League Chess

PLAYED on board six (of eight) for Battersea against Hammersmith 2 in London League Division Two last night.

Sergiy Teslya (2059) - Spanton (1954)

Sicilian Grand Prix Attack

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 g6 3.f4 Bg7 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.a3!?

There are 404 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, including being played by Magnus Carlsen. The move is Dragon1's second choice, at least for a while; Stockfish18 prefers 5.a4!?

5...d6 6.Bc4 e6 7.d3

This has been tried by David Howell and Alexander Morozevich, but Carlsen both times preferred castling.

7...Nge7 8.Ba2!? 0-0

This is the commonest continuation in Mega26, but Stockfish18 suggests 8...b6, 8...d5 or 8...Rb8. Dragon1 at first quite likes castling, but comes to prefer 8...b6 or 8...Rb8.

How should White proceed?

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9.h4!?

This is the engines' top choice.

9...d5 10.h5 Nd4 11.hxg6

This has been played by a 2623, and comes to be Dragon1's top choice, at least for a while, but Stockfish18 suggests apparent-novelties in 11.Qd2!?, 11.Bd2 and 11.Ne2!?

11...fxg6 12.Ng5!? h6 13.Nf3

The engines reckon this apparent-novelty is a slight improvement on Anton Demchenko (2623) - Eduardo Jesús Méndez Fortes (2250), Chess.com Blitz 2023, which featured 13.Nh3, after which 13...b5 14.Ne2 dxe4 was at least equal for Black, according to the engines (0-1, 53 moves).

13...Kh7

Strengthening h6, but weakening g5.

14.Qd2!? dxe4?!

The engines strongly dislike this. Stockfish18 gives 14...Qc7 15.Nxd4 cxd4 16.Ne2 Bd7, claiming a slight edge for Black, although Dragon1 reckons it is White who has at least a slight edge.

15.dxe4 Nxf3+ 16.gxf3 Qxd2+ 17.Bxd2 e5?!

This is Dragon1's top choice, for a short while, but the engines come to agree 17...b6 is best, albeit awarding White the upper hand.

What should White play?

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18.Ne2?!

The engines reckon White has a positionally won game after 18.fxe5!? Rxf3 19.e6!?, eg 19...Rf6? loses to 20.Bg5. Stockfish18 gives as best 19...b5!? 20.Bg5 c4!?, but 21.Bxe7 Bxe6 22.0-0-0 is clearly winning. Dragon1 suggests 19...a5, but 20.Bc4 (Stockfish18 reckons 20.Bg5 is even stronger) Nc6 21.Nb5 Nd4 22.Nxd4 cxd4 23.0-0-0 is very strong.

18...Bd7?!

Probably better are 18...exf4 and 18...Nc6.

19.0-0-0 Rad8?

Possibly best is 19...Nc6, although the engines prefer White after both 20.c3 and 20.f5!?, eg 20.f5!? gxf5 21.c3!? f4!? (this is best, according to the engines) 22.Bxf4! Bc8 23.Bd2 Rxf3, when they agree White has more than enough for a pawn, but they disagree on how to proceed.

20.Be3

How should Black continue?

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20...b6

The best the engines can come up with is 20...Bb5!?, when 21.c4 Rxd1+ 22.Rxd1 Bc6 23.Bxc5 Re8 24.Bxa7 wins two pawns.

21.fxe5 Rxf3?

The engines give 21...h5, but White has several strong continuations, including 22.Nf4 Bh6 23.Nd5 Bxe3+ 24.Nxe3 Rxf3 25.Ng4!?, when Black has no good answer to Nf6(+).

22.Bg5 Bf8

There is no satisfactory move..

The game finished:

23.e6 Kg7 24.Bxh6+ Kf6 25.Bxf8 1-0

Hammersmith 2 won the match 4.5-3.5.

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     

12/2/26    CDL      B        1928        1890              1            2057

25/2/26    LL         B        1928        1863              =            2047

26/2/26    CLL      B         1928        2015             0            2025

3/3/26      CDL      B        1914        1976              1            2043

24/3/26    BCC     W        1921        1780             1            2049

26/3/26    CLL      B         1921        1942             =            2045

31/3/26    CDL      B        1921         2091             0            2030

7/4/26      BCC     B         1938        1505*            1            2030

9/4/26      CLL      W        1938        2012              =           2029

30/4/26    CLL      W        1938        2285              0           2023

7/5/26      CLL      W        1939        2007              1           2037

9/6/26      LL         B         1954        2059              0           2024

CLL: Central London League

LL: London League

BCC: Battersea club championship

CDL: Croydon & District League

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

*A win against a 1505 counts as a 1905 performance, so I have excluded this game from calculating my season's performance as it would lower my average despite me winning.

