Spanton (168) - Steven Rix (175)
Spanish Four Knights
1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3
International Master John Cox reckons (Starting Out: Alekhine's Defence, Everyman 2004) he faces 2.Nc3 "in over 50% of my games with the Alekhine." Cox was 'only' an FM when he wrote that, but if 2.Nc3 is popular at his level, you can understand why it does not come as a surprise to anyone at club level.
2...e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bb5 d6
This is more popular, at least in ChessBase's 2019 Mega database, than Rubinstein's famous 4...Nd4.
5.d4 exd4 6.Nxd4 Bd7
This position could also arise from the Steinitz Defence, and is classified as such by ChessBase.
7.0-0 Be7 8.Re1 Nxd4
This common freeing manoeuvre brings the white queen to a central square, but is considered worth it because Black's position has more pieces than his pawn-structure can comfortably cope with.
9.Qxd4 0-0 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4
11.Bxf6!? would be a novelty, or at least is not in Mega19. The idea is to follow-up with 11..Bxf6 12.e5, but the retreat 12...Be7 seems fine for Black.
11...a6?!
Hoping for 12.Ba4?? b5 13.Bb3 c5 and 14...c4 - a version of Noah's Ark trap. More solid was 11...Bxb5, an exchange that is often played as part of Black's freeing manoeuvre begun with 8...Nxd4.
12.Bxd7 Nxd7
Better than 12...Qxd7? 13.e5.
13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Nd5 Qd8
And this is better than 14...Qe5 15.Qxe5 dxe5 16.Rad1, according to Stockfish10 and Komodo10. In this line, 15...Nxe5 16.Re2 gives White the upper hand, according to Stockfish10, although it does not seem so clear to me or Komodo10.
15.Rad1 Ne5 16.Re3 Nc6 17.Qc3 Kh8 18.Rg3 f6
I expected the less-committal 18...Rg8, but the engines prefer the text.
19.Nf4 Rg8 20.Ng6+ Kh7 21.f4
Taking the e5 square from Black's knight. During the game I thought my position was overwhelming, but it is not.
21...Qe8!?
The engines' choice - at least at first. I planned to meet 21...Ne7, which Stockfish10 comes to narrowly prefer, with 22.Nh4, when White has a small edge, but, it seems, nothing more.
22.Re1
Not 22.e5? dxe5 23.Qd3? e4.
22...Rad8 23.a3
Taking the b4 square from the black knight. I rejected 23.Qd3, trying for an improved version of the previous note, because of 23...Nb4?!, missing the strength of 24.Qb3. However, Black is holding on with 23...Ne7.
23...Qf7 24.Qd3 Rge8 25.Nh4 Kh8 26.Nf5 Rg8 27.Rh3 Ne7
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
28.Nd4?!
Aiming for the e6 square in the mistaken belief my position was, if not overwhelming, at least strong. But this is probably not so, and maybe I should have settled for approximate equality with 28.Nxe7. The engines give the sharp line 28.Qb3 d5!? 29.Qxb7 Nxf5 30.exf5 Rde8 31.Rxe8 Qxe8 32.Qxa6 Qe1+ 33.Qf1 Qd2, when they reckon Black has full compensation for his two-pawn deficit. The line is not forced, and there are interesting alternatives along the way, eg 31.Rhe3, but generally Black seems to be very close to equality.
28...c5!
Thwarting White's plan in the realisation that the backward d pawn Black gets is not as weak as it looks.
29.Nf3 Nc6?!
Better is 29...Ng6 or 29...Rge8, pressurising White's centre.
30.c4?
Fixing the d pawn, but better was 30.Qd5 as 30...Qxd5? (Black should avoid this capture) 31.exd5 leaves White with a substantial advantage thanks to controlling the open file.
30...Rd7!?
I missed the point of this move, which becomes clear with Black's next. However, the engines prefer 30...Rge8 with what they reckon is a completely equal position.
31.Kh1!?
Planning g4 followed by g5 etc, and if …Qg6, then Rg1. The engines hate the idea at first but come to quite like it if given enough time.
31...Rb8
Showing the point of 30...Rd7!?, but the engines still prefer ...Re8.
32.a4
This is OK, but I should not have been spooked out of the consistent 32.g4.
32...Na7?
Determined to get in ...b5, but this decentralising move is a mistake. The engines still recommend ...Re8, with equality, but ...b5 was possible immediately, eg 32...b5!? 33.axb5 axb5 34.cxb5 c4 and ...Rxb5.
33.Nd2?
"Passive" flashed through my head, and I should have paid attention and found something more active. Both 33.g4 and 33.Nh4 give White an edge.
33...b5 34.axb5 axb5 35.b3 bxc4 36.Nxc4 Nb5 37.Rb1?
More passivity. The engines give 37.Rhe3 d5 38.exd5 Rxd5 39.Qb1 with a slight edge for Black.
37...d5 38.Na5 dxe4 39.Qxe4 Qd5?
Letting White off the hook. White's pieces are discoordinated, and his weaknesses (b3 and the back rank) are best exploited by keeping queens on. Black is winning, according to the engines, after 39...Re7, eg 40.Qc4 Qe8 41.Qf1 (41.Rf3? Na3) Ra8 42.Nc4 Nd4 43.Rd3 Ra2 44.Rd2 Rxd2 45.Nxd2 Re2.
40.Qxd5 Rxd5 41.Re3 Nd4 42.Kg1 Rb5 43.Nc4 Rb4 44.Kf2!?
Best, according to the engines, even though it loses a pawn.
44...Nxb3 45.Rbxb3 Rxc4 46.Re7??
Hoping to double rooks on the seventh rank. But Black is never going to allow this, and anyway the f4 pawn is en prise. Correct is 46.Kf3, with drawing chances.
46...Rxf4+ 47.Kg3 Rb4 48.Rc3 Rg5+ 49.Kf3 Rf5+ 50.Ke3 Rb2 51.g4 Re5+??
Almost any other move with this rook wins.
52.Rxe5 fxe5 53.Rxc5 Rxh2 54.Rxe5 Kh7 ½–½
My updated Battersea statistics for 2019-20
Event*..Colour...Grade...Opponent's Grade...Result
CLL..…...B....…..168...………169...……….....W
CLL...…..B...…...168...………196...…………..D
CLL...…..W...…..168...………176...…………..L
LL....……W...…..168...…....…175...………….D
Overall this season for Battersea I have scored +1=2-1 for a grading performance of 179.
In season 2018-19 I scored +12=12-13 for a grading performance of 169.
In season 2017-18 I scored +10=8-9 for a grading performance of 175.
*CLL: Central London League; LL: London League
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