Back To The Drawing-Board (part two)?

A LINE against the Petrov I have long wanted to play - but never dared - is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nxf7!?

Position after 4.Nxf7!?

Following 4...Kxf7 White has two pawns for a knight and has prevented Black from castling.
It might be thought White should continue with 5.Bc4+, but the main line, judging by games in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database, runs 5.d4 (Short, Topalov, Morozevich and Ivanchuk have tried 5.Nc3) Be7 (5...c5 and 5...g6 are major alternatives) 6.Nc3 Re8 7.Bc4+ Be6 (7...Kf8 is also popular) 8.Bxc6+ Kxe6, at which point Komodo11.01 gives Black a slight edge but Stockfish11 reckons White has full compensation for the material deficit.
One thing you can be fairly sure about - the knight sac should not come as a surprise to a regular Petrov player as every so often it gets given an outing by a strong grandmaster. Nevertheless, it is tempting ...

Back To The Drawing-Board?

I HAVE been trying an unusual line against the Petrov: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.c4!?

Position after 5.c4!?

It is recommended by Larry Kaufman in The Chess Advantage In Black And White (McKay, 2004).
He writes: "It is closely related to the slightly more fashionable 5.Nc3, as both moves can lead to doubled c pawns, but it has the advantage that White is only obliged to permit the doubling when Black plays ...Nc6 first, after which the knight is poorly placed in relation to a white pawn on c3, or when he plays ...c6, which permits White to annoy the d6 pawn."
My first two outings with the line were correspondence games in which I beat a 1332 and drew with a 2458. More recently I have played it in four over-the-board games, winning all four.
Admittedly those four games were against opponents I would have been expected to beat, but nevertheless I had no reason to be dissatisfied with the line.
Then came the following correspondence game:
Spanton (2260 - England) - Nick Flew (2000 - Wales 2)
Carlos Flores Gutiérrez Team Tournament (ICCF) 2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.c4!? Nc6

All my previous games, except for the draw against Noire, featured 5...Be7. That is the most popular move in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database, but it allows 6.d4, which is not the end of the world for Black but does give White good central control.

6.Nc3!? Nxc3 7.dxc3

This is the main line but also possible is 7.bxc3!? followed by a quick d4 with the idea of central control.

7...g6!?

Kaufman only covers 7...Be7 and 7...Bg4. The text is slower but, based on this game at least, seems perfectly playable, in which case it is hard to see what the line offers White.

Spanton (2158) - Eric Noire (2458), IECG World Championship Semi-Final 2007, went 7...Bf5!? 8.Nd4 Nxd4 9.Qxd4!? Qe7+ 10.Be3 Qe5 11.0-0-0 Be7 12.Bd3 Qxd4 13.Bxd4 Bxd3 14.Rxd3 f6 (½–½, 30 moves).

8.Bg5 Be7 9.Bh6!?

This was played in all seven Mega20 games to reach this point.

9...Bf8 10.Be3

Gawain Jones (2640) - Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2804), Tata Steel A (Wijk aan Zee) 2018, saw 10.Bg5 Be7 11.Bh6 Bf8 12.Bg5 ½–½.

10...Bg7 11.c5!?

This may be new. 11.Qd2 is the known continuation.

11...dxc5 12.Qxd8+ Nxd8 13.Bxc5

White's position looks promising at first glance as Black has trouble castling kingside, but this proves a minor inconvenience.

13...a6 14.Bc4 Be6 15.Bb3 Bxb3 16.axb3 Ne6 17.Be3 0-0-0 18.0-0

Opposite-side castling with a half-open a file would lead to a sharp game with queens on, but here the game fairly quickly peters out.

18...Rd5 19.b4 Rb5 20.Nd2 Bf6 21.g3 Rd5

We played a further 15 moves, but the equilibrium never looked like being disturbed, which is rather disheartening from a white perspective.

Admittedly this was a correspondence game, and it would not be so easy (for either player) to play as accurately OTB, but it seems I will need to find a radical wrinkle if I wish to continue playing 5.c4!? with serious prospects of a gaining an advantage against a prepared opponent.

Chess, chess, everywhere, Nor any game to play

LEONARD Barden has posted a very informative link, at the English Chess Forum, to a European Chess Union-compiled list of tournaments that are going ahead in the coming weeks.
Guess how many of the tournaments, which I reproduce below, are being held in England, Scotland, Wales or the Irelands?

