Alexander Kotov, The Art Of The Middle Game
Friday, 11 September 2026
Chess Tip Of The Day 523
When one plans a pawn-offensive on the king's wing one must bear in mind the most important strategic rule in chess: a counterthrust in the centre is the best reply to a wing attack.
Bad Bertrich 50+ Game Five
 |
| World's longest two-seater bench? |
Norbert Heck (2235) - Spanton (1997)
Queen's Pawn Game
1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 c5 4.Bg2 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.0-0 e5!?
This is the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, and is the top choice of Stockfish18 and Dragon1.
7.Nb3 Be6 8.c4
This and 8.Bg5 are the most popular moves.
8...Nc6 9.cxd5 Bxd5
The engines prefer 9...Nxd5.
10.Bh3!? Be7 11.Nc3 Bc4
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
12.Bg2!?
Marius Manolache (2520) - Andrei Filip (2222), Tășnad Orașului Cup (Romania) 2021, went 12.Bg5 0-0 13.Nd2!? Ba6 14.Bg2, with an equal game, according to the engines (1-0, 37 moves).Mikhail Demidov (2523) - Danii Voloshkin (2081), Russian Team Blitz Championship (Sochi) 2025, saw 12.Be3 0-0 13.Qxd8!? Rfxd8 14.Rfd1 b6!? 15.Bg2, again with an equal game, according to the engines (1-0, 39 moves).
The text, which may be a novelty, is the engines' top choice, albeit by a small margin.
12...0-0 13.Bg5 h6
The engines suggest 13...Qb6 or 13...Rc8.
14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nd5 Rc8
Here the engines like 15...Nd4 or 15...e4!?
16.Rc1 Bxd5 17.Qxd5 Qb6 18.Qe4 Nd4!?
Dragon1 suggests 18...Rfd8 or 18...Be7, but Stockfish18 likes the text, even though after ...
19.Nxd4 exd4 20.Qxb7 Qxb7 21.Bxb7 Rab8 22.Rc7
... White has won a pawn.
 |
| How should Black continue? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
22...Rfd8?
The engines reckon Black should activate the bishop, eg 22...d3!? 23.exd3 Be5 24.Rd7 Rfd8 25.Rxd8+ Rxd8, after which Black wins back one pawn, and has enough activity to compensate for the other lost pawn, according to Stockfish18, although Dragon1 is less sure.
23.Ba6 Rxb2
 |
| Material is equal, but the engines reckon White is winning |
*****
*****
*****
*****
24.Bc4 a5 25.Rxf7 Kh8
The engines marginally prefer 25...Rc2!?, and if 26.Rc7+, now 26...Kh8, although they still reckon White is winning.
26.Rd1 Rc8 27.Be6 Re8 28.Bc4 Rc8 29.Ba6 Ra8 30.Bd3 Rxa2
 |
| Again material is level, but White has a winning attack |
*****
*****
*****
*****
31.Rb1 a4
There is no satisfactory defence. The best the engines can come up with is 31...Ra3 32.Ra7! Rc8 33.Kg2 a4 34.Rb5 Rb4 35.Rbxa5, after which White is a pawn up, but White's advantage is worth about a minor piece, according to the engines.
32.Rfb7! g5?
The engines suggest giving up the exchange with 32...Rg8!?, but after 33.Bc4 Rc2 34.Bxg8 Kxg8 35.Ra7 Rxe2 36.Rxa4 Black has no compensation, despite the passed d pawn, eg 36...d3?! 37.Rd1 d2 runs into 38.Kf1.
33.Rh7+ Kg8 34.Rxh6 Kg7 35.Rb7+
If now 35...Kxh6, then 36.Rh7#.
35...Kg8 1-0
Thursday, 10 September 2026
Chess Tip Of The Day 522
There is no necessity for Black [in the Evans Gambit] to accept the offer of the pawn. On the contrary, if he retires with his bishop to b6 in reply, he will, as White's last move has in no way furthered his development, gain a small but distinct advantage in position.
Emanuel Lasker, Common Sense In Chess
Bad Bertrich 50+ Game Four
 |
| Green lake |
Spanish Exchange
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nc3!?
This trails 5.d4 and especially 5.0-0 in popularity in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.
5...f6 6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4!?
7.Qxd4 would likely transpose to 5.d4 lines.
