PLAYED on board one (of six) for Wessex B against Eternal Optimists 2 in weekend three of the Four Nations Chess League Division Four.
Paul Badger (1797 ECF/1883 Fide) - Spanton (1928 ECF/1939 Fide)
King's Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.Nf3 d5!?
There are 110 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database - 11 of the games are mine.
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| How should White respond? |
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4.Nc3!?
More popular are 4.exd5 and 4.Nxe5. Both moves are also much more successful percentagewise, but the text is the top choice of Stockfish17.1.
4...d4!?
This more-or-less commits to sacrificing the dark-square bishop.
5.Nb1?!
This is probably a mistake. A key line runs 5.Na4 Bd6!? 6.fxe5 Bxe5! (otherwise White is massively better) 7.Nxe5 Qh4+ 8.g3 Qxe4+ 9.Qe2 Qxh1 10.Ng6+ Be6 11.Nxh8, with an unclear position that Stockfish17.1 reckons is completely equal, but that Dragon1 evaluates as giving White a slight edge. However, White may have an improvement in 7.Bc4!? Nc6 8.0-0, which seems to have been first played in David McTavish - Todd Southam, Canadian U18 Championship (Winnipeg) 1985. That game continued 8...Nf6 9.Nc5!? Qd6 10.Nd3 Bg4!? 11.Bxf7+!? Ke7! 12.Ndxe5 Nxe5 13.Bb3, with another unclear position (the engines disagree about which side is better), although White went on to win.
5...exf4!
The engines reckon this apparent-novelty is a major improvement on the known 5...Bg4.
6.d3 g5 7.h4
The engines suggest 7.c3 or 7.h3.
7...g4 8.Ne5 h5 9.c3!?
This seems best. The problem with 9.Bxf4?! is 9...Qf6, eg 10.g3 Bd6.
9...Qf6!?
Attacking the advanced knight and defending f4.
10.b4!?
The engines agree this is best.
10...Qxe5 11.bxc5 dxc3
The engines prefer 11...Nc6 or 11...f3!?
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| How should White proceed? |
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12.Qc2
This looks natural, but the engines slightly prefer 12.d4!? Qxe4+ 13.Qe2 Qxe2+ 14.Bxe2, when White is three pawns down, but Black has obvious weaknesses, a sample line running 14...Nc6 15.Nxc3 f3 16.gxf3 gxf3 17.Bxf3 Nxd4 18.Bg2!? Nc2+ 19.Kf2 Nxa1, after which White is a rook and two pawns down, but has dangerous play, eg 20.Nb5 Rb8 21.Nxc7+ Kd8 22.Bf4 Bd7 23.Na6!? Rc8 24.Bxb7 Nc2 25.Rd1!? Ke7!? 26.Rd2 Bf5!? 27.Bxc8 Bxc8 28.Re2+ Kf8 29.Nc7 Bf5 30.Re8+ Kg7 31.Nd5, when White is a knight down, but has full compensation, according to the engines. There are numerous alternatives along the way amid the chaos.
12...Nc6 13.Qxc3 f6 14.Bb2 Bd7?!
Much better, according to the engines, is 14...Nge7.
15.Nd2 Qxc3 16.Bxc3 0-0-0 17.d4 Nge7!?
Played with the coming piece sacrifice in mind.
18.d5 Ne5 19.c6 N7xc6!?
19...Be8?! 20.cxb7+ is good for White after both 20...Kxb7 and 20...Kb8, according to the engines.
20.dxc6 Bxc6
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| How would you assess this queenless middlegame? |
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Black has three pawns for a bishop, but White also has the bishop-pair. Two of Black's pawns are doubled, but two have reached the fifth rank, and White's pawns are weak. Black has the safer king and a slight lead in development. For quite some time, both engines call the position completely equal, but Dragon1 comes to slightly favour Black.
21.Be2?!
The engines much prefer 21.0-0-0 or 21.Rc1.
21...Nd3+!? 22.Bxd3 Rxd3 23.Bxf6 Re3+ 24.Kd1 Rf8 25.e5!? Bxg2 26.Re1 Rxe1+?!
The engines strongly dislike this, reckoning 26...Rh3!? is winning.
27.Kxe1 Bd5
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| How would you assess this ending? |
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Black has three pawns for a knight (rather than for a bishop), but king safety is no longer a serious issue (at least, certainly not for White). Black has a pair of connected passed pawns, but White also has a passer, and both of White's kingside pawns are solidly protected. The presence of opposite-colour bishops should favour whichever side can gain the initiative. Dragon1 reckons the position is completely equal; Stockfish17.1 gives White a tiny edge.
28.Rc1 g3 29.Rc3
The engines suggest 29.Nb3!?, 29.Kf1 or 29.Kf2.
29...Kd7
Black has at least a slight edge after 29...b5!?, according to the engines.
I was tempted by 29...Rg8 30.Bg5 Rxg5!? 31.hxg5 h4, but the position may just be equal (that, at least, is the engines' verdict).
30.Nf3 c6
The engines dislike this, suggesting 30...Rg8, and if 31.Bg5, then 31...Ke6!?, or 30...Bxa2!?, and if, after the latter, 31.Ra3?!, then 31...Bc4, as 32.Rxa7 runs into 32...Ba6. However, in both lines, 31.Rd3(+) may be an improvement.