After the pause of the over-the-board chess activities due to health reasons, National Chess Federations throughout Europe have announced the continuation of the over-the-board Open chess festivals and individual events.

The upcoming events in June and July are:

• Panevėžys Open 2020 , 26th June-3rd July
  Location: Panevezys, Lithuania
• 16th Baltic Pearl Open 2020– 28th June- 7th July,
  Location: Lazy, Poland
• Ceske Budejovice Chess Festival 2020, 1st-9th July,
  Location: Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
• 13th International Chess Festival Paracin Open 2020, 3rd-17th July
  Location: Paracin, Serbia
• First Saturday July 2020, 4th-14th July,
  Location: Budapest, Hungary
• 54th Ilmar Raud Memorial, 6th-12th July Location: Viljandi, Estonia
• Polugaevsky Memorial 2020, 9th-19th July,
  Location: Samara, Russia
• 43rd Ikaros Chess Festival 2020, 10th-19th July
  Location: Aghios Kirykos, Greece
• National Individual Cup Georgi Tringov Memorial 42nd Open,
  12th-19th July, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• 40th International Chess Tournament „Plunge 2020”, 13th-19th July
  Location: Plunge, Lithuania
• 24th International Chess Festival ,,The Battle of Senta 1697″,
  11th-18th July, Location: Senta, Serbia
• IX festivāls “Vidzemes vasara” Limbažos, 17th-24th July
  Location: Limbazi, Latvia
• 13th Paleochora Open 2020, 18th-25th July
  Location: Paleochora, Greece
• 53rd Biel Chess Festival 2020, 18th-29th July
  Location: Biel, Switzerland
• XVII CHESS FESTIVAL „Jūros šventė – 2020”, 20th-26th July
  Location: Klaipeda, Lithuania
• 3rd Summer Festival of Chess in Belgrade 2020, 20th-26th July
  Location: Belgrade, Serbia

Jackpot!

WANDERING around London yesterday, idly passing the time, I saw some people enjoying a drink outside one of my favourite restaurants.
Walking over, like you do, I was pleasantly surprised to be able to buy a beer and to have it sat at a table inside the premises.
Not only that, but I was able to order a meal (steak with rice and salad) and eat it at the table with proper cutlery and crockery.
And there was even a DJ, which was something of a mixed blessing, although I did manage to get him to play a request: Chris Montez singing Let's Dance.

Biel Looking Like A Definite Runner Again

GOOD news on the BBC News website:
"The details are still being finalised but it looks as though UK holidaymakers will be able to travel to most of Western Europe this summer without having to quarantine. The plan is for so-called 'travel corridors' from early July allowing journeys between the UK and participating countries - which could include France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Belgium, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Turkey and Finland - but not Portugal, because of a recent rise in cases in and around Lisbon."

Switzerland is conspicuous by its absence, but I would hope middle-class hikers will put pressure on the relevant authorities to correct that omission.

If so, then I can see myself booking Biel before the end of this month.

If Not Biel, Then Where?

BIEL'S Special Corona Amateur Tournament runs July 20-29, but at present I am seeing no hints that the UK government is trying to arrange a so-called air bridge with Switzerland.
This is somewhat disappointing in that the Swiss have already said Brits from the UK are free to come and go as they please.
The next congress after Biel on my horizon is the Summer Prague Open, which is a rearranged part of the CzechTour and runs from August 8-15.
CzechTour events are always well run, in my experience, and good value for money, so it is a definite option for me, assuming travel to and from the Czech Republic is feasible (currently the Czechs are stringently restricting who can arrive from the UK, and making most of them quarantine for 14 days).
Britain would seem to be a washout for over-the-board chess until the autumn at the earliest (I hope I am wrong, but I will be surprised if I am).
Perhaps there will be a suitable Spanish tournament before then, but I have not found one.

Biel - A Fast-Changing Story

Today's latest from the Foreign Office:
The Swiss government have now ended their “extraordinary situation” in response to coronavirus (COVID-19), but some measures remain in place. All contact with other individuals should be at a distance of at least 1.5 metres.
Wearing face masks is strongly recommended when travelling on public transport, if it is not possible to maintain a distance of 1.5 metres from other travellers. Wearing face masks is compulsory when attending demonstrations.
All shops, restaurants, markets, museums and libraries are now able to reopen with social distancing measures in place. Restaurants are able to accommodate groups of more than four people. Events of up to 1000 people are permitted.