7...c5 8.Nde2 Qxd1+ 9.Nxd1 Bd7 10.Bf4 0-0-0
Stockfish18 and Dragon1 much dislike 10...Bd6!?, claiming 11.Bxd6 cxd6 leaves White with the upper hand.
11.Ne3 Ne7 12.0-0-0
 |
| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Black's bishop-pair and White's superior pawn-structure balance each other out, leaving the game completely equal, according to the engines.
12...g5!?
This is narrowly more popular than 12...Re8!? and 12...Ng6 in Mega26.
13.Bg3 h5 14.h4 Bh6?
New and active, but bad. Known moves are 14...g4 and 14...Bg7.
15.hxg5 Bxg5
Or 15...fxg5 16.Rxh5.
16.f4 Bh6 17.Rxh5 b6 18.Rdh1 Bg7 19.Rxh8 Rxh8 20.Rxh8+ Bxh8
 |
| How large is White's advantage in this minor-piece ending? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White is 'only' a pawn up, but Black's 4-3 queenside majority cannot create a passer by itself, while White's 3-1 kingside majority should have little trouble doing exactly that. Black still has the bishop-pair, but the engines reckon White's advantage is the equivalent of being more than a piece up.
21.Kd2
The engines suggest 21.f5!?
21...f5!?
This is also the engines' top choice, but after ...
22.e5
... the position is hardly opening for the bishops.
22...Be6 23.a3 Kd7 24.Bh4 Nd5 25.Bg5 b5 26.Ng3 Nxe3 27.Kxe3 Ke8 28.Nf1 Bg7 29.Kf2 c4 30.c3
The engines prefer 30.g4!?
30...c5?
This is a serious positional error. On c5 the pawn hampers the future scope of Black's dark-square bishop, and becomes a target for the white pieces.
31.Ne3 Kf7 32.g4!? Kg6!?
32...fxg4 33.f5 Bc8 keeps alive Black's faint hope of bringing about an ending of opposite-colour bishops.
However, after ...
33.gxf5+ Bxf5 34.Nxf5 Kxf5
... Black can still hope for a draw by exchanging off as many pawns as possible, and then somehow sacrificing the black bishop to leave White with rook's pawn and wrong-colour bishop.
35.Kf3 Bf8
 |
| White to play and win |
*****
*****
*****
*****
36.e6!
Sacrificing White's extra pawn seems the only way to make progress.
36...Kxe6 37.Ke4
Thanks to Black's stifled 4-3 majority, White is effectively still a pawn to the good. The only fly in the ointment, from a White perspective, is that all the white queenside pawns are on the same-colour squares as Black's bishop, and therefore potentially vulnerable.
37...b4 38.f5+ Kf7
Or 38...Kd6 39.Bf4+ etc.
39.Kd5 Bg7!?
This is Stockfish18's top choice, but the position is hopeless for Black. Dragon1 prefers 39...a5.
The game finished:
40.Kxc4 bxa3 41.bxa3 a5 42.a4 Be5 43.Kd3 Bg3 44.Bd8 Be5 45.Bxa5 Kf6 46.Ke4 c4 47.Bd8+ 1-0
Wednesday, 9 September 2026
Chess Tip Of The Day 521
As Black [in the Sicilian], do not give up your fianchettoed king's bishop in order to win a pawn (or even the exchange in some cases) while queens are still on the board, as this will make it much easier for White's kingside attack to score a quick knockout.
David Levy & Kevin O'Connell, How To Play The Sicilian Defence
Bad Bertrich 50+ Game Three
 |
| Much of the walking in this part of the Eifel mountains is in shade, so can be comfortably tackled even on hot days |
Børge Svanholm (1871) - Spanton (1997)
Queen's Pawn Game
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 c5 4.0-0 Nc6 5.d4
 |
| What's in a name? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Quite a few people would probably describe the opening as a King's Indian Attack, while others might call it a Réti. But to me the former needs to have the move d3, and the latter should have c4. ChessBase labels the opening: "D02: 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 sidelines, including 2...Nf6 3.g3 and 2...Nf6 3.Bf4." It could also be thought of as a Reversed Grünfeld, but to me the most appropriate name is Queen's Pawn Game.
