Nasir Rizvi (182) - Spanton (170)
'Barry Attack'
1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 e6 3.Bf4
3.e4 transposes to the French Defence. The text - first played in 1856 in Calcutta - introduces a cross between the Veresov (1.d4, 2.Nc3 and 3.Bg5) and the New London (1.d4 and 2.Bf4). One of its names is the New Veresov. I call it the Barry Attack, but this name is usually restricted for 1.d4, 2.Nc3 and 3.Bf4 against a black set-up involving an early kingside fianchetto. Another name is the Jobava-Prié Attack.
After the game, five Battersea players went to a nearby Wetherspoon. It turned out all of us, or perhaps it was just four of us, had faced 1.d4, 2.Nc3 and 3.Bf4 either that night or the night before. Clearly something is going on.
3...Bd6
The main move is 3...Nf6, as played in Moheschunder Bannerjee - John Cochrane, Calcutta 1856 (0-1, 37 moves), but the text has a better percentage score in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database.
4.e3!?
White's score leaps to an impressive 61% after this, and it can easily be seen that the text saves a tempo over 4.Bg3 and 4.Bxd6 Qxd6.
4...Bxf4
Trying to punish White's play. Black cannot necessarily delay this decision as 4...Nf6 has been met with 5.Qf3!? by Romanian international master George-Catalin Ardelean.
5.exf4 Nf6
Logical-looking is 5...Qd6!? but it is not liked, at least at first, by Stockfish10 and Komodo10, who continue 6.Qg4 Kf8 7.Qg3 with an unclear position that Stockfish10 reckons may slightly favour Black, but Komodo10 reckons favours White. As the saying has it, tests are needed.
6.Nf3 Qe7?!
Now 6...Qd6 can be met by 7.Ne5, which occurred in Richárd Rapport (2698) - Miklos Nemeth (2451), Zalakaros (Hungary) 2017 (1/2–1/2, 36 moves).
The problem with the text is that the e pawn will be pinned against the queen when a white rook lands on e1.
7.Bd3 Bd7?!
7...c5 8.dxc5 Qxc5 9.0-0 Nc6 10.Nb5 seemed slightly better for White in Igor Miladinović (2555) - Robert Markus (2625), Serbian Championship 2012, but was agreed drawn just eight moves later.
The text is what I suspect Garry Kasparov would call a half-move, ie one that is vaguely useful but does not get to the heart of the position. I was reluctant to play 7...0-0 as I feared White would castle long and launch a kingside pawn-storm.
8.0-0 0-0 9.Re1 c5 10.dxc5
10.f5 cxd4 11.fxe6 dxc3 12.exd7 Qxd7 looks fine for Black.
10...Qxc5 11.Ne5 Nc6
11...Qb4?! looks very greedy, but is maybe playable.
12.Re3!?
The engines prefer a slower build-up with, for example 12.Qd2.
12.g4!? is sharp. The engines continue 12...Qb4!? 13.Nxd7 Nxd7 14.Qf3 with a menacing-looking position for White, but the engines like Black.
12...d4!?
Forcing, but the engines prefer 12...Qb4 13.Rh3 g6 14.Qc1!? with an unclear position.
13.Ne4 Nxe4 14.Nxd7 Qd5
Not 14...Nxf2? 15.Nxc5 Nxd1 16.Rh3.
15.Bxe4 Qxd7
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
16.Bxh7+?
Unsound.
White has a slight edge after 16.Rd3, according to the engines.
16...Kxh7 17.Rh3+ Kg8 18.Qh5 f6 19.g4 Qe8 20.Qh7+ Kf7 21.g5 fxg5 22.fxg5 Ke7!?
A good practical choice, although the engines narrowly prefer 22...e5.
23.Re1
Objectively best is 23.Qxg7+!?, but 23...Qf7 forces queens off as Black threatens f2.
23...Qf7 24.f4 Rh8 25.Qd3 Rxh3 26.Qxh3 Rf8 27.Qa3+ Kd7 28.Qb3 Kc7!?
Another practical choice.
The game finished:
29.Qxe6 Qxf4 30.g6 Rf6 31.Qe8 Qg4+ 32.Kh1 Rf2 33.Re7+ Kb6 34.Rxb7+ Kxb7 0-1
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
CLL...…..B...…...168...………192...…………..D
CLL...…..W...…..168...………181...…………..L
LL...…….W...…..168...………168...…………..L
EC...…….B...…..168...………175...……….….L
CLL...…...B.........170...………172...…………..L
LL...…….W...…..170...………183...…………..D
LL............W........170...…........180......……......L
LL....…….B...…..170....……...182...………….W
Overall this season for Battersea I have scored +2=4-6 for a grading performance of 162.
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; EC: Eastman Cup.
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