Miniatures 38

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

M Wadud (136 BCF) - Spanton (147 BCF)

Upminster Major 1991

Bishop's Opening/King's Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.f4!?

This move goes back at least to a game of Frank Marshall's in 1925. The position can also arise from a King's Gambit via the move-order 1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.Bc4!?

How should Black respond?

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3...Bxg1

Marshall's opponent played 3...d6, but Stockfish17 and Dragon1 suggest a novelty in 3...d5!?

4.Rxg1

The zwischenzug 4.Qh5! is preferable.

4...Qh4+ 5.g3?

Better is 5.Kf1, when 5...Qxh2?! 6.Nc3 leaves Black dangerously behind in development. However, Black can instead get on with development, eg 5...Nf6, with what the engines reckon is the upper hand.

5...Qxh2 6.Kf1?!

The unpalatable 6.Rf1!? is probably better.

6...d5! 7.f5!?

The threat of 7...Bh3+ with a quick mate means White does not seem to have anything better, but White is losing a piece, to go with an already lost pawn.

7...dxc4 8.d4 cxd3 9.Qxd3 Bd7 10.Na3 Nf6 11.Bg5 Ng4 12.Qf3?! Qh5 13.Ke2!?

The second bishop cannot be saved, emphasising the desperateness of White's position.

13...Qxg5 14.Nb5? 0-1

LESSON: White in the King's Gambit needs to constantly be aware of the danger of allowing ...Qh4+.

Miniatures 37

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

Spanton (147 BCF) - A Darrington (?)

Highbury (London) Rapid 1991

Pirc

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be2!?

A modest continuation, but it develops a piece, and has been played by many grandmasters, including Garry Kasparov. One idea is to play a quick Be3, without fearing ...Ng4.

How should Black respond?

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4...e6!?

The main move is 4...Bg7. Stockfish17 and Dragon1 do not like the text, which is not in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.

5.Nf3 Bg7 6.Bg5 0-0!? 7.Qd2 Nc6 8.0-0-0

White's large lead in development and greater space give a positionally won game, according to the engines

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8....Bd7?

The engines suggest 8...a6 or 8...d7.

9.h4

Even stronger is 9.e5.

9...Qb8 10.h5 Ng4 11.hxg6!? Nxf2?

This forks White's rooks, but Black has to play 11...fxg6 to have any sort of chance of escaping defeat.

12.Rxh7 f6?!

Again ...fxg6 is better, but still losing.

13.Bh6 1-0

LESSON: there are many mainstream defences in which Black falls well-behind in development or space, but none, as far as I know, in which Black falls behind in both.

Chess Tip Of The Day 427

In your study of chess, use a tournament-size board and tournament-size chessmen as much as possible.

Cecil Purdy, Road To 2000 - How To Become An Expert

Miniatures 36

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

D Jerome (101 BCF) - Spanton (147 BCF)

Highbury (London) Rapid 1991

King's Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.Nf3 d5!? 4.fxe5? dxe4

How can White keep damage to a minimum?

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5.d4?

The engines give 5.Ng5!, when, after 5...Qxg5 6.d4 Qh4+!? 7.g3 Qe7 8.dxc5 Qxe5, White is a pawn down, but at least has the bishop-pair.

5...exf3 6.dxc5

At first glance White might seem OK, but the white queen cannot be saved

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6...f2+ 7.Ke2 Bg4+ 0-1

LESSON: in the King's Gambit, White is particularly sensitive on the h4-e1 diagonal.

Chess Tip of The Day 426

The ideal division of a player's thinking time is to study general considerations when his opponent's clock is going, and to study concrete problems when his own clock is going.
Alexander Kotov, Think Like A Grandmaster

Summer Time

MY tournament plans for the summer are more-or-less decided.

Jun 12-20 Bischofsgrün, Bavaria (55+). Nine rounds (mostly at 09:00) over nine days. 40 moves in 100 minutes, with 30 minutes to finish, and a 30-second increment throughout.

Last year's playing conditions

Jul 6-12 Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt (65+). Seven rounds (mostly at 10:00) over seven days. 40 moves in 90 minutes, with 30 minutes to finish, and a 30-second increment throughout.

A new event for me, but the city has a lot of history (image: Schwenke/andreaslander.de)

Aug 3-9 British Championships, Warwick University (65+). Seven rounds (mostly at 14:30) over seven days. 40 moves in 90 minutes, with 30 minutes to finish, and a 30-second increment throughout.

