg5+ Kh3 75.Rf5 Kg3 76.Kd3 Kg2 77.Rg5+ Kf1 78.Kd2 Rd7+ 79.Kc2 Ke2 80.Re5+ Kf3 81.Rf5+ Kg3 82.Kc3 (82.Rg5+ Kf4) Rg7 83.Rf6 Kg2 etc.

72.Kd2 f2 73.g7 Rb2+ 74.Kc1 Rb8 75.Rg6+ Kf3 76.Rf6+ Ke2 77.Re6+ Kf1 78.Rg6 Rg8 79.Kd2 Rd8+ 80.Kc3 Rc8+ 81.Kd4 Rd8+ 82.Kc5 Rc8+ 83.Kb6 Rg8

White to play and lose

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84.Kc7??

This loses because Black will be able to capture on g7 with check.

84...Ke2 85.Re6+ Kd3 86.Rd6+ Ke4 87.Rf6 Rxg7+ 88.Kd8 Ke3 89.Re6+ Kd2 90.Rd6+ Ke2 91.Re6+ Kf1 0-1

Team Result

Esbensen = Freeman

Taksrud 1-0 Stoke

Johnsen 0-1 Spanton

Bjorgvik = Marshall

Norway Golden Oldies 2-2 England 5