Summing Up Bischofsgrün

MY score of +4=4-1  in the seniors' (55+) championship of Upper Franconia gained 34.4 Fide elo. I finished equal second, but missed out on a trophy (there were no cash prizes) on tiebreak.

Main Pleasures

ONE of the delights of walking alongside a river is that you can enjoy water-based views as well as land-based scenery.

This ford on the White Main does not have to be crossed - there is a bridge nearby - but it is fun to do so

Quite a lot of the path is covered in tree roots, which were slippery earlier in the week after overnight rain, but today were mostly bone-dry

Despite what internet 'experts' proclaim, the water of the White Main, at least the stretch from Karches to Bischofsgrün, looks red, not white, possibly due to clayey soil or iron deposits

Dappled sunlight, but also plenty of shade, was a bonus as temperatures reached the low 30s

Thunderstorms were forecast, but for the most part the sky stayed resolutely blue

After reaching the top of the Ochsenkopf (Oxhead) mountain, I decided to extend the walk by taking a circuitous, but less steep, route down, partly to save my knees

Fascinating rocks

Anyone who has played chess at Bad Wörishofen should recognise this as a kneipp-anlage (you walk through it as a form of hydrotherapy)

Chess Tip Of The Day 440

When checkmating with bishop and knight against a lone king, a king can be checkmated only in a corner of the bishop's colour.

Jesús de la Villa, 100 Endgames You Must Know

Bischofsgrün Round Nine

Thomas Bildt (2029) - Spanton (1951)

King's Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.Nf3 d5!?

A pet line of mine. There are 110 examples of the move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database - 10 of the games are mine.

How should White proceed?

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4.exd5

This is the commonest continuation in Mega26, and is the second choice of Stockfish18 and Dragon1. Stockfish18 prefers the relatively rare 4.Nc3!?; Dragon1 the more popular 4.Nxe5.

4...e4 5.d4!?

5.Qe2 and especially 5.Ne5 are more common, but the engines agree the text is best.

How should Black respond?

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5...exd3

Dragon1 reckons the text and 5...exf3 have an almost identical value, but Stockfish18 suggests an apparent-novelty in 5...Bb4+!?, eg 6.Bd2!? Bxd2+ 7.Nfxd2 Nf6 8.Nc3 0-0, when the engines agree Black has enough for a pawn.

6.Qxd3!?

The engines are unsure whether to prefer this move, which is not in Mega26, or the known 6.Bd3, but given enough time, they come down in favour of the latter, reckoning Black should play 6...Ne7, when they find it hard to decide whether Black has enough for a pawn.

6...Nf6!?

Although 6.Qxd3!? is not in Mega26, the move transposes into a known position, where 6...Ne7 has been played. However, in this case the engines prefer the text.

What should White play?

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7.Nc3!?

The engines' main line runs 7.Qe2+ Qe7 8.Bd2!? (they also like 8.Nc3) Qxe2+ 9.Bxe2 Nxd5 10.Nc3 Nxc3 11.Bxc3 Nc6, when Stockfish18 calls the position equal, but Dragon1 fluctuates between equal and slightly favouring White. If 8.Qxe7+, then 8...Kxe7, with ...Re8 to come.

7...0-0 8.Bd2 Ng4?

I was disappointed to discover after the game I made exactly the same mistake at Hastings 1991. Better is 8...Re8+, with equality, according to the engines, although the game remains tense, eg 9.Be2 c6!? 10.0-0-0 (10.dxc6 Qxd3 11.cxd3 Nxc6 12.0-0-0 Bf5, with good play for Black) cxd5 11.Ne5 Nc6, with what they reckon are equal chances.

White to play and gain what the engines agree is a winning position

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9.Ne4??

This turns a winning position into a losing one. Instead, 9.Ng5 seems to flummox Black in all lines, eg 9...Re8+ 10.g6 Nce4, or 9...g6 10.Nce4.

After the immediate 9.Ne4??, White has defended f2 and attacks c5, but there is a fatal flaw

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9...Bf5!?

Seeing this was one reason why I mistakenly liked 9.Ne4??

10.0-0-0

Perhaps slightly better is 10.Ng5, but 10...Nf2 11.Qc4 Re8 12.Qxc5 Nxe4 13.Nxe4 Rxe4+ gives Black strong play for a pawn, eg 14.Kf2 (14.Be2? Bg4) Nd7 15.Qc3 Nf6 16.h3 Nxd5, when Black has got the pawn back, and continues to have play against White's king and uncoordinated pieces.

