My opponent today in round eight at Hastings was an Indian girl (b 2007).
Spanton (1951/168) - Rohilla Shivika (1744/150)
Spanish Exchange
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4
Black could try to avoid queens coming off by 6...Bd7!?, but the analysis engines Stockfish10 and Komodo10 reckon 7.Bf4 is good for White, eg 7...Nf6 8.Nc3 Be7 9.0-0-0, when White dominates in the centre.
7.Nxd4
Playing 5.d4 followed by 6.Qxd4 is the simplest, most thematic and, arguably, least promising line of the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez. The vast majority of Blacks are happy to swop queens because the bishop-pair is reckoned to at least fully compensate for Black's inferior pawn-structure. Indeed, the engines reckon Black already has an edge.
7...Bd6 8.Nc3 Ne7 9.Be3 f5!?
A somewhat controversial decision. On the one hand, exchanges on f5 speed Black's development and clear the board of a pair of knights, making it less likely White will be able to swop off one of the black bishops. The drawback is that every exchange of pieces brings the game nearer a pawn-ending that will be very difficult for Black.
10.Nxf5
The engines do not like this, preferring 10.Bg5!? or 10.0-0-0.
10...Nxf5 11.exf5 Bxf5 12.0-0-0 0-0 13.h3 Bg6
Georg Kieninger - Theo Wildschütz, Essen 1947, continued 13...Rae8 14.a3 a5 15.Rde1 b5 with the engines giving Black a small edge (0-1, 38 moves).
14.Rhe1 Rae8
The engines like the text, but Black could have played for a near sure-fire draw with 14...Bb4!? 15.Re2 Bxc3 16.bxc3, when it is hard to see either side making progress.
15.f3
 |
| Can you find a good combination for Black? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
No.
15...Rxe3?
This surrenders the bishop-pair for no discernible reason.
16.Rxe3 Bf4 17.Rde1 Re8 18.Nd1 Bxe3+ 19.Rxe3 Rxe3 20.Nxe3
The engines reckon this ending is equal, but I believe few humans would agree.
20...Kf7 21.Kd2 Ke6 22.f4 c5 23.g3 b5 24.c3 c4?!
Black has gained space on the queenside, but putting pawns on the same-coloured squares as the bishop is dubious as White in the long run will have good chances of penetrating with his king on the dark squares.
25.Ng4 Bf5 26.Nf2 h5 27.g4 hxg4 28.hxg4 Bb1 29.a3 Kd5 30.Ke3 Bc2
The game settles down into one of long manoeuvring in which Black is almost entirely on the defensive as she has to be careful not to allow penetration by the white knight or king. Black cannot create a passed pawn on the queenside, so the only counterplay she has is making the occasional threat to the g4 pawn, which is the only white one on a light square.
Engines have trouble evaluating this type of ending, presumably because White is not threatening to win material anytime soon and any denouement is a long way off.
31.Nh3 Bd1 32.Nf2 Bc2 33.Kf3 g6
The engines reckon Black has to play this sooner or later, but it means another black pawn is not covering any dark squares.
34.Kg3 Ke6 35.Kh4 Kf6 36.Nh3 Be4 37.Ng5 Bd5 38.Kg3 a5 39.Nf3 c6 40.Ne5
Even stronger is 40.g5+ Ke7 (40...Kf5? 41.Nh4+ loses the g6 pawn) 41.f5 gxf5 42.Nd4, eg 42...Be4 43.Kf4 followed by Nxf5.
40...a4 41.Kf2 Bh1 42.Ke3 Bd5 43.Nf3 Ke6 44.Nh2 Bg2 45.Kd4 Kf6 46.Ke3 Ke6 47.Nf3 Kd5
This does not help, but also losing is Stockfish10's 47...Bh1 48.Nh4 Kf6 49.g5+ Kf7 50.Kd4 Bd5 51.Ke5 Bh1 52.f5 gxf5 53.Kxf5 etc, and Komodo10's 47...Kf7 48.g5 c5 49.Ne5+ Kg7 50.Nd7.
48.Ne5 Be4 49.Nxc6 Bc2?? 50.Nd4??
50.Nb4+ wins instantly.
The game finished:
50...Bd1 51.g5 Kc5 52.Ke4 Bg4 53.Ke5 Bd7 54.Ne6+ Kc6 55.Nf8 Bf5 56.Kf6 Kd5 57.Nxg6 Ke4 58.Ne7 1-0
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