Weimar Round Three

Spanton (1939) - Kurt Wiest (1800)

French Exchange

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bb5!?

This is easily the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.

5...Bd6 6.0-0 Ne7 7.Re1 0-0

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

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The game looks fairly equal to the naked eye, and that is how Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 evaluate it.

8.Bg5 Bg4 9.c3 Qd7!?

This seems to be a novelty. The engines prefer the known 9...f6, but they also like another apparent-novelty in 9...Qc8!?

10.h3 Bh5

And here the engines reckon Black ought to play 10...Bxf3 or 10...Be6.

How should White proceed?

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11.g4?

The engines give 11.Ne5!, eg 11...Bxd1? 12.Nxd7 Rfd8 13.Bxc6 bxc6 14.Bxe7. Better is 11...Bxe5, but then 12.Qxh5 Bd6 13.Bd3 g6 (13...h6 14.Nd2!?) 14.Qf3 is good for White.

How should White meet the inferior g4?

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11...Bxg4!?

Also possible is 11...Bg6, as long as 12.Ne5 is met by 12...Qc8 or 12...Bxe5, and not, for example, by 12...Qd8?, when 13.Bxc6 leaves Black with nothing better than 13...f6!? 14.Nxg6 hxg6 15.Ba4 fxg5.

However, the engines' 11...f6!? may be best, eg 12.Bh4 Be8!? 13.Bg3 f5, when the white king's position looks decidedly shaky.

12.hxg4 Qxg4+ 13.Kf1 Nf5

White's king escapes to the queenside after 13...Qh3+ 14.Ke2.

14.Nbd2 Qh3+!?

Stockfish17.1 is not keen on this, but it is Dragon1's equal-top choice at first. However, possibly ...R(either)e8 is best, eg 14...Rae8 15.Be3 Qg2 16.Kd3 Qg6 17.Ke2, when Black can settle for a repetition with 17...Qg2, or try for more with 17...Bf4. That is why the engines suggest 15.Bd3, when Black can take a draw with 15...Qh3+ 16.Kg1 Qg4+ etc, or again try for more, one line running 15...h6 16.Rxe8 Rxe8 17.Bxf5 Qxf5 18.Be3 Qh3+ 19.Ke2 (19.Kg1?? Re6 etc) Qe6, with equal chances, according to the engines.

15.Ke2 Ng3+?

This works in some lines, but not here. Instead, 15...Rae8+ 16.Kd3 leaves Black slightly worse, according to the engines, but enjoying much the safer king in continuing complications.

16.fxg3 Rfe8+ 17.Be3 Rxe3+!?

This may be best, but White is winning.

18.Kxe3 Re8+ 19.Ne5 Bxe5

What should White play?

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20.dxe5?

Both 20.Bxc6 and 20.Qf3 leave White with a substantial advantage.

20...Rxe5+ 21.Kd3?

White still has an edge after 21.Ne4!, eg 21...Rxe4+? 22.Kd2. However 21...Qh6+! is much less clear, eg 22.Kd3 dxe4+ 23.Kc2 Rxb5.

21...Qf5+

Black is winning

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22.Ne4 Rxe4?

The wrong way to capture. After 22...dxe4+ 23.Kc2 Rxb5 Black has three pawns for the exchange, and a continuing attack.
23.Rxe4?

The engines agree White is winning after 23.Kd2! as Black does not have enough for a rook, even though the extra rook is out of play for the present.

23...dxe4+ 24.Kc2?!

Objectively bad, but 24.Kc4 concedes a draw after a series of only-moves, viz 24...Qe6+ 25.Qd5 Ne5+ 26.Kd4 Nf3+ 27.Kc4 and 27...Ne5+ or 27...Nd2+.

24...Qxb5

Black has emerged from the complications with three pawns for the exchange

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25.Qf1!? Qg5

After 25...Qxf1 (Dragon1's second choice, at least for a while), Black is better, but much less so than after 25...Qc5, according to the engines. They reckon the text also keeps an advantage, but again less so than after 25...Qc5, when the knight threatens both ...Nb4+ and ...Nd4+.

26.Re1 Qg6?!

Black should probably settle for 26...Qxg3 27.Rxe4 Qg6! 28.Qd3 f6, with at least the upper hand, according to the engines.

27.Qb5?

As Dutch player Stef van Kesteren pointed out when we looked at the game later, 27.Qf4 is good, giving complete equality, according to the engines.

