Czech 65+ Round Nine

Wooden carvings

Spanton (2003) - Jan Švub (1910)

Scandinavian

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6

This position occurs 5.756 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, a testament to the rise of 3...Qd6, championed by Tiviakov

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6.g3

This is second in popularity to 6.Ne5, when the main line in Mega26 runs 6...Nbd7 7.Nc4!? Qc7 8.Qf3!? Nb6 9.Bf4, with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

6...Bg4 7.Bg2 e6 8.0-0 Be7 9.Re1 0-0

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

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White has more space in the centre, and at some point will probably play Bf4 with tempo, factors that add up to a slight edge, according to the engines.

10.h3 Bh5

The engines prefer 10...Bxf3!? 11.Bxf3 Rd8!?

11.Bf4 Qd8 12.g4!?

Going after the bishop-pair. The weakening of White's kingside does not seem serious.

12...Bg6 13.Ne5 Nbd7 14.Nxg6 hxg6 15.Qe2

The engines suggest an apparent-novelty in 15.Qd3!?

15...Nb6

Not, as occurred in a Mega26 game, 15...Nd5? 16.Nxd5 cxd5 17.Bxd5!

16.Rad1 Nbd5 17.Nxd5 Nxd5!?

Stockfish18 reckons this is better than 17...cxd5; Dragon1 is less sure.

18.Bg3 Bd6 19.c4!? Nf6

JS spent more than 25 minutes over this move, presumably calculating the consequences of 19...Nf4, when the engines at first reckon 20.Bxf4 Bxf4 21.d5 gives White a slight edge, but they come to be less enthusiastic about White's position.

20.Be5 Qc7 21.Bxf6?!

The engines strongly dislike this, reckoning it switches the position from slightly favourable for White to slightly favourable for Black.

21...gxf6 22.d5 exd5 23.cxd5 cxd5

The engines prefer creating a queenside majority with 23...c5!? That gives White a passed pawn, but it is a passer that is well-blockaded, and it obstructs the action of the white bishop.

24.Bxd5 Be5 25.Rc1 Qb6 26.Qe4!? Kg7

White threatened 27.Qxg6+!

27.Kg2 Qxb2!? 28.Rb1 Qd4 29.Qxd4 Bxd4 30.Rb7 Rab8 31.Ree7 Rxb7

JS offered a draw.

How would you assess the rook-and-bishop ending?

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After 32.Rxb7 White will have the more-active rook, but the position is completely equal (Stockfish18), or White has a purely notional advantage of +0.1 (Dragon1).  On the other hand, Black's rook and king are tied to defending f7, and by playing on it is hard to see how White can lose, bar a catastrophic blunder.

32.Rxb7 Kg8 33.f4 Kg7 34.h4 Bc5 35.Kg3 Bd4 36.h5 gxh5

The engines prefer 36...f5 as, after ...

37.gxh5

... they reckon White has a slight edge.

37...Bc5 38.Kg4 Bb6 39.Kf5 Bd4 40.Rd7 Bc5 41.Bb3 Bb6 42.a4 Bf2 43.Rd2 Rb8!?

This comes to be the engines' top choice, but it involves a pawn sacrifice that requires precise play from Black. Meanwhile, 43...Bb6 also involves a pawn sacrifice, but after, for example, 44.Rg2+ Kh6 45.Kxf6 Bc7 46.Bxf7 Bxf4, the position may be easier to defend. Perhaps it comes down to a matter of taste.

44.Bxf7 Kxf7

Not 44...Be3?? 45.Rd7.

45.Rxf2 Rc8

Not 45...Rb4? 46.Rc2 Rxa4 47.Rc7+ Kg8 48.Kg6.

46.Rh2 Rc5+ 47.Kg4 Kg7 48.Rb2 Ra5 49.Rb7+ Kh6 50.Rf7 Rxa4 51.Rxf6+

One move draws, the other loses

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51...Kg7?

The Syzygy endgame tablebase shows 51...Kh7! draws. The reason for the difference will soon become clear.

52.Kg5

52.Rg6+? only draws.

52...Ra1 53.h6+

If the king were on h7, White's 53rd move would not come with check, and that makes all the difference as Black would have 53...Rg1+, when play might continue 54.Kf5 Rh1 55.Ra6 Rxh6 56.Rxa7+ Kg8, with a standard draw.

