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

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