27...e3+?

27...Qxg3 28.Rxe4 Qg6! is very similar to the note at move 26, and transposes after 29.Qd3 (29.Qd5 may be a marginal improvement).

28.Qd3 Qxd3+

The engines fluctuate between this and 28...Qf6, but, either way, White wins the e pawn.

29.Kxd3

How would you assess this rook-v-knight ending?

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Black, temporarily, has three pawns for the exchange, but that will soon be reduced to two. A knight and two pawns for a rook is not a material disadvantage by most -point-count systems. Indeed, since computer analysis seems to put a minor piece's average value at 3.25 points, Black could even be thought to have a slight material edge. But this is an ending, which is when rooks are usually strongest, so it is perhaps not surprising that the engines give White the upper hand.

29...Ne5+ 30.Kxe3 f6

The engines much prefer 30...Kf8!?

KW offered a draw.

31.Ke4

Even stronger is 31.Rd1, getting the rook into Black's position, and not worrying about 31...Nc4+ as the rook will wreak havoc against the black queenside.

31...Kf7 32.Rd1 Ke7

The king is in time to keep the rook out, but White can continue probing.

33.Rd5 Nd7 34.Rh5 h6 35.Rh2 c6 36.Rd2 g6 37.c4

The engines do not like this, suggesting 37.b4!?, 37.Re2 or 37.Kd4.

37...f5+

The engines suggest 37...a5 or 37...h5.

38.Kf4 Ke6?

They still prefer ...a5. After the text, which is Dragon1's second choice for a while, the rook can enter Black's position.

39.Re2+ Kf7

Or 39...Kf6 40.Re8.

40.Rh2 Kg7

40...h5 may be the lesser evil, but 41.Rd2, as in the game, is strong.

41.Rd2 Nf6 42.Rd8 b5

This does not help, but Black is lost anyway.

43.Ra8 bxc4 44.Rxa7+ Kg8 45.Ra6

Not 45.Rc7?? Nd5+.

45...Nd5+ 46.Ke5 Nb4 47.Rb6 Nd3+

After 47...Nxa2 48.Rxc6, the other c pawn also falls.

48.Kf6 f4!?

Perhaps the best try - White can still go wrong.

49.Rb8+Kh7 50.Rb7+ Kg8 51.gxf4

Not 51.Kxg6? as 51...Ne5+ draws, eg 52.Kf5 f3 53.Kf6 (53.Kxe5?? f2) f2 54.Rb8+ Kh7 55.Rb7+ Kg8 56.Rb8+ etc.

51...Nxf4 52.a4 g5 53.Kf5 Nd5 54.a5 Ne3+ 55.Kg6 1-0

New Sponsor, New Pen

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It is the brainchild of Torsten Warnk, a former automotive-supply project manager and decent amateur chessplayer.

You can learn more at chessxdream.com (in German, but easily translated online), and right now I am enjoying the benefit of adding a new chess pen to my collection

Weimar Round Two

Rolf Müggenburg (1716) - Spanton (1939)

Colle

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 Bd6!?

More common are 3...f5!?, 3...c5 and especially 3...Nf6.

4.Bd3 Nc6!?

Overwhelmingly most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database is going for a Dutch Stonewall with 4...f5!?

5.c3 e5!?

Black is first to get in a central pawn-break, and this seems worthwhile, despite the loss of time involved in moving the e pawn twice so early in the game

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6.dxe5 Nxe5 7.Nxe5 Bxe5 8.0-0 Qh4!?

This apparent-novelty - the known move is 8...Nf6 - is not liked by Stockfish17.1 or Dragon1.

9.f4

Also possible is 9.g3, especially as 9...Qh3 can be met by 10.Bb5+! c6 11.Qxd5!, while 9.h3!? invites a draw by repetition with 9...Bxh3 10.gxh3 f4 11.Qg3+ etc.

9...Bd6 10.Nd2

The engines again like Bb5+

10...Bg4 11.Qb3

RM offered a draw, shortly after pressing the clock.

How should Black react?

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11...0-0-0!?

The engines agree this is best, although they reckon Black is also fine after 11...Nf6 12.Qxb7 0-0.

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

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White's pawn-structure makes the white dark-square bishop a sorry-looking piece, but, as usual, opposite-side castling introduces a lot of uncertainties. The engines give Black a slight edge.