10...Nf2 11.Qb5 Nxe4 12.Qxb7 Nd7

White has two pawns for a knight, but that is rarely sufficient in an early-middlegame

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13.Bd3 Rb8 14.Qa6 Rb6 15.Qc4 Nxd2 16.Nxd2 Qf6 17.c3 Rfb8

As well as being ahead on material, Black is fully developed and has the safer king - advantages adding up to the equivalent of being roughly a rook ahead, according to the engines

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18.Nb3 Be3+ 19.Kb1 Bxd3 20.Qxd3 Bc5!?

The engines reckon capturing on f4 is playable, but I saw no need to give Black counterplay for the sake of a pawn.

21.Rhf1 Bd6 22.g3?!

Missing Black's next move. The engines suggest 22.Ka1 or 22.Rd2, but still have Black winning.

22...Nc5 23.Qd4 Qxd4 0-1

Chess Tip Of The Day 439

If we are considering sacrificing a bishop in an attack on the king, we must be sure that our knight(s) can cooperate effectively with our queen.

David LeMoir, Essential Chess Sacrifices

Bischofsgrün Round Eight

Spanton (1951) - Udo Waltenberger (2033)

Maróczy Bind

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bg7 5.c4 Nc6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 0-0 8.Be2 d6 9.0-0

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess this position, which occurs 20,723 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database?

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White's space advantage gives a slight edge, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

9...Nd7!?

This is fourth in popularity in Mega26, behind 9...a6, 9...Nxd4 and especially 9...Bd7.

10.Rc1

The main line in Mega26 runs 10.Qd2 Nc5 11.Rfd1 Bd7 12.f3, with a slight edge for White, according to the engines.

10...Nc5 11.f3 a5 12.b3

Yordan Ivanov (2395) - Keith Arkell (2480), Balaguer (Spain) 1997, went 12.Ndb5!? f5 13.exf5 Bxf5 14.Nd4 Bd7 15.Qd2, with a slight edge for White, according to the engines (1-0, 53 moves).

12...Bd7

A short while after pressing the clock, UW offered a draw.

Objectively, should White accept?

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Black has not broken the bind, by getting in one of the three traditional anti-Maróczy pawn-breaks, ...b5, ...d5, ...f5, so the engines reckon White still has a slight edge.

13.Ndb5!?

Apparently a novelty, at least in this exact position, and preferred by the engines over the known 13.Qd2.

13...Na7 14.Qd2 Nxb5 15.Nxb5

The engines suggest 15.cxb5!?, making White's light-square bishop slightly less bad.

15...Ne6!? 16.Rfd1 Bc6 17.Nc3!? Rb8 18.Nd5 b6 19.Qe1!? Nc5 20.Qh4 Bxd5

How should White recapture?

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21.exd5?!

The worst of the three choices, according to the engines. They suggest 21.cxd5, and if, as in the game, 21...e5!?, then they reckon 22.Qxd8 Rbxd8 23.g4!? gives White the upper hand, a sample line continuing 23...f5!? 24.g5 Rf7 25.exf5!? gxf5, after which the position has opened a little for White's bishop-pair, but Black still has a strong knight, despite the engines' continuing evaluation of White having the upper hand.

21...e5!

The engines reckon this completely equalises.

22.Qxd8 Rbxd8 ½–½

Different Walk

I HAVE been walking to the top of the Ochsenkopf (Oxhead) mountain by following the Weismain river as far as Karches lake, and then heading to the top via the source of the river.

But for a change I took a more-direct route, that early on passes the Maria Alm, a cafe and beer garden near the foot of the Ochsenkopf

The walk was steep in places, and with temperatures well into the mid-20s, I rewarded myself at the top with an alcohol-free wesizenbier

I took a less-direct route down, choosing to follow a route I enjoyed two years ago, which meant following the waymark second from the bottom

The path is mainly easy-going underfoot

But there are dramatic rock formations to enjoy

Tree with unusual growths

Shade was welcome

A final unusual rock outcrop

Bischofsgrün Round Seven

Manfred Herbold (2075) - Spanton (1951)

Sicilian Grand Prix Attack

1.Nc3 c5 2.e4 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bb5 Nd4 6.d3?!

