Summing Up My 4NCL Weekend

MY score for Wessex B of +1=0-1 lost 8.2 Fide elo and 6.0 ECF elo.

Unfortunately the weekend was spoilt by tables being placed so close together that some chairs were almost touching back-to-back.

This was completely unnecessary as there was plenty of space in the playing room for the tables to have been set up properly.

4NCL Day Two

PLAYED on board one (of six) for Wessex B against Eternal Optimists 2 in weekend three of the Four Nations Chess League Division Four.

Paul Badger (1797 ECF/1883 Fide) - Spanton (1928 ECF/1939 Fide)

King's Gambit

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

There are 110 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database - 11 of the games are mine.

How should White respond?

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4.Nc3!?

More popular are 4.exd5 and 4.Nxe5. Both moves are also much more successful percentagewise, but the text is the top choice of Stockfish17.1.

4...d4!?

This more-or-less commits to sacrificing the dark-square bishop.

5.Nb1?!

This is probably a mistake. A key line runs 5.Na4 Bd6!? 6.fxe5 Bxe5! (otherwise White is massively better) 7.Nxe5 Qh4+ 8.g3 Qxe4+ 9.Qe2 Qxh1 10.Ng6+ Be6 11.Nxh8, with an unclear position that Stockfish17.1 reckons is completely equal, but that Dragon1 evaluates as giving White a slight edge. However, White may have an improvement in 7.Bc4!? Nc6 8.0-0, which seems to have been first played in David McTavish - Todd Southam, Canadian U18 Championship (Winnipeg) 1985. That game continued 8...Nf6 9.Nc5!? Qd6 10.Nd3 Bg4!? 11.Bxf7+!? Ke7! 12.Ndxe5 Nxe5 13.Bb3, with another unclear position (the engines disagree about which side is better), although White went on to win.

5...exf4!

The engines reckon this apparent-novelty is a major improvement on the known 5...Bg4.

6.d3 g5 7.h4

The engines suggest 7.c3 or 7.h3.

7...g4 8.Ne5 h5 9.c3!?

This seems best. The problem with 9.Bxf4?! is 9...Qf6, eg 10.g3 Bd6.

9...Qf6!?

Attacking the advanced knight and defending f4.

10.b4!?

The engines agree this is best.

10...Qxe5 11.bxc5 dxc3

The engines prefer 11...Nc6 or 11...f3!?

How should White proceed?

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12.Qc2

This looks natural, but the engines slightly prefer 12.d4!? Qxe4+ 13.Qe2 Qxe2+ 14.Bxe2, when White is three pawns down, but Black has obvious weaknesses, a sample line running 14...Nc6 15.Nxc3 f3 16.gxf3 gxf3 17.Bxf3 Nxd4 18.Bg2!? Nc2+ 19.Kf2 Nxa1, after which White is a rook and two pawns down, but has dangerous play, eg 20.Nb5 Rb8 21.Nxc7+ Kd8 22.Bf4 Bd7 23.Na6!? Rc8 24.Bxb7 Nc2 25.Rd1!? Ke7!? 26.Rd2 Bf5!? 27.Bxc8 Bxc8 28.Re2+ Kf8 29.Nc7 Bf5 30.Re8+ Kg7 31.Nd5, when White is a knight down, but has full compensation, according to the engines. There are numerous alternatives along the way amid the chaos.

12...Nc6 13.Qxc3 f6 14.Bb2 Bd7?!

Much better, according to the engines, is 14...Nge7.

15.Nd2 Qxc3 16.Bxc3 0-0-0 17.d4 Nge7!?

Played with the coming piece sacrifice in mind.

18.d5 Ne5 19.c6 N7xc6!?

19...Be8?! 20.cxb7+ is good for White after both 20...Kxb7 and 20...Kb8, according to the engines.

20.dxc6 Bxc6

How would you assess this queenless middlegame?