53...Kg8 54.Rg6+ Kf8

Or 54...Kh8 55.f5 Rg1+ 56.Kf6 Rf1 57.Rg7 a5 58.Kg6 a4 59.f6 a3 60.Rh7+ Kg8 61.f7+ Rh8+ 62.f8=Q+ Rxf8 63.Rxf8 Kxf8 64.h7.

55.h7 Rh1 56.Rg8+

Also winning is 56.Rh6.

56...Kf7 57.h8=Q Rg1+ 58.Kf5 Rxg8 59.Qf6+ Ke8 60.Qe6+ Kf8 61.Kf6 1-0

Czech 65+ Round Eight

Street decoration

I was upfloated.

Milan Petráš (2002) - Spanton (2003)

King's Indian Attack

1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.g3!?

The main move is 4.Ngf3, but the text also has many adherents.

How should Black respond?

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4...c5

Stockfish18 and Dragon1 like 4...dxe4!? 5.dxe4, followed by 5...Nc6 or 5...e5.

5.Bg2 Nc6 6.Ngf3 Be7 7.0-0 0-0

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

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The position occurs13,953 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, and is equal, according to the engines.

8.Re1 Qc7!?

The engines are happy with this move, which is second in popularity to 8...b5.

9.c3 d4!?

The engines are not keen on this, preferring 9...Rd8!?, 9...dxe4!? or 9...h6!?

10.e5 Nd7

The engines suggest 10...dxc3!?

11.Qe2 f6?

Aggressive, and often thematic in the French Defence when White has played e5, but here its main effect is weakening. The engines prefer 11...dxc3, but assess it differently, Dragon1 claiming equality, Stockfish18 awarding White at least a slight edge.

12.exf6 Nxf6 13.c4?!

Probably better is opening more lines with 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Nc4.

13...Bd6

According to the engines, Black should either get on with development (13...Bd7) or move the king into the corner.

14.Ng5 e5 15.Nde4

The e4 square makes a great outpost for a white minor piece, and the d5 square may well do the same later

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15...Bf5 16.a3 Rad8 17.Bd2 Ne8 18.b4 b6 19.Rab1 Ne6 20.Nxf6+ Rxf6

How should White proceed?

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21.g4!?

Even stronger, according to the engines are 21.Bd5 and 21.Ne4.

21...Nxg5

Forced.

22.Bxg5 Rg6 23.h4 Bc8!? 24.Be4 Bb7

Should White take the exchange?

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25.Bxg6 hxg6 26.f3 gives White at least a slight edge, but even better is ...

25.f4!

... the game continuing:

25...Bxe4 26.Qxe4 Qf7?!

Probably better, but still losing, are 26...bxc4 and 26...Bf8.

27.f5 Rf8 28.Rf1 Rxg5 29.hxg5 cxb4 30.g6 Qe7 31.axb4 Bxb4 32.gxh7+ Kxh8

The tactics, which heavily favoured White, have died down, and White has an advantage worth about a rook, or maybe more, according to the engines

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33.Rb2 Bc3 34.Rg2 Qg5 35.Qxe5 Bd2 36.Rxd2?

There is no need for this. Instead 36.Kh1 and 36.Rg3 keep a large advantage.

36...Qxd2 37.f6?!

The engines reckon probably best is 37.Qxd4, but that 37.Qg3 also gives at least a slight edge.

37...gxf6 38.Rxf6 Qd1+??

Completely equal is 38...Rxf6 39.Qxf6+ Kxh7, according the engines.

39.Rf1+ 1-0

Czech 65+ Round Seven

A cafe I visit daily while in Olomouc ... very ordinary coffee, but great ambience 

Alois Bartoš (1977) - Spanton (2003)

Maróczy Bind

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.c4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 d6 8.h3!?

This lags behind 8.f3 and especially 8.Be2 in popularity, but is the second choice of Stockfish18 (after 8.Be2) and has been played by grandmasters.

8...0-0 9.Be2 Bd7 10.0-0

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

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White's space gives a slight edge (Stockfish18) or even the upper hand (Dragon1).

10...Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.Bf3 a5

Staking out the c5 square as an outpost for Black's remaining knight.

13.a4!?

It is generally a good idea in the Maróczy to prevent, or at least discourage, ...a4, but this is generally achieved by playing b3.

13...Nd7!?

