Streak Over

DEFEAT yesterday ended a 10-game unbeaten run, which is certainly one of the longest I have enjoyed over the board.

I scored +6=4-0, for a rating performance of 2039, which is 116 elo higher than my average rating during those games.

Cap Negret Round Five

FACED a Belgian Fide master on a live board.

Johan Goormachtigh (2188) - Spanton (1896)

QGD Ragozin

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bf4!? 0-0 7.e3 Bf5

Our game from the same tournament last year went 7...c6 8.Bd3 Nbd7 9.0-0 Re8 10.Qc2, with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 (½–½, 59 moves).

8.Qb3 c5!? 9.dxc5 Qa5 10.Be2

The engines reckon White is at least slightly better after 10.a3 or 10.Nd4.

10...Nd7 11.0-0

The engines still prefer a3, or Bd6.

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

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Black has an IQP and is a pawn down, but that pawn-deficit is about to be erased with tempo, driving the white queen to the back rank. The engines prefer Black.

11...Nxc5 12.Qd1 Rfd8?!
Shant Sargsyan (2594) - Alan Pichot (2630), Abu Dhabi Online Blitz, went 12...Bxc3 13.bxc3 Nce4, when Black had a slight edge (Dragon1), although Stockfish17.1 is less enthusiastic about Black's position (0-1, 45 moves).

13.Nd4

Even stronger, according to the engines, is the immediate 13.Nb5.

13...Bg6?

Black should probably play 13...Bxc3, although the engines reckon 14.Nxf5 Bxb2 15.Rb1 Qc3 16.Bf3 gives White more than enough for a pawn.

14.Ncb5 Ne6?

14...Na6 defends the sensitive c7 square, but White is positionally winning according to the engines, eg 15.a3 Be7 16.b4 Qb6 17.Rc1 Rac8 18.Qb3, although the game is far from over.

15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.Bc7 Qa6 17.Nd4!? b5 18.Bxb5 Qb7 19.Bxd8 Rxd8 20.Qa4 Bd6 21.Nxe6

The flurry of tactics is complete, and White has emerged up the exchange and two pawns

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21...Rb8 22.Bc6!?

Simpler is 22.Nd4, but the text is also good, and may even be better (the engines are unsure).

22...Qxb2 23.Qd4 Qc2!?

This loses another pawn, but with queens off the board Black's position is hopeless.

24.Bxd5 Qf5 25.Nf4+ Kh8 26.Be6 Qe5 27.Qxe5 Bxe5 28.Nxg6+ hxg6 1-0

Mega Update

AFTER much effort, and many frustrations, I have downloaded and installed the 2026 version of ChessBase's Mega database.

Not only that, but I have got it working in ChessBase9, my preferred version of the program - the screen is so much cleaner and less cluttered than in modern editions.

I have 1,213 games in Mega26, up from 1,175 in Mega25, but according to ChessBase I still score "badly" as White and "below average" as Black.

The database totals 11.74million games, up from 11.15million a year ago, with the most recent being from the Russian Rapid Championship of October 18-19.

Cap Negret Round Four

I WAS downfloated.

Spanton (1896) - Luis Vicente Martín Martín (2000)

Scandinavian

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 c6 5.Bd2!? Bf5

Probably not 5...Qb6 6.Nf3 Qxb2?! as 7.Rb1 Qa3 leaves White with a lot of compensation for a pawn, especially after the apparent-novelty 7.Ne5!?, which is suggested by Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1.

6.g4!?

This rare continuation is much-liked by the engines.

How should Black respond?

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6...Be6!?

The engines fluctuate between the text and the more common 6...Bg6, coming to prefer the former.

7.Bg2 Qd8!? 8.Be3

The engines prefer gambiting the d pawn with 8.g5!? Qxd4 9.Nf3.

8...Nf6 9.h3 Nd5 10.Nxd5 Bxd5 11.Nf3 Nd7 12.Qe2 Nb6 13.b3 e6 14.a3

The engines prefer 14.c4, meeting 14...Bb4+ with 15.Kf1!?

14...Be7 15.Qd3 0-0 16.0-0

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

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White has more space in the centre, but the white king's position is a little loose, and the engines reckon Black has a slight edge.

16...Bxf3!? 17.Bxf3 Bg5!?

Ensuring White will not be able to use the bishop-pair to gain an advantage.
18.a4 Nd5 19.Be4 Bxe3 20.fxe3

After 20.Bxh7+ Kh8 21.fxe3 Black can choose between three promising continuations: 21...Qh4; 21...f5; and 21...g6 22.Bxg6 fxg6 23.Rxf8+ Qxf8 24.Qxg6 Qg7!? 25.Qxe6 Nf4!

20...Qh4 21.Bg2 h5 22.e4 Nb4!?

