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

World Team 65+ Round Seven

Bo.	46	England - 5	Rtg	-	28	England - 4	Rtg	0 : 0
17.1		Freeman, Richard C P	1897	-		Orton, Stephen L A	2117
17.2	CM	Stokes, Michael	1861	-		Hewson, Brian W R	2060
17.3		Spanton, Tim R	1908	-		Bray, David	1990
17.4		Marshall, Michael	1859	-		Hymer, Barry	1986

Spanton (1908) - David Bray (1990)

Maróczy Bind

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.Nxc6 Bxc6 8.Bd3

This position occurs 1,799 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database

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8...e5 9.0-0 0-0

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

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White has set up a Maróczy Bind, but capturing on c6, at a time when Black could reply ...bxc6, means Black is better-placed than usual to break the bind with ...d5. Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 reckon the game is equal.

10.Be3 d6

This is the main move, and was Kasparov's choice in a 1994 rapid loss to Kramnik. In his notes to the game, Kasparov gave the text a question mark, which almost certainly has more to do with the result than with the objective merits of the move. Kasparov recommended 10...Bxc3!? 11.bxc3 d6, claiming equality.

The break 10...d5!? has been tried, but after 11.exd5 (or 11.cxd5) Black is obliged to play 11...Bxc3, when 12.bxc3 cxd5 13.cxd5 (or 13.exd5) Nxd5 is not clear, but the engines give the apparent-novelty 14.Qc2!?, with chances for an advantage, eg 14...h6?! 15.Bc5 Re8 16.Rad1! is very good for White. Instead, 14...Nxe3!? 15.Bxh7+ Kh8 16.fxe3 drops a pawn, but Black gets counterplay, one line running 16...Qg5 17.Be4!? (17.Rae1? f5) Qxe3+ 18.Kh1 Rb8 19.Bd5!?, after which Black has restored material equality, and has fewer pawn islands, but the less-safe king. Stockfish17.1 calls the chances equal, although Dragon1 favours White.

11.h3

This is the commonest move in Mega26. Kramnik played 11.Na4!?, but that allowed 11...d5!?, with apparently equal chances.

11...Bxc3!?

This also equalises, according to the engines.

12.bxc3

How should Black proceed?

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12...c5!?

This is Dragon1's second choice, but both engines slightly prefer 13...Be6. After the text, Black has closed the centre, making White's light-square bishop very bad, and has good prospects of winning the c4 pawn. But the d pawn is backward on a half-open file, and White gets dynamic kingside chances.

13.f4 Nd7!?

This was played in three of the four games to reach the position in Mega26. The other game saw 13...Qe7.

14.f5

A 2647 played 14.Rb1!? in a blitz game, but the engines reckon Black was better after 14...exf4 15.Bxf4 Ne5, although Black, rated 2193, went on to lose.

14...f6 15.g4 Qe7 16.Qd2 Ba6 17.h4

The engines calculate White is better after 17.Rf2, 17.Rf3 or 17.a4!?

17...Nb6 18.g5

The c4 pawn can hardly be saved (18.Qe2 Qe7), but better compensation is to be had with 18.Rad1 or 18.Rf2, according to the engines, eg 18.Rad1 Bxc4 19.Bxc4+ Nxc4 20.Qe2 Nxe3 21.Qxe3, after which Black will have great difficulty mobilising the extra (backward) pawn, or 18.Rf2 Bxc4 19.g5 Bxd3 20.Qxd3 d5 21.Kh2, when the engines reckon Black has an edge, but White has dangerous kingside chances.

18...Nxc4 19.Bxc4+ Bxc4 20.Rf3 Kh8 21.Rg3

Black has to be careful, eg 21...Rg8 22.g6 h6? (22...Qb7 is better) allows 23.Bxh6!

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21...Rad8

The engines suggest 21...Qb7 or 21...d5!?, eg 21...d5!? 22.exd5 fxg5!? 23.Rxg5!? Rad8 24.d6!? Rxd6!? 25.Bxc5 Rxd2 26.Bxe7 Rf7!, with much the better game for Black, but there are many alternatives along the way.