Biel a Goer?

THE leaks ahead of Boris Johnson's lockdown-easing announcement yesterday were, to say the least, pretty comprehensive.
With hindsight I should not have been surprised there was nothing about easing foreign travel restrictions.
At present the Foreign Office is sticking to the line for Switzerland as for elsewhere: "The Foreign & Commonwealth Office currently advises British nationals against all but essential international travel. This advice is being kept under constant review."
However Switzerland, where the Biel Special Corona Amateur Tournament starts on July 20, has no restrictions on UK nationals entering the country from Britain, again according to the UK Foreign Office.
The Special Corona Amateur Tournament is nine rounds over 10 days, which means the obvious dates for travel are Sunday July 19 out, Thursday July 30 back.
There are flights on those days from, for example, London airports to Zurich, although according to the congress website other airports in Switzerland are equally convenient for getting to Biel.
The problem would be whether the UK government's 14-day quarantine for travellers arriving from abroad (Irish Republic excepted, of course) will have been lifted by the end of July.
I suspect the answer is almost certainly Yes, and I further believe the blanket advice against travelling abroad will have been lifted by then.
All in all, I am strongly leaning towards booking flights and a hotel ...
BUT then I found the following at BBC News:
The chance of having a summer break abroad in 2020 seems remote - with the Foreign Office still warning against non-essential travel, and quarantine rules making many trips impractical.
British nationals are still being urged not to take any non-essential foreign travel.
This means you are unlikely to get travel insurance, because insurers take their cue from the official advice.
What about going away in the autumn?
Again, it's impossible to say at this stage.
Travel advice will need to have been updated, but it depends on the disease's progress.

So maybe I will hold off on making a decision about Biel for a week or two ...

Biel Update

TOURNAMENT playing conditions now much less onerous:

After the last announcement of the Federal Council of 19 June 2020 and the review of our corona protection concept, we are now able to officially confirm that the 53rd Biel International Chess Festival will definitely be held.

We would like to thank all players which are already signed up. Now, they are welcome to transfer the tournament entry fee. Due to the alleviated distance rule, it is furthermore planned to organize the C-HTO with one single chessboard per game. The corresponding distance has been reduced from 2 m to 1.5 m. Possibly one needs to get up from chair in order to execute certain moves or to press the clock button. That is why the time bonus per move will be increased from the usual 30 sec to 45 sec.

Please take notice of the new corona protection concept on our homepage.
Therein you will find all special sanitary precautions that are planned for this time period, as well as its impact towards the tournaments. Every participant receives during the check-in process upon signature the mentioned document in the latest version and a badge for access to the Congress Center. Due to these administrative procedures and the social distancing rules to be met all players of the C-HTO are kindly requested to arrive on Monday 20 July early for the check-in, so that the first round can start as planned at 2:00 pm.
All information details will be published some days before the start of the festival on our website.
We thank you for taking note to this information!

To Biel Or Not To Biel?

THE Prime Minister is due to announce today the lifting of some lockdown restrictions.
Since his announcement has been much heralded, it is very likely there will be relatively major changes announced, even if they will not be implemented immediately
Relaxing the two-metre social-distancing guideline and giving pubs and restaurants reopening dates (those with outdoor areas first?) are being widely tipped.
I am hoping we will also get an idea of when foreign travel will get back to something approaching normality.
In particular I am eyeing a tournament in Switzerland due to start on July 20 as part of the Biel chess festival: https://www.bielchessfestival.ch/Homepage.html
The "Special Corona Amateur Tournament" will feature some interesting extra rules:
*Each player plays with his own board and his own set of pieces.
*Before the tournament, each player will be given a fully disinfected set of pieces by the organizer, which he will not return until the last round has been completed.
*Two boards and sets of pieces are therefore used per game. The players do not sit directly opposite each other but staggered to keep the distance of 2 meters.
*Each player must replay the moves of the opponent who makes them on his board. During this catch-up his time is running on the clock.
*Before the round, the players are obliged to place their pieces independently on the boards provided for this purpose. If they arrive late in the tournament hall, they must do so on their own time before making the first move.
*Therefore, after each round, only the empty boards and the clocks are cleaned and disinfected.
It looks like it will be many weeks before over-the-board chess is played again in Britain, so Biel may be my best chance of some OTB action this summer.

