Spanton (168) - Tim Wells (147)
...e6 Sicilian
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 Qc7
No doubt this has been commented on before, but it really is quite surprising that Black can start the game with four pawn moves, followed by developing his queen, and still have a position regarded as perfectly sound.
6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Be3 b5 8.0-0 Bb7 9.f4?!
This move is typical of my play through much of this game - concentrating on my threats while ignoring those of my opponent.
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| Position after 9.f4?! |
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9...Nxd4!?
It was only after making my last move that I saw the danger of 9...Bc5. As my opponent thought about his ninth move, I decided on meeting 9...Bc5 with 10.Nf5?? Hopefully I would have seen this loses to 10...Qb6, in which case I would probably have resigned myself to the retreat 10.Be2??, which also loses to 10...Qb6. Maybe, just maybe, I would have plumped for my other thought of 10.Nce2, after which Black is only a little better. My main analysis engines, Stockfish10 and Komodo10, also point out the complications-inducing 10.Qg4!? One line runs 10...Nxd4 11.Qxg7 Nxc2 12.Bxc2 Bxe3+ 13.Kh1 b4 14.Qxh8 Ke7 15.e5 bxc3, with a very unclear position. Black can avoid these complications with 10...Qb6, when 11.Nxc6 Bxe3 12.Kh1 g6 13.Ne5 may be slightly better for him.
The text is simpler and also gives Black a fine game, but seems to be not as strong.
10.Bxd4 Bc5 11.Bxc5!?
The engines prefer this to 11.Bf2, but the latter was probably more solid.
11...Qxc5+ 12.Kh1!?
Again the engines narrowly prefer this over the alternative, namely self-pinning by 12.Rf2, but putting the king on the same diagonal as Black's remaining bishop proves later to be the root cause of White's problems (along with a contemptuous attitude towards the opponent's grade).
Having typed this, I find the engines changing their evaluations, with Stockfish10 narrowly preferring 12.Rf2, while Komodo10 values the moves equally.
12...Nf6 13.e5?!
The engines are happy with this move, until it is played on the board, when Stockfish10 in particular turns against it. Safer was supporting the e pawn with 13.Qe2, or 13.Qe1 (with ideas of Qg3 and/or Qh4).
13...b4
Black's only good move, but it gives him strong play.
14.exf6?!
I too easily dismissed 14.Na4, because of 14...Qc6, but 15.Qd2 Qxa4 16.exf6 gxf6 is a better version of the game, not least because the black queen is sidelined at a4.
14...bxc3 15.f5?
I did not like the look of 15.fxg7 Rg8, with …Rxg7 to come, but that is better than what happens in the game.
15...gxf6 16.fxe6 dxe6 17.Qe2?!
Even worse is 17.Rxf6?? cxb3 18.Rb1 Bxg2+! 19.Kxg2 Qg5+ etc.
The engines prefer 17.bxc3, but this leaves White very passive after 17...Rg8 18.Rg1.
Possibly best was a move I seriously considered, 17.b4!?, but again White is somewhat passive after 17...Qg5 (but not 17...Qxb4? as 18.Rb1 Qe7 19.Qg4! gives White more counterplay than he deserves).
17...cxb2 18.Rab1 Rg8 19.Be4?!
Objectively better is the engines' 19.Rf2, but the text has the merit of inducing a rook-and-pawn-ending, and 'all rook-endings are drawn'
19...Qe5 20.Rfe1 Bxe4 21.Qxe4 Qxe4 22.Rxe4
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| The ending begins |
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Black is two pawns ahead, but he has doubled f pawns and an isolated h pawn. On the other hand, White has two isolated pawns and a less-centralised king, and these factors, combined with Black having a monster pawn on the seventh, mean Black's advantage is worth almost three pawns, according to Komodo10, and more than four pawns, according to Stockfish10.
22...Rb8 23.Ra4 Rb6
This looks natural, and is fine, but even stronger was 23...Rg5! as 24.Rxa6 is met by 24...Rc5, when White might as well resign.
24.Kg1
Quite apart from the general desire of centralising the king, White needs to solve the problem of a possible back-rank mate at some point, and that point might as well be now.
24...Rg5 25.Kf2 Rc5 26.c4 a5 27.Ke3 e5 28.Kd3 f5 29.Kc3 Ke7 30.Rxb2 Rxb2 31.Kxb2 Kd6
White has eliminated the dangerous b pawn, but Black is still winning, although the position requires care.
32.Kc3 e4?!
Black may still be winning after this, but this makes it more difficult. Better was 32...f4, which also starts advancing his pawn-mass and effectively pins the white g pawn, while not immediately giving up the d4 square. Then 33.Kd3 is met by 33...f5, so best seems to be 33.Ra3, and then 33...e4 34.Kd4 e3 gives Black a similar position as in the game, but with his e and f pawns one square further forward.
33.Kd4 f6?!
Again Black may still be winning after this, but clearer was 33...Re5 34.Ra3 a4! 35.Ke3 (not 35.Rxa4?? e3) Ra5, although this is not completely clear either.
34.Ra3?!
It was probably better to immediately fix the f5 pawn with 34.g3, then 34...Re5 can be met with 35.Ke3, when it is not obvious how Black can make progress.
34...Re5 35.Rb3?
Now Black seems to be winning again. White had to play 35.Ke3, when 35...a4!? 36.g3 Ra5 is similar to the note to Black's 33rd move. But with the king already on e3, White can capture the a pawn, eg 36.Rxa4 f4+ 37.Ke2 Rh5 38.h3 Rc5, although Black's king then has what seems a winning penetration via e5 and d4. However, in this line the engines give 38.Kf2!, when 38...Rxh2 39.Kg1 Rh4 40.c5+ gives serious drawing chances. Black should not take the h pawn - instead the engines give 38...Rc5! 39.g3 Ke5, with a position that Stockfish10 reckons is winning for Black, but Komodo10 reckons is only slightly better for Black.
35...Kc6 36.g3 h5?!
Better was 36...a4, eg 37.Ra3 Ra5.
37.a4 Ke7?
White has a draw after this. Stockfish10 gives 37...h4 38.Rb2 (38.Rb5?? e3) h3 39.Rb3 Kd6 40.Rb6+ Kc7 41.Rb2 Re6 42.Ke3 (or 42.Rb3 Rd6+ 43.Ke3 Kd7 44.Kf4 Rd2)) Rc6 43.Rc2 Kd6 as winning for Black, and certainly Black has made progress compared with the game.
38.Ke3 Rb7
38...Re5 is met in the same way.
39.Rb5 Rxb5
Black offered a draw, but now it is White who has (hopes of) winning chances.
40.cxb5+ Kc5 41.h3 Kb6 42.g4 fxg4 43.hxg4 hxg4
Not 43...h4?? as 44.Kxe4 wins for White!
44.Kxe4 f5+ ½–½
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