Weimar Round Six

Wilfried Adam (1828) - Spanton (1939)

King's Indian Attack/Sicilian Closed

1.e4 c5 2.d3!? Nc6 3.Nf3 g6 4.g3 Bg7 5.c3!? d5 6.Nbd2 e5 7.Bg2 Nge7

Perhaps it is a matter of taste whether the opening is classified as a King's Indian Attack or  the Closed Variation of the Sicilian

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If pressed to choose, I would pick the former, but would not be surprised to be called wrong. ChessBase muddies the water further by opting for "B30: Sicilian: 2...Nc6 3 Bb5, lines without ...g6," which is certainly not correct.
8.0-0 0-0

Getting the name right would be nice, but evaluating the position correctly is more important, so how would you assess matters now both sides have castled?

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Black has more space, which may be why Stockfish17.1 gives Black the better part of equality. Dragon1 has the position as almost completely equal.

9.h3!?

This prevents the pinning ...Bg4, but that does not look dangerous, and also prepares an advance of the g pawn, but the engines prefer 9.exd5 or 9.a3!?

9...h6!?

But this h-pawn push, which prepares ...Be6 without allowing the reply Ng5, is the top choice of the engines.

10.Ne1!?

Probably a novelty. The engines prefer the known 10.Re1, which is more normal in the KIA.

10...Be6 11.f4 Qd7 12.Kh2 Rad8

The engines reckon Black has a positionally won game, but I was not expecting my opponent to resign and time soon

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13.Qe2 Rfe8

Black has a large lead in development, but the position, while not closed, is not open either.

14.Nb3 b6 15.Be3 a5 16.Nc2 a4 17.Nd2

How should Black proceed?

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17...d4

Gaining space, but closing the centre. The engines prefer 17...exf4 and especially 17...f5!?, both of which are likely to lead to more lines opening.

18.cxd4 cxd4 19.Bg1 b5 20.Nf3 f6

The engines still like ...exf4 and especially ...f5.

21.a3

White would surely have had to play this sooner or later as otherwise the white queen's rook could not move.

21...Rc8 22.g4 g5!?

This is Stockfish17.1's top choice (Drgaon1 prefers 22...exf4). The idea is to oblige White to push on with the f pawn, and so make it more difficult to open lines on the kingside.

23.f5 Bf7 24.Qd2 Qa7 25.h4 Na5 26.Rae1 Nb3 27.Qe2 Bf8 28.Na1 Rc6 29.Nxb3 Bxb3

Stockfish17.1 marginally prefers 29...axb3. Dragon1 fluctuates between the two moves, before coming down in favour of the text.

30.Rc1 Rec8 31.Rxc6 Rxc6 32.hxg5 Rc2 33.Qe1 hxg5 34.Rf2 Qc7 35.Rxc2 Qxc2 36.Qd2 Qc7?!

The engines much prefer 36...Nc6 or 36...Qxd2, although, even after the text, they still reckon Black has a positionally won game.

37.Nxg5!?

The engines suggest 37.Kh3!?, 37.Ne1, 37.Bf1 or 37.Bh3, but they do not out-and-out condemn the text either.

How should Black respond?

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37...Bh6!

This is best, although it leaves Black a pawn down. Also good is Stockfish17.1's second choice, 37...Nxf5, provided Black sees the same ...Bh6 idea. Dragon1's second choice, 37...Qc2, is also probably winning.

38.Ne6 Bxd2 39.Nxc7

Why is Black winning despite being a pawn down?

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Black's bishops are more active than White's, and Black will be able to create an advanced passed pawn, against which White's pieces are not well-placed to contend, whereas Black's king is ideally situated to deal with White's extra kingside pawn.

39...Bc1?

But this is the wrong way to go about matters. After 39...b4 40.axb4 Bc1!, White is helpless, eg 41.Nb5 Bxb2 42.Bf2 a3 43.Nxa3 Bxa3, when Black's extra piece should prevail easily.

40.Nxb5 Bxb2 41.Bf2 Bd1!?

Possibly better is 41...Bc1 or 41...Kg7, in each case with full compensation for a pawn, according to the engines. They do not like the text when it is inputted, and for quite a few moves afterwards, but later judge that it is OK.