Despite its name, the university is on the outskirts of Coventry, which used to have one of my favourite Costa Coffees, although it had closed when I played at a 4NCL event last month

Aug 16-23 Olomouc, Czechia (65+). Nine rounds (mostly at 16:00) over eight days. 40 moves in 90 minutes, with 30 minutes to finish, and a 30-second increment throughout.

Large sections of Olomouc's city walls are still standing after 800 years

Aug 27-Sep 4 European Senior Teams, Crete (65+). Nine rounds (all at 15:00) over nine days. 40 moves in 90 minutes, with 30 minutes to finish, and a 30-second increment throughout.

I have played in Crete before, but at Amateur Chess Organization events

Chess Tip Of The Day 425

Do not spend time in the opening expanding on the queenside unless you can contain your opponent's central advances.

Sunil Weeramantry & Ed Eusebi, Best Lessons Of A Chess Coach

Summing Up Bad Neuenahr

MY score of +6=1-2 in the 65+ seniors at the Bad Neuenahr Chess Classics gained 53.4 Fide elo, and won an 80-euro rating prize.

Bad Neuenahr Round Nine

I WAS upfloated against the top seed, a Fide master, on board one.

Stephan Buchal (2202) - Spanton (1911)

King's Indian Attack/English Symmetrical/Réti

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 c5 4.0-0 g6 5.c4

What's in a name? At various points in the opening, ChessBase classifies it as "A08: King's Indian Attack," "A34: Symmetrical English: 2 Nc3, lines with ...d5" and "A38: Symmetrical English vs ...g6 4 Bg2 Bg7 5 Nf3 Nf6," and I suspect some people would regard it as a Réti

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5...Bg7 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Nc3 0-0

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

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The position occurs 2,330 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, with White scoring a below-par 51%. Stockfish18 calls the game completely equal, but Dragon1 gives White at least the better part of equality.

8.Nxd5!? Qxd5 8.d3 Nc6

This is the point at which, according to ChessBase, the opening switches from A34 to A38.

9.d3 Nc6 10.Be3!?

How should Black proceed?

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10...Qd6

This is the commonest continuation in Mega26, followed by 10...Bd7, but the engines reckon Black should grab the proffered pawn with 10...Bxb2!? After 11.Rb1 Bf6!?, White has various moves, including offering a second pawn, temporarily, with 12.Nd4!?, when 12...Qxa2!? 13.Ra1!? Qb2 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.Rb1!? Qa2 16.Bxc6 Bh3!? 17.Bxa8 Bxf1 18.Bf3 Bh3 19.Bxc5 is completely equal, according to the engines. But there are lots of alternatives along the way, including 14.Rb1 Qxb1!? 15.Qxb1 Nxd4, when Black has rook, knight and two pawns for a queen - imbalanced, but equal, according to the engines. Give the engines enough time, and Stockfish18, at least, rates 10...Bd7 on a par with 10...Bxb2!?, and it is not as though they reckon the text, which has been played by many grandmasters, is a mistake.

11.Rc1 Nd4

Grischuk and others have tried 11...b6?!, but 12.d4 is a strong answer.

How should White proceed?

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12.Bxd4!?

The engines prefer the main move, 12.Nxd4, when 12...cxd4 13.Bd2 is slightly better for White, according to the engines, which value White's pressure against Black's queenside more highly than Black's central space.

12...cxd4 13.Nd2

What should Black play?

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13...Be6!?

This is the main move in Mega26, albeit from a small sample, but the engines come to more-or-less plump for another known move, 13...Qb4!? (the choice of an 1831, the lowest-rated player to reach the position in Mega26), but they also suggest apparent-novelties in 13...a5!? and 13...Bh6!?

Now White has the chance to capture the opponent's QNP, but should he?

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14.Qa4!?

After 14.Bxb7 (there are no examples of this move in Mega26) Rab8 15.Bf3!? Rxb2 16.Nc4 Bxc4 17.Rxc4 Rxa2, White has enough for a pawn, but no more, according to the engines. They reckon the text is best.

14...Bd7

The engines prefer two apparent-novelties in 14...Bh6!? and 14...Rfb8!?

15.Qb3 Be6?!

The engines suggest another apparent-novelty in 15...Rab8.

Now can White grab the b pawn?

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Yes, according to the engines, which give best-play as 16.Qxb7 Rab8 17.Qxa7 Rxb2 18.Ne4! Qb8 19.Qxe7, all of which occurred in Vlastimil Sejkora (2221) - Daniel Koval (2093), Tatranské Zruby (Slovakia) 2011, after which the engines reckon White had the upper hand (1-0, 36 moves).

My game went ...

16.Qa4 Bd7 17.Qb3 Be6?!

... at which point SB wrote down the move 18.Qa4 and announced he was claiming a draw by repetition.

½–½

My third draw in my last 30 games.