12.Nf3

Not 12.Qxd5?? Bxf4 as 13.Bf5 can be answered by the wining 13...Kb8.

12...Qh5 13.Qc2!?

This both covers the kingside and frees the b2 pawn to advance.

13...Nf6 14.h3 Bd7 15.Qf2?!

The engines strongly dislike this, claiming White is equal after 15.Ng5.

15....Ne4 16.Qh4 Qg6

Black is also much better after 16...Qxh4!? 17.Nxh4 Rde8!?, according to the engines.

17.Nd4 Be7??

Black has a positionally won game after several moves, including 17...c5 and 17...Rhe8, according to the engines.

18.Qxe7

I had somehow missed that the bishop was hanging.

18...Bxh3 19.Bxe4 dxe4 20.Qg5 ½–½

RM had again offered a draw after pressing his clock, but this time I was less inclined to be sniffy about it.

Case Study

GOT up before 06:30, had an early breakfast, and walked into Weimar, the venue-hotel being just over a mile from the centre.

Overnight snow greeted me as I left the Leonardo 

I realised pharmacies (probably) and clothes shops (definitely) would not be open for at least an hour or two, but I hoped to have an espresso in a bakery to pass the time.

Unfortunately, the only bakeries I found open had push-button machines, rather than proper coffee-making facilities, so I had to tramp around until 08:00, waiting for another one (all the cafes were closed).

But later I was able to buy toiletries, and found a C&A that opened at 09:30 (virtually everywhere else opened at 10:00, and all shops were closed yesterday), so I was able to get some clothes, and catch a taxi back to the hotel, ready for the start of round two at 10:00.

After the game - more on that later - I received a message on behalf of British Airways stating that my missing suitcase would be delivered tomorrow, although at what time is anyone's guess.

Weimar Round One

Spanton (1939) - Stefan Krämer (1544)

Spanish Cozio

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nge7 4.Nc3 a6 5.Bc4!? b5 6.Bxf7+??

White has the upper hand after 6.Bb3, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1.

6...Kxf7 7.Ng5+ Kg8

The only game to reach the position in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database saw Black blunder back with 7...Ke8??

After the text, Black is up bishop for pawn, but the engines reckon Black's advantage is worth much more

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8.Qf3 Qe8 9.Nd5 Nd4 10.Qg3!?

In for a penny, in for a pound.

10...Nxd5 11.exd5 Nxc2+ 12.Kd1 Nxa1

Black is rook and bishop up, and there is no guarantee of White capturing the black knight

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13.d4 Qg6 14.Bd2 d6

Not 14...Qb1+ 15.Ke2 Qxh1?? as 16.Qf3 mates.

15.dxe5 dxe5 16.Ke2!?

16.Qxe5 encourages Black to develop with tempo with 16...Bd6.

16...Bf5!?

Giving back the minor piece, but developing, and keeping a massive advantage.

17.Rxa1 Bd6 18.Qb3 Qh5+ 19.f3

If 19.Nf3?!, then 19...e4.

19...h6 20.Ne6 Qxh2 21.Kf2 Qh4+ 22.Kg1 Bxe6 23.dxe6 Bc5+ 24.Be3 Bxe3+ 25.Qxe3 Qd4 26.Re1 c5 27.Kh1 Qh4+

Black is up the equivalent of a queen (Dragon1), or at least more than a rook (Stockfish17.1), after 27...Qxe3 28.Rxe3 Kf8.

28.Kg1 Qd4 29.Kh1 Qh4+ ½–½

Playing Conditions (Weimar)

Playing hall before the start of round one

The seniors' championship of Thuringia is divided into two sections, 50+ and 65+, but will be played as one group, principally, I am told, because there are many fewer entries in the 'junior' age group.

Meanwhile my luggage has still not turned up.

Yesterday I was told it would reach Frankfurt airport at 22:00 last night, and be delivered to my hotel today or possibly tomorrow.

The latest I have learnt from British Airways' tracking system is that my bag, as of Sunday lunchtime, has still not reached Frankfurt.

New Tournament (For Me)

CAUGHT British Airways' 13:00 flight from Heathrow to Frankfurt today - but without my luggage.

BA somehow failed to send it after a day of chaos at Terminal 5, where the conveyor-belt system broke down.

Meanwhile I was delayed for the best part of two hours at Frankfurt passport control, thanks to new partly-automated border controls.

