Spanton (1951/168) - Svetlana Sucikova (2160/196)
Caro-Kann Classical
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3
There are more than 19,000 games with this position in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database.
10...e6 11.Bd2
Joe Gallagher in Starting Out: The Caro Kann argues that 11.Bf4 is more precise as it is more active if Black castles short, and he says some players of the black pieces will only castle short if White has played Bd2.
11...Ngf6 12.0-0-0 Be7 13.Ne4
More popular is 13.Kb1, but both moves have been played by lots of strong players.
13...Nxe4 14.Qxe4 Nf6 15.Qe2 Qd5 16.c4 Qe4 17.Qxe4 Nxe4 18.Be3 0-0 19.Ne5 Rfd8 20.g4 Rac8 21.Kb1?!
Decentralising. The main move - we are still in theory - is 21.f3, with the black knight usually retreating to d6. Komodo10 reckons the position is equal, but Stockfish10 gives White a slight edge.
21...Bd6
At last a new move, or at least one not in Mega20. It is Komodo10's choice, but Stockfish10 prefers 21...Bf6.
22.f3 Ng5 23.Bxg5!?
This leaves Black with bishop versus knight with rooks on the board, which usually favours the side with the bishop. However, here the knight is well-placed on the fifth rank, and can only be kicked by weakening the e pawn.
23...hxg5 24.Rhe1 Rc7 25.Kc2 f6 26.Nd3 Kf7 27.c5?!
The engines prefer a move I seriously considered, namely 27.Nc5!? I rejected it because 27...Bxc5 28.dxc5 Rcd7 29.Rxd7+ Rxd7 gives Black the more promising pawn-majority for creating a passed pawn. Komodo10 comes to give Black a slight edge, but Stockfish10 reckons 30.Kc3 equalises.
27...Bg3 28.Re4
Almost certainly better than 28.Rg1?!, which makes it impossible, as far as I can tell, for White to defend the weak d pawn.
28...Rcd7 29.Kc3 Rd5 30.Rd2
Black is clearly better; the only question is whether it is enough for a win.
30...Bc7 31.b4
 |
| Can Black get an advantage here? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
31...f5?!
The engines give 31...a5 32.a3 b5, when Stockfish10 continues 33.Ne1 e5 34.Rd1 f5 35.gxf5 exd4+ 36.Kc2 Be5 37.Nd3 Bf6 38.bxa5 Ra8 39.Re6 Ra6 40.Rd6 Rxf5 41.Kb3 Rxa5 42.Rxc6 Rxf3 43.Rb6 with advantage to Black. Komodo10 gives 33.f4 f5 34.Ne5+ Bxe5 35.Rxe5 gxf4 36.Rxd5 axb4+ 37.axb4 Rxd5 38.g5 e5 39.dxe5 Rxe5 40.Rd7+ with counterplay for White, but much prefers Black.
32.Ne5+
Now White seems fine.
32...Kf6 33.Ree2 Bb8 34.Kc4 Bc7 35.Kc3 Bb8 36.Kc4 a6 37.Kc3
The engines reckon White is better after 37.Ng6, but I fear I was concentrating so much on avoiding defeat that I rarely looked for ways to get an advantage.
37...Bc7 38.Kc4 Ra8 39.a4 Rad8
39...Bxe5 40.dxe5+ Rxe5 41.Rxe5 Kxe5 temporarily wins a pawn, but White gets strong counterplay with 42.Rd7.
40.a5 Bb8 41.Kc3 Bc7 42.Kc4 Bxe5 43.Rxe5 Kf7 44.Kc3 Ke7!? 45.Rde2 Rxe5 46.Rxe5 Rf8 47.Kd3 fxg4 48.fxg4 Rf3+ 49.Re3 Rf1
49...Rf4 50.Re4 Rxe4 51.Kxe4 Kf6 52.Ke3 e5 53.Ke4 is a draw, but not 53.dxe5+?? Kxe5 etc.
50.Rh3
Active defence.
50...Rb1 51.Kc4 Rc1+ 52.Kd3 Ra1 53.Kc4 Rg1 54.h6 gxh6 55.Rxh6 Kd7
55...Rxg4 56.Rh7+ Kf6 57.Rxb7 is also a draw, according to the engines.
56.Rh7+ Kc8 57.Rh8+ Kc7 58.Rh7+ Kb8 59.Rh8+ Ka7 60.Re8 Rxg4 61.Rxe6 Rg1 62.Re8 g4 63.Rg8 g3 64.Kb3
Not 64.Kd3? g2 65.Ke2 Rb1 66.Rxg2 Rxb4, when only Black can win.
The game finished:
64...Rb1+ 65.Kc3 Rc1+ 66.Kb3 Rg1 67.Kc3 Rc1+ 68.Kb3 Rg1 69.Kc3 g2 70.Kb2 Rd1 ½–½
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