In this series I want to look at games where my opponent was a GM and still had a rating above 2500, the minimum level for getting the title from Fide in the first place.
Spanton (2105) - Bogdan Lalić (2520)
Sutton (South London) 1994
Scandinavian Defence
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Nc3!?
An unusual but not exactly rare line - there are more than 6,400 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database. The position has added practical value in that it can be reached from Alekhine's Defence, ie 1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.exd5.
3...Nxd5 4.Bc4 e6
More popular are 4...c6 and especially 4...Nb6.
5.Qf3 c6 6.Nge2 Nd7 7.d4 N7f6 8.Bg5 Be7 9.0-0 0-0
Both players have castled, but White is ahead on development and has the only fourth-rank pawn. However, Black has a well-placed knight on d5, and no weaknesses. Stockfish10 reckons White has a slight edge, but for Komodo10 the position is equal.
10.Rad1 b6 11.Rfe1
11.Nf4!? was played in Marija Zvereva (2206) - Nikita Nikolaev (2319), St Petersburg White Nights 2001. That game continued 11..Nxf4?! (the engines much prefer 11...Nxc3 or 11...h6) 12.Bxf4 Bb7 13.Be5, when the engines like White, although Black went on to win.
11...Re8 12.Nf4 h6 13.Bxf6 Bxf6
Black has the long-term advantage of the bishop-pair, but has to be careful as he lags in development. Stockfish10 reckons White has the upper hand, but Komodo10 reckons White's advantage is slight (but still meaningful).
14.Nh5 Be7
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
15.Re4?!
Presumably I was hoping the rook would aid a kingside attack, but there is nowhere stable for the rook to go to on that part of the board.
The engines reckon 15.Ne4 keeps an edge for White.
15...g6 16.Nf4 Bf8 17.Rde1?!
Rooks generally do not do well in the middle of the board when there is still a lot of pieces. Safer was 17.Ree1.
17...Nf6!?
The engines' 17...Bb7, with unpleasant threats on the long diagonal, may well be better.
18.R4e3 Bd7?!
Black could probably have grabbed a pawn with 18...Qxd4!? as 19.Qxc6? Bd7 costs White a piece for a pawn. Instead the engines give 19.Nd3! Bg7 20.Ne5 Qd6 with an edge for Black.
Alternatively, Black could strengthen his kingside with 18...Bg7, rather than putting the light-square bishop on a pretty prospectless square.
19.Bd3?!
The engines prefer 19.Nd3, intending Ne5, or 19.Ne4 Nxe4 20.Qxe4, in each case with a small edge for White.
19...Bg7 20.Ne4 Rf8 21.c3 Nd5 22.R3e2 Rc8 23.Nd6 Rc7 24.Qg3?!
Black now gets an initiative.
Stockfish10 reckons 24.Nxd5 cxd5 25.Nb5 is equal. Komodo10 gives 24.Be4 Qe7 25.Nc4, again with equality, although Stockfish10 prefers Black.
24...Nxf4 25.Qxf4 c5 26.dxc5 Rxc5 27.Ne4!?
Bringing the loose-ish piece back onto White's side of the board. The engines prefer 27.Be4 Qc7 28.Rd2 Ra5, when the position has opened up a bit for Black's bishops, and White's pieces have coordination difficulties.
27...Rf5 28.Qe3 Bc6 29.Qd2?
Walking into a pin down the d file. Better is 29.Bc2, although the bishops give Black an edge.
29...Rd5 30.Re3?
This loses almost instantly. The engines give best-play as something like 30.Rd1 f5 31.Ng3 Qd7 32.Nf1 Bb5 33.Re3 f4 34.Rf3 Rd8 35.c4! Bxc4 36.Bxc4 Rxd2 37.Rxd2 Qe7 38.Rxd8+ Qxd8 39.Bxe6+, but Black has queen for rook and knight, and should win.
30...f5 31.Ng3 f4 0-1
LESSONS FROM THIS GAME
The unusual opening was a success in that I got a pleasant, probably slightly favourable, position against a grandmaster by playing simple moves (the opening may look anaemic, but my score from the position after 4.Bc4 is +8=6-4).
But in the middlegame I mishandled my rooks by trying to use them prematurely, or at least in an inappropriate way. I then ceded the initiative, and lost quickly when I failed to anticipate Black's counterplay.
So the opening is worth consideration for future games. But rooks need to be held back in a crowded middlegame, and it is vitally important to take account of the opponent's plans and threats.
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