42.Bh4 Be2 43.Bxf6 Nc6

Not 43...Bxd3?? 44.Bxe7 Bxb5 45.g5, and if 45...d3, then simply 46.Bf3.

White has one move to maintain at least equality - everything else loses

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44.Na7?

Also losing is 44.g5? Bxd3 45.Nc7 Bxa3, and 44.Bg5? Bxd3 45.Nc7 Bxa3, and 44.Kg3? Bxd3 45.Nc7 Bxa3.

But the engines' 44.Kg1! is another story, eg 44...Bxd3? 45.Bf1! Bxe4 46.Bc4+ Kf8 47.Bg5! Na5 48.Be6 Nb7 49.f6 Bg6 50.Bh6+ Ke8 51.Bd5 Nd8 52.Nd6+ Kd7 53.Nc4 Bc3 54.Nxe5+ Kd6 55.f7, when White wins a piece.

So 44.Kg1! should be met with 44...Bc1!, eg 45.Bf1 Be3+ 46.Kg2 Bxg4, when the engines reckon Black has enough activity to make up for a being a pawn down.

44...Nxa7 45.Bxe5 Bxd3 46.Bd6 Be2 47.e5

Black to play and win ... or lose

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47...d3??

This turns an advantage worth +3.00, or possibly more, into a disadvantage worth more than -7.00. Instead, Black wins by attacking the white dark-square bishop with 47...Nb5 or 47..Nc8, or by taking control of the g8-a2 diagonal with 47...Bc4.

48.Bd5+ Kh7

Even worse is 48...Kg7? as that allows 49.f6+ with tempo.

White to play and win ... or lose

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49.Bc4??

Both 49.f6 and 49.Be4 win without any trouble.

49...Nc8 50.Kg3?

This does not help, but White should lose anyway after the engines' top choice, 50.Bc7, eg 50...Bxa3 51.g5 Bc1 52.g6+ Kh6 53.Kg2 Bf4 54.Kf2 Bg4! 55.Bxd3 a3 56.Bb1 Bxf5! 57.Ba2 Kxg6, after which Black will win White's last pawn, and so be up knight and pawn. White will eventually have to give up a piece for the a pawn, although Black may have to show how to win with king, bishop and knight versus king.

50...Nxd6 51.exd6 Be5+ 52.Kf2 Bxd6 53.g5 Bxa3 54.Ke3!?

This is Stockfish17.1's top choice, which means White's position is completely hopeless.

54...Bc1+ 55.Kd4 Bxg5 0-1

Weimar Round Five

Spanton (1939) - Erich Krüger (2033)

Caro-Kann Tartakower

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.Be3!?

6.Be3!? is a favourite of Ian Nepomniachtchi and Wesley So

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6...Bd6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.Ne2 Re8 9.Qd2!?

Castling is normal.

9...Qc7!?

Ensuring White can only castle short after moving a kingside pawn.

10.c4!?

Playing this without first spending a tempo on c3 is one of the points of 6.Be3!? However the engines suggest 10.h3 or 10.0-0-0!?

10...c5!

The problem with continuing development with, say, 10...Nd7, is White can reply 11.c5!, knocking Black's dark-square bishop off its best diagonal, which is worth it, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1, despite giving up the d5 square.

How should White respond?

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11.dxc5!?

One point of this is White will be able to castle short without spending a tempo on moving a kingside pawn. 11.d5 is an obvious alternative, and the engines also suggest 11.h3 and 11.0-0-0!?, in all four cases with what they reckon is an equal position.

11...Bxc5 12.Bxc5 Qxc5 13.0-0 Nc6 14.b3!

The engines agree this apparent-novelty improves on the known 14.Rad1, when Borislav Praštalo (2222) - Nermin Haznadar (2044), Bosnia-Herzegovina Team Championship 2024, went 14...Bg4 15.Rde1!? Red8!?, with a slight edge for Black, according to the engines (but 1-0, 46 moves).

14...Bg4 15.h3?!

This spends a tempo encouraging Black to make a move he probably wanted to play anyway. Possibly best is 15.Nf4!?

15...Bxe2 16.Bxe2 Rad8 17.Qb2

Not 17.Qc2?? Nd4.

17...Nd4 18.Rfe1??

The engines suggest 18.Bd1!?, but Black has the initiative.

