Spanton (170) - Anthony Higgs (181)
Pirc/Philidor
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d6 3.e4 e5
This is now very much mainstream - there are more than 23,000 examples of 3...e5 in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database. The only question seems to be whether the opening should be classified as a Pirc or a Philidor.
4.dxe5
Very much second in popularity to 4.Nf3.
4...dxe5 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8 6.Bg5 Ke8?
This mistake occurs six times in Mega20, including a game where Black was an International Master. But maybe it is not such a mistake - Black's score is +2=1-3, or 41.7%. Considering that two of the blacks were unrated, and another was 1721, that is quite respectable.
7.Bxf6 gxf6 8.Nd5 Bd6 9.Nxf6+ Kf8 10.Nf3 Nc6
Misa Pap (2504) - Drasko Boskovic (IM 2417), Subotica Spartak (Serbia) 2010, saw 10...Nd7 11.Nxd7+ Bxd7 12.Bc4, when White is clearly better but the future-GM could only draw the game.
11.Bc4 Na5 12.Bb3 Nxb3 13.axb3 h5 14.Nd5
There was a danger of the knight being trapped after ...c6.
14...Rg8 15.g3 Be6 16.Ne3 Bb4+ 17.Ke2 f6 18.Rhd1 Kg7 19.Nh4 Bc5 20.Nhf5+ Kg6 21.f3 Rgd8 22.Rxd8 Rxd8 23.Rd1 Rxd1 24.Kxd1
Exchanging rooks is double-edged. It brings nearer the possibility of White using his extra pawn, but at the same time it enhances the power of the bishops, which no longer have any rival long-range pieces.
24...c6 25.Ke2 a6 26.Nh4+ Kf7 27.Nc4 b5 28.Nd2 a5 29.Ng2 Bd4
Komodo10 at first reckons 29...Bh3 equalises, but after 30.Ne3 Kg6 31.Nd1 h4 32.Nf2 hxg3 33.hxg3 Bd7 it has White slightly better. Stockfish10 reckons White keeps the upper hand throughout.
30.c3 Bc5 31.Ne3 Kg6 32.h4 Bd6 33.Nc2 Kf7 34.b4 a4 35.Ne1 c5 36.bxc5 Bxc5 37.Nd3 Bd6 38.Nb4 Bc5
After 38...Bxb4? 39.cxb4, White's queenside is invulnerable to Black's bishop and White can get on with mobilising his kingside majority.
39.Nc6 Bb6 40.Nb4 Bc5 41.Nc2 Ke7 42.Ne3 Kf7 43.Nb1 b4 44.cxb4 Bxb4 45.Na3 Bc5 46.Nd1?!
46.Nb5 keeps an advantage, according to the engines.
46...Bd4?!
The engines reckon White cannot make progress after 46...Kg6.
47.Nc3?!
The engines prefer 47.Nc2, eg 47...Bc5 48.Nc3 Bc4+ 49.Ke1, but it is hard for White to improve his position.
47...Bd7 48.Nc2 Bc5?!
Black seems to equalise after 48...Bxc3 49.bxc3 as the outside passed pawn distracts White from doing anything constructive on the kingside.
49.Ne3 Bd4 50.Ned1?!
The engines give 50.Kd3 Kg6 51.Kd2 Bc5 52.g4!?
50...Kg6 51.Kd3 f5!
Opening lines for the bishops.
52.exf5+ Bxf5+ 53.Ne4?
 |
| Black to play and win |
*****
*****
*****
*****
53...Be6
AH apparently saw 53...Bxb2! immediately after moving. The first point is 54.Nxb2?? loses to 4...a3 55.Nc4 a2 56.Nxe5+ Kg7. So White has to play 54.Ndc3 a3 55.Kc2, when he may be able to hold, but as AH said only Black has winning chances.
54.Ndc3 Bb3?
54...Bd7 is more-or-less equal, according to the engines.
55.Nd2 Bxc3 56.bxc3?
White should win after 56.Kxc3, when the queenside is stabilised (although Black has to keep an eye on the a pawn's safety) and White can switch to kingside play.
56...Bd1 57.Nc4 Kf6
Not 57...Bxf3?? 58.Nxe5+.
58.Ke3 Bb3 59.Na3 Ke6 60.g4 Bd5 61.g5 Kf5 62.c4 Bc6 63.Nc2 Bb7 64.c5 Bc6 65.Na3
I should have given more-serious attention to 65.Nb4!? a3, but 66.Kd3 Bxf3 67.Kc3 Bd1 seemed to me to be murky at best, but is probably equal, eg 68.c6 Ke6 69.g6 Bg4 70.Kb3 Kf6 71.Kxa3 Kxg6 72.Nd5 Be6.
65...Bd5 66.Nb5 Bc6 67.Na3 Bd5 68.Nb5 Bc6 69.Na3 ½–½
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