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Black has three pawns for a bishop, but White also has the bishop-pair. Two of Black's pawns are doubled, but two have reached the fifth rank, and White's pawns are weak. Black has the safer king and a slight lead in development. For quite some time, both engines call the position completely equal, but Dragon1 comes to slightly favour Black.

21.Be2?!

The engines much prefer 21.0-0-0 or 21.Rc1.

21...Nd3+!? 22.Bxd3 Rxd3 23.Bxf6 Re3+ 24.Kd1 Rf8 25.e5!? Bxg2 26.Re1 Rxe1+?!

The engines strongly dislike this, reckoning 26...Rh3!? is winning.

27.Kxe1 Bd5

How would you assess this ending?

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Black has three pawns for a knight (rather than for a bishop), but king safety is no longer a serious issue (at least, certainly not for White). Black has a pair of connected passed pawns, but White also has a passer, and both of White's kingside pawns are solidly protected. The presence of opposite-colour bishops should favour whichever side can gain the initiative. Dragon1 reckons the position is completely equal; Stockfish17.1 gives White a tiny edge.

28.Rc1 g3 29.Rc3

The engines suggest 29.Nb3!?, 29.Kf1 or 29.Kf2.

29...Kd7

Black has at least a slight edge after 29...b5!?, according to the engines.

I was tempted by 29...Rg8 30.Bg5 Rxg5!? 31.hxg5 h4, but the position may just be equal (that, at least, is the engines' verdict).

30.Nf3 c6

The engines dislike this, suggesting 30...Rg8, and if 31.Bg5, then 31...Ke6!?, or 30...Bxa2!?, and if, after the latter, 31.Ra3?!, then 31...Bc4, as 32.Rxa7 runs into 32...Ba6. However, in both lines, 31.Rd3(+) may be an improvement.

31.a3

White has at least a slight edge after 31.Nd4, according to the engines, but their more-or-less main line runs 31...b5 32.Ne2 Rg8 33.Bg5 b4 34.Rd3 Re8 35.Nxf4 Rxe5+ 36.Kf1 Kd6, when they reckon chances are equal.

31...b5 32.Rd3

Nd4 may still be White's best.

32...Kc7 33.Ng5

Threatening 34.Rxd5! cxd5 35.Ne6+ etc.

33...Kb6 34.Nf3 a5 35.Nd4!?

Dragon1 for quite some time rates this as a serious mistake, but comes to agree with Stockfish17.1 that the position remains equal.

How should Black proceed?

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35...b4!?

Getting a second queenside passer is desirable, if it can be done safely, and this also sets a trap.

36.axb4 axb4 37.Be7?

White had to play 37.Ne2!, when the engines reckon Black is at most slightly better.

37...Re8

Probably even stronger are 37...g2!? and 37...Ra8!?

38.Bd6

If 38.Bxb4, then 38...Rxe5+ 39.Kd2 (39.Kf1 Bc4) g2, or 38.Bf6 and either 38...Rg8 or 38...Ra8, with ...g2 to come.

38...Rg8 39.Rd1

There is nothing better, according to the engines.

39...f3 40.Kf1 c5 41.Nxf3!?

This keeps the game going, but after ...

41...Bxf3

... White is two pawns down, and opposite-colour bishops should not be enough to save the game.

42.Rc1 Rc8 43.e6 g2+ 44.Kf2 Bd5 45.e7 Bf7 46.Kxg2

White has reduced the deficit to one pawn, and has a passer on the seventh rank, but is still losing, according to the engines

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46...b3 47.Rf1 Be8 48.Be5 Kb5?

This throws away most of Black's advantage, which could have been maintained by, for example 48...c4, when 49.Rf6+ Kb5 50.Rd6 is simply met by 50...Rc7!?, after which 51.Rd8 runs into 51...Rxe7, while 51.Rd5+ Rc5 52.Rxc5+ Kxc5 53.Bc3 is not enough for a draw as Black has 53...Kb5 (an only-move, but a fairly obvious one) 54.Kf3 Ka4 55.Ke4 (55.Bb2 Kb4) Ka3 56.Kd4 b2 57.Bxb2+ Kxb2 58.Kxc4 Kc2.