22.g6

The engines fluctuate between several moves, but come to more-or-less settle on 22.h5!? or 22.Kh2.

22...d5

Not 22...h6? 23.Bxh6!, when 23...gxh6? loses to 24.Qxh6+ Kg8 25.g7 etc, but even stronger than the text may be the engines' 22...Qb7!?

23.Qd1! Kg8?

Black should play 23...dxe4 or 23...d4, the point being to meet 24.Qh5 with 24...Bg8.

24.gxh7+?

Both 24.Qh5 and 24.Kh1 are stronger, eg 24.Qh5 h6 25.Kh1 (25.Bxh6!? Be2! 26.Qxe2 gxh6 is not so clear, but probably still winning for White) d4 26.Bxh6!, when 26...Be2!? fails to 27.Qxe2 gxh6 28.g7 Rf7 29.Qh5 Rxg7 30.Rag1 (the reason for playing 25.Kh1).

24...Kh8

How should White proceed?

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25.Kh2

Best may be 25.Qg4, one line running 25...Rf7 26.Bc1!? Kxh7 27.h5 Rh8 28.h6 Kg8 29.Rb1, with a continuing attack, but the position is complicated, and the engines have difficulty agreeing on anything.

25...d4 26.cxd4?

But they do agree that here White had to play 26.Bc1!?

26...exd4 27.Bf4 Qxe4 28.Qg4 Qe2+ 29.Qxe2 Bxe2

With queens gone, so are White's mating chances, leaving Black with an advantage worth more than a rook, according to the engines

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30.Rag1 Rf7 31.h5!? Bxh5 32.Rc1 Rc8 33.Rb3 c4 34.Kg3!? Kxh7 35.Rb2 g5!? 36.fxg6+ Kxg6 37.Rd2 Rd7 38.Be3 d3 39.Rc3 Be2

Black's passed duo is temporarily blockaded, and there are opposite-colour bishops, but that is not enough to hold against three extra pawns

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40.Rb2 Kf5 41.Rb5+ Ke4 42.Bd2 Kd4 43.Ra3 Rc6??

White to play and win

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44.Kf4!?

Black's king is trapped in the middle of the board, whereas many moves. instead of 43...Rc6??, would have won, including either rook to the g file.

44...Rc5

Or 44...c3 45.Ra4+ Rc4 46.Be3#.

45.Be3+ Kd5 46.Rxc5+ Ke6 47.Bd2 1-0

Team Result

Freeman = Orton

Stokes 0-1 Hewson

Spanton 1-0 Bray

Marshall 0-1 Hymer

England 5 1.5-2.5 England 4

World Team 65+ Round Six

Bo.	18	Albania	Rtg	-	46	England - 5	Rtg	0 : 0
12.1	IM	Seitaj, Ilir	2303	-		Freeman, Richard C P	1897
12.2	FM	Cela, Shkelqim	2179	-	CM	Stokes, Michael	1861
12.3		Stavri, Gligor	1979	-		Spanton, Tim R	1908
12.4		Pasku, Sotir	2031	-		Marshall, Michael	1859

Gligor Stavri (1979) - Spanton (1908)

QGD Normal Variation

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c5 3.e3 e6 4.c4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Nf6

The starting point of the Normal Variation

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One advantage for White in playing this way is that often it is White who decides whether to play with or against an IQP. It is not that either way is theoretically advantageous, but playing what you like can be important.

6.cxd5 exd5

Black can avoid an isolated queen's pawn with 6...Nxd5, when the main line in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database runs 7.Bd3 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.a3!? cxd4 10.exd4 Bf6, with Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 giving White at least the better part of equality.

7.Be2 Bg4

The engines suggest 7...cxd4!? 8.Nxd4 and 8...Bb4, 8...Bd6 or 8...Bc5.

8.0-0 Be7!?

This is the commonest move in Mega26, but Black scores just 26%, although it is a small sample size (19 games). The engines like 8...c4!? or 8...Rc8.

9.dxc5

So White gets to inflict an IQP on Black after the black dark-square bishop has moved.