Black usually does not mind an exchange of dark-square bishops in the Maróczy as, although ...

14.Bxg7 Kxg7

... inevitably weakens the position of the black king, the first player has parted with what was definitely White's better bishop.

15.b3 Nc5 16.Re1 e6

The engines suggest 16...e5!?

17.Qc2 Qf6 18.Rad1 Rfd8 19.Rd2 Qe5 20.Re3 Qf6!? 21.Ne2 Ra6!? 22.Qd1 e5!?

The engines are still happy with 22...e5!?

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True, the d pawn is backward, and there is a hole at d5, but d6 is not easy to get at, and if the white knight hops to d5, it will be swopped off by the black bishop, leaving Black with good knight against bad bishop.

23.Nc3 Raa8

If 23...Rb6, White can reply 24.Nb5!?, as 24...Bxb5? 25.cxb5 immobilises the rook.

24.g3 h5 25.Bg2 Rd7 26.h4 Rf8 27.Nd5!? Bxd5 28.Rxd5

Black to play and lose

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28...Ra8??

A complete loss of concentration. After a move such as 28...b6 or 28...Qe7, the position is equal.

The game finished:

29.Rxc5 dxc5 30.Qxd7 Rd8 31.Qc7 Rd1+ 32.Bf1 Qe6 33.Kg2 g5 34.Be2 Rd7 35.Qxc5 b6 36.Qa3 f5 37.exf5 Qxf5 38.Qb2 Rd4 39.hxg5 Qxg5 40.f4 Qd8 41.Rxe5 Kf8 42.Qa3+ Kg7 43.Qe7+ 1-0

Czech 65+ Round Six

Olomouc rosarium

I was downfloated.

Spanton (2003) - Antonín Kubíček (2069)

English Symmetrical

1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 e6 6.Bxc6!?

There are just 64 examples of this continuation in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but it has been played by grandmasters, and scores an excellent 62%. The move has similarities with a line in the Rossolimo System against the Sicilian, ie 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.Bxc6!? In both cases, whichever way Black recaptures, White's idea is not just to manoeuvre against Black's doubled pawns, but to try to keep the black light-square bishop out of play.

How should Black recapture?

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6...bxc6

This is slightly more common than 6...dxc6, but Stockfish18 and Dragon1 reckon both recaptures are equally valid.

7.f4!?

To discourage ...e5.

7...d5 8.Nf3!?

This is the engines' top choice.

8...dxc4 9.dxc4 Bxc3+!? 10.bxc3 Qxd1+ 11.Kxd1

How would you assess this queenless middlegame?

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The pawn-structure is almost symmetrical, but the engines reckon White has at least the better part of equality, perhaps because they believe it is easier for White to develop with effect.

11...Ba6

This may be a novelty. Vladislav Artemiev (2698) - Abtin Atakhan (2414), Abu Dhabi 2023, went 11...Nf6 12.Be3 Ne4 13.Kc2 Ba6 14.Kd3 Nd6 15.Bxc5 Nxc4 16.Kc2, when the engines reckon 16...0-0-0 would have equalised. Instead, the game saw 16...Nb6, when 17.e4 gave White at least a slight edge, according to the engines (1-0, 51 moves).

12.Nd2

The engines prefer 12.Be3 Nf6, and now 13.Nd2, but reckon Black should avoid 12...Bxc4?!, claiming 13.Nd2 Ba6 14.Ne4 gives White at least the upper hand.

12...0-0-0 13.Kc2 Nf6 14.Ba3 e5!?

The engines prefer this over the defensive 14...Nd7.

How should White respond?

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15.fxe5

Not 15.Bxc5? Rxd2+! 16.Kxd2 Ne4+ and 17...Nxc5.

15...Ng4 16.Bxc5 Rhe8 17.Bxa7 Rxe5

Has Black enough compensation for two pawns?

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Yes, according to Stockfish18, but Dragon1 is less sure.

18.Rae1 Ra5 19.Ra1 Re5

Not 19...Bxc4? 20.Bb6.

20.Rae1

I offered a draw in what the engines agree is a completely equal position (it seems Rhe1, both here and at move 18, was a tad better, one point being ...Nxh2?! can be met by Bd4, with what the engines reckon is at least the upper hand for White).

20...c5!?

How should White proceed?

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21.Nb3?