After 18.Rfe1?? it is Black to play and win

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18...Qe5!

Other moves, eg 18...Qa5, are also good, but the text leaves White busted.

19.Kf1

Or 19.Bf1 Nf3+ and 20...Qxb2.

19...Qh2 20.f3 Nf5!?

Simpler is 20...Nxe2 21.Rxe2 Rxe2, after which White loses at least a rook. However, the text also wins quickly.

21.Kf2

Objectively best, or, rather, least-worst, is 21.Bd3 Ne3+ 22.Rxe3 Rxe3 23.Be4 f5 24.Qf2!? Qh1+ 25.Qg1 Qxg1+ 26.Kxg1 fxe4, but clearly this is also hopeless.

21...Qg3+ 22.Kg1 Nh4 0-1

Weimar Round Four

Ralf Schober (2070) - Spanton (1939)

Bird

1.f4 c5 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 g6 4.Bb5+!?

This is the top choice of Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1.

4...Bd7

The engines like 4...Nd7!?, although Dragon1 comes to marginally prefer the text.

5.Qe2 Nc6 6.Bxc6!?

This may be a novelty. Only castling is in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.

6...Bxc6 7.Ne5 Qc7 8.b3 Bg7 9.Bb2 Nh6 10.0-0 0-0

With both sides having castled, how would you assess the position?

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White has more kingside space; Black enjoys more space on the central/queenside. White has a well-posted knight at e5, but Black's bishop-pair is a genuine asset as the knight is pinned, and so cannot simply chop on c6. The engines give Black a slight edge.

11.d3 f6?!

But this breaks the pin, and so gives up the bishop-pair - probably too high a price to pay for evicting the knight. The engines suggest 11...Nf5, 11...b5 or 11...Rad8, in each case preserving the bishops.

12.Nxc6 Qxc6 13.Nd2 Rae8

White has a slight edge after 13...e5 14.fxe5 fxe5 15.e4, according to the engines.

14.e4 e5

The engines reckon it is better to advance the e pawn only one square as, after the text, Black gets an isolated king's pawn.

15.fxe5 fxe5 16.Rxf8+ Rxf8 17.exd5 Qxd5

Black has a central isolani, which also means an extra pawn-island, and a bad bishop

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18.Re1 Re8 19.Qe4 Qxe4 20.Nxe4 b6 21.Nd6 Re7 22.Nc4 Nf7

All black pieces, arguably including the king, are less active than their white counterparts, but the e pawn is not in imminent danger of being captured, which is why the engines give White no more than a slight edge 

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23.a4 Re6 24.Kf1 Kf8 25.Ba3 Ke8 26.Re2 Kd7 27.Bb2 Kc6 28.h3 Kd5

The black king has been fully activated, helping to overprotect e5, while the white king has hardly moved, leading Stockfish17.1 to call the game equal, although Dragon1 still gives White a slight edge

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29.Rf2!?

Positions with a central isolani are usually easier to defend without heavy pieces on the board, but RS could presumably find no other way to try to make progress.

29...Rf6 30.Ne3+ Ke6 31.c4!?

The engines are happy with this. It makes d3 backward, but creates a potential outpost at d5.

31...Rxf2+ 32.Kxf2 h5 33.Nd5 Kd6 34.Nc3 Kc6

Not 34...Ke6? 35.Nb5 a6 36.Nc7+, or 35...a5 36.Nc7+ Kd7 37.Kc7 Ne7+, with White in each case winning at least a pawn.

35.Ne4 Kd7 36.Kf3 Nd8!?

This and 36...a5!? are the engines' top choices, but 36...Nd6!? may also be playable, although Dragon1 is doubtful.

37.Bc3 Ne6 38.g3 Kc6 39.h4 Kd7 40.Ke3 Bh6+ 41.Kf2 Bg7 42.Kf3

The white king's triangulation has brought about the same position as after 39...Kd7, but this time with Black, rather than White, to move. However, that makes no significant difference.

42...Kc6 43.Nf2

How should Black proceed?

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43...Kd6

Not 43...e4+? 44.Nxe4 Bxc3 45.Nxc3 Nd4+ as 46.Kf4 Nxb3 47.Kg5 wins easily for White.

44.Ke4 Nf8 45.b4!? Nd7!?