Analysis diagram - position after 58...Kc2

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It might at first glance seem as if the white king is well-placed, but it cannot both win the bishop and protect the h4 pawn. And note that Black's bishop is the right colour for promoting the h5 pawn, so it would not matter if White's king could get in front of Black's pawn on the h file. A likely finish is 59.Kd5 Kd3 60.Ke5 Ke3 61.Kf6 Kf4 62.Kg7 Kg4 63.Kf8 Ba4 64.e8=Q Bxe8 65.Kxe8 Kxh4 etc.

Returning to the position after 48...c4, White could try 49.Rd1, with the same idea of playing Rd8, but 49...Rc5! wins (49...Bc6+!? may also be good enough), eg 50.Bd4 c3, as after 51.Bxc5+ Kxc5 the white rook cannot cope with connected passed pawns on the sixth rank.

Back to the game.

White to play and draw

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49.Rf6+?

Drawing is 49.Rd1 as Black no longer has ...Rc5, and pushing the c pawn with 49...c4?? loses to 50.Rd8. Black has to play something like 49...Bc6+ 50.Kf2 Re8, but 51.Bf6 holds, eg 51...c4 52.Ke2 Kb4 53.Rd6 Bb5 54.Kd2 (an only-move, but not too difficult to find), after which the engines show neither side can make progress.

49...Bc6+

Now this is strong, but it is not the only winning move, according to the engines.

50.Kf2 Re8 51.Rf5

51.Bd6?! protects the e pawn, but loses to 51...b2, while 51.Rf7 also protects the e pawn, but 51...Kb4 will win.

51...Ka4?

Several moves win, including 51...Rxe7, when 53.Bd6 fails to 53...b2.

52.Bc3 Kb5

Not 52...c4?? 53.Ra5#, while 52...Rxe7 53.Rxc5 leaves no winning chances.

White to play and draw

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53.Rxh5?

53.Bf6 protects the e pawn, and lets White win Black's h pawn, or Black can try 53...b2, but 54.Bxb2 Rxe7 55.Rxh5 is also a draw.

White could probably also play 53.Bd4?!, as long 53...Kc4 is met by 54.Bf6, when the engines reckon that after 54...Rxe7!? 55.Bxe7 b2 56.Rxc5+ Kd3 57.Rxc6 b1=Q Black has a fortress, although Black could play on in the hope of inducing a mistake. Black could also try 54...Rb8, but 55.Bb2 also draws, according to the engines, although again there is play in the position, which could see White go wrong.

53...Rxe7 54.Rg5 Kc4 55.Bb2 Kb4 56.Rg3 Bb5 57.Re3 Ra7

White has an easy draw after 57...Rxe3?? 58.Kxe3 as 58...c4 can be answered by 59.Kd4 or 59.Kd2.

58.Re4+ c4 59.Be5 Ra2+ 60.Kg3 Bc6 61.Re1 c3 62.Re3

Or 62.Bxc3+!? Kxc3 63.h5 b2 64.h6 Be4!? etc.

62...c2 63.Re1 b2 0-1

Eternal Optimists 2 won the match 3.5-2.5.

Brain Exercise

SAW this serial number on a Northern Line train: 52529.

As usual, each number should be used once, and once only, and must be added, subtracted, multiplied or divided to make a balanced equation.
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My solution: 5 + 5 - (2÷ 2) = 9

4NCL

PLAYED on board one (of six) for Wessex B against a junior (born 2012) from Guildford Young Guns B in weekend three of the Four Nations Chess League Division Four.

Spanton (1928 ECF/1939 Fide) - Elijah De Lange (1840 ECF/1664 Fide)

Pirc

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 c5!?

A well-known idea in the Pirc. The point is that after ...