Both 21.Rb1 and 21.e4!? maintain equal chances, according to the engines, eg 21.e4!? Kb7 22.h3 Nh6 23.Nf3 Rde8! (an only-move) 24.Nxe5 Rxe5 25.Rd1!? Kxa7 26.Rd7+ Ka8 27.Rd5 Rxe4 28.Rxc5 Bxc4 29.Rb1, with what the engines reckon is complete equality.

21...Bxc4 22.Nxc5

Even worse is 22.Bxc5? Bxb3+ 23.axb3 Rxc5.

Black to play and win

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22...Ne3+?

The simple 22...Re7 23.Bb6 Rd6 24.Na4 Bb5 is very strong, eg 25.Bb5 Bxa4+ 26.Kc1 Rde6 27.Bxe7 Rxe7, after which White has rook and two pawns for bishop and knight, but Black's greater activity, combined with White's pawn weaknesses, add up to a winning advantage, according to the engines.

23.Kc1

Not 23.Kb1? Re7 24.Bb6 Rd6 25.Na4 Rb7 (25...Bb5?? fails to 26.Bc5, as 26...Bxa4 no longer comes with check) 26.Kc1 R(either)xb6 27.Nxb6+ Rxb6, when again White has rook and two pawns for bishop and knight, but the engines again reckon Black is winning.

23...Re7 24.Bb6 Rde8!?

This seems to give Black better winning chances than 24...Rd6 27.Na4, when Black has to avoid the Bc5 skewer.

25.Nb3 Bd5 26.Rhg1 Nc4 27.Bd4?!

Almost certainly better is 27.Bf2!?, the idea being to meet 27...Rxe2 with 28.Nd4, when Black has recovered one pawn and has enough compensation for the other, but no more, according to the engines.

27...Rxe2 28.Rxe2 Rxe2 29.Rf1?!

Perhaps 29.Rd1 is best, but the engines are unsure.

29...Rxh2 30.Rd1?!

But this is now probably a move too late, although 30.a4 Ra2 31.Rf2 (31.a5? Ra3) Rxa4 is also very pleasant for Black.

30...Rxa2

Black is a pawn up, with a continuing attack

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31.Nc5?

The engines give 31.Bf6 Be6 32.Rd4, but reckon Black is winning after 32...Ne3 or 32...Rf2.

31...Bf3 32.Rg1?!

This allows mate-in-four, but the engines' 32.Rd3 Be2 33.Re3 is not much better after 33...Nxe3.

Can you find the checkmate?

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32...f5?!

Black is still winning after this, but 32...Na3 mates on the move, unless White delays it with 33.Rg2!? Rxg2 34.Bf2!?.

33.Kb1 Re2 34.Kc1?

This again sets up a mate-in-four, so perhaps best is 34.Ka1 Na3 35.Rc1 Bd5 36.c4!? Nxc4 37.Rc3, when the threat of imminent checkmate is gone, but Black is two pawns up.

34...Na3 35.Kd1 Nc2?

Black delivers checkmate with 35...Rh2+ 36.Ke1 (36.Kc1 Rc2#) Nc2+ 37.Kf1 Be2#.
36.Kc1?

Once again setting up a mate-in-four for Black, although the engines' 36.Rf1!? Rf2+ 37.Rxf1+ Kxc2 leaves White down the exchange and a pawn.

36...Kc7?

The ...Na3 idea is still the correct mating route.

37.Rf1 Nxd4 38.cxd4 Bd5

The white king is relatively safe, and Black is 'only' a pawn up, but both White's remaining pawns are weak, and the bishop is better than the knight

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39.g4? fxg4

Now White is two pawns down, and Black's advantage is worth a rook (Stockfish18) or even a rook and a minor piece (Dragon1).

40.Na6+ Kb7 41.Nb4 Bf3 42.d5 Re4 43.Nc2 Rc4 44.Kd2 h5 45.Ne3 Ra4 46.Rb1+ Kc7 47.Rc1+ Kd7 48.Rc6

48.Nc4 threatens a deadly fork on b6, but is easily countered by 48...Ra2+.

48...Be4 49.Nc4

Black has numerous winning moves, but a little care is still required

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49...Ra2+?

Winning moves include 49...Bxd5, 49...Kd8!?, 49...g3 and 49...Rxc4!?

50.Ke3 Bxd5!?