Dragon1 strongly dislikes this. Stockfish17.1 is not so sure, but the engines agree that better is 45...cxb4!? 46.Bxb4 Kc6! 47.Bxf8 Bxf8 as 48.Kxe5 Bd6+ 49.Kf6 Bxg3 50.Ne4 Bxh4 51.Kxg6 is completely equal. But note that the natural-looking 46...Ke6? loses to 47.Nh3!, eg 47...Nh7 (47...Nd7? 48.Ng5+ Kf6 49.Kd5) 48.Ng5+ Nxg5 49.hxg5 Bh8 50.Bf8 Kd7 51.a5! bxa5 52.Kd5 a4 53.c5! Kc7!? 54.c6!? Kc8 55.Ba3 Kd8 56.Ke6 Kc7 57.Kf7 Kxc6 58.Kxg6 Kd5 59.Bb2 Kc5 60.Kh7 e4 61.Bxh8 exd3 62.Bc3 a3 63.g6 a2 64.g7 d2 65.Bxd2 a1=Q, after which, despite queening first, Black has no perpetual, and cannot pick up the loose bishop, and so is lost - a long line, with several hard-to-spot moves, but the engines show much of it is more-or-less forcing.

46.b5 Nf6+ 47.Ke3 Bh6+ 48.Kf3 Ke6 49.a5

How should Black continue?

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49...bxa5!?

Possibly best is 49...Bf8, despite this allowing 50.a6, after which Black has to watch out for White sacrificing on c5 or b6 to get the a pawn home.

50.Bxa5

How big is White's advantage?

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Dragon1 gives White the upper hand, but it reckons both of Black's most plausible moves, 50...Bf8 and 50...Kd7, leave White exactly 0.75 ahead, which in endings can be a sign that the position should be drawn with best play. Stockfish17.1 gives White a slight edge, which tends to confirm that the game is holdable.

50...Bf8 51.Ne4!?

How should Black respond?

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51...Nxe4!

This is best, according to Stockfish17.1, despite giving White a good-v-bad bishop ending. Dragon1 reckons 51...Bd6 is equally good, but Stockfish17.1 disagrees.

52.Kxe4

The key to the ending is whether Black can avoid falling into a zugzwang that either loses a pawn or lets the white king in at d5 

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52...Bd6 53.Bd8 Bb8 54.Bg5 Bd6 55.Bh6 Be7 56.Bd2 Bd8 57.Be3 Be7

An only-move as 57...Bb6? loses to 58.Bf2 Kd6 59.g4! hxg4 60.Bg3 Ke6 61.Bxe5, eg 61...Bd8 62.Bg3 Bf6 63.Kf4 be7 64.Kxg4, after which Black is a pawn down and still has weaknesses.

58.Bh6 Bd6 59.Bg7 Bc7 60.Bf8 Bd6

Another only-move as 60...Bb6? loses to triangulation, eg  61.Ke3 Kf5 62.Bd6 Ke6 63.Bb8 Kf5 64.Kf3 Ke6 65.Ke4 and 66.Bxe5(+), and if 61...Kf7, then 62.Bd6 Ke6 63.Bb8 wins in the same way.

61.Bh6

Or 61.Bxd6 Kxd6, when the pawn ending is also drawn.

61...Bc7 62.Be3 Bd6 63.Bd2 Bc7 64.Bc3 Bd6 65.Ba5 Bb8 66.Bd8 Bd6 67.Ba5 ½–½

Weimar Round Three

Spanton (1939) - Kurt Wiest (1800)

French Exchange

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bb5!?

This is easily the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.

5...Bd6 6.0-0 Ne7 7.Re1 0-0

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

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The game looks fairly equal to the naked eye, and that is how Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 evaluate it.

8.Bg5 Bg4 9.c3 Qd7!?

This seems to be a novelty. The engines prefer the known 9...f6, but they also like another apparent-novelty in 9...Qc8!?

10.h3 Bh5

And here the engines reckon Black ought to play 10...Bxf3 or 10...Be6.

How should White proceed?

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11.g4?

The engines give 11.Ne5!, eg 11...Bxd1? 12.Nxd7 Rfd8 13.Bxc6 bxc6 14.Bxe7. Better is 11...Bxe5, but then 12.Qxh5 Bd6 13.Bd3 g6 (13...h6 14.Nd2!?) 14.Qf3 is good for White.