Possibly better is 22...Nf6 or 22...Ne7.

23.Qd2 a5

The engines suggest offering a pawn with 23...c5!?, eg 24.dxc5 a5 25.c3 Nc6.

24.c3 Na6 25.Qf2!?

With the knight sidelined, it is probably the black king that is most in danger, in which case White should keep queens on.

25...Qxf2+ 26.Rxf2 hxg4 27.hxg4 e5!? 28.Rf5!? exd4 29.cxd4 Nb4 30.Rd1 Rfd8 31.d5!? cxd5 32.exd5 Rd6

Who, if anyone, stands better?

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The position is completely equal, according to the engines.

33.Re1 b6 34.Rd1!? Rc8 35.Be4

The engines prefer active defence of b3 by 35.Re5!?, eg 35...Rc3 36.Re8+ Kh7 37.Rf1 Rd7 38.Rf8 Rcc7, and not 38...f6? 39.Be4+ etc.

35...Rc3

The engines suggest 35...g6 36.Rf4! (36.Rf3? Re8 37.Bb1 Re5) Kg7, claiming a slight edge for Black.

36.Rf3 Rc7 37.Rf2 Kf8 38.Kg2 Rc3 39.Rf3 Rxf3 40.Kxf3

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

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The passed pawn is firmly blockaded, and under pressure from the well-placed knight in addition to the black rook. The engines agree the position is completely equal.

40...Ke7 41.Kf4 f6 42.Kf5 Kf7

Probably not 42...g5?! 43.Kg6!?

43.Kf4 Ke7 44.Kf5 Kf7 45.Bf3 Nc2 46.Ke4 Nb4 47.Kf5 ½–½

Bunker Mentality

ALICANTE was largely Republican during the Spanish Civil War.

The country's Mediterranean coast was blockaded by the Italian and German navies, supporting Franco's rebel Nationalists.

To guard against a possible invasion in the Altea area, which has long, flat beaches, eight machinegun pillboxes, called búnquers in Catalan (bunkers, or búnkeres, in Spanish) were built on the coast.

This pillbox near Cap Negret is one of only three survivors, and only two of those are now above sea level

Another view - none saw action, but they are believed to have had a deterrent effect

Cap Negret Round Three

Salvador Freijedo Álvarez (2123) - Spanton (1896)

QGD Semi-Tarrasch

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Nc3 c5

This is fifth in popularity, behind 4...Nbd7, 4...Bb4, 4...c6 and especially 4...Be7.

5.e3

The main move is 5.cxd5, but there are 3,721 examples of the text in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.

5...Nc6 6.cxd5 exd5

How should White proceed?

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7.Be2

This is the commonest continuation in Mega25, but Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 marginally prefer 7.Bb5, when the main line in Mega25 runs 7...Bd6 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.0-0 0-0 10.b3, with a slight edge for White (Dragon1), or at least the better part of equality (Stockfish17.1).

7...c4!?

This is Dragon1'a top choice by a small margin over the much more popular 7...cxd4, which is Stockfish17.1's recommendation.

8.0-0

This is the normal continuation, and the engines' preference. The problem with 8.b3!?, immediately attacking the advanced pawn, is that Black has the pinning 8...Bb4.

8...Bb4 9.Bd2 0-0

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

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White has a slight lead in development, but the game is probably going to hinge on how White deals with Black's space-gaining queenside pawn-majority. Stockfish17.1 gives White a slight edge; Dragon1 calls the game equal.

10.b3 Bxc3 11.Bxc3 Ne4

Possibly 11...b5 is a little better.

12.Rc1

This seems to be a novelty. The engines like 12.Be1!?, while three queen moves have been tried - to e1, c1 and c2.

12...Nxc3 13.Rxc3 b5 14.bxc4 Qa5 15.Rc1 bxc4

The engines reckon 15...dxc4?! strongly favours White after 16.a4!

16.Nd2?!

The engines give 16.e4!? dxe4 17.Rxc4, claiming equal chances.

16...Re8?!

Black has at least a slight edge, according to the engines, after 16...Rb8, occupying the open file.

17.Bf3

How should Black respond?

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17...Bb7!?

Preparing a pawn sacrifice for active play.

Note that in the diagram, White threatens 18.Nxc4, when 18...dxc4? makes matters worse as 19.Bxc6 wins back the piece and forks the black rooks.

The aggressive 17...c3? leaves Black in trouble after the simple 18.Nb3, and even worse is 17...Qxa2?? 18.Bxd5.

The engines recommend 17...Bd7, with what they reckon is equality.

18.Rb1 Rab8!?

Not 18...Nd8? 19.Nxc4!, but the engines suggest 18...Ba6, again with equal chances.

19.Nxc4!

