Charlie Nettleton (190) - Spanton (170)
King's Fianchetto Opening
1.g3 e5 2.Bg2 d5 3.c4 c6 4.cxd5 cxd5
White's play may look unambitious, but basically he is giving Black enough rope to hang himself.
5.d4
Other moves have been tried, but this is the most popular as it is generally believed White should attack Black's centre before Black has time to consolidate his central space-advantage.
5...e4 6.Nc3 Nc6 7.f3 exf3 8.Nxf3 Bb4!?
This move, which seems to have been first played by Korchnoi in a win over Benko in 1982, is not liked by the analysis engines Stockfish10 and Komodo10.
9.0-0 Nge7 10.a3!?
Benko played 10.Ne5.
10...Bd6?
Logical is 10...Bxc3 11.bxc3 with a long-term plan of ...Na5-c4.
11.e4 dxe4 12.Nxe4
The engines give 12.Ng5! with a strong attack, eg 12...0-0 13.Qh5 h6 14.Nxf7 Qe8 15.Nxe4 Rxf7 16.Rxf7 Qxf7 17.Qxf7+ Kxf7 18.Nxd6+, when White is a pawn up and has the bishop-pair on an open board.
12...0-0?
The engines give 12...Bc7, not so much to preserve the bishop but rather to prevent White advancing with d5.
13.Nxd6?
This eases Black's defensive task. Good is 13.d5, eg 13...Na5 14.Kh1 Bg4 15.Qd4!? Nb3 16.Nf6+! gxf6 17.Qxg4+ Kh8 18.Rb1, when White is clearly much better.
13...Qxd6 14.Bf4 Qd8 15.Kh1 Nd5 16.Ne5 Nxe5 17.Bxe5??
A Saturday-night blunder. White had to play 17.dxe5, when 17...Nxf4 18.gxf4 Bf5 is equal as 19.Bxb7?! Rb8 20.Qf3 Qd4 slightly favours Black.
17...Ne3 18.Qb3 Nxf1?!
Probably better is 18...Nxg2 19.Kxg2 Be6, when Black has the safer king and White's passer can be firmly blockaded.
19.Rxf1 Be6?
Better is the engines' 19...Qe7, eg 20.Bf4 (planning to mobilise the d pawn) Re8 21.d5 Bf5 22.d6 Qd7 23.Qxb7 Qxb7 24.Bxb7 Be4+ (getting rid of the bishop-pair) 25.Bxe4 Rxe4, when the engines reckon Black has the upper hand but is not necessarily winning.
20.d5 Bd7 21.Qxb7 Qc8 22.d6 Qxb7 23.Bxb7 Rab8
White has the bishop-pair and a dangerous passer for the exchange. The engines reckon Black is slightly better, but mobilising the rooks is not simple.
24.Bf3 Rfe8 25.Bd4 Kf8?!
Black keeps a slight edge with 25...a5, according to the engines.
26.b4 a6 27.Rc1!?
This leads to an exchange of rooks, which should favour Black, but the exchange will bring White's passer to the seventh rank.
27...Rbc8 28.Rc7 Rxc7 29.dxc7 Re1+
Mobilising the king by 29...Ke7 is a sensible alternative, although after 30.Bc5+ Ke6 31.Bb7 Bc8 32.Bc6, White has a draw by repetition (but would CN have taken it?).
30.Kg2 Bc8 31.Bc5+ Kg8 32.a4 Rc1 33.Bd6 Rc2+ 34.Kf1 Rd2 35.Bc5 Rd7?!
Black draws, which is all he can realistically hope for, after 35...Rc2.
36.Bb6 Rd6?!
The position is difficult, but after 36...Rd2 37.b5 Rb2 38.Be2 axb5 39.axb5 the engines reckon Black is holding with accurate play.
37.Ba5 Rf6!?
The engines' main line runs 37...Rd3 38.Ke2 Ra3 39.Bc6 f5 40.Bb6 Kf7 41.Kd2 with a slight edge for White.
38.Ke2
 |
| Black to play and draw (probably) |
*****
*****
*****
*****
38...Rxf3?
The wrong way to head for an opposite-coloured bishops ending. Correct is 38...Kf8, when 39.Ke3 loses a vital tempo on the game, so White has to try 39.b5 axb5 40.axb5 Ke7 41.b6, but 41...Rxf3! 42.Kxf3 Kd6 seems drawn - the engines strongly favour White, but are unable to make progress.
The game finished:
39.Kxf3 Kf8 40.Ke4 Ke7 41.Kd5 Bb7+ 42.Kc5 Kd7 43.Kb6 Kc8 44.b5 axb5 45.Kxb5
45.axb5 also wins.
45...Bf3 46.Bb6 Kb7 47.a5 Be2+ 48.Kc5 Bg4 49.Kd6 h5 50.Ke7 Be6 51.Kd8 1-0
I resigned as White will eventually play a6+ Kxa6, c8=Q+, winning the black bishop.
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