Or 50.Bf5 Ne5+ and 51...Nxg6.

51.Rd6+ Ke7 52.Rxd5 Kf6 53.Rd6+ Kf5 54.Rd5+ Kf6 55.Re6+ Kg5 56.Ne5 Ra3+ 57.Kf2 Ra2+ 58.Ke3 ½–½

Czech 65+ Round Five

Wooden belltower honouring Czech poet Petr Bezruč

I faced a Pole.

Spanton (2003) - Krzysztof Krupa (1946)

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

1.Nc3 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.d4 c5!? 4.Nf3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6

By an unusual move-order (more common is 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7), an important tabiya of the Accelerated Dragon in the Sicilian has been reached, the position occurring 60,015 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database

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One of the points of the move-order is that White does not get the opportunity to set up a Maróczy Bind with c4.

6.Nxc6!?

This is the fourth-most popular continuation, scoring just 37% in Mega26.

6...bxc6 7.Bc4 d6

How should White proceed?

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8.0-0

Tempting, at least at first glance, is 8.Qf3 Nf6 9.e5!? dxe5 10.Qxc6+, but Stockfish18 and Dragon1 reckon the game is equal after 10...Bd7. Pengxiang Zhang (2649) - Ernesto Inarkiev (2663), Russia-China Summit (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia) 2007, continued 11.Qa6 0-0 12.0-0 Qb8!? 13.Bb3 Rc8 14.Bg5 e6 15.Rad1 Bc6, with an equal game, according to the engines (but 1-0, 30 moves).

8...Nf6 9.e5!?

A positional pawn sacrifice that is more permanent than it may at first appear.

9...dxe5 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8 11.Re1

There are 17 games in Mega26 with 11.Bxf7?, but 11...e6 traps the bishop.

11...e6 12.Rxe5!? Nd5 13.Re1

The engines prefer 13.Re2, when 13...Nxc3 14.bxc3 Bxc3 15.Rb1 gives White enough for a pawn (Stockfish18) or even a slight edge (Dragon1).

13...Rb8?!

Apparently a novelty, but the engines like 13...Nxc3 14.bxc3 Bxc3 15.Rd1+, continuing with another apparent-novelty in 15...Kc7!? (15...Ke7 is known), when 16.Rb1 Rd8 17.Bf4+ e5 18.Rxd8 Kxd8 19.Bg5+ Kc7 20.Bxf7 is roughly equal.

14.Nxd5?!

Obvious, but the engines point out the possibility of 14.Ne4!?, when 14...Bxb2? fails to 15.Bxb2 (not 15.Rb1? Be5) Rxb2 16.Bb3, trapping the rook. Black should probably play 14...Ke7, but the simple 15.Rb1 leaves White with the upper hand, according to the engines.

14...cxd5 15.Bb3

Now the tactics have died down, how would you assess this late-middlegame?

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The chief feature in the position is the imbalanced pawn-structure, where the black centre pawns would favour the second player in a full-on middlegame, but less so here. The black king looks a little vulnerable, but on the queenside it will be well-placed to cope with White's queenside majority in the event of an ending. The engines give Black at least the better part of equality.

15...Ba6 16.Bg5+ Kc8 17.Rab1 Rb4!?

The engines are OK with this, even though it gives White a tempo for the useful ...

18.c3

... after which the black rook is obliged to retreat as neither 18...Rg4?! nor 18...Re4 helps Black's cause.

18...Rb7 19.Rbc1 h6!? 20.Be3 Rd8 21.Red1 g5!? 22.Rd2 Rc7 23.Rcd1 Kb7 24.Bd4 f6!?

The engines prefer 24...Rg8 or 24...Bxd4.

25.f3 Bc4 26.Bf2!?

How should Black proceed?

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26...Rg8!?

Not just supporting the bishop - Black hopes for kingside attacking chances. The engines suggest 26...f5 or 26...Bf8!?, although they agree 26...Bxb3 27.axb3 is also equal.

27.Rd4

The engines reckon White is better after both 27.Re1 and 27.Ba4!?, one point about the latter being 27...Bxa2?? loses to 28.b3.

27...f5 28.R4d2 g4!? 29.fxg4 Be5?

It is hard to know what my opponent missed here. Black has to recapture on g4, either immediately or after 29...Bxb3 30.axb3.