I finally arrived shortly after 21:00 at my hotel in Weimar, where the 3rd Thüringer seniors starts tomorrow.

Fortunately the hotel, which is also the venue, has lent me a charger for my phone - buying one tonight was out of the question, and it might have proved difficult tomorrow, being a Sunday.

BA say my luggage should reach me tomorrow, or maybe Monday! Apparently it all depends on the driver employed by their baggage-handlers at Frankfurt ...

Hopefully all will work out well as I have seven rounds of chess ahead, with a time limit of 40 moves in 90 minutes, plus 30 minutes to finish, and a 30-second increment throughout.

The first round is at 15:00, with the rest at 10:00, and there is no double-round day.

Three international masters and three Fide masters are among the 145 entries.

Miniatures 26

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

J Martin (140 BCF) - Spanton (147 BCF)

London (Barbican) Rapid 1990

QGD Semi-Tarrasch

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Nxd5!?

This occurs 143 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, and has been played by grandmasters, but more popular are 6.g3, 6.e3 and especially 6.e4.

6...Qxd5 7.e3 Nc6 8.Bb5 Bd7

Benoît Colin - Alexander Alekhine, Bern 1932, went 8...cxd4 8.Qxd4?? Qxb5 0-1.

9.0-0 cxd4 10.Bxc6

Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 suggest making a gambit of it with 10.Qe2!?

10...Bxc6 11.Qxd4 Be7!?

Can White safely grab the g pawn?

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My opponent thought so, but he was wrong.

12.Qxg7? 0-0-0!?

Offering a second pawn, but it too is poisoned.

13.Qe5

The engines suggest 13.Re1 or 13.e4, but agree Black is winning.

13...Rhg8 14.Qxd5 Bxd5

Queens are off the board, but Black still has strong pressure against White's kingside, the obvious immediate threat being ...Bxf3.

15.Kh1

The engines give 15.e4!? Bxe4 16.Ne1, but 16...Rd1 leaves Black with a large advantage.

Black to play and win

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16...Rxg2!

Not the only way to win, but the most convincing.

17.Kxg2 Rg8+ 18.Kh3 Bxf3 0-1

Mate cannot be prevented.

LESSON: grabbing a pawn in front of your castled king often gives the opponent lots of compensation.

League Chess

PLAYED on board one (of four) for Battersea against South Norwood last night in Croydon & District League's Dave Luckin division, where teams are allowed a rating total of 6600, ie a player-average of 1650.

Paul Dupré (1890) - Spanton (1928)

Evans Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bd6!?

The Stone-Ware Defence. It is fourth-most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but scores better percentage-wise than the three more popular moves: 5...Bc5, 5...Be7 and 5...Ba5; but 5...Bf8!? scores even better, and it is hard imagining that becoming commonplace.

6.d4 Nf6 7.0-0 0-0

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

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Black is a pawn up, but Black's setup looks clumsy. Meanwhile White enjoys a two-abreast classical pawn-centre, and, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1, has a slight edge.

8.dxe5

The engines prefer developing with 8.Re1 or 8.Nbd2.

8...Nxe5

The engines suggest giving up the bishop-pair with 8...Bxe5!?, the point being that after 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 White has to spend a tempo dealing with Black's attack on the light-square bishop, eg 10.Bb3, when 10...d6 leaves Black up a pawn and not behind on development, albeit 11.f4 gives White more central/kingside space and an initiative (as well as the bishops).

9.Nxe5 Bxe5

How should White proceed?

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10.Ba3!

The engines agree this is best. The problem with 10.f4 Bd6 11.e5 is that Black has 11...Bc5+ 12.Kh1 and either ...Ne4 or ...d5.

10...Re8 11.f4 Bd6 12.e5

The e pawn is too vulnerable after 12.Bxd6?! cxd6.

12...Bxa3 13.Nxa3

Not 13.exf6?, when 13...Bb2 is bad enough for White, but even worse, according to the engines, is 13...Bc5+! 14.Kh1 Qxf6, when Black is two pawns up and has the bishop-pair.

13...d5!?

The only move, but quite a normal one in such positions following e5.

14.Bb3!