9...Bxc5 10.a3 0-0

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

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This position is usually reached with Black to move, when the engines reckon the game is equal. With White to move, they give the latter a slight edge.

11.Qa4!?

This may be a novelty. Known moves are 11.b4 and 11.h3.
11...Qe7?

The engines give 11...d4!?, and if 12.Rd1, then 12...Bxf3!? 13.Bxf3 Qb6, claiming at least equal chances for Black.

12.Nxd5 Nxd5 13.Qxg4

White has won a sound pawn, and has the bishop-pair

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13...Rad8 14.Qc4!?

The engines like this.

14...Rfe8 15.Re1!? Bb6 16.Qc2 Ne5 17.Nxe5 Qxe5 18.Bf3 Nf4!?

How should White respond?

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19.Rf1!

The engines reckon this is easily the best move, whereas 19.Bxb7, although probably objectively fine for White, can lead to tricky play, eg 19...Re7 20.Bf3 Nd3 21.Rd1 Rc7 22.Qb3 Rcd7 23.Rf1!? h5, when White is two pawns up, but faces a difficult defensive task.

19...Nd5 20.Bd2 Re6 21.Bxd5!? Qxd5

The bishop-pair has gone, but White is a pawn up and has no weaknesses, and so can count on a substantial advantage if development is successfully completed

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22.Bc3 Red6 23.Qe2 Rg6!? 24.g3 Rgd6 25.Bb4 R6d7 26.Qg4

The engines give 26.Rfd1!, the point being they reckon 26...Qxd1+ 27.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 28.Kg2 is much better for White.

26...h5!? 27.Qh3 Qf3 28.Qg2 Qe2 29.Bc3 Re8 30.Rfe1 Qg4 31.h3 Qe6 32.Rad1

It has taken some time, but White has finally contested the open d file.

32...Red8 33.Rxd7 Rxd7

However, Black retains control of the file.

34.g4!?

The engines like this.

34...h4

But in reply they prefer 34...hxg4 or 34...Bc7.

35.Qf3 Qd6

How should White proceed?

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36.e4?

The engines suggest 36.Rc1, 36.Kg2 or 36.Qe4, but can you see what is wrong with the text.?
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36...Qd3

Black has 36...Qg3+! 37.Qxg3 (forced) hxg3 and 38...gxf2(+), with at least a slight edge.

37.Qxd3 Rxd3 38.Kg2 Bd4 39.Bxd4 Rxd4

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

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White's extra pawn gives a slight edge, according to Stockfish17.1; is winning, according to Dragon1.

40.Kf3 g5

Possibly the less-committal 40...f6!? is better.

41.Ke3 Rd6 42.f4?!

The engines agree White has at least the upper hand after 42.Rc1!?

42...f6?

This turns a completely equal position into a completely lost one, according to the engines. They give 42...Rb6, eg 43.b4 Ra6 44.Ra1 Rc6 45.Kd4!? gxf4 46.Rf1 Rd6+ 47.Kc4 (47.Ke5 Rd3 may even favour Black) Rc6+ 48.Kd4 Rd6+ etc, or 43.fxg5 Rxb2 44.e5 Rb3+ 45.Ke4 Rxh3 46.g6!? Rxa3!? 47.gxf7+ Kxf7 48.Rf1+ Ke6 49.Rf6+ Ke7 50.Rh6 h3, with what they agree is complete equality.

43.fxg5 fxg5 44.e5 Rb6 45.b4 Ra6 46.Ra1!?

This looks horribly passive, but is one of several winning moves.

46...Kf7 47.Ke4 Ke6 48.a4 b5!? 49.a5 Rc6 50.Rd1

The rook is in time to defend b4.

50...Rc3

Or 50...Ra6 51.Rd6!? (not the only winning move) Rxd6 52.exd6 Kxd6 53.Kf5 etc.