6.dxc5

... Black does not have to recapture immediately.

6...Qa5 7.Bd3 Qxc5 8.Qe2 Bg4 9.Be3 Qb4!?

This is a rarely played alternative to the normal 9...Qa5.

How should White respond?

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10.0-0

Stockfish17.1 also likes 10.a3!? Qxb2 11.Kd2!?

10...Nbd7!?

This apparent-novelty is Stockfish17.1's top choice, at least for a while. Known moves are 10...0-0, 10...Nc6 and 10...Qxb2? The capture is bad because of the reply 11.Nb5, when 11...Na6 loses the black queen to 12.Rfb1.

11.a3 Qa5

Not 11...Qxb2?? 12.Na4.

12.b4!?

This makes the c pawn backward, but takes away the c5 square from the black queen's knight.

12...Qd8 13.Rad1 0-0

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

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White has more space and a lead in development, but Black has a solid position - one that looks as if it could have come from the Dragon Variation of the Sicilian. Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 give White a slight edge.

14.Qf2

The engines suggest 14.h3 or 14.Qe1!?

14...Bxf3!?

This is a common idea in the Pirc/Modern complex. Black gives up the light-square bishop for the white king's knight, usually as preparation for playing ...e5. Ideally, from a black perspective, the capture is provoked by White spending a tempo on playing h3. White has not done that here, but it could be argued 14.Qf2 is a similar spend of a tempo, in that after the text White is obliged to recapture on f3 with the queen.

15.Qxf3 a6 16.Rfe1

The engines claim White has at least a slight edge after 16.Ne2!? or 16.Nb1!?

16...Rc8 17.Nb1!? Qc7?!

This is strongly disliked by the engines. They reckon both 17...b5 and 17...Nb6 equalise.

18.c4 a5 19.Rc1 axb4 20.axb4 b6 21.Nc3 Ra8 22.Nd5 Nxd5 23.cxd5 Qb7

How should White proceed?

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24.Rc6

Active and aggressive, but Black has counterplay. The engines suggest 24.Bb5.

24...Ra3 25.Bb5?

Too late. White still has chances of a small edge after 25.Qe2.

25...Bc3!?

The 'Dragon' bishop strikes.

What should White play?

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26.Rb1?!

Stockfish17.1 gives 26.Rc1!? Bd2 27.Bxd2 Rxf3 28.gxf3, which is the same as the game, except the white king's rook is on the open c file instead of passively placed behind the b4 pawn. Dragon1 comes to view both moves as equally good.

26...Bd2 27.Bxd2

There is nothing better.

27...Rxf3 28.gxf3

How would you assess this imbalanced middlegame?

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White has rook and two bishops for queen and knight. That is a material advantage for Black, but the bishop-pair and White's control of the c file give some compensation, although Black is still winning, according to the engines, which probably regard White's weakened king's position as significant.

28...Nb8!?

The engines prefer 28...Nf6.

29.Rc2

There is no good way to give up the exchange on c6.

29...Rc8 30.Ra2 Rc7 31.Rba1 Qc8 32.Ra8?

As with my 24th move, I play something that is active and aggressive, but fails to take into account my opponent's counterplay. Perhaps best is 32.Be1!?, Stockfish17.1's idea being to meet 32...Qh3 with 33.Bg3.

Black to play and win

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32...Rc2!

Other reasonable-looking moves allow White to more-or-less equalise, according to the engines.
33.Bc6?

Perhaps best is the retreat 33.R8a2, but then White has lost the initiative, and has no compensation for being material down and with an exposed king.

33...Rxd2 0-1

Black wins easily after 34.Rxb8 Qxb8 35.Ra8 Qxa8 38.Bxa8 Rb2.

The match was drawn 3-3.

Correspondence Chess

I PLAY correspondence chess at the Fide-recognised International Correspondence Chess Federation.

Thanks to the strength of modern engines, most games are drawn, but occasionally a game escapes that fate, or is interesting for other reasons.