The engines reckon this apparent-novelty is an improvement on the known 14.Bb5, when Stephan Grochtmann (2010) - Jadranko Plenča (2435), Šolta (Croatia) 2022, continued 14...Nd7!? 15.Qh5?! c6 16.Bd3, after which 16...g6 would have left Black well on top, according to the engines (the game went 16...Nf8?! 17.Rae1 g6 18.Qh6 f5?? 19.exf6 1-0).

14...Ng4 15.Qf3 c6 16.Kh1?!

This is probably too slow. The point of the move is to make the pinning Rad1 possible, which presently is not on as 16.Rad1?? fails to 16...Qb6+ 17.Kh1 (17.Rd4 c5) Ne3. The engines suggest 16.h3 or 16.Nc2.

16...Qb6

Getting out of the pin before it arrives, but the engines do not like this prophylaxis, preferring 16...a5, 16...Qh4 or 16...Bf5.

17.Rae1 Bf5 18.Nc2

The engines suggest 18.h3 or 18.Bc2!?

What should Black play?

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18...Nh6!

This retreat is best, not least because it unties the bishop.

19.Nd4 Be4

How should White continue?

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20.Qh3

The exchange-sacrifice 20.Rxe4!? is Dragon1's top choice, but not Stockfish17.1's. After 20...dxe4 21.Qxe4 White has got back the sacrificed Evans pawn, but does not have enough for the exchange, according to both engines.

20...c5 21.Nf3 Rad8 22.Ng5 Bf5 23.Qf3

The engines prefer 23.Qh4 or 23.Qg3, but agree Black is on top.

23...c4!

This makes the d pawn backward, but of more importance is that White's bishop does not have a good move.

24.Ba4

24.Bd1 f6!? is very good for Black.

24...Re7

The rook is hanging, ie unprotected, but there seems no way for White to exploit this, and meanwhile the white bishop is also loose

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25.h3 Bd3 26.Rg1

Forced, as 26.Rf2? can be met by 26...f6!?

26...Qa5 27.e6!?

Opting for complications in view of 27.Bd1 Qxc3.

27...f6

Possibly even stronger is 27...Qxa4!? 28.exf7+ Rxf7.

28.Nf7!? Nxf7 29.exf7+ Rxf7 30.Be8!? Rf8 31.Bh5 g6 32.f5 gxh5 33.Qg3+ Kh8

Also winning, but somewhat hairy-looking, is 33...Kf7!?

34.Re7 Rg8 35.Qh4 Rg5 36.Rge1 Be4

White's threats are over.

The game finished:

37.R1xe4 dxe4 38.Qxe4 Qb5 39.h4 Rg4 40.Rxh7+ Kxh7 41.Qe7+ Rg7 0-1

The match finished 2-2.

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

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

Miniatures 25

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

Spanton (151 BCF) - Paul Dargan (173 BCF)

British Major (Eastbourne) 1990

Morra Gambit (Delayed)

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bc4!? e6 5.0-0 Nf6 6.Qe2!?

Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 are not keen on this, preferring 6.Re1 or 6.e5.

6...Qc7

Spanton (2015) - Kristian Schmidt (2272), Politiken Cup (Helsingør, Denmark) 2013, went 6...Nxe4!? 7.Qxe4 d5 8.Bxd5 Qxd5 9.Qxd5 exd5 10.Re1+ Be7, with Black enjoying the upper hand, according to the engines (0-1, 50 moves).

7.c3!? dxc3 8.Nxc3

How should Black proceed in this position, which occurs 484 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database?

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8...Ng4

Springing the Siberian Trap.

How should White respond?

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9.Nb5

Avoiding 9.h3? Nd4!

9...Qb8 10.Be3?

Possibly best is 10.h3 h5!? 11.e5!? with complicated play, eg 11...Ngxe5 12.Bf4 d6, and here the engines suggest what seems to be a novelty in 13.Rad1, claiming White has full compensation for being two pawns down.

10...a6 11.Nbd4 Nxe3 12.fxe3?!

Probably better is 12.Qxe3.

12...b5!? 13.Nxc6 dxc6 14.Bb3

The engines suggest 14.Ng5!?, albeit much preferring Black after 14...Ra7.

14...Be7 15.Ng5??

Presumably I missed that after ...

15...Bxg5 16.Qh5

... Black has ...

16...Bf6

This would have been a good point for White to resign.

17.g4 Qe5 18.Rf5!? Qxb2 19.Rff1 Qe5 20.Qh3 0-1

LESSON: backward bishop moves can be hard to spot.