Saturday, 29 February 2020

Fareham

AM playing in the open section of Castle Chess's 16th Fareham weekend congress, which began last night in the Hampshire town's Lysses House Hotel, and continues over six rounds.
The time control is 36 moves in 90 minutes, followed by a 15-minute quickplay finish.
Spanton (170) - Marc Shaw (140)
Spanish Classical
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5 4.c3 Qe7!?
Black's idea, as MS explained afterwards, is to strongpoint e5.
5.0-0 a6 6.Ba4 b5 7.Bc2
Strong players, including Emanuel Lasker, albeit in a simul, have generally preferred 7.Bb3.
7...Nf6 8.d4 Bb6 9.d5
Even better, according to Stockfish10 and Komodo10, is 9.a4.
9...Nd8?!
The knight has limited prospects on d8. The traditional Spanish knight manoeuvre 9...Na5 is probably better.
10.a4 bxa4 11.Rxa4 Nb7 12.b4 Nd6?!
Castling or 12...d6 looks sensible. One problem with the text is it weakens the strongpoint e5.
13.Qe2 Bb7?
Black will now have great difficulty defending his queenside. The engines suggest 13...Nb5, but much prefer White after, for example, 14.Bb2 d6 15.c4.
14.c4 c5 15.Bb2
Capturing the black c pawn with either the d5 or b4 pawn is also good.
15...cxb4 16.Rxb4 Nc8
Or 16...Bc5 17.Ra4 0-0 18.Nbd2, when Black cannot save the e5 pawn.
17.Ba3 d6
Also very good for White is 17...Bc5 18.Rxb7 Bxa3 19.Nxa3 Qxa3 20.Nxe5.
18.Ba4+ Nd7 19.Nc3 a5
How should White proceed?
*****
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20.Rb2
I was tempted by 20.Rxb6!? Nxb6 21.Nb5, but the text is simpler and seems stronger.
20...Ba6 21.Rfb1 Bd8
If 21...Bc7, then 22.Bc6 Ra7 23.Bb5!, eg 23...0-0 24.c5 Nxc5 25.Bxc5 dxc5 26.Bxa6. And if 21...Rb8, then one good line given by Stockfish10 runs 22.Bxd7+ Qxd7 23.Nxe5!? dxe5 24.Qh5 Qc7 25.d6 Qxc4 26.Qxe5+ Kd7 27.Nd5 with a winning attack.
22.Bc6 Ra7 23.Nb5 Bxb5 24.Rxb5 0-0 25.Bxd7 Qxd7
Or 25...Rxd7 26.c5 dxc5 27.Rxc5 Nd6 28.Rc6 Bc7 29.Qa6 Rfd8 30.Rb7, when Black is completely tied down and cannot avoid massive material loss, eg 30...h6 31.h3 f6 32.Nh4 etc.
26.c5 dxc5
Not much better is the engines' 26...Bc7, eg 27.Nd2 f5 28.exf5 Rxf5 29.Ne4 with a huge attack.
27.Bxc5 Nd6 28.Nxe5 1-0
Black has only lost a pawn, but his position appears hopeless, eg 28...Qc7 29.Bxd6 Qxd6 30.Nc6 Ra8 31.e5 Qg6 32.Rb8 Bg5 33.Rxf8+ Rxf8 34.Rb7 a4 35.g3 a3 36.Ra7.

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