Fundamentals (part 55)

Thomas Bergmann (1796) - Spanton (1890)
Bad Wörishofen U2000 2019

Black has just captured on e5 - who stands better?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

White has the queenside pawn-majority, which is important when kings are on the kingside (I prefer to call it the farside pawn-majority, because what counts is not on which side of the board the pawn-majority is, but on which side the kings are). However, in this position the farside or queenside pawn-majority is out-trumped by Black's more-centralised king.

35.fxe4?!

Not 35.Ke3? as Black creates a protected passed pawn by 35...f4+ followed by ...e3. But the text lets the black king gain more space, which is why the analysis engines Komodo11.01 and Stockfish11 prefer something such as 35.h4 or 35.a4, albeit giving Black as winning.

35...Kxe4

Not 35...fxe4? as the passed pawn Black gets is weak rather than strong thanks to White's diversionary farside majority.

36.Ke2

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

36...f4?!

Gaining space seemed so natural but in fact it endangers the win. The engines like 36...g5 or 36...b5. After the text, Stockfish11 reckons the position is equal, but Komodo11.01 has Black the equivalent of almost four pawns ahead. Stockfish11 seems to be right.

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

37.b4?

This makes the win trivial for Black. Stockfish11 gives 37.a4!? as equal. Komodo11.01 reckons 37...b6 is a winning reply, meeting Stockfish11's 38.h4 with 38...h6 39.Kf2 g5 40.hxg5 hxg5, and only after 41.Ke2 does Komodo11.01 switch to assessing the position as equal.

The text lets the two black queenside pawns hold up three white ones.

37...b5 38.Kd2 g5 39.c4!? bxc4 40.Kc3 Kd5 41.a4 h5 42.b5 axb5 43.axb5 g4 44.hxg4 hxg4 45.b6 Kc6 46.b7 Kxb7 47.Kxc4 f3 48.gxf3 g3 0-1

Going back to the position after 36.Ke2, it is worth investigating why 36...g5 is so much better than 36...f4?! Firstly, 37.b4? still fails to 37...b5, but 37.a4 also fails, eg 37...b6 38.Kd2 (preparing h4 by 38.g3 is no help as Black will get a passed f pawn) h5 39.Ke2 (if 39.b4 then simply 39...b5, but other moves also win) Kf4 40.Kf2 h4 41.Ke2 (or 41.c4 a5) Kg3 42.Kf1 g4 43.hxg4 fxg4 44.Kg1 a5 45.b4 Kf4 46.bxa5 bxa5 47.Kf2 Ke4 48.c4 Kd4 49.c5 Kxc5 50.Ke3 Kb4 and Black wins.

This prompts the thought that in the line 36...f4?! 37.a4!? Black could try 37...g5, instead of Komodo11.01's 37...b6, but White has 38.a5, which fixes Black's queenside pawns and seems to draw.

Fundamentals (part 54)

Spanton (167) - Neil Dunlop (160)
Central London League 2018

White has just captured on e3 - who stands better, and by how much?

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
White has more space on the centre-queenside, and has the more-centralised king. But there are many pawns on the board and it will be very difficult for the white king to enter the black position. Komodo11.01 reckons White has a slight edge, while Stockfish11 gives White the upper hand. I suspect the truth is nearer Komodo11.01's verdict: White is better, but Black should be able to draw.
27...Kf7 28.b4!?
The engines prefer 28.Kf4 or 28.g4, both of which gain space by preventing the move Black plays next.
28...f5 29.Kd4 Kf6 30.a4 g5 31.a5 bxa5 32.bxa5 a6
Black has ensured the white king cannot enter the black position via the queenside.
33.c5?
A mistake. White cannot achieve anything on the queenside. White's space advantage there is meaningless, but the text lets Black gain a sizeable space advantage on the kingside, where the two pawn-chains are more flexible.
33...h5
This looks natural, at least to me, but Black has promising play after the space-gaining 33...g4! At first the engines are convinced this wins, but the line is long and their evaluations vary enormously during it. Best play may be 34.c6 Kg5 35.Ke3 h6 (if 35...f4+ then 36.Ke4) 36.h4+! gxh3 (not 36.Kxh4? Kf4) 37.gxh3 h5 38.Kf3 Kh4 39.Kf4 (if 39.Kg2? then 39...f4) Kxh3 40.Kxf5 Kg2 41.Ke6 h4 42.Kd7 h3 43.Kxc7 h2 44.Kb8 h1=Q 45.c7, when White seems to have a draw. Even so, immediately pushing the pawn would have caused White problems.
34.h3 h4
If 34...g4 then 35.h4 keeps Black out.
35.f3
But not 35.g3? g4.
35...g4 36.f4 g3 ½–½

Fundamentals (part 53)

Richard Desmedt (144) - Spanton (167)
Bradford U171 2018

White to make his 38th move - what should the result be?