The engines agree White has to accept the sacrifice to gain an advantage.

19...dxc4 20.Rxb7! Rxb7

The engines' 20...Nb4!? may be slightly better.

21.Bxc6 Reb8 22.Bxb7 Rxb7

How would you assess this heavy-piece late-middlegame?

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White is a pawn up, but Black's more-advanced passer is dangerous. Dragon1 reckons White is winning; Stockfish17.1 gives White only a slight edge. If the engines are given extra time to study the position, Stockfish17.1 comes for a while to give White the upper hand, but reverts to awarding only a slight edge. Dragon1, meanwhile, downgrades White's advantage to enjoying the upper hand.

23.Qc2
At first both engines reckon 23.Qf3 is best, but Dragon1 comes to prefer the text.

23...c3 24.Qe4

Dragon1 is convinced 24.Rc1 is much stronger; Stockfish17.1 is less sure. Note that 24.Rc1 does not threaten to immediately capture on c3 as White (as well as Black) has back-rank problems.

24...Rb8 25.g3 g6

This is good enough for equality, according to the engines, which reckon 25...Qxa2 also equalises.

White to play and lose

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26.Qe5??

Various moves maintain complete equality, according to the engines, including 26.Qc6, 26.Rc1 and 26.h4.

26...Qxe5 27.dxe5 c2 0-1

Morning Sunshine

Seaview

Looking inland

More mountains

Cap Negret Round Two

Spanton (1896) - Alonso Infante Martín (1556)

Spanish Exchange

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 Bg4!?

This is very much second in popularity to 5...exd4, but there are 299 examples of the move in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.

How should White respond?

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6.dxe5

Playing to win a pawn like this is the commonest continuation, and is the top choice of Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1, but they reckon Black gets sufficient compensation.

6...Qxd1+ 7.Kxd1 0-0-0+ 8.Ke2 Bc5?!

Early games with this variation featured the out-and-out gambit line 8...f6!?, but then Siegbert Tarrasch introduced 8...Re8, which has become the main line, and is the engines' preference. The text is between the two moves in popularity, but is much inferior, according to the engines.

9.Be3 Bxe3 10.Kxe3

It is not often a king voluntarily goes to the third rank inside 10 moves, but with queens off the board, and no dark-square bishops, the white king looks safe on e3

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10...h6!? 11.Nbd2 Ne7 12.h3 Be6 13.Nd4 Bd7 14.f4 g6 15.g4 b6 16.Rae1!? c5 17.N4f3 Kb7 18.c3 Bb5 19.c4 Bd7 20.f5 Nc6 21.h4

The engines prefer 21.Ref1!?

How should Black proceed?

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21...Rhe8

The engines' 21...h5!? leads to sharp play, when best may be 22.e6!? gxf5!? (if 22...hxg4, then 23.Ng5!? seems strong, while 22...fxe6!? 23.fxg6 hxg4 24.Reg1!? gxf3 25.g7 Rhg8 26.h4 etc also looks very good for White) 23.exd7 fxg4 24.Ng5 Rxd7 25.Rhf1, with only a slight edge for White (Dragon1) or at best the upper hand (Stockfish17.1).

22.Kf4 Nb4

Black threatens both 23...Nxa2 and the forking 23...Nd3+

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23.Re3 Reg8

If 23...Nxa2, then 24.e6!? fxe6 25.fxg6 looks strong.

24.a3 Nc6 25.Rd3 Kc8 26.Nb1!? Rde8 27.g5 Ne7?!

The engines suggest 27...Rh8, or capturing on either f5 or g5 and then ...Rh8.

28.Rhd1

Maybe even stronger is 28.Rxd7!? Kxd7 29.e6+ fxe6 30.Ne5+, with f6 to come.

28...Red8 29.e6!

Giving back the extra pawn, but preparing to crash through.

29...fxe6 30.Ne5

Also strong is 30.f6.

30...hxg5+

Not 30...Bc6 31.Rxd8+ Rxd8 32.Rxd8+ Kxd8 33.gxh6 and queens.

31.hxg5 Rh8

If 31...Bc6, then 32.Rxd8+ Rxd8 33.Rxd8+ Kxd8 f6.

32.Nxd7?!

Capturing with the rook is much simpler.

32...Rh4+ 33.Ke5 Nc6+ 34.Kf6 Nd4 35.Rxd4!?

Also strong is 35.fxe6 as 35...Rf4+ can be met by 36.Ke5 (and not, for instance, 36.Ke7?? as that allows 36...Nc6#).