This fairly common continuation - there are 100 examples of the position after 6.d3?! in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database - may be a mistake.

How should Black proceed?

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6...Nxb5

Winning the bishop-pair. However, after the little-played 6...Qa5!? 7.Bc4 (forced) Nxf3+ 8.gxf3 (8.Qxf3?? Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qxc3+ sees Black winning rook and pawn) b5!? 9.Bd5 Rb8, Stockfish18 and Dragon1 give Black the upper hand.

7.Nxb5 a6

The commonest continuation in Mega26 runs 7...Qa5 8.Nc3 Bxc3+!? 9.bxc3 Qxc3+, but after 10.Bd2 White has a slight edge, according to the engines.

8.Nc3 d6

The engines suggest 8...b5!? or 8...b6.

9.a4 b6 10.0-0 e6!?

The engines suggest getting on with development with 10...Bb7 or 10...Nf6.

11.Qe1 Ne7

How should White proceed?

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12.g4?!

The engines strongly dislike this, suggesting two apparent-novelties in 12.e5 and 12.a5, but they also prefer, over the text, the known moves 12.Ne2 and 12.Bd2.

12...h5!?

Even stronger may be 12...f5.

13.g5 d5 14.Bd2 0-0

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

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White is more developed, and has more space on the kingside, but it is not easy for White to open lines there. Meanwhile, Black has the bishop-pair and the safer-looking king, although the former factor is hardly a big issue in the present position. The engines award Black the upper hand.

15.Ne2?!

A positional pawn sacrifice that the engines do not like.

15...Nc6?!

After 15...Bxb2 the engines reckon both 16.Rb1 and 16.Bc3!? leave Black with at least the upper hand.

16.Bc3 d4 17.Bd2 f5?

Black has a slight edge after 17...Bb7, according to the engines.

18.gxf6 Rxf6!?

How should White continue?

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19.Qg3!

White can win the exchange with 19.f5 exf5 20.Bg5, but 20...fxe4 gives decent compensation, eg 21.Bxf6?! Qxf6 22.dxe4 Bh3. Better is 21.dxe4, but Black is fine, according to the engines, after, for example, 21...Qd6 22.Bxf6 Bxf6.

19...Qe8 20.Rf2 Bh6?!

The engines suggest 20...e5!? or 20...Ra7, one point being 20...e5!? should probably not be met by 21.fxe5?! as 21...Nxe5 22.Nxe5 Rxf2 23.Kxf2 Bxe5 gives Black decent counterplay, although the position is unclear (equal - Stockfish18; White has the upper hand - Dragon1).

21.Rg2 Ra7!?

This loses a pawn, but may be Black's best continuation.

22.e5

Possibly even stronger is 22.Qh4!?, but the text is good enough for a winning advantage.

22...Rf8 23.Qxg6+ Qxg6 24.Rxg6+ Rg7 25.Rxg7+ Kxg7 26.Kf2 Ne7?!

The engines much prefer 26...Bd7 or 26...Kh8!?

27.Rg1+ Kh7 28.Ng5+ Bxg5 29.Rxg5 Rf5

What should White play?

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30.Rxf5

30.h4?! lets Black equalise with 30...Rxg5 and 31...a5!, according to the engines;

30.Rg3?! can be met by 30...Ng6; and 30...Rg2?! loses a tempo to 30...Bb7.

But best may be 30.Rg1!? MH rejected it because of the line 30...Ng6? 31.Ng3 Nxf4? 32.Nxf5 Nh3+, missing that after 33.Kg2 Nxg1 White wins a piece with 34.Nd6. I intended 30...h4, but 31.Rg4 Ng6 32.a5!? is winning, according to the engines.

30...Nxf5

How would you assess this minor-piece ending?

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Black has a strong knight, but a pawn is a pawn, and the engines reckon 31.a5! wins, eg 32...b5 33.Nc1!, or 32...bxa5 33.Bxa5 Ne3 34.Ng3 Nxc2 35.Ne4, although the play is tricky.

31.b4?! cxb4 32.Bxb4 Bd7 33.a5 ½–½

Chess Tip Of The Day 437

...d5 is an ideal freeing move in almost all double e-pawn openings.