5...e6
Tempting is 5...cxd4 6.Nxd4 e5!?, but after 7.Nxc6 bxc5 8.c4 Black's centre is under a lot of pressure, with White scoring 66% in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.
6.Bg5!?
The main line in Mega26 runs 6.c4!? dxc4 7.Qa4 Bd7 8.Qxc4 b5!? 9.Qd3 c4 10.Qd1, when Dragon1 gives White a slight edge, but Stockfish18 calls the position equal.
6...h6 7.Bxf6!?
Consistent, but White's eagerness to give up the bishop-pair makes a strange impression.
7...Qxf6 8.e3 Bd6
This is the commonest continuation in Mega26, albeit from a small sample, but the bishop is a little loose on d6, and the move does not score well. The engines prefer 8...Be7 or 8...cxd4.
9.c4!?
This is the engines' top choice.
9...dxc4 10.Na3
The engines suggest an apparent-novelty in 10.Nbd2!?, and if, as in the game, Black captures on d4 with the c5 pawn, they reckon 11.Nxd4 gives White a won game after 11...Nxd4 12.Ne4! Qd8 13.Qxd4 Bf8 14.Qxc4. Black should probably prefer 10...Qe7, 10...0-0 or 10...c3, but White enjoys at least a slight edge, according to the engines.
10...cxd4
With the white queen's knight on a3, this is Black's best continuation.
11.Nxc4
Almost certainly good for Black is 11.Nxd4?! Bxa3 12.bxa3 Nxd4.
11...Bc5!?
This seems to be a novelty, and probably improves on the known 11...Be7?!, but I may have done better sticking with my first thought of 11...e5!?, although the engines agree White has full compensation for a pawn.
12.exd4 Nxd4 13.Nxd4 Qxd4 14.Qb3
The engines give 14.Qa4+!?, eg 14...Bd7 15.Qb3 Bc6 16.Bxc6+ bxc6 17.Rac1, again claiming full compensation for a pawn.
14...0-0
 |
| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White has a lead in development (and can increase that lead by playing 15.Rad1), and has pressure against the black queenside, but, according to the engines, those factors do not quite make up for Black being a pawn up and having the bishop pair.
15.Rad1 Qf6 16.Nd6
 |
| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
16...Bxd6
Stockfish18 likes 16...Qe7; Dragon1 prefers 16...Bd4.
17.Rxd6 Rb8
This seems a little stronger than 17...Rd8 18.Rxd8+ Qxd8 19.Rd1.
18.Rfd1 b6 19.Qa3 a5
Or 19...Bb7 20.Qxa7 Bxg2 21.Kxg2 Qxb2, when White has enough activity for a pawn, according to the engines.
20.b4 Bb7 21.bxa5 Bxg2 22.Kxg2 bxa5 23.Qxa5 Rb2 24.R1d2
BS offered a draw.
 |
| How would you assess this heavy-piece middlegame? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
The position is completely equal, according to Dragon1; Black has a notional advantage of perhaps 0.1, according to Stockfish18.
24...Rfb8 25.Rxb2 Rxb2 26.Qd8+ Qxd8 27.Rxd8+ Kh7
 |
| This is quite a common type of rook-and-pawn ending, and is completely equal, according to both engines |
*****
*****
*****
*****
28.Rd7 Kg6 29.Ra7 e5 30.g4!? f6 31.h4!?
BS was highly critical of this in the postmortem, but the engines reckon the game remains equal.
31...h5 32.gxh5+ Kxh5 33.Rxg7 Rxa2
 |
| Completely equal, according to the engines, although to my eye Black's position looks easier to play |
*****
*****
*****
*****
34.Rh7+ Kg4 35.h5 Kg5!? 36.Kg3 Ra3+ 37.Kg2 Ra4 38.Kg3 Rg4+ 39.Kf3 Rh4
 |
| Black is winning a pawn, but the game remains completely equal (Stockfish18) or White is just 0.13 worse (Dragon1) |
*****
*****
*****
*****
40.Rh8 Rxh5 41.Rxh5+?
Any rook move along the rank draws, although clearly Black would have hopes of somehow winning, but swopping off into a pawn ending loses.
41...Kxh5 42.Ke3
 |
| Black has two winning moves, but there is a plausible continuation that only draws |
*****
*****
*****
*****
42...Kg5
Also winning is 42...f5, but 42...Kg4? allows White to get the opposition with 43.Ke4, drawing.