30.Bxc4 Rxc4 31.gxf5 Rcg4 32.g3

The game finished:

32...h5 33.Re2 Re4 34.Rxe4 dxe4 35.fxe6 h4 36.Re1 hxg3 37.hxg3 Bxg3 38.Bxg3 Rxg3+ 39.Kh2 1-0

Czech 65+ Round Four

Water-feature in the municipal botanic garden

Vladimír Hadraba (1978) - Spanton (2003)

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nb3!?

7.Nb3!? is sixth-most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but scores a higher percentage than the more common moves, including the mainline 7.Bc4

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The move is also liked by Stockfish18 and Dragon1, although they come to marginally prefer 7.Bc4. The idea of the text is to prevent ...d5, while also avoiding an exchange of pieces.

7...0-0 8.Be2 a5 9.a4 d5!?

But it seems Black's thematic move in the Accelerated Dragon is possible anyway, albeit as a sacrifice. More usual are 9...d6 and especially 9...Nb4!?

10.exd5 Nb4

How should White proceed?

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11.0-0!?

Getting on with development, rather than trying to hold on to the pawn. The main line in Mega26 runs 11.Bf3 Bf5 12.Rc1 Rc8 13.0-0, when Xavier Montheard (2220) - Claude Adrian (2335), Clichy (France) 1998, continued 13...Rxc3!? 14.bxc3 Na2 15.c4!? (15.Ra1 Nxc3 and 16...Nfxd5 gives Black good compensation for the exchange, according to the engines) Nxc1 16.Qxc1, with the upper hand for White, according to the engines, although the game was drawn.

11...Nfxd5 12.Nxd5 Nxd5

This is an improvement on Ted van Eck (2033) - Spanton (2017), Oberjoch (Bavaria) 2017, which saw 12...Qxd5? 13.c3 Qxd1 14.Rad1 Nc6, when several moves give White a positionally won game, according to the engines, including 15.Rd5 and 15.Bb6, but not after the game's 15.Nd4?, when 15...Nxd4 16.Bxd4 Be6 more-or-less equalised (0-1, 66 moves).

13.Bd4 Bxd4!?

The most common continuation in Mega26 is 13...e5?!, but 14.Bc5 Re8 15.Bb5 almost certainly favours White.

14.Nxd4

This seems to be a novelty. The engines marginally prefer the known 14.Qxd4.

14...e5 15.Nb5 Bf5  16.Bd3!?

The engines reckon the text or 16.Bg4 is best, but White has to be careful, eg 16.Bf3 e4 17.Be2 Nf4 is good for Black, as 18.Bg4?? loses to 18...Qg5.

16...Bxd3 17.Qxd3 Nb4 18.Qe2 Qf6

Perhaps 18...Qe7 is marginally better.

19.Rad1

VH offered a draw.

How would you assess the position?

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Black has the only pawn on the two centre files, but White has a farside pawn-majority that might prove useful in an ending. The engines reckon chances are equal.

19...Rfd8!?

Wrong rook? The engines are unsure.

20.c3 Nc6

On 20...Nd5, the engines suggest 21.g3!? White can also temporarily sacrifice the exchange with 21.Rxd5, recovering the material after 21...Rxd5 22.Nc7 etc.

21.g3!?

Preventing the possibility of ...Qh4 or ...Qf4 (both moves target a4), as well as ruling out a back-rank mate by Black.

21...Qe7!?

Preparing ...f5 and ...e4, with hopes of transferring the black knight to f3 or d3.

22.Rxd8+ Rxd8 23.Rd1 Kg7 24.Na3!?

While the b5 outpost looks good, the white knight will be more active on c4.

24...f5!?

But this is possibly more loosening than effective.

25.Nc4 e4 26.Kg2 Rd7!?

Hoping to win the open file with ...Qd8.

27.Nb6 Rd8 28.Nc4 Rd7 ½–½

Czech 65+ Round Three

Mausoleum built by the Czechoslovak-Yugoslav League to honour soldiers from what would become Yugoslavia who were killed in WW1

The second of today's double-round games.

Spanton (2003) - Jindřich Papay (1945)

French Winawer

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.Bd2 Bd7!?

Several other continuations are more common, including 5...cxd4 and especially 5...Ne7, but the text has been played by grandmasters.

6.a3!?

The engines agree this is stronger than the more popular moves 6.Qg4 and 6.Nb5.