John Watson, Mastering The Chess Openings - Volume 1

Bischofsgrün Round Six

Spanton (1951) - Dieter Bauer (1787)

English

1.c4 d6 2.Nc3 e5 3.g3 f5 4.Bg2 c6!?

This is second-most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but a very long way behind 4...Nf6.

How should White respond?

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5.d4

This and 5.d3 are almost equally popular, but the text scores 15 percentage points better.

5...Nd7

Stockfish18 and Dragon1 suggest 5...Nf6!? or 5...Be7, eg 5...Nf6!? 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8 8.Nf3 Nbd7, with equality (Stockfish18) or a small edge for White (Dragon1). But they dislike 5...e4, reckoning 6.f3 d5 7.Nh3!? gives White the upper hand, eg 7...Be7 8.0-0 Nf6 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.Bg5 Nc6 11.e3 0-0 12.Nf4, with tremendous pressure against Black's extended centre.

6.e4!? exd4

The engines prefer 6...fxe4.

7.Qxd4 Qb6!?

This apparent-novelty is quite liked by Stockfish18. The known move is 7...Ne5.

8.Nf3 Qxd4 9.Nxd4 Ne5 10.exf5 Nxc4?

Perhaps the engines' 10...Ne7 is best, albeit they give White the upper hand.

How should White proceed?

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11.0-0

Even stronger is 11.Nxc6! I rejected it because of the reply 11...Bxf5, but the engines continue 12.0-0 Nf6 13.Re1+, when material is level, but they reckon White's advantage is about the equivalent of being a piece up.
11...Nf6?

Possibly best is 11...Kf7!?, as the text allows 12.Nxc6! Bxf5 13.Re1+ with a large advantage.

12.Re1+? Kf7!?

Not 12...Be7? 13.Nxc6!

13.Ne6?!

This loses much of White's remaining advantage, according to the engines, whereas they reckon 13.b3!? Ne5 14.Ba3! is very strong, eg 14...Be7 15.f4 Ned7 16.g4!? Nxg4 17.Rxe7!? Kxe7 18.Re1+ Kf7 19.Ncb5! cxb5?! 20.Bd5+ Rf6 21.Re6+ Kf7 22.Bxd6 leads to unstoppable mate. That is a very sharp line, and Black probably does better to play 13...Nb6, when 14.a4 d5 15.a5 Nbd7 16.a6!? gives White at least the upper hand, according to the engines, but the game goes on.

13...Be7?

After 13...d5 White has only a slight edge, according to the engines.

14.Nxg7! Ne5 15.Ne6 Nd3!?

Winning the bishop-pair is apparently Black's best chance, although the engines reckon White nevertheless has a winning advantage.

16.Re3 Nxc1 17.Rxc1 Bxe6

The engines suggest 17...d5.

18.fxe6+ Kg7

Black is 'only' a pawn down, and even has hopes of getting down to opposite-colour bishops, but the engines reckon White's advantage is worth about 2.5 pawns

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19.Ne2!?

This is best, according to the engines.

19...Rhf8 20.Bh3 c5!? 21.Nf4 Rfd8 22.Bg2!

Now the d pawn will be blockaded, as 22...d5 runs into 23.Re5 d4 24.Nd3.

22...Rab8 23.Rd3 b6 24.Bd5 Rdc8 25.b3 a6 26.a4 Kf8!? 27.Ng2!?

The knight is headed for e3 and either f5 or c4.

27...Rc7 28.Ne3 Ra7 29.Nf5 b5 30.axb5 axb5 31.Bf3!? Rb6 32.Rcd1 Raa6 33.Bd5!? Ra5 34.Rf3!?

With the black queenside pawns blockaded or restrained, it is time to switch to the kingside.

34...Rba6 35.Kg2 Rb6!?

Black does not really have a useful move.

36.g4!? Ke8 37.g5 Nxd5 38.Rxd5 Ra7 39.h4 c4!?

This is Black's best, according to the engines, but that only shows how bad Black's position is.

40.bxc4 bxc4 41.Rc3 Rc6 42.Ne3 Ra4 43.f4 Bd8 44.Rd4 Bb6 45.Rdxc4 Raxc4 46.Rxc4 Rxc4 47.Nxc4 Bc7 48.Kf3 d5 49.Ne3 d4 50.Nd5 1-0