43.Kf3 f5 44.Kg3 f4+ 45.Kf3 Kf5 46.Ke2 Kg4
But not 46...Ke4?, apparently gaining the opposition, as, following 47.f3+ Kd4 48.Kd2, it is White who has the opposition, and after 48...e4 49.fxe4 Kxe4 50.Ke2 the game is a (fairly) trivial book draw, and the try 48...Kc4 49.Kc2 e4 (49...Kb4 50.Kd3) 50.fxe4 f3 is easily answered by 51.Kd2 Kd4 52.e5 Kxe5 53.Ke3.
47.Kf1 Kf3 48.Ke1 Kg2 49.Ke2 f3+ 50.Ke3 e4 0-1
47.Kf1 Kf3 48.Ke1 Kg2 49.Ke2 f3+ 50.Ke3 e4 0-1
Tuesday, 8 September 2026
Bad Bertrich 50+ Game Two
 |
| The tower looks impressive when first seen looming above you, but it was built as recently as 1895, albeit on a site that had been repeatedly fortified since pre-Roman times |
French Irregular
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Ne7!?
There are just 251 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but it has been tried by strong players.
 |
| How should White respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
4.Bd3
It is hardly surprising there is no out-and-out refutation, but the commonest continuation is 4.Nf3, which is also the top choice of Stockfish18 and Dragon1.
4...a6!?
The engines do not mind this.
5.Nf3 Nbc6!? 6.e5 Ng6?!
This seems to be a novelty - known moves are 6...Nb4 and 6...g6!? - and is strongly disliked by the engines.
7.h4 Bb4 8.h5 Nf8!?
The engines prefer this over 8...Nge7.
9.h6 g6 10.Rh4!? Be7!?
This may be best, but Black has lost time.
11.Rg4!? Qd7 12.Ng5
The engines prefer 12.a3 or 12.Kf1!?
12...f5 13.exf6 Bxf6 14.Qf3?!
This wastes much of White's advantage, whereas 14.Be3 leaves White with a positionally won game, according to the engines.
14...Qe7 15.Be3
 |
| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
15...Bd7?
Better is 15...Nxd4! 16.Rxd4! Bxg5, although 17.0-0-0 gives White more than enough for a pawn, according to the engines.
16.0-0-0
The engines point out the strength of 16.Nge4!. when 16...dxe4 can be met by 17.Nxe4, and if 17...Bxd4?!, then 18.Bxd4 Nxd4 19.Nf6+.
16...0-0-0
 |
| Both sides have castled long, but who stands better, and by how much? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White's activity and pressure is worth a little more than 1.5 pawns, according to the engines, but only if White finds a sharp continuation.
17.a3?!
17.Kb1 keeps an advantage, but the engines give as best 17.Nf7! Qxf7 18.Rf4, one line running 18...Nxd4 19.Rxf6! Nxf3 20.Rxf7 Ne5 21.Rg7!?, when they reckon White has much more than enough for a pawn.
17...Re8?!
The engines reckon Black is fine after 17...Kb8!?, but note that 17...Nxd4?! 18.Bxd4 Bxd4 can be met by 19.Bxa6!? or 19.Nf7!?, in both cases with advantage to White.
18.Nh3
Best seems to be 18.Nge4!? dxe4 19.Nxe4 Nxd4 20.Qxf6, when the engines reckon White has a winning advantage.
18...Rg8 19.Rf4 Bh8 20.Rf7 Qd6
 |
| White to play and gain at least the upper hand |
*****
*****
*****
*****
21.Ng5?
Promising is 21.Bf4 e5 22.dxe5 Nxe5 23.Bxe5 Qxe5 24.Nf4 c6 25.Na4!?, when White's better development is probably the most important factor, but the engines also point out 21.Bb5!?, when 21...axb5? 22.Nxb5 traps the black queen, so best may be 21...g5!? 22.Nxg5 axb5 23.Nxb5 Qh2!? 24.g3 Bxd4!? 25.Nxd4 Ne5 26.Qf6!, when 26...Ng4!? 27.Ndf3!? Qxh6 28.Qd4 e5! (in order that Qa7 can be answered by ...Qa6) 29.Qxd5 Qc6 (29...Bc6? 30.Qa5) 30.Qa5 leaves White up a pawn and with a continuing attack.
