Spanton (168) - Mark Whitehead (167)
Maroczy Bind
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4!?
Carlsen and Leko are among those who have played this.
3...Nc6 4.Nc3 d6
My main analysis engines Stockfish10 and Komodo10 like 4...Nd4!?, which was tried by Fine and Alekhine, albeit the latter in a simul.
5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Nf6 7.Be2 Bd7!?
Komodo10's choice. It has also been the choice of at least one 2500+ player, but has a very-apparent drawback.
8.Nb5!?
The engines prefer getting on with development with a move such as Be3 or castling.
8...Qb8 9.Bf4 Ne5
For some reason this move, which is quite common in positions like this, had not occurred to me.
10.0-0
It would be wrong to give up White's good bishop and relinquish control of the d4 square by 10.Bxe5? dxe5.
10...a6 11.Nd4 Be7 12.Qd2 0-0 13.Rfd1 Rd8 14.Rac1
The engines prefer 14.a4 or 14.f3.
 |
| Black has a thematic move available |
*****
*****
*****
14...Qc7
I do not believe either of us seriously considered that Black can break the bind here with the engines' 14...b5! The point is that after 14.cxb5 axb5, White cannot win a pawn as his queen's knight is overloaded protecting e4 and a2, which is why the engines wanted 14.f3 or 14.a4.
15.b3 Rac8 16.h3 Qb8 17.Qe3 Ng6 18.Bg3 Bf8 19.Kh1 e5?!
It is not often that ...e5 is a good move against the Maroczy Bind, and this position is no exception. Black should have continued manoeuvring.
20.Nf5 Bc6
Again it was possible to play ...b5. Another possibility was 20...Bxf5 21.exf5 Ne7, but White looks better after 22.Bd3 or 22.Qf3.
21.Nd5 Bxd5 22.cxd5
The engines prefer 22.exd5!?, but in either case give White an edge.
22...Rxc1 23.Rxc1 Rc8 24.Bf3 Ne7?
Better was 24...Rc7. The text allows White a strong kingside attack (as well as giving up the open c file).
25.Rxc8 Nxc8 26.Bh4 Nd7
There is nothing better, eg 26...Ne7 runs into 27.Nh6+! (even more effective than 27.Bxf6).
27.Qc1?
I did not play 27.Qg5 because I missed that after 27...Kh8? 28.Nxg7! Bxg7 29.Qd8+ Nf8, White wins his piece back with 30.Bg4. The engines reckon that after 27.Qg5, best play goes 27...g6 28.Nh6+ Bxh6 29.Qxh6, when they much prefer White.
27...Nc5 28.b4 Nd3 29.Qc3 Nf4 30.Bg5?!
Not a great idea as White does not want to give up his good bishop for a knight which, while it looks good, can do little by itself. Better was 30.Bg4, with a veiled threat against the c8 knight while threatening to evict the f4 knight with g3.
30...h6 31.Bxf4?
White is still better after, say, 31.Bd8. The text damages Black's pawn-structure, it is true, but more significant is that White is left with a bishop at least as bad as Black's.
31...exf4 32.Bg4 Nb6 33.Qc1 g6 34.Nd4 Bg7 35.Ne2 g5 36.Qc2 Qd8 37.a4 Nd7 38.Bxd7 Qxd7 39.a5?!
Giving up the b5 square to the black queen. Sensible was the solidifying 39.f3.
39...Be5
Not 39...f3?, as White's knight gets to the strong f5 square via g3.
40.f3?!
This seems to be another inaccuracy. The engines eventually settle on 40.Nc1, so 40...Qb5 can be met by 41.Nd3, which protects b4 without allowing the black queen to enter White's position.
40...Kf8?!
Better was 40...Qb5, which forces 41.Qd2 and so allows 41...Qa4. White is then very passive, but might be able to defend.
41.Kg1?! Ke7?!
Again White should have prepared to defend b4 with the knight, and Black should have invaded via b5.
42.Nc1 Bd4+ 43.Kh2 Be5 44.Nd3 f6 45.Nxe5 ½–½
The draw allowed three players on 3pts to catch me for a share of first place. We each won £80.
My score of +3=2-0 was an ECF grading performance of 191.
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