How should Black meet the inferior g4?

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11...Bxg4!?

Also possible is 11...Bg6, as long as 12.Ne5 is met by 12...Qc8 or 12...Bxe5, and not, for example, by 12...Qd8?, when 13.Bxc6 leaves Black with nothing better than 13...f6!? 14.Nxg6 hxg6 15.Ba4 fxg5.

However, the engines' 11...f6!? may be best, eg 12.Bh4 Be8!? 13.Bg3 f5, when the white king's position looks decidedly shaky.

12.hxg4 Qxg4+ 13.Kf1 Nf5

White's king escapes to the queenside after 13...Qh3+ 14.Ke2.

14.Nbd2 Qh3+!?

Stockfish17.1 is not keen on this, but it is Dragon1's equal-top choice at first. However, possibly ...R(either)e8 is best, eg 14...Rae8 15.Be3 Qg2 16.Kd3 Qg6 17.Ke2, when Black can settle for a repetition with 17...Qg2, or try for more with 17...Bf4. That is why the engines suggest 15.Bd3, when Black can take a draw with 15...Qh3+ 16.Kg1 Qg4+ etc, or again try for more, one line running 15...h6 16.Rxe8 Rxe8 17.Bxf5 Qxf5 18.Be3 Qh3+ 19.Ke2 (19.Kg1?? Re6 etc) Qe6, with equal chances, according to the engines.

15.Ke2 Ng3+?

This works in some lines, but not here. Instead, 15...Rae8+ 16.Kd3 leaves Black slightly worse, according to the engines, but enjoying much the safer king in continuing complications.

16.fxg3 Rfe8+ 17.Be3 Rxe3+!?

This may be best, but White is winning.

18.Kxe3 Re8+ 19.Ne5 Bxe5

What should White play?

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20.dxe5?

Both 20.Bxc6 and 20.Qf3 leave White with a substantial advantage.

20...Rxe5+ 21.Kd3?

White still has an edge after 21.Ne4!, eg 21...Rxe4+? 22.Kd2. However 21...Qh6+! is much less clear, eg 22.Kd3 dxe4+ 23.Kc2 Rxb5.

21...Qf5+

Black is winning

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22.Ne4 Rxe4?

The wrong way to capture. After 22...dxe4+ 23.Kc2 Rxb5 Black has three pawns for the exchange, and a continuing attack.
23.Rxe4?

The engines agree White is winning after 23.Kd2! as Black does not have enough for a rook, even though the extra rook is out of play for the present.

23...dxe4+ 24.Kc2?!

Objectively bad, but 24.Kc4 concedes a draw after a series of only-moves, viz 24...Qe6+ 25.Qd5 Ne5+ 26.Kd4 Nf3+ 27.Kc4 and 27...Ne5+ or 27...Nd2+.

24...Qxb5

Black has emerged from the complications with three pawns for the exchange

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25.Qf1!? Qg5

After 25...Qxf1 (Dragon1's second choice, at least for a while), Black is better, but much less so than after 25...Qc5, according to the engines. They reckon the text also keeps an advantage, but again less so than after 25...Qc5, when the knight threatens both ...Nb4+ and ...Nd4+.

26.Re1 Qg6?!

Black should probably settle for 26...Qxg3 27.Rxe4 Qg6! 28.Qd3 f6, with at least the upper hand, according to the engines.

27.Qb5?

As Dutch player Stef van Kesteren pointed out when we looked at the game later, 27.Qf4 is good, giving complete equality, according to the engines.

27...e3+?

27...Qxg3 28.Rxe4 Qg6! is very similar to the note at move 26, and transposes after 29.Qd3 (29.Qd5 may be a marginal improvement).

28.Qd3 Qxd3+

The engines fluctuate between this and 28...Qf6, but, either way, White wins the e pawn.

29.Kxd3

How would you assess this rook-v-knight ending?

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Black, temporarily, has three pawns for the exchange, but that will soon be reduced to two. A knight and two pawns for a rook is not a material disadvantage by most -point-count systems. Indeed, since computer analysis seems to put a minor piece's average value at 3.25 points, Black could even be thought to have a slight material edge. But this is an ending, which is when rooks are usually strongest, so it is perhaps not surprising that the engines give White the upper hand.