51.Rd6+ Ke7 52.Kf5 Rxh3 53.Kxg5 Rh1 54.Ra6 h3 55.Rxa7+ Ke6 56.Rh7 h2 57.a6 Kxe5 58.a7 Ra1 59.Rxh2 Rxa7

White has a tablebase win

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60.Rc2 Rg7+ 61.Kh4 Kf4 62.Rf2+ Ke3 63.Rf5 Rc7 64.Rxb5 Rc4 65.Kh5 Kf3 66.Rf5+ Kg3 67.b5 Rb4 68.g5 Rh4+ 69.Kg6 Rb4 70.Kf6

Even 70.b6!? wins, according to the Syzygy endgame tablebase.

70...Kg4 71.g6 Rd4 72.Re5 Rd6+ 73.Re6 Rd5 74.b6 Rf5+ 75.Ke7 Rg5 76.Kf7 Rf5+ 77.Rf6 Rd5 78.g7 Rd7+ 79.Kg6 Rd8 80.Kh7 Rd7 81.Kh8 Kh5 82.g8=Q 1-0

Team Result

Seitaj = Freeman

Cela 0-1 Stokes

Stavri 1-0 Spanton

Pasku 1-0 Marshall

Albania 2.5-1.5 England 5

Downtown

TODAY was the free day at the world senior team championships, so quite a lot of the players took the opportunity to go into the city of Durrës, which is a little over 10k from the venue-hotel.

King Zog's 'palace'

Modern view from the 'palace' - really a swanky villa

Communist-era bunkers on the hillside

Picturesque church

Roman amphitheatre, rediscovered in 1966 after lying buried for centuries

Petrol station

Walking back to the hotel, I called in at a souvenir shop and bought a T-shirt for myself, and a present for a friend, but clearly paid so much over the odds that I was given a free ballpoint, which I will add to my chess collection of such pens

World Team 65+ Round Five

Bo.	46	England - 5	Rtg	-	32	Germany (W)	Rtg	0 : 0
16.1		Freeman, Richard C P	1897	-	WFM	Malachowski, Margrit	1953
16.2	CM	Stokes, Michael	1861	-	WIM	Wagner-Michel, Annett	1982
16.3		Spanton, Tim R	1908	-	WFM	Skibbe, Diana	1930
16.4		Marshall, Michael	1859	-	WFM	Kierzek, Mira	1958

Spanton (1908) - Diana Skibbe (1930)

English Botvinnik v Dutch Leningrad

1.c4 f5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 g6

Setting up the Leningrad Variation of the Dutch Defence.

4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.e4

This, combined with the king's knight going to e2, constitutes the Botvinnik Setup in the English.

6...c6!?

This is second in popularity in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database to 6...Nc6. Both moves prepare ...e5, while leaving open the opportunity of recapturing on f5 with the light-square bishop if White plays exf5. However, very interesting is 6...e5 7.exf5 Bxf5!? 8.Bxb7 Nbd7 9.Bxa8 Qxa8, when, for the exchange and a pawn, Black has the bishop-pair, a lead in development, and light-square targets. Indeed, Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 reckon White should play 9.Nf3!?, 9.Qc2 or 9.Be4.

7.Nge2 e5 8.0-0 0-0

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

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White has a little more space on the queenside, Black on the kingside, while the white king has arguably more pawn cover than its black counterpart, although perhaps this is not important, bearing in mind Black's kingside space edge. The engines give White a slight advantage, but dependent on a specific continuation.

9.h3

Best, according to the engines, is 9.exf5!?, meeting both 9...Bxf5 and 9...gxf5 with 10.d4. The text is marginally more common in Mega26, but the engines have a sharp response in mind.

How should Black respond?

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9...h6

The engines suggest 9...f4!? 10.gxf4 Nh5, when they reckon 11.fxe5 dxe5 gives Black at least a slight edge, eg 11.f3!? (apparently a novelty, but best, according to the engines) Be6 12.Be3 Rf7, with a steady build-up, relying on the weakness of White's kingside as long-term compensation for a pawn. So they suggest offering the pawn back immediately with 11.f5!?, claiming equal chances.

10.Be3

This allows 10...f4!?, with similar ideas to 9...f4!?, so the engines suggest an apparent-novelty in 10.exf5!?, meeting 10...Bxf5 with 11.d4, and 10...gxf5 with 11.f4 or 11.Be3, in each case claiming White is better.

10...Be6 11.exf5!?

