John T Fletcher (2002/188) - Spanton (1840/170)
Division 4, Board 1, The Full Ponty v Wessex C
Veresov
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 Nbd7
Easily the most-popular reply to the Veresov. It scores a much-higher percentage in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database than the second-most popular move, 3...e6.
4.Nf3 h6 5.Bh4
Gavriil Veresov preferred 5.Bf4 in a game in the 1955 Belarusian championship, but switched to the text nine years later in Moscow.
5...e6 6.e3 c5 7.Bb5!?
This is strange, although it has been successfully played by a 2410, and the analysis engine Stockfish10 flickers between the text and 7.Be2.
7...a6 8.Bxd7+ Bxd7 9.Ne5
Presumably White's idea is he has given up the bishop-pair but has a well-posted knight at e5.
9...Be7 10.0-0 Rc8 11.a4N 0-0 12.Qd3 Nh5!?
A good rule-of-thumb has it that when you have a bad bishop (in this case my shut-in light-square bishop), you should not exchange your good bishop. I knew the rule but felt it was desirable to exchange a pair of minors to dissipate any kingside attack White might be hoping to build up.
Perhaps a better way of doing this is 12...Ng4!?, when White is more-or-less obliged to let the queens come off too by13.Bxe7 Nxe5 14.Bxd8 Nxd3.
13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Ne2 Nf6 15.c3 Bc6 16.Ng3 Qe8 17.Qd1 cxd4!?
This is always a double-edged move in this type of position as the half-open e file might prove more valuable for White than the half-open c file does for Black.
18.exd4 Nd7 19.Nxc6
I thought a better try is 19.f4, although Stockfish10 and Komodo10 give 19...g6!? with what they at first call equality, but quickly switch to preferring White. I was leaning towards 19...Nxe5, when 20.fxe5 looks promising for White, eg 20...f6?! 21.exf6 Rxf6 22.Rxf6 gxf6 23.Nh5 with a decidedly draughty black king.
19...Rxc6 20.Re1 Nb6 21.Qg4 Qd8 22.h4
White's attack may look menacing, but it is surprisingly easily dealt with. Meanwhile, White has queenside weaknesses to worry about.
If 22.Nh5, then 22...Qg5 23.Qxg5 hxg5 is at least equal for Black, according to the engines.
22...f5 23.Qf4 g5 24.hxg5 hxg5 25.Qf3
The black king may look draughty here, but White cannot get at it. Meanwhile Black's kingside space advantage means the white king is in danger from an attack down the h file.
25...Rf7 26.a5!?
The engines quite like the text, which somewhat baffles me, but they prefer 26.Nh5, when they reckon 26...Qf8 27.Qg3 Qh6 28.Nf4 is equal.
26...Nc4 27.Re2
 |
| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
27...Qf6
27...Rh7 was possible, but I did not like the reply 28.Nxf5!?, when the engines continue 28...exf5 (not 28...Rf7?? 29.Nh6+) 29.Rae1 Qd7 30.Re8+ Kf7 31.R8e7+ Qxe7 32.Rxe7+ Kxe7 33.Qxf5 with a position difficult to assess (Stockfish10 reckons it is equal; Komodo10 slightly prefers Black).
28.Rae1 Rh7
Perhaps I should have satisfied myself with grabbing a pawn by 28...Nxa5, but I thought I had bigger fish to fry, and anyway the a5 pawn is not going away.
29.b4?
On 29.b3 I was planning 29...Qh6 (29...Nxa5 is much stronger), missing that White has 30.Qh5! (but not 30.bxc4?? Qh2+ 31.Kf1 Qh1+ 32.Nxh1 Rxh1#). The engines give 29.Rxe6! Rxe6 30.Qxd5 Rhe7 31.Qxc4 with a slight edge to Black.
29...Qh6
The threat is 30...Qh2+ 31.Kf1 Qh1+ 32.Nxh1 Rxh1#.
30.Re5
White is lost whatever he plays. I expected something like 30.Rc2, but had seen 30...f4 wins a piece. The text offers an exchange to break the attack, but Black can do better.
30...Qh2+ 31.Kf1 Nd2+ 0-1
My two wins over the weekend saw me gain 20 Fide elo.
The Full Ponty won this match 4-2.
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