29...Ne5+ 30.Kxe3 f6

The engines much prefer 30...Kf8!?

KW offered a draw.

31.Ke4

Even stronger is 31.Rd1, getting the rook into Black's position, and not worrying about 31...Nc4+ as the rook will wreak havoc against the black queenside.

31...Kf7 32.Rd1 Ke7

The king is in time to keep the rook out, but White can continue probing.

33.Rd5 Nd7 34.Rh5 h6 35.Rh2 c6 36.Rd2 g6 37.c4

The engines do not like this, suggesting 37.b4!?, 37.Re2 or 37.Kd4.

37...f5+

The engines suggest 37...a5 or 37...h5.

38.Kf4 Ke6?

They still prefer ...a5. After the text, which is Dragon1's second choice for a while, the rook can enter Black's position.

39.Re2+ Kf7

Or 39...Kf6 40.Re8.

40.Rh2 Kg7

40...h5 may be the lesser evil, but 41.Rd2, as in the game, is strong.

41.Rd2 Nf6 42.Rd8 b5

This does not help, but Black is lost anyway.

43.Ra8 bxc4 44.Rxa7+ Kg8 45.Ra6

Not 45.Rc7?? Nd5+.

45...Nd5+ 46.Ke5 Nb4 47.Rb6 Nd3+

After 47...Nxa2 48.Rxc6, the other c pawn also falls.

48.Kf6 f4!?

Perhaps the best try - White can still go wrong.

49.Rb8+Kh7 50.Rb7+ Kg8 51.gxf4

Not 51.Kxg6? as 51...Ne5+ draws, eg 52.Kf5 f3 53.Kf6 (53.Kxe5?? f2) f2 54.Rb8+ Kh7 55.Rb7+ Kg8 56.Rb8+ etc.

51...Nxf4 52.a4 g5 53.Kf5 Nd5 54.a5 Ne3+ 55.Kg6 1-0

New Sponsor, New Pen

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Weimar Round Two

Rolf Müggenburg (1716) - Spanton (1939)

Colle

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 Bd6!?

More common are 3...f5!?, 3...c5 and especially 3...Nf6.

4.Bd3 Nc6!?

Overwhelmingly most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database is going for a Dutch Stonewall with 4...f5!?

5.c3 e5!?

Black is first to get in a central pawn-break, and this seems worthwhile, despite the loss of time involved in moving the e pawn twice so early in the game

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6.dxe5 Nxe5 7.Nxe5 Bxe5 8.0-0 Qh4!?

This apparent-novelty - the known move is 8...Nf6 - is not liked by Stockfish17.1 or Dragon1.

9.f4

Also possible is 9.g3, especially as 9...Qh3 can be met by 10.Bb5+! c6 11.Qxd5!, while 9.h3!? invites a draw by repetition with 9...Bxh3 10.gxh3 f4 11.Qg3+ etc.

9...Bd6 10.Nd2

The engines again like Bb5+

10...Bg4 11.Qb3

RM offered a draw, shortly after pressing the clock.

How should Black react?

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11...0-0-0!?

The engines agree this is best, although they reckon Black is also fine after 11...Nf6 12.Qxb7 0-0.

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

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White's pawn-structure makes the white dark-square bishop a sorry-looking piece, but, as usual, opposite-side castling introduces a lot of uncertainties. The engines give Black a slight edge.

12.Nf3

Not 12.Qxd5?? Bxf4 as 13.Bf5 can be answered by the wining 13...Kb8.

12...Qh5 13.Qc2!?

This both covers the kingside and frees the b2 pawn to advance.

13...Nf6 14.h3 Bd7 15.Qf2?!

The engines strongly dislike this, claiming White is equal after 15.Ng5.

15....Ne4 16.Qh4 Qg6

Black is also much better after 16...Qxh4!? 17.Nxh4 Rde8!?, according to the engines.

17.Nd4 Be7??

Black has a positionally won game after several moves, including 17...c5 and 17...Rhe8, according to the engines.

18.Qxe7

I had somehow missed that the bishop was hanging.

18...Bxh3 19.Bxe4 dxe4 20.Qg5 ½–½

RM had again offered a draw after pressing his clock, but this time I was less inclined to be sniffy about it.