6...cxd4?!

Black should probably prefer 6...Bxc3.

7.axb4 dxc3 8.Bxc3

Black has ceded the bishop-pair and given White a useful half-open a file, factors which add up to White having a positionally won game, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1

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8...Ne7 9.Bd3 Ng6 10.Nf3 Nf4!? 11.Bf1!? g5?!

This type of thrust is rarely good, and this position is almost certainly not an exception.

12.Qd2 Rg8 13.h4 h6 14.h5 d4!?

Giving up a pawn, so the king's knight has a retreat square in the event of White playing g3.

15.Bxd4 Bc6!?

The engines agree this active move is the best chance in a bad position.

16.b5!? Be4 17.c4!? Kf8?

The engines reckon Black should play 17...Bxf3!? 18.gxf3 Nd7, or 17...a6, with ...Nd7 to come.

18.Bc5+

Even stronger are 18.Rd1, 18.Qe3 and 18.0-0-0.

18...Kg7 19.Bd6 Nd7?!

Exchanging on f3 is probably better.

20.Qe3 f5?!

And here the engines reckon Black should settle for 20...Bxf3 21.Qxf3 a6!?, despite White having 22.g3.

21.exf6+ Nxf6 22.Be5 Nd3+ 23.Bxd3 Qxd3

How should White proceed?

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24.Qxd3

Even stronger is the engines' 24.Qc5!, when Qe7+ and Rd1 cannot both be met.

24...Bxd3 25.0-0-0 Rgd8

Not 25...Bxc4?? 26.Rd7+.

26.b3 Kf7 27.Bc7!? Rdc8

Not 27...Rd7?? 28.Ne5+.

28.Ne5+ Ke8 29.Rxd3 Rxc7 30.f3!?

Restricting the black knight.

30...Nd7 31.Nxd7 Rxd7 32.Rhd1 Rxd3 33.Rxd3

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

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White is a pawn up, has the open file, and has fewer pawn-islands, advantages worth more than +4.00, according to the engines.

33...Ke7 34.Kc2 a6!?

This lets White undouble the b pawns, but activating the black rook is the engines' top choice.

35.bxa6 Rxa6 36.Kc3 Rc6 37.b4 Ra6 38.c5 b5 39.Kd4

The engines agree with not taking en passant.

39...Ra4 40.Rb3 Ra1 41.Rd3 Rb1 42.Kc3 Rc1+ 43.Kb2 Rg1

What should White play?

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44.c6?

Impatience, throwing away nearly all of White's advantage. Best is 44.Rd2, but 44.g4 also wins.

44...Rxg2+ 45.Kb3 Rg1 46.c7!?

There is no longer any win, whatever White plays.

46...Rc1 47.Rc3 Rxc3+ 48.Kxc3 Kd7 49.Kd4 Kxc7 50.Ke5!?

Or 50.Kc5 e5!, when 51.Kxb5? loses to 51...e4!, so White has to play 51.Kd5 Kd7 52.Kxe5, but 52...Kd7 draws.

50...Kd7 51.Kf6 Kd6 52.Kg6 Ke5

This draws easily enough, but the engines reckon Black has at least a slight edge after 52...e5!? 53.Kxh6 e4!? 54.Kxg5 (54.fxe4? g4 wins for Black) exf3 55.h6 f2 57.h7 f1=Q, although 58.h8=Q gives White a tablebase draw.

53.Kxh6 Kf6 54.Kh7 Kf7 55.Kh6

Not 55.h6? e5 etc, eg 56.Kh8 e4! 57.fxe4 g4 58.e5 g3 59.e6+ Kxe6 60.Kg8 g2 61.h7 g1=Q 62.Kh8 (hoping for stalemate) Qa7 63.Kg8 Qf7+ 64.Kh8 Qf8#.

55...Kf6 ½–½

Czech 65+ Round Two

Sand sculpture of Mozart, who apparently composed his sixth symphony while visiting Olomouc as an 11-year-old

I faced a Swede in the first of today's two rounds.

Jan Bohlin (1928) - Spanton (2003)

Catalan

1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.d4 Nf6 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7

The point of Black's well-known bishop manoeuvre is to misplace White's dark-square bishop, the argument being that the bishop is best-placed on b2, with the white queen's knight going to d2. That being the case, it might be thought White should play 5.Nbd2, but then 5...dxc4, among other moves, is considered fine for Black.