This may also be a novelty. The engines fluctuate in their preference between it and the known-move 11.Qd2.

11...Bxf5

This loses a tempo over those lines in which White plays exf5 before the bishop moves. However, Dragon1 rates the text and 11...gxf5 as of roughly equal strength; Stockfish17.1 prefers the pawn recapture.

12.d4 Qe7

The engines suggest 12...h5!?, 12...Na6 or 12...Nbd7.

13.Qd2

Even stronger, according to the engines, are 13.Qb3 and 13.g4!?

13...Kh7 14.Rad1 Na6 15.Kh2

The engines still like g4.

15...Rad8

How should White proceed?

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16.d5

This comes to be the engines' top choice, at least for a while, but they also like 16.g4!? and 16.Kg1!?

16...cxd5 17.cxd5

The engines prefer 17.Nxd5, only playing cxd5 in the event of ...Nxd5.

17...b6

The engines give 17...Nc5!?, the idea being 18.b4 can be met by 18...Nce4 19.Nxe4 Nxe4, when 20.Bxe4!? Bxe4 21.Bxa7 is possibly too much of a price to pay for a pawn.

18.f4 e4?

Perhaps played to try to keep lines closed, but it allows the white king's knight to occupy the plum d4 square. The engines prefer 18...h5!? or 18...Nc5.

19.Nd4

The engines suggest 19...Rde8, but both 20.g4 and 20.Nc6 are very good for White.

19...Bd7 20.f5 gxf5 21.Rxf5!?

The engines agree sacrificing the exchange is marginally stronger than 21.Nxf5.

21...Bxf5 22.Nxf5 Qf7

The engines are unsure whether f7 or e5 is the best square for the queen.

23.Bxh6 Bxh6

The engines give 23...e3!?, but agree that, after 24.Bxe3, White's advantage is the equivalent of being more than a piece up.

24.Qxh6+ Kg8 25.Nxe4 Nxe4 26.Bxe4 Qf6 27.Qh5 Nc5!?

This may be Black's best try. The main alternative seems to be 27...Rd7, but 28.Nh6+ Kg7 29.Ng4! Qxb2+ 30.Kg1 is crushing, eg 30...Rff7 (30...Rdf7? 31.Qh7#) 31.Qh6+ Kg8 32.Bh7+! Rxh7 33.Nf6+ Qxf6 (forced) 34.Qxf6 leaves White with queen, pawn and a continuing attack for rook and knight.

White to play and win

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28.Nh6+

Not the winning move, but this spoils nothing as, after ....

28...Kg7 29.Nf5+ Kg8

... the same position is reached, without Black having a chance to vary.

30.Bc2!

Preserving the bishop, and ensuring Black cannot capture on b2 with check.

30...Rde8

All moves lose.

31.Rd4

Not the only winning continuation.

31...Rf7 32.Nh6+ Kf8

Worth a try is 32...Qxh6!? as 33.Qxh6? concedes a draw to 33...Re2+ 34.Kg1 Re1+ 35.Kg2 Re2+ etc. However, 33.Rg4+ Qg7 (33...Rg7? 34.Qxe8#) 34.Rxg7+ Kxg7 35.h4! leaves White with queen, bishop and two pawns against two rooks and a knight, and with much the safer king, adding up to an advantage worth more than a rook (much more than a rook, according to Dragon1).

33.Rf4 1-0

Team Result

Freeman = Malachowski

Stokes 1-0 Wagner-Michel

Spanton 1-0 Skibbe

Marshall 0-1 Kierzek

England 5 2.5-1.5 Germany Women

World Team 65+ Round Four

Bo.	46	England - 5	Rtg	-	15	Sweden - 1	Rtg	0 : 0
11.1		Freeman, Richard C P	1897	-	GM	Akesson, Ralf	2316
11.2	CM	Stokes, Michael	1861	-	CM	Wengholm, Anders	2165
11.3		Spanton, Tim R	1908	-	FM	Hammar, Bengt	2099
11.4		Marshall, Michael	1859	-	CM	Soderberg, Per	2050

Spanton (1908) - Bengt Hammar (2099)

Sicilian Bb5(+)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7

This is second in popularity to 3...Bd7, but scores six percentage points more in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.