31.a3
White has at least a slight edge after 31.Nd4, according to the engines, but their more-or-less main line runs 31...b5 32.Ne2 Rg8 33.Bg5 b4 34.Rd3 Re8 35.Nxf4 Rxe5+ 36.Kf1 Kd6, when they reckon chances are equal.
31...b5 32.Rd3
Nd4 may still be White's best.
32...Kc7 33.Ng5
Threatening 34.Rxd5! cxd5 35.Ne6+ etc.
33...Kb6 34.Nf3 a5 35.Nd4!?
Dragon1 for quite some time rates this as a serious mistake, but comes to agree with Stockfish17.1 that the position remains equal.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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35...b4!?
Getting a second queenside passer is desirable, if it can be done safely, and this also sets a trap.
36.axb4 axb4 37.Be7?
White had to play 37.Ne2!, when the engines reckon Black is at most slightly better.
37...Re8
Probably even stronger are 37...g2!? and 37...Ra8!?
38.Bd6
If 38.Bxb4, then 38...Rxe5+ 39.Kd2 (39.Kf1 Bc4) g2, or 38.Bf6 and either 38...Rg8 or 38...Ra8, with ...g2 to come.
38...Rg8 39.Rd1
There is nothing better, according to the engines.
39...f3 40.Kf1 c5 41.Nxf3!?
This keeps the game going, but after ...
41...Bxf3
... White is two pawns down, and opposite-colour bishops should not be enough to save the game.
42.Rc1 Rc8 43.e6 g2+ 44.Kf2 Bd5 45.e7 Bf7 46.Kxg2
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| White has reduced the deficit to one pawn, and has a passer on the seventh rank, but is still losing, according to the engines |
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46...b3 47.Rf1 Be8 48.Be5 Kb5?
This throws away most of Black's advantage, which could have been maintained by, for example 48...c4, when 49.Rf6+ Kb5 50.Rd6 is simply met by 50...Rc7!?, after which 51.Rd8 runs into 51...Rxe7, while 51.Rd5+ Rc5 52.Rxc5+ Kxc5 53.Bc3 is not enough for a draw as Black has 53...Kb5 (an only-move, but a fairly obvious one) 54.Kf3 Ka4 55.Ke4 (55.Bb2 Kb4) Ka3 56.Kd4 b2 57.Bxb2+ Kxb2 58.Kxc4 Kc2.
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| Analysis diagram - position after 58...Kc2 |
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It might at first glance seem as if the white king is well-placed, but it cannot both win the bishop and protect the h4 pawn. And note that Black's bishop is the right colour for promoting the h5 pawn, so it would not matter if White's king could get in front of Black's pawn on the h file. A likely finish is 59.Kd5 Kd3 60.Ke5 Ke3 61.Kf6 Kf4 62.Kg7 Kg4 63.Kf8 Ba4 64.e8=Q Bxe8 65.Kxe8 Kxh4 etc.
Returning to the position after 48...c4, White could try 49.Rd1, with the same idea of playing Rd8, but 49...Rc5! wins (49...Bc6+!? may also be good enough), eg 50.Bd4 c3, as after 51.Bxc5+ Kxc5 the white rook cannot cope with connected passed pawns on the sixth rank.
Back to the game.
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| White to play and draw |
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49.Rf6+?
Drawing is 49.Rd1 as Black no longer has ...Rc5, and pushing the c pawn with 49...c4?? loses to 50.Rd8. Black has to play something like 49...Bc6+ 50.Kf2 Re8, but 51.Bf6 holds, eg 51...c4 52.Ke2 Kb4 53.Rd6 Bb5 54.Kd2 (an only-move, but not too difficult to find), after which the engines show neither side can make progress.
49...Bc6+
Now this is strong, but it is not the only winning move, according to the engines.
50.Kf2 Re8 51.Rf5
51.Bd6?! protects the e pawn, but loses to 51...b2, while 51.Rf7 also protects the e pawn, but 51...Kb4 will win.
51...Ka4?
Several moves win, including 51...Rxe7, when 53.Bd6 fails to 53...b2.
52.Bc3 Kb5
Not 52...c4?? 53.Ra5#, while 52...Rxe7 53.Rxc5 leaves no winning chances.
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| White to play and draw |
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53.Rxh5?
53.Bf6 protects the e pawn, and lets White win Black's h pawn, or Black can try 53...b2, but 54.Bxb2 Rxe7 55.Rxh5 is also a draw.
White could probably also play 53.Bd4?!, as long 53...Kc4 is met by 54.Bf6, when the engines reckon that after 54...Rxe7!? 55.Bxe7 b2 56.Rxc5+ Kd3 57.Rxc6 b1=Q Black has a fortress, although Black could play on in the hope of inducing a mistake. Black could also try 54...Rb8, but 55.Bb2 also draws, according to the engines, although again there is play in the position, which could see White go wrong.
53...Rxe7 54.Rg5 Kc4 55.Bb2 Kb4 56.Rg3 Bb5 57.Re3 Ra7
White has an easy draw after 57...Rxe3?? 58.Kxe3 as 58...c4 can be answered by 59.Kd4 or 59.Kd2.
58.Re4+ c4 59.Be5 Ra2+ 60.Kg3 Bc6 61.Re1 c3 62.Re3
Or 62.Bxc3+!? Kxc3 63.h5 b2 64.h6 Be4!? etc.
62...c2 63.Re1 b2 0-1
Eternal Optimists 2 won the match 3.5-2.5.