6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0

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

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Dragon1 gives White a slight edge, presumably based on White's pressure against Black's centre from the pawn on c4 and the fianchettoed bishop, but Stockfish18 is less sure. In ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, White scores 52% from the diagram.

7...c6 8.Qc2 Nbd7 9.Rd1

This is second in popularity to 9.Bf4.

9...b6 10.b3

Again Bf4 is more common, but the text is also popular.

10...Bb7

And this is second in popularity to 10...Ba6.

11.Bf4

But here 11.Nc3 is much more popular, taking advantage of Black not having put pressure on c4.

11...Rc8 12.Nbd2!?

The engines prefer 12.Nc3, although only Dragon1 gives White any advantage. Stockfish18 calls the game completely equal.

12...c5 13.dxc5!?

More prudent is 13.Qb2.

13...Bxc5

White to play and lose

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14.Ne5??

Better are the known-move 14.Qb2 and the engines' suggestion, 14.h3, but in each case the engines award Black the upper hand.

14...Nxe5 15.Bxe5 Ng4 0-1

White can save the bishop, eg with 16.Bc3, but 16...Nxf2 17.Rf1 Ng4+ 18.Kh1 Ne3 is devastating, eg 19.Qb2 Nxg2!? 20.Kxg2 d4+.

Three's A Charm

LATE yesterday Beau Chess passed the three-million hits mark, the total now standing at 3,007,310.

No doubt many of these views are by bots, although it is interesting that my other main blog, 10mm and all that!, which has been running slightly longer, has 'only' 198,377 hits, while Chess Tip Of The Day, which is a feeder blog for the web version of Beau Chess, has 20,254 hits, albeit over a much shorter period of time.

Czech 65+ Round One

Playing hall

Spanton (2003) - Jiří Žítek (1793)

King's Pawn Irregular

1.d4 d6 2.e4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7

ChessBase calls this a Pirc, but to me a Pirc requires the move ...g6

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The position is most commonly reached via the move-order 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7, which is why I am calling it an irregular system within the king's pawn complex, but that does not feel very satisfactory either.

4.f4

The main move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database is 4.Nf3, when 4...e5 makes the opening a Philidor.

4...e5 5.Nf3 exd4 6.Qxd4

The queen cannot be sensibly challenged on this square, at least in the short run.

6...c5?!

Much more common is 6...c6, when the opening has transposed to a Pribyl, with Stockfish18 and Dragon1 giving White at least a slight edge.

7.Qd2!?

There are five more-popular destinations for the queen in Mega26, albeit in what is an obscure position, but the engines agree either the text or 7.Qd3 is best.

7...Be7!?

Seemingly a novelty, and it may be an improvement on the known moves 7...a6 and 7...Qe7.

8.e5 dxe5 9.fxe5 Ng4

This is almost certainly best, but after ...

10.Qf4

... White has a won game, according to the engines.

10...h5!?

Again this may be the best move, but in a bad position.

11.h3 g5!?

The engines suggest giving up the knight with 11...Ngxe5!?

12.Qe4!?

This seems even stronger than 12.Nxg5 Ngxe5.

12...Nh6 13.Bd3 Nf8

The engines suggest 13...Nb6 or 13...c4!?

14.Be3 g4!? 15.hxg4 Nxg4!?

The engines agree this is best.

16.Bb5+ Bd7 17.0-0-0 a6

Perhaps best is 17...Nxe3 18.Qxe3 Qb6, but 19.Bxd7+ Nxd7 20.Nd5 leaves White the equivalent of more than a rook up, according to the engines.

18.Bxd7+ Nxd7 19.e6 fxe6 20.Qg6+ Kf8 21.Qxe6

The engines point out that the quickest win starts with 21.Rhf1!?

21...Nxe3 22.Rxd7 Qxd7!?

I expected 22...Qe8, but the engines reckon that is marginally worse after 23.Ne5.

23.Qxd7 Rd8 24.Qe6 Ng4 25.Ne5 Nxe5 26.Rf1+ Ke8 27.Qxe5 Rh6

The game finished:

28.Nd5 Rd7 29.Nxe7 Rxe7 30.Qb8+ Kd7 31.Qxb7+ Kd8 32.Rf8+ 1-0