4.c3

White obviously has a wide choice after 3...Nd7, but I was surprised to find 22 different continuations in Mega26, although admittedly they include 4.Nd4?? in a rapid game.

4...Nf6 5.Qe2 a6 6.Ba4 b5 7.Bc2 Bb7 8.0-0 e5

This position, which is somewhat reminiscent of a Spanish, occurs 142 times in Mega26

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9.d4 Be7

This is the commonest continuation, but Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 prefer capturing twice on d4.

10.d5!?

A very committal move, but it is the engines' top choice. More popular in Mega26 are 10.a4 and especially 10.Rd1.

10...c4!? 11.b3 cxb3 12.axb3 0-0

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

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The engines award White the upper hand, presumably largely because of White's extra space in the centre, and, perhaps, the fact of having all pawns connected, whereas Black's are split into two islands.

13.Nbd2 Rc8 14.Bb2 Nb6 15.Rfc1 Nh5 16.g3 g6

How should White proceed?

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17.c4!?

An important move as White's centre is about to come under pressure.

17...b4!?

The engines fluctuate between the text, 17...f5 and 17...Qd7.

18.Nf1

A typical Spanish move, but the engines prefer going after Black's queenside with 18.Ra2, or 18.Ne1!?, intending 19.Nd3.

18...Nd7 19.Ne3

The engines still like Ne1 and Ra2, but reckon 19.Ra4 allows immediate equality with 19...a5.

19...Nc5 20.Rf1 Rc7?!

Black is also equal after ...a5 here, according to the engines.

How can White exploit Black's last move?

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21.Qd2

The b4 pawn cannot be successfully defended, although Black gets time to play on the kingside.

21...a5?!

This distracts a white rook from the back rank, but is probably not best. Black can keep material equality with 21...Nf6!? 22.Qxb4 N(either)xe4, but the engines reckon 23.Qe1!? gives White at least the upper hand. They recommend 21...Bc8 22.Qxb4 Bh3 23.Ng2 Qc8, but agree White has the upper hand after 24.Qe1!? or 24.Qc3.

22.Rxc5 Bc8 23.Kg2

The engines reckon 23.Qxb4!? is good, but then they would, wouldn't they?

23...f5 24.exf5 gxf5 25.h3?

Giving the white queen's knight a protected square (g4) in the event of ...f4, but the engines much prefer 25.Kh1!? or 25.Ra8.

How should Black proceed?

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25...Rb7?

Protecting b4 and hitting a5, but White has a strong reply. The engines reckon Black equalises with both 25...e4!? 26.Nd4 f4, and the sharp 25...Bg5 26.Qe2 Bxe3 27.Nxe5! (27.fxe3? Rg7), when 27...dxe5 28.Qxe3 Ne4!? 29.Bxe4 Fxe4 30.Bxe5 Rcf7 leaves Black with a knight for three pawns in a position the engines evaluate as completely equal.

White to play and gain a winning advantage

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26.Rxc5!

One of the easier exchange sacrifices to play. Also strong is 26.Ra8.

26...dxc5 27.Nxe5 f4?

The engines suggest 27...Bd6 or 27...Qd6, but agree White is winning.

White's winning combination is not hard to find

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28.Bxh7+! Kxh7

Moving the king to a dark square loses at least the queen to 29.Nc6+.

29.Qd3+ Kg8 30.Qg6+ Ng7 31.Nc6

Hitting the queen anyway.

31...Rf7

31...Bxh3+ can be simply met by 32.Kh2, and the engines show 32.Kxh3!? also wins.

32.Nxd8 Bxd8 33.Bxg7 1-0

After 33...Rxg7 34.Qe8+ Kh7 35.Qxd8 Bxh3+ 36.Kxh3 fxe3 37.fxe3 White has queen and three pawns for rook.

Team Result

Freeman 0-1 Akesson

Stokes 0-1 Wengholm

Spanton 1-0 Hammar

Marshall 0-1 Soderberg

England 5 1-3 Sweden