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
38.d5+
White had to find 38.Kf3!, the idea being to meet 38...Kd5 with 39.Ke3, when 39...c3 40.Kd3 c2 41.Kxc2 Kxd4 42.Kd2 is drawn thanks to White having the opposition. Black could try 41...Kc4!? but White draws with 42.Kd1 (or 42.Kc1) Kxd4 43.Kd2. The analysis engines Komodo11.01 and Stockfish11 show that, after 41...Kc4!?, even 42.d5!? draws, eg 42...cxd5 43.Kd2 d4 44.Kc2 d3+ 45.Kd2 c6 46.Kc1, when Black cannot play 46...Kc3? as it loses to 47.b5 etc.
Note that 38.Ke3 loses to 38...Kd5 as the d pawn falls, and 38.b5 cxb5 39.d5+ loses wherever the black king moves to, eg 39...Ke7 40.Kd4 Kf6 41.Ke4 b4! 42.axb4 a3.
The game finished:
38...cxd5+ 39.Kd4 c6 (an only-move but an obvious one) 40.Kc3 Ke5 41.Kd2 Kd4 42.Kc1 c3 43.Kc2 Kc4 44.Kc1 d4 45.Kc2 d3+ 46.Kd1 Kb3 47.b5 Kb2 48.bxc6 c2+ 49.Kd2 c1=Q+ 0-1

Fundamentals (part 52)

Wiep Terpstra (1794) - Spanton (1946)
Olomouc (Czech Rep) Seniors 2018

White has just captured on e3 - who stands better?

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
Black is winning.
42...f5
This gives the king a route to d5, from where it can occupy e4 or c4 depending on circumstances. Equally strong is 42...Ke6 as 43.e4 runs into 43...g5 (43...f5 44.e5 g5 also wins).
43.Kf2
If 43.b3 Ke6 44.c4, covering the d5 square, Black wins easily with 44...bxc4 45.bxc4 Kd6 etc.
43...Ke6 44.b4
Or 44.b3 Kd5 45.Ke2 Ke4 and the white king will eventually have to give way.
44...axb4 45.axb4 Kd5 46.Ke1 Ke4 47.Ke2 h5 48.h4 g6
White is in zugzwang. The game finished:
49.Kd2 Kf3 50.Kd3 Kg4 51.c4 Kxh4 52.cxb5 cxb5 53.e4 fxe4+ 54.Kxe4 Kg4 55.Ke3 Kg3 56.Ke4 h4 57.f5 gxf5+ 58.Kxf5 h3 59.Ke5 h2 60.Kd5 0-1

Fundamentals (part 51)

Peter R Smith (2073) - Spanton (1927)
Scottish Championship (Paisley) 2018

White has just captured on d5 -  is his extra pawn enough to win?

