Spanton (1881/168) - Eddie Hurst (1917/162)
Caro-Kann Modern Variation
1.e4 d6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3
The most popular move in ChessBase's 2019 Mega database, but White's main alternatives, 5.Bc4, 5.Ng5, 5.Bd3 and even 5.Qe2, score much better percentage-wise.
5...Ngf6 6.Ng3 e6 7.Bd3 Bd6!?
This aggressive deployment of the dark-square bishop, which was a favourite of Harry Golombek and has been played more recently by Julian Hodgson, is not liked by the analysis engines Stockfish10 and Komodo10.
8.0-0 0-0 9.c4!?
Another move not liked by the engines. My idea was to take d5 away from a black knight as from there it would threaten ...Nb4 and …Nf4. The main move is 9.Re1, and if 9...Nd5, then 10.c3, planning to meet 10...Nf4 by 11.Bc2 or 11.Bb1.
9...b6 10.Re1 Qc7 11.Bd2
The bishop is headed for c3.
11...c5 12.Bc3 Bb7 13.Qe2 a6!?
Possibly a new move. The idea is to cover the b5 square in the event of ...cxd4 being met by Nxd4. In the stem game, Alexander Chistiakov - Vladimir Makogonov, 13th USSR Championship semi-final 1941, play went 13...cxd4 14.Bxd4 Rfd8, with a roughly equal position (but 0-1, 30 moves).
14.Rad1 cxd4 15.Nxd4 Nc5 16.Bc2 Bxg3!
Giving up the bishop-pair looks strange, but Black gets a monster knight on e4, and it is the first choice of both engines. Stockfish10 also likes 16...Rac8, and if 17.b4, hoping for 17...Ncd7? 18.Nxe6, then 17...Bxg3.
17.hxg3 Nce4 18.Bb4 Rfd8 19.Nf3!?
The e4 knight is very hard to dislodge, so I decided to retreat my knight to facilitate exchanges that I hoped would help me exploit my bishops. I rejected 19.g4!? h6 20.f3 as too weakening.
19...b5?!
The engines prefer a quiet move such as 19...h6.
20.cxb5 Qb6?
I completely failed to spot the point of this move, but it should not work. The engines suggest 20...axb5 or 20...Rxd1 21.Rxd1 axb5, in each case with an edge for White.
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| White to make his 21st move |
*****
*****
*****
*****
21.Be7?
White is substantially better after 21.Rxd8+ Rxd8 22.Bxe4 Nxe4 23.bxa6 as 23...Nxg3? fails to 24.Qe5.
21...Nxg3?
This came as a shock but, as EH said in the postmortem, it was better to preface this capture with an exchange of rooks.
22.Qe3
The best move in a tricky position. There now follows a forced sequence that leads to White gaining the upper hand.
22...Qxe3 23.Rxd8+ Rxd8 24.Rxe3 Rc8 25.Bxf6
Even better seems to be 25.Bd3! which I believe I rejected because of 25...Nd5, but then comes 26.bxa6 Ba8 27.Re1 Nxe7 28.fxg3, when White's queenside pawns are very dangerous. Black could instead play 25...Nf5, but then 26.Bxf5 exf5 27.bxa6 Bxa6 28.Bxf6 gxf6 is again substantially better for White.
25...Rxc2 26.fxg3?
Throwing away White's advantage. Better was 26.Ne1 Ne2+ 27.Kf1, when the engines give best play as 27...Rc8 28.Kxe2 gxf6 29.bxa6 Bxa6+ 30.Kd2. Compared with the game, White's kingside pawn-structure is much better and his king is more central.
26...gxf6 27.bxa6 Bxa6
This ending offers equal chances, according to the engines. White's queenside pawns look threatening, but they are a long way from queening, and Black has the better minor piece for dealing with rival pawn-majorities and for cooperating with a rook.
28.Ra3?!
Almost certainly better was 28.Rb3 as the text wastes a tempo improving the position of the black bishop.
28...Bb7 29.Rb3 Bd5 30.Rb8+ Kg7 31.a4 e5
The engines prefer 31...Rc1+ followed by ...Ra1, or 31...f5 followed by ...Kf6.
32.Ne1?
I should have got on with pushing my queenside pawns, ie 32.a5 or 32.b4, as in each case 32...e4? is a mistake because of 33.Nd4.
32...Re2?
Black is better after 32...Rc1+ 33.Kf2 Ra1.
33.Nf3 f5?
33...Rc2 would have returned to what the engines reckon is a dead-equal position.
34.a5 Kf6
The engines alternate between the text and 34...Rc2, in each case preferring White.
35.a6 e4??
Best, according to the engines, was 35...Rc2 36.Rb6+ Ke7 37.Nxe5!? Rxg2+ 38.Kf1, with a slight edge for White in what remains a sharp ending.
36.Rb6+ Ke7 37.Nd4 Be6??
The final blunder, but after the engines' mainline of 37...Re1+ 38.Kf2 Ra1 39.Nxf5+, White has a winning advantage.
38.Nxe2 1-0
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