Spanton (2330) - Alex Tupper (1662)

British Correspondence Chess Championship Reserves

QGD Exchange

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 Nxd5!?

Bobby Fischer was fond of this move, claiming, if I recall rightly, it made a change from the tedium of normal lines of the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined.

5.e4 Nxc3  6.bxc3 c5 7.Nf3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Bxd2+ 10.Qxd2

This is something of a tabiya for the variation, occurring 4,701 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database

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10...0-0 11.Bc4 Nd7!?

This is the main continuation. The knight will (eventually) land on f6, protecting the kingside.

12.0-0

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

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White has a large lead in development, more space and a central pawn-majority, but Black has no weaknesses, and enjoys a farside majority that could be useful in an ending. Dragon1 gives White a slight edge, but Stockfish17.1 calls the position equal.

12...b6 13.Rfe1 Bb7 14.Rad1 Rc8 15.Bb3 Re8 16.h3!? h6!?

Pushing the h pawn looks like the type of move played by relative beginners, afraid of being back-rank mated, but the continuation (for both sides) has been played by grandmasters.

17.Re3 Nf6 18.Qe2 Qc7 19.Ne5 b5!? 20.Ng4!? Nxg4 21.hxg4!? Qf4!? 22.d5!?

This may be a novelty - Stockfish17.1 reckons it is a small improvement on 22.Qxb5 (Dragon1's top choice) Bxe4 23.d5, which occurred in José Fernando Cuenca Jiménez (2480) - Pedro Antonio Ginés Esteo (2477), Spanish Team Championship 2024. That game continued 23...exd5 24.Bxd5 Re5 25.Qb7 Rce8, with complete equality, according to Stockfish17.1, although Dragon1 slightly favours White (½–½, 31 moves). Whites have also tried 22.Re1 and 22.g3.

22...exd5 23.exd5 Rxe3 24.fxe3 Qe5 25.e4

How should Black proceed?

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25...a6?!

This natural-looking move is strongly disliked by the engines. They suggest 25...Rc7.

26.Qf2!

The threat to play d6 is hard to meet.

26...Rd8
Since 26...Qxe4? fails to 27.d6, and 26...Rc7? runs into 27.Qf5!, eg 27...Qxf5 28.gxf5 Kf8 29.e5 Rd7 30.d6 Ke8 31.e6 fxe6 32.fxe6 Rd8 33.Bc2, the engines reckon the text is best, especially as 26...Qd6 27.e5! Qxd6 28.d6 Qf6 also fails, eg 29.Rf1 Qxf2+ 30.Rxf2 Rf8 31.Rxf7! Rxf7 32.d7 etc.

27.Qf5 Qc7?

27...Qxf5?! runs into similar problems as in the previous note, but 27...Qg3 keeps the game going, eg if 28.Rf1, then 28...Qc7 is good, since d6 is not as effective as in the game, and 29.Qh5 (admittedly not the only try) Rd6 30.Qe5 Qb6+ 31.Kh2 Qd8 leaves White at least slightly better, but not winning, according to the engines.

28.d6 Qd7 29.e5 Bc8 30.Qf4 Qa7+ 31.Kh2 Rf8

The engines suggest 31...Be6, but 32.Bxe6 fxe6 33.Rc1 Qf7 34.Qxf7+ Kxf7 35.Rc7+ gives White a comfortably winning rook-and-pawn ending, while 33...Rd7 can be met by 34.Rc8+ Kh7 35.Qe4+ g6 36.Qc6 and Rc7.

32.Rf1 Qb7 33.e6 Bxe6!? 34.Bxe6 fxe6!? 35.Qxf8+ Kh7 36.Rf7 Qxf7!? 37.Qxf7 1-0

Lessons From Mariánské Lázně IX

IN round nine I had white against Pavel Vodička (1967), reaching the following position after 27 moves.