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
Yes, but White has to find the correct plan.
31...g4
I felt this gave the best hope as I now have two reserve tempi with the h7 pawn.
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
32.d4?
Any king move wins. The problem with the text is that from now on either the white king is tied to protecting the d4 pawn, or White will have to play dxc5, when the reply ...bxc5 is good enough to draw as the white king cannot penetrate the black position. The game continuation should make these points clear, and then I will show why any king move wins.
32...Ke7 33.Kd3 Kd7 34.a4
The analysis engine Komodo11.01 at first reckons White is winning, or at least much better, after 34.a3, but soon changes its evaluation as the problem of the d4 pawn is not solved.
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
34...cxd4!
The only drawing move, as 34...Kc7, for example, is met by 35.a5! when there are two main lines: A) 35...bxa5 36.dxc5 dxc5 37.Kc3 Kb6 38.Kb3 Kb7 39.Ka4 Kb6 40.d6! Kc6 41.Kxa5 Kxd6 42.Kb6 etc; B) 35...cxd4 36.axb6+ Kxb6 37.Kxd4 with c5 to come.
35.Kxd4 Kc7 36.Kc3 Kb7 37.Kb3 Ka7 38.Kb4 Ka6 39.Kb3 Ka7 40.Kc3 Kb7 ½–½
Going back to the position after 33...Kd7, the thought arises whether White can win by exchanging on c5 and trying to penetrate with his king on the queenside.
After 34.dxc5 bxc5 35.Kc3 Kc7 36.Kb3 Kb6 37.Ka4 Ka6 it is clear the answer is no.
But there is a win from the diagram, eg 32.Kd2 Ke7 33.Kc3 Kd7 34.Kb3 Kc7 35.Ka4 Kb8 36.Kb5 Kb7 37.a3 h6 38.a4 h5 39.a5 bxa5 40.Kxa5 Ka7. Having forced an exchange of a pawn for b pawn, White can now return to pushing the d3 pawn: 41.Ka4 Kb6 42.Kb3 Kc7 (42...Ka5 does not help) 43.Kc3 Kb7 44.d4 Kc7 (44...cxd4+ 45.Kxd4 is followed by pushing the c4 pawn) 45.dxc5 dxc5 46.Kb3 Kb7 47.Ka4 Kb6 48.d6 etc.

Fundamentals (part 50)

Spanton (1888) - Mustafa Atakay (1874)
Gibraltar U1900 2018

White to play and draw

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
31.f4?
This loses in two possible ways, so White has to try 31.e4, when play gets tricky. The analysis engines Komodo11.01 and Stockfish11 give best play as 31...g4! (only move not to lose - I will show why later) 32.fxg4 fxe4 33.g5 e3 34.g6 e2 35.g7 e1=Q 36.g8=Q+ with a draw. The engines show 31...fxe4 loses to a beautiful zwischenzug: 32.fxe4 g4 33.e5 h4 34.b6!! (only drawing is 34.e6 g3 35.hxg3 hxg3 36.e7 g2 37.e8=Q g1=Q when the queens have multiple checks as in the previous line) axb6 35.e6 g3 36.hxg3 hxg3 (36...h3 also loses, albeit more slowly) 37.e7 g2 38.e8=Q g1=Q 39.Qb5+ (allowing this check was the point of 34.b6!!) Kd4 40.Qxb6+ etc.
The game finished:
31...g4
31...gxf4 32exf4 Kb4 also wins.
32.e4 h4 33.exf5 g3 0-1

Fundamentals (part 49)

Oluwaseun Odiase (1768) - Spanton (1888)
Gibraltar U1900 2018

White has just captured on f3 - what should the result be?

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
If it were White to move, White would win by shouldering the black king out of the way, eg 56.Ke4 Kf6 57.Kd5 Kf7 58.Ke5 Kg6 59.Ke6 Kg7 60.Kf5 etc. Actually, 56.Ke3 also wins, and in a similar way, eg 56....Kf6 57.Kd4 (but 57.Ke4? Ke6 is a draw) Ke6 58.Ke4 Kf6, which transposes to the previous line.
But Black stops this with:
55...Kf6
55...Kf7 also draws - the point is to meet 56.Ke4 with 56...Ke6.
56.Kf2!?
All moves draw.
56...Ke5 57.Kg3 Kf6 58.Kf3
58.h4 would win only if, after 58...gxh4 59.Kxh4, the white king could get to h6, g6 or f6. For details see: https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-power-of-two-squares.html
58...Ke5 59.Ke3 Kd5 60.h4!? gxh4 61.Kf4 Ke6 62.g5 h3 63.Kg3 ½–½

Fundamentals (part 48)

Spanton (169) - John Brooke (117)
Bradford U171 2017

Black to play and draw

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
47...h6+?
The only other reasonable-looking move, 47...Kf7, draws, eg 48.h4 Kg7 49.h5 Kf7 50.h6 Ke7 51.f6+ Ke6. If 48.f6 then any king move draws, eg 48...Ke6 49.Kh6 Kxf6 50.h4 Kf7 51.Kxh7 Kf8 (with an h pawn this is a draw if the white king can be kept off the squares g7 and g8 - for details see https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-power-of-two-squares.html)
The text fails because Black will eventually lose his h pawn without winning White's f pawn (or the f pawn will simply queen).
The game finished:
48.Kf4 Kf6 49.h4 h5 50.Ke4 Ke7 51.Ke5 Kf7 52.f6 Ke8 53.Kf5 Kf7 54.Kg5 Kg8 55.Kxh5 Kh7 56.Kg5 Kg8 57.Kf5 Kf7 58.h5 1-0

