Daniel Rosen (2081) - Spanton (1923), Round One
Ruy Lopez, Closed Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3
Much less popular than 4.0-0, but in ChessBase's 2018 Mega database it scores a very slightly better percentage. In practice, many top grandmasters play both variations.
4...Bc5 5.0-0 Nd4
Again the much-less popular choice - behind 5...d6 - but scoring a much better percentage.
6.Nxd4
Overwhelmingly the first choice of players at all levels, but it is not clear it is any better than, say, 6.Bc4.
6...Bxd4 7.c3 Bb6 8.Nd2 c6 9.Ba4 0-0 10.Nf3
The commonest move, but note that after …
10...d6
… we have a position that is symmetrical, except that Black's king's bishop is slightly better-placed than White's king's bishop.
11.Bc2
DB said in the post-mortem that best might be 11.Bb3, but he could not bring himself to play it as then the position would be fully symmetrical … with Black to move.
11...Re8
Played to prevent 12.d4.
12.Qe2 Qe7 13.Be3 d5 14.Bxb6 axb6 15.Bb3
If 13.exd5, then 15...Nxd5.
15...dxe4 16.dxe4 Be6 17.Qe3 Nd7 18.Bxe6 Qxe6 19.b3 Nc5 20.Rfd1
 |
| Black to reply to White's 20.Rfd1 |
****
****
****
****
20...f6
This is OK, but it is really little more than a safety-first move.
DB feared 20...Qg6, when Stockfish9 gives 21.Nd2 Rad8 22.b4 Na4 23.Nc4, with maybe a tiny pull for Black.
Perhaps stronger is 20...Qg4, and if 21.Nd2, then 21...Rxa2! Stockfish9 continues: 22.h3 Rxa1 23.Rxa1 Qg6, when Black is a (doubled) pawn up.
After the text, the game fairly quickly petered out to a draw.
21.h3 Red8 22.Qe2 Qe7 23.Ne1 Ra3 24.Rxd8+ Qxd8 25.Rd1 Qe7 26.Rd2 Ra8 27.f3 Ne6 28.Qe3 Qc5 29.Kf2 Qxe3+ 30.Kxe3 Rd8 31.Rxd8+ ½-½
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