21...Bxd4?
The wrong capture. After 21...Nxd4 22.Bxd4 Bxd4 23.Bxa6!? Qe5! 24.Rxd4! Qxd4 25.Be2 White has good compensation for the exchange, but, at best, a slight edge, according to the engines.
22.Bxd4 Nxd4 23.Qe3
Even stronger seems to be 23.Qf6!?, eg 23...Nf5 24.Bxf5 gxf5 25.Rg7!, when 25...Ng6 can be met by 26.Rxh7, and 25...Rxg7 26.hxg7 Ng6 by 27.Nxh7, in each case with a large advantage for White, according to the engines.
23...Nf5?
Better is 23...e5, but White has several promising replies, perhaps headed by 24.f4. Note that 23...Nc6?, which prevents White's game continuation, allows 24.Rg7 Ne7 25.Nce4! dxe4 26.Nxe4, when White has all the chances, eg 26...Qb6 27.Qxb6 cxb6 28.Nf6 Rxg7 29.hxg7 Rd8 30.Be4!
24.Qa7
 |
| After fiendish complications, at least in the notes, White has a winning queen sortie |
*****
*****
*****
*****
24...c6
If 24...c5, then 25.Bxf5 gxf5 26.Nxe6! Rxe6 27.Nxd5 wins, eg 27...b6 28.Rg7!? Rh8 29.Ne7+ Qxe7 30.Rxe7 Rxe7 31.Qxa6+ Kd8 32.Qa8+! Kc7 33.Qa7+ Kc6 34.b4! cxb4 35.axb4, when Black has rook, bishop and knight for queen and two pawns, but the hopelessly weak black king and scattered black pieces decide matters, one engine-line running 35...Re4 36.Qb8 Re6 37.Qg3, after which Black cannot reasonably save the king's rook.
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
25.Bxa6?
Best is 25.Na4! I rejected it because of 25...Qf4+ 26.Kb1 Qxa4, missing that after 27.Qa8+ Kc7 White has 28.Qxe8! Also strong is 25.Bxf5 gxf5 26.Rg7, with ideas similar to those already covered.
25...Qb8 26.Qc5
The engines give 26.Bxb7+!? Qxb7 27.Qc5, when 27...Nxh6? runs into 28.Rd4!, so perhaps best is 27...Qc7, but 28.g4! Nxh6 29.Rd4! Nxf7 30.Nxf7 seems to give White a winning attack, despite being a rook down, eg 30...Rg7 31.Ra4! Rxf7 32.Nb5! Qb8!? 33.Nd6+ Kc7 34.Nxf7 Qb5 35.Qa7+ Qb7 36.Qe3!? c5!? (otherwise 37.Ra7) 37.Qxc5+ Qc6 38.Qa5+ Qb6 39.Qc3+ Qc6 40.Qe5+ Kb7 41.Nd6+ Qxd6 42.Qxd6 Bxa4 43.Qb4+ - another fiendishly complicated engine-line with many alternatives along the way.
26...Qd6
Dragon1 reckons 26...bxa6!? saves the game, but Stockfish18 continues 27.g4 Nxh6 28.Rf3, which Dragon1 comes to agree is winning for White, eg 28...Qc7 29.Na4 Qe5 30.Nb6+ Kc7 31.Qa5! Qxg5+ 32.Kb1 Kd6 33.Nc4+! Ke7 34.Qb4+ Kd8 35.Qb8+ Bc8 36.Na5 Re7 37.Nxc6+ Kd7 38.Rc3 Re7 39.Ne5+ Ke7 40.Qb4+! Kf6 41.f4!? The engines also point out that if, right at the start, Black tries to save a tempo with 28...Qe5!?, White has 29.Nce4!
[I doubt if either of us saw even a small faction of most of these lines.]
27.Qb6 Qc7 ½–½
Monday, 7 September 2026
Bad Bertrich 50+ Game One
 |
| Playing hall |
Maróczy Bind
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.c4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 d6 8.Be2 0-0 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? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White's extra space gives a slight edge, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.