Fundamentals (part 47)

Vilém Feldvábl (1658) - Spanton (1836)

Olomouc (Czech Rep) Seniors 2017

Black to play and win

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****

33...Kd7

The plausible 33...c6?, stopping the white king advancing, seems to only draw. The analysis engines Komodo11.01 and Stockfish11 continue 34.Ke4 Kd7 35.f5 Ke7 36.Kf4 b5 37.g4 hxg4 38.Kxg4 bxa4 39.bxa4 c5 40.fxg6 fxg6 41.Kf4 Ke6 42.Ke4 c4 43.Kd4 c3 44.Kxc3 Kxe5 45.Kc4 Kf4 when both players queen. Note that if Black pushes the b pawn a move earlier, ie 35...b5?, the reply 36.f6 is strong but it is not clear whether it wins.

34.Kd5

Now 34.Ke4 is comfortably met by 34...Ke6.

34...c6+ 35.Kd4 Ke7

An unnecessary refinement as also winning is 35...Ke6 36.Ke4 f6 37.exf6 Kxf6 38.Ke3 Kf5 39.Kf3 b5 etc.

36.Kd3 Ke6 37.Ke4 f6 38.Kd4

We have already seen that exf6 loses.

38...fxe5+ 39.fxe5 Kf5 0-1

Fundamentals (part 46)

Dominic Klingher (2116) - Spanton (1927)
Jersey 2017

Black has just captured on g7 - who stands better?

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
White is winning because the passed g pawn can be used to distract the black king from the queenside. Meanwhile it will not be easy for Black to create a passer.
40.Kf2 Kf6 41.Ke3 Ke5
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
42.g4?
Premature. White should improve his position on the queenside before pushing the g pawn. The analysis engines Komodo11.01 and Stockfish11 give 42.a4 as best, eg 42...a6 and only now 43.g4 when 43...a5 (43...b5 44.a5 is no improvement) 44.Kd3 leaves Black in zugzwang.
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
42...b5!
The only drawing move.
43.g5
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
43...Kf5?
Black again had to find an only move, viz 43...a6, eg 44.g6 Kf6 45.Kd4 Kxg6 46.Kxd5 Kf5 47.Kc5 Ke4 48.Kb6 Kd5! 49.Kxa6 Kc5 50.a3 Kc6! 51.Ka5 Kc4 when White cannot make progress.
44.Kd4 Kxg5 45.Kxd5 Kf4 46.Kc5 a6 47.Kb6 Ke4 48.Kxa6 Kd3 49.Kxb5 Kxc3 50.a4 1-0

Fundamentals (part 45)

Spanton (1976) - Clemens Bieg Pagel (1883)
Benidorm U2000 2016

White has just captured on h2 - who stands better?

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
White is winning thanks to being able to create a farside passed pawn.
53...f4
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
54.b4
But not 54.exf4+?? Kxf4 55.Kg2 as Black wins with 55...Ke3 (55...e3 also wins) etc. If 55.b4 then 55...e3 56.Kg2 Ke4 57.Kf1 Kxd4.
54...f3
Or 54...fxe3 55.Kg2 Kf4 56.a5.
55.a5 bxa5 56.bxa5 1-0

Fundamentals (part 44)

Spanton (1969) - Kenneth Norman (2147)
Guernsey 2016

Black has just captured on e8 - who stands better?

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
White is winning.
35.bxa5 bxa5
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
36.c4??
This turns a win into a loss. Correct is 36.a4 b4 (if 36...bxa4 then 37.c4 creates a protected passed pawn) 37.Kb3 Kd7 38.Kc4 Kd6 39.f4 etc.
36...bxc4 37.Kc3 Kd7 38.Kxc4 Kd6 39.g3 a4 40.Kb5 Kxd5 41.Kxa4 c4 42.Kb4 Kd4 0-1

Fundamentals (part 43)

Spanton (1923) - Jiri Navratil (2056)
Olomouc Open 2016

Black has just captured on d5 - who stands better?