I have just played 27.Qf3-e4

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Black should probably accept that kingside play will not lead to an attack, and settle for equality with 27...Qg4 28.Qxg4 hxg4.

Instead, the self-pinning 27...Kh7?! was played.

I give the move a dubious sign (?!), rather than calling it outright bad (?), because the refutation is not obvious.

I have analysed the position, with Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1, in some depth here, but a key line runs 28.d6! Bxd6 29.Nf3 Be7 30.Rxd8 Rxd8 31.Nxe5 Qe6 32.f4 Rd5 33.Ra1! Bd6 34.Ra6, when Black has no good answer to the threatened f5.

In the game I played 28.Nf3?!, which is not even second-best, but was sufficient for equality, and the game was indeed drawn, without much drama.

LESSON: when an opponent plays a move that violates frequently given advice, in this case to avoid self-pinning, it often pays to search long and hard for a refutation.

Lessons From Mariánské Lázně VIII

IN round eight I had black against Germany's Guido Schott (2016).

By coincidence, the players to either side of GS were also Germans, although I did not pay much attention to this before the start of the round.

My game began 1.Nf3 d5 2.e3!? Nf6 3.c4, a somewhat unusual variation of the Réti.

But it is not exactly rare - this position occurs 9,956 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database

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I continued 3...e6, and, at about this time, or maybe a couple of moves later, I glanced at the adjacent boards to see what was happening there.

Imagine my surprise when I noticed that all three boards were showing the moves Nf3, e3 and c4, although in one case in a slightly different order.

Naturally, since White's system is not forcing, all three games diverged quite considerably quite quickly.

It reminded me of a famous variation in the Sicilian prepared by three Argentinian players when they faced three Soviets in the 14th round of the 1955 Interzonal in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The preparation backfired when Efim Geller found a piece sacrifice, whose follow-up the Argentineans had not properly analysed, and all three Soviet players, using the sacrifice, went on to win, with the games visible for all to see on giant display boards.

Such 'triple games' are rare, but when I asked one of the Germans the next day whether they had indeed prepared Nf3, e3 and c4 together, he agreed they had.

Their preparation worked out slightly better than the Argentineans', although the Germans' score on the three boards of +0=2-1 would not have matched their hopes.

LESSON: team preparation can be fun, but there is a danger of ending up playing something you do not properly understand, and that may not suit your style.

Championship Chess

PLAYED last night in the Battersea club championship.

Spanton (1928) - Alan Palmer (1836)

Maróczy Bind

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Bc5!?

This is third in popularity in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, behind 5...a6 and especially 5...Nf6, but it is the top choice of Stockfish17.1, and has been played by Fabiano Caruana. Dragon1 likes the even rarer 5...Qb6!?

How should White respond?

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6.Nb3

This sidelines the knight, but at least does not lose a tempo as Black's dark-square bishop is more-or-less obliged to move again. Magnus Carlsen has played 6.Nc2!?, but 6.Be3?!, which trails only the text in popularity, is probably a mistake, best exploited by 6...Qb6.

6...Bb4+ 7.Bd2 a5!?

The engines prefer this over the commoner 7...Bxd2+.

8.a3 Bxd2+!?

This seems to be new. Vladimir Epishin (2657) played 8...Be7 in a 1999 game, but could only draw against a 2227 (and was worse when the draw was agreed). The engines prefer the text.

9.Qxd2 Nge7

The engines suggest 9...Qb6!?, justifying it, after 10.Qg5, with a rook sacrifice: 10...Nf6!? 11.Qxg7 Ke7!? 12.Qxh8 Qxb3 13.Nd2 Qxb2 14.Rb1 Qxa3, claiming complete equality.

10.Nc3 0-0

Again the engines like ...Qb6.

11.Be2

White has the upper hand after 11.0-0-0!?, according to the engines.

11...b6

This looks a natural way to prepare the development of Black's light-square bishop, but again the engines prefer ...Qb6.

12.0-0

Castling long is the engines' choice.