9...Bd7 10.Rc1
This is a popular alternative to 10.Qd2, after which the main line in Mega26 runs 10...Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.f3 a5 13.b3 Nd7!? 14.Be3!? (exchanging dark-square bishops is generally regarded as favouring Black in the Maróczy Bind) Nc5 15.Rab1, with a slight edge for White, according to the engines.
10...Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.f3 a5 13.Qd2
White often plays 13.b3, partly to prevent Black's next, but the text is also common.
13...a4 14.Rfd1 Nd7!? 15.Bxg7!?
As explained in the note to White's 10th move, White normally likes to keep dark-square bishops on the board in these lines, but the text has been played by Judit Polgár.
15...Kxg7 16.Nd5 Bxd5
Judit Polgár (2682) - Rauf Mamedov (2639), President's Cup Rapid (Baku, Azerbaijan) 2010, went 16...Kg8 17.Qe3 Bxd5 18.cxd5 Qa5 19.Qc3 Qb6+ 20.Qd4 Qa5 21.f4, with an equal game, according to the engines (but 0-1, 58 moves).
17.Qxd5!?
The engines prefer 17.cxd5.
17...Qb6+ 18.Qd4 Qxd4+ 19.Rxd4
 |
| How would you assess this queenless late-middlegame? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Black has the better minor piece, and enjoys a slight edge, according to the engines.
19...Rfc8 20.Rd2 Ra5 21.Rdc2 Rac5 22.Rc3 Nb6 23.Kf2 e6!? 24.Ke3 Kf6 25.f4 h5 26.g3 Nd7 27.Kd4
The engines suggest pressurising d6 with 27.Rd3 or 27.Rd1, claiming complete equality.
27...e5+!?
The backward d pawn should not prove a liability, and meanwhile Black has created an outpost at d4 for the knight.
28.Ke3 R5c6 29.Bd1 Nc5 30.Ra3?!
Stockfish18 suggests 30.b4 or 30.b3, while Dragon1 prefers shuffling rooks with 30.R1c2 or 30.R3c2.
30...Ra6?!
White has problems after 30...Rb6!?, eg 31.Rc2 exf4+ 32.gxf4 Re8 33.Bf3 Nxe4! 34.Bxe4 d5!, while after 31.b3 the engines give 31...h4!? 32.bxa4 Rb2 33.Rc2 Rxc2 34.Bxc2 hxg3 35.hxg3 Rh8, claiming much the better game for Black.
31.Rac3 Rb6 32.R1c2 Rb4 33.Be2 Rc6 34.Rd2 Ke7 35.Rd3 Rcb6 36.Rcc2 Ne6 37.Rf2
The engines suggest 37.c5!?, albeit preferring Black after 37...exf4+ 38.gxf4 Nxc5.
37...Nd4 38.Rcd2 Ke6 39.Bf1 Ke7 40.Kd3??
 |
| Black to play and win |
*****
*****
*****
*****
40...Rc6?
Missing mate-in-two with 40...Rb3+! 41.axb3 Rxb3#.
41.Ke3?
The king should have continued moving to the queenside with 41.Kc3.
41...Rc8
Black has the upper hand after this, but the engines point out the strength of 41...b5!, eg 42.cxb5 Rc1! 43.fxe5 dxe5, when White seems unable to meet Black's threats, eg 44.Rd3 Re1+ 45.Kd2 Rxe4, or 44.Be2 Nc2+ 45.Kf3 a3! 46.bxa3 Ne1+ 47.Ke3 Rc3+ 48.Bd3 Rd4, or 44.b3!? axb3 45.Rb2 Rc3+ 46.Kd2 bxa2! 47.Rxa2 Rbb3 48.Ra7+ Kd8 49.Ra8+ Kd7 50.Ra7+ Kc8 51.Ra2 Nf3+ 52.Ke2 Rd3 53.Rg2 Kb7 54.h3 Re3+ 55.Kf2 Ng5 - tricky lines, especially the third one, but in each case Black emerges on top.
42.Bd3 Ra8
Opening a second front with 42...h4!? is strongest, according to the engines.
43.Rf1 Ne6 44.Rdf2 exf4+ 45.gxf4 Nc5 46.f5?!
The engines prefer 46.Rc2 or 46.h4.
46...g5 47.Kd4
 |
| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
47...f6
The engines give 47...Nxd3!?48.Kxd3 Rc8 49.Rc2 b5!?, eg 50.cxb5 Rxc2 51.Kxc2 Rxb5, reckoning the rook-and-pawn ending is winning for Black.