35...cxd4 36.fxe6 Rxe4 37.Kf7 Rf4+ 38.Nf6 Rh8 39.Kxg6 c5 40.e7 Rxf6+!? 41.gxf6 Kd7 42.Nc3!? Ke8 43.f7+!? 1-0

Church On The Hill

In the distance, looking from my hotel balcony, the outline of a church can just be seen

It is the Virgen del Consuelo, or Virgin of the Consolation, and goes back to the early 1600s, although most of what can be seen today dates to the late 1800s and early 1900s.

There is quite a climb to get to the church, which is on a hill in Altea old town, but the predominantly blue-tiled upper dome is a well-known local landmark 

Cap Negret Round One

Manuel Lozano Marqués (1635) - Spanton (1896)

Bird

1.f4 c5 2.Nf3 d5 3.d4!?

A rare continuation. The main move is 3.e3.

How should Black respond?

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3...cxd4

Also popular is 3...e6, but Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 prefer the text.

4.Nxd4

Stockfish17.1 suggests the apparently unplayed gambit 4.c3!?

4...Nc6 5.Nc3 e5!?

Probably a novelty. The known move is 5...Nf6.

6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.fxe5 d4!?

Major alternatives are 7...Bc5 and 7...Bb4.

8.Ne4 Qd5

Perhaps 8...Qa5+ is better, when the engines fluctuate between 9.Qd2!? and 9.c3!?

9.Nd6+ Bxd6 10.cxd6 Nf6!? 11.e3 Bg4?

The engines suggest 11...0-0 12.Qxd4 Qxd4 13.exd4 Re8+, albeit agreeing Black does not have enough for two pawns.

12.Qxd4 Qxd4 13.exd4 0-0 14.Bd3 Rfe8+

How would you assess this queenless middlegame?

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Black has a large lead in development, and one of White's extra pawns is doubled and almost certain to fall. However, White will have little difficulty getting his pieces into play, thus catching up on development, and should emerge a sound pawn up, and with a 4-2 farside pawn-majority. The engines reckon White is winning.

15.Kf2

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 15.Kf1!?

15...Ne4+ 16.Bxe4 Rxe4 17.Be3

The engines cannot agree on the best continuation, but one interesting line given by Stockfish17.1 runs 17.c4!? Rxd4 18.c5.

17...Rd8 18.Rhe1 Rxd6 19.c3 f5?!

White is at best only slightly better after 19...Rf6+ 20.Kg1 Rfe6, according to the engines.

20.Rde6 21.Rxe4 fxe4!?

The engines prefer 21...Rxe4, but agree 22.Re1!? wins, despite Black being able to swop off into an opposite-coloured bishops ending.

22.Re1 Kf7 23.b4

The engines prefer 23.c4.

23...Ke7

The engines reckon 23...Rf6+!? gives good drawing chances, eg 24.Ke3 Be6!? 25.a4 a6!? 26.Kxe4 Bc4!?, although White's two extra pawns are always going to be threatening.

24.a4 a6 25.c4 Kd7

How should White proceed?

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26.b5?!

This may be premature. The engines suggest a consolidating move such as 26.Ke3 or 26.Rb1.

26...axb5 27.axb5 cxb5 28.cxb5 Bf5 29.Ke3

Not 29.Rb1?? e3+ etc.

29...Rb6 30.Rb1 Kd6?!

The engines give 30...Be6!?, the point being 31.Kxe4 Bc4 should be fine for Black. Instead, the engines suggest 31.Ba5 Rb7 32.b6, claiming at least the upper hand for White.

31.Bb4+ Kd5 32.Bc5 Rb7 33.Rb4

Even stronger is 33.b6 or 33.Rf1, according to the engines.

33...g5?!

Best seems to be 33...Bd7 34.b6 Bc6, when the engines agree White has a large advantage - winning, according to Dragon1 - but the position may well be drawn (Dragon1's top two moves, 35.Rb1 and 35.Rb3, have for a long time an identical evaluation of +1.52, changing later to +1.46, often a sign that a position, although claimed to be winning, is really drawn ... with correct play).

34.b6 Bc8 35.Ra4 Rf7 36.Ra7?!

Best may be 36.Ra8 Bb7 37.Rg8, when Black is losing another pawn.

36...Bb7 37.Ra2 Ke6 38.Ra7 h5 39.Ra2 g4 40.Rf2!?

The win has gone, anyway, and this confirms that, but it may be my opponent wanted to exchange rooks out of worry I might be able to conjure up winning chances for Black on the kingside.

40...Rxf2 41.Kxf2 e3+ 42.Kxe3 Bxg2 43.Kf2 Bc6 44.Kg3 Kf5 45.Kh4 Bf3!? 46.Bd6

Not 46.Kxh4?? g3+ etc.

46...Ke6 47.Be5

MLM offered a draw in my time.

47...Kd7

Not 47...Kd5?? 48.b7 etc.

48.Kg3 Kc6 49.Bc7 Kb7 ½–½