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

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White has more space in the centre, and Black may have problems down the d file, both with the d pawn and the d6 square. The engines give White a slight edge.

12...Ng6

The engines like 12...f5, 12...a4 or 12...Ba6.

13.Rad1 Qe7 14.Qe3 Rb8?!

The engines do not like this, suggesting 14...a4 or 14...Rd8. Actually, even if it were White to move after 14.Qe3, White could not capture the b6 pawn as 15.Qxb6?? would lose to 15...Rb8 and 16...Rxb3.

15.Na4 d5?

This loses a centre pawn. It is better to give up the b pawn,, according to the engines, playing something like 15...Ba6!? 16.Nxb6 d6, claiming White is only slightly better. I expected 15...Qd8. but the engines do not like the move, and after it Black's position does look rather passive.
16.exd5 exd5 17.Qxe7

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 17.cxd5 Qxe3 18.fxe3, when White's passer is not isolated.

17...Ncxe7 18.cxd5 Rd8 19.Nc3 Bb7 20.Bf3?!

Almost certainly better is 20.Rd2, with Rfd1 to come.

How should Black proceed?

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20...Rd7?

Too slow, but also bad is 20...Nf4?, when White has time for 21.Rd2 (preparing Rfd1) as 21...Nfxd5?? loses to 22.Rfd1, when Black cannot successfully get out of the pin.

Correct is 20...Ne5 21.Be4 f5, eg 22.f4 fxe4 23.fxe5 Nxd5. A probable improvement for White is probably 22.Bc2, but 22...Nxd5 23.Bxf5 Nf4!? 24.Rxd8+ Rxd8 25.Re1 Nc4 leaves Black with full (Stockfish17.1) or nearly full (Dragon1) compensation for a pawn.

How should White proceed?

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21.Rfe1!

The plausible 21.Rd2 allows Black counterplay with 21...Ne5 22.Be4 f5 23.Bb1 Nc4.

21...Rbd8 22.d6 Nc8

The engines prefer 22...Nc6, but they reckon 23.Na4!? Rxd6 24.Rxd6 Rxd6 25.Re8+ Nf8 26.g3 is nevertheless winning for White.

23.Bxb7 Rxb7 24.Nb5 Rbd7

The engines give 24...Na7!?, but agree 25.N3d4 Nxb5 26.Nxb5 maintains White's winning advantage.

25.Re4

This is Stockfish17.1's second choice, but 25.N3d4! is much stronger, eg 25...Nxd6 26.Nc6 Rc8 27.Ne5 Nxe5 28.Nxd6 Rc5 29.b4.

25...Nf8 26.Red4 Ne6 27.R4d2 g6 28.N3d4 Nc5?

Black had to play 28...Nxd4, but after 29.Rxd4 White's extra pawn is a permanent asset, and should decide matters.

29.Nc6 Re8 20.Nb8!? 1-0

My Battersea Season 2025-6

Date       Event  Colour  Rating  Opp's Rating  Score  Season's Perf

16/9/25   CLL       W       1936         1952             0           1552

18/9/25   CLL       W       1936         1797             =           1675

16/10/25 CLL       W       1889         2047             0           1665

23/10/25 CLL       B        1889         1823             1           1805

18/11/25  LL         W       1891         1980             =           1840

20/11/25  CLL      W       1891         1866             1            1911

25/11/25  BCC     B        1891         1817             1            1955

9/12/25    LL         W       1904         1982             1            2008

16/12/25  LL         B        1904         2046             0            1968

18/12/25  CLL      B        1904         2066             1            2018

6/1/26      CLL      W       1929         2150             =            2066

7/1/26      LL         W       1929         1971             =            2058

8/1/26      CLL      B        1929         1800?           =            2038

13/1/26    LL         B        1929         2035             1            2067

27/1/26    LL         B        1929         2089             0            2041

29/1/26    CLL      B        1929         1882             =            2031

3/2/26      BCC     W        1928         1836             1            2043     

CLL: Central London League

LL: London League

BCC: Battersea club championship

I also have a win-by-default in the Central London League

Lessons From Mariánské Lázně VII

EDMAR Mednis in his book Practical Opening Tips (Cadogan 1997) spends a chapter discussing the merits of pawn captures towards the centre, as opposed to pawn captures away from the centre.