Case Study

GOT up before 06:30, had an early breakfast, and walked into Weimar, the venue-hotel being just over a mile from the centre.

Overnight snow greeted me as I left the Leonardo 

I realised pharmacies (probably) and clothes shops (definitely) would not be open for at least an hour or two, but I hoped to have an espresso in a bakery to pass the time.

Unfortunately, the only bakeries I found open had push-button machines, rather than proper coffee-making facilities, so I had to tramp around until 08:00, waiting for another one (all the cafes were closed).

But later I was able to buy toiletries, and found a C&A that opened at 09:30 (virtually everywhere else opened at 10:00, and all shops were closed yesterday), so I was able to get some clothes, and catch a taxi back to the hotel, ready for the start of round two at 10:00.

After the game - more on that later - I received a message on behalf of British Airways stating that my missing suitcase would be delivered tomorrow, although at what time is anyone's guess.

Weimar Round One

Spanton (1939) - Stefan Krämer (1544)

Spanish Cozio

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nge7 4.Nc3 a6 5.Bc4!? b5 6.Bxf7+??

White has the upper hand after 6.Bb3, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1.

6...Kxf7 7.Ng5+ Kg8

The only game to reach the position in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database saw Black blunder back with 7...Ke8??

After the text, Black is up bishop for pawn, but the engines reckon Black's advantage is worth much more

*****

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8.Qf3 Qe8 9.Nd5 Nd4 10.Qg3!?

In for a penny, in for a pound.

10...Nxd5 11.exd5 Nxc2+ 12.Kd1 Nxa1

Black is rook and bishop up, and there is no guarantee of White capturing the black knight

*****

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13.d4 Qg6 14.Bd2 d6

Not 14...Qb1+ 15.Ke2 Qxh1?? as 16.Qf3 mates.

15.dxe5 dxe5 16.Ke2!?

16.Qxe5 encourages Black to develop with tempo with 16...Bd6.

16...Bf5!?

Giving back the minor piece, but developing, and keeping a massive advantage.

17.Rxa1 Bd6 18.Qb3 Qh5+ 19.f3

If 19.Nf3?!, then 19...e4.

19...h6 20.Ne6 Qxh2 21.Kf2 Qh4+ 22.Kg1 Bxe6 23.dxe6 Bc5+ 24.Be3 Bxe3+ 25.Qxe3 Qd4 26.Re1 c5 27.Kh1 Qh4+

Black is up the equivalent of a queen (Dragon1), or at least more than a rook (Stockfish17.1), after 27...Qxe3 28.Rxe3 Kf8.

28.Kg1 Qd4 29.Kh1 Qh4+ ½–½

Playing Conditions (Weimar)

Playing hall before the start of round one

The seniors' championship of Thuringia is divided into two sections, 50+ and 65+, but will be played as one group, principally, I am told, because there are many fewer entries in the 'junior' age group.

Meanwhile my luggage has still not turned up.

Yesterday I was told it would reach Frankfurt airport at 22:00 last night, and be delivered to my hotel today or possibly tomorrow.

The latest I have learnt from British Airways' tracking system is that my bag, as of Sunday lunchtime, has still not reached Frankfurt.

New Tournament (For Me)

CAUGHT British Airways' 13:00 flight from Heathrow to Frankfurt today - but without my luggage.

BA somehow failed to send it after a day of chaos at Terminal 5, where the conveyor-belt system broke down.

Meanwhile I was delayed for the best part of two hours at Frankfurt passport control, thanks to new partly-automated border controls.

I finally arrived shortly after 21:00 at my hotel in Weimar, where the 3rd Thüringer seniors starts tomorrow.

Fortunately the hotel, which is also the venue, has lent me a charger for my phone - buying one tonight was out of the question, and it might have proved difficult tomorrow, being a Sunday.

BA say my luggage should reach me tomorrow, or maybe Monday! Apparently it all depends on the driver employed by their baggage-handlers at Frankfurt ...

Hopefully all will work out well as I have seven rounds of chess ahead, with a time limit of 40 moves in 90 minutes, plus 30 minutes to finish, and a 30-second increment throughout.

The first round is at 15:00, with the rest at 10:00, and there is no double-round day.

Three international masters and three Fide masters are among the 145 entries.