48.Rd2 Nd7
Exchanging on d3 is still strong, according to the engines, and they also like 48...b5!?
49.Kc3 Rb6 50.Be2 h4 51.Rc1 Rc6 52.Rdc2 Ne5 53.Kb4 Rb6+
The engines like pushing on the kingside with 53...g4!?
54.Ka3!?
This looks risky, but Dragon1 is convinced it is best, although Stockfish18 is less sure.
54...Nd7 55.Rc3 Nc5 56.Bd3 Rg8 57.h3!?
Another white pawn on a light square, but it holds up Black's kingside pawn-majority.
57...Kd7 58.R1c2?
Both 58.Bc2 and 58.Rg1 leave White only slightly worse, according to the engines.
 |
| What should Black play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
58...Re8?
Missing the strength of 58...Ra8 and 58...Kc6, eg 58...Ra8 59.Rd2 Kc6 60.Rdc2?! Rb3+! 61.Rxb3 (61.axb3 axb3+ 62.Kb4 Ra4#) axb3+ 62.Kb4 bxa2. Better is 60.Rc1, but 60...Nb3! wins at least the exchange.
59.Re2 Rc8 60.Rec2?
Setting up the same lines for Black as in the last note.
60...Nb3?
Seeing the idea, but missing that the way to implement it is with ...Ra8 or ...Kc6.
61.Rf2 Na5!? 62.Rfc2 Rbc6 63.Be2 b6 64.Kxa4!?
 |
| After all the manoeuvring and black pressure, it is White who goes ahead on material |
*****
*****
*****
*****
64...Ra8 65.Kb4 Nb7?
Black has full compensation for a pawn after 65...Rc5, according to the engines.
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
66.Ra3?
Black is in trouble after 66.Bf3 Nc5 67.b3 (67.e5? allows a perpetual by 67...Ra4+ 68.Kb5 Ra5+ etc), eg 67...Ra5 68.Re3 (68.e5?? Na6#) 69.Rd2 Kc7 70.Bh5!? Rf8 71.Re1!? Raa8 72.a4, although there is no immediate breakthrough. The engines reckon 66.b3, with similar ideas, is also good.
66...Rxa3 67.Kxa3 Nc5?!
Probably better is 67...Rc8, intending to meet 68.b4 with 68...Nd8!?
 |
| White to play and gain a large advantage |
*****
*****
*****
*****
68.Bf3
The engines give 68.b4! Nxe4! 69.c5! (69.Bf3 d5) Rc7 (White threatened 70.Bb5, pinning the black rook against the king) 70.Bb5+ Kc8 71.Re2! Nc3 72.Ba6+ Kd7 73.cxb6! Rc6 74.Re6 Rxb6 75.Bc4, with the upper hand (Dragon1) for White, or even a won game (Stockfish18).
68...Nd3?
The engines reckon 68...Rc8 holds.
69.Rc3?
JD offered a draw, but he would probably have been winning after 69.e5 Rc5 70.e6+.
 |
| After 69.Rc3?, how would you assess the ending? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White's extra pawn gives at least a slight edge, but Black should probably hold.
69...Ne5 70.Kb3?!
Probably better is 70.Be2, although Stockfish18 becomes a lot less enthusiastic if given plenty of time.
70...Rc5?!
After 70...b5 71.Be2 (71.cxb5?? Rxc3+ and 72...Nxf3) bxc4+ Black has equalised as 72.Bxc4? loses to 72...Rxc4 73.Rxc4 Nxc4 74.Kxc4 g4 etc.
71.Be2 Kc6
Not 71...b5?? as the simple 72.cxb5 wins.
72.Kc2 Ra5 73.a3 Ra8 74.b4 Nd7 75.Kb3 Re8 76.Bf3 Re5 77.a4 Kc7 78.Rd3 Kc6 79.Rc3 ½–½
Tiny Minority
I RECENTLY mentioned in a post, Four What It's Worth, that Beau Chess had passed four million hits - it now stands at 4,143,531 - while admitting I had no way of knowing how many of those views were by humans and how many by bots.
English Update
ENTRY lists for the English championships at the end of October have been updated, led by the rapid's 15 players.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)