When Black, for example, plays ...Bxb3 it is nearly always better to recapture with axb3 rather than cxb3.

Generally speaking, the nearer a pawn is to the centre, the stronger it is.

This particularly applies to a rook's pawn, which, when 'promoted' to a knight's pawn, doubles the number of squares it controls.

Of course, in the great scheme of things, we are talking small margins - a better pawn-structure is unlikely to make up for the loss of a piece, although it might make up for the loss of a pawn.

A prominent exception to the desirability of capturing towards the centre comes in the Spanish, after White captures a knight on c6.

This commonly happens in the Exchange Variation (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6), but also occurs in delayed forms of the Exchange, and in some other lines.

My round-seven game at Mariánské Lázně, when I had white against Poland's Michał Nisztuk (1696), featured one such line.

It started as a Berlin Defence to the Spanish, ie 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6.

I continued with the relatively unusual 4.Qe2!?, and after 4...Bc5!?, which is the most popular reply in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, I played the rare, but engine-approved, 5.Bxc6!?, which occurs in 56 out of 788 games in Mega26, ie 7.1% of the time.

Position after White's capture on c6

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The game saw 5...dxc6?!, but after 6.Nxe5 Qd4 7.Nd3 it was clear something had gone wrong for Black, who, with best play, is not getting the pawn back.

It turns out the diagram is one of those exceptional cases in the Spanish when a capture on c6 should be answered with the positionally desirable option of capturing towards the centre.

After 5...bxc6 the engines still approve of 6.Nxe5, but then 6...Qe7 7.Nd3 can be met by 7...Ba6, when Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 reckon Black has at least a slight edge.
LESSON: general rules about which way to recapture are useful guidelines but, as American author and international master John Watson would be sure to point out, they should not be relied on - calculation is necessary.

Lessons From Mariánské Lázně VI

IN round six I was on the black side of an Accelerated Dragon against Fide master Jan Bartoš (2124).

After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 the commonest continuation is 7.Bc4, but when Garry Kasparov reached the position in a 2022 rapid game, he preferred 7.Nxc6, and this is what my opponent played.

After 7...bxc6, 4,173 games out of 4,567 (that is 91.4%) in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database have the continuation 8.e5, but my game saw 8.Bc4!?

Position after 8.Bc4?!, a move new to me

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It was perhaps naive of me to think an FM may not have properly considered Black's possibility of relying on the well-known central fork trick to capture on e4.

However, it seems he had not, as after 8...Nxe4?! 9.Nxe4 d5 JB failed to find, or perhaps failed to properly evaluate, 10.Bd4!, instead playing the 'normal' 10.Bd3, when the position is equal, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1, although I still went on to lose.

10.Bd4!. however, causes Black problems, eg 10...0-0 11.Bxg7 Kxg7 12.Qd4+ f6 13.0-0-0, when White has a huge lead in development, and Black has still not regained the sacrificed piece.

After 13...Qb6 14.Rhe1 Qxd4 15.Rxd4 e5! 16.Rd2 dxc4 Black has got the piece back and, temporarily, won a pawn into the bargain, but 17.Rd6 shows who is in charge.

Instead of castling, Black could start with 10...Bxd4, and after 11.Qxd4 0-0 12.0-0-0 the engines reckon 12...Qc7 is marginally better than 12...Qb6. Black will again get the piece back, but White has the upper hand, according to the engines.

Capturing on e4 in the diagram position is tempting, but as always one cannot just play by analogy - the specifics of a position have to be properly considered.

LESSON: 'similar' is not 'the same'.