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
The position is dead-level, according to Stockfish11, but Komodo11.01 reckons White is half-a-pawn better. It does seem that correct plays leads to a draw, but Black has to be careful about White's queenside pawn-majority.
35.Kd3 e5 36.c4+ Kd6 37.fxe5+ Kxe5 38.b4
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
38...f6?
I expected 38...f5 when 39.gxf5 gxf5 40.Ke3 g6 (other moves also draw) 41.c5 bxc5 42.bxc5 Kd5 43.Kf4 Kxc5 44.Kg5 Kd5 45.h5 is a draw. But the engines point out Black even draws by retreating his king, eg 38...Ke6 39.Ke4 Kd6 40.Kd6 Ke6 41.c5 Kd7! 42.cxb6 Kc6 43.b7 Kxb7 44.Kc5 Kc7 45.b5 f6 46.Kd5 Kb6 47.Ke6 Kxb5 48.Kf7 f5 49.gxf5 gxf5 when both players queen their last remaining pawn.
39.Ke3 Ke6
Also losing is 39...f5 40.gxf5 gxf5 41.h5 etc (40.h5 in the previous note is only a draw after 40...f4, whereas here 41...f4+ is effectively met by 42.Kf3).
40.Kf4 Kd6 41.h5 f5
There is nothing better.
42.hxg6 fxg4 43.Kxg4 Ke5 44.c5 bxc5 45.bxc5 1-0

Fundamentals (part 42)

Spanton (1936) - Aaron Viudes Serra (1791)
Benidorm U2000 2015

White has just captured on e3 - who stands better?

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
Black is winning because he has a passed pawn while White has two queenside pawns held up by one black queenside pawn.
61...e4 62.b4!?
Without counterplay, White must succumb, eg 62.Ke2 g5 63.hxg5 Kxg5 64.Ke3 Kf5! (but 64...Kg4 65.b4! cxb4 66.Kxe4 is a draw, according to Stockfish11 and Komodo11.01) 65.Ke2 Ke6 66.Kd2 Kf6 67.Ke2 Kf5 68.Kf2 (if 68.Ke3 then 68...Ke5) Kg4, and here 65.b4 does not work, viz 65...cxb4 66.c5 Kf5 etc.
The text does not save White either, but Black has chances to go wrong.
62...cxb4 63.c5 Ke6
This wins, but simpler is 63...b3 64.c6 Ke6.
64.Kxe4 b3 65.Kd3
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
65...b2?
This loses a tempo. Winning is 65...Kd5 66.Kc3 Kxc5 67.Kxb3 Kd4.
66.Kc2 Kd5 67.Kxb2 Kxc5 68.Kc3 Kd5 69.Kd3 Ke5 70.Ke3
Black offered a draw.
70...Kf5 71.Kf3 g5 72.hxg5 Kxg5 73.Kg2 ½–½

Fundamentals (part 41)

Joshua Higgs (1792) - Spanton (2020)
Hastings 2012-13

Black to play and draw

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
39...fxg4?
Black draws with 39...Kg6, eg 40.g5 (not 40.gxf5+ as Black wins after 40...Kxf5 41.Kg3 b5 42.a3 Kg5 43.f4+ Kf5 44.Kf3 a6 45.Kg3 a5 46.Kf3 a4 47.Kg3 Ke4 48.Kg4 Ke3 49.Kg5 Kd2 50.Kf6 Kxc3 51.Kxe6 b4 52.f5 bxa3 53.f6 a2 54.f7 a1=Q 55.f8=Q a3 56.Kxd5 Kxc2 when Black eventually queens a second pawn) b5 41.f4 a5 42.a3 a4 as the position is deadlocked.
40.fxg4 Kg6 41.g5 b5 42.Kg4 e5!?
Desperation, but the black position is beyond saving.
43.dxe5 a5 44.Kf4 Kf7 45.Ke3 1-0

Better Down Under

DEREK Roebuck, who some may remember playing for London team Kings (sic) Head, now lives in Australia ... and tells me club chess restarts there this week.
Meanwhile in Britain gatherings of more than six people are broken up by the police unless, ironically, the gatherers are complaining about police violence.
Perhaps someone should organise a George Floyd memorial chess tournament ...

Fundamentals (part 40)

Spanton (178) - H Trevor Jones (161)
Kent League

White to play and draw

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
30.Ke2?
White draws with 30.b4, eg 30...Ke5 31.b5 Ke4 32.a4 Kf3 33.Ke1 Kxe3 34.a5 g3 35.Kf1 d4 36.b6 axb6 37.axb6 d3 38.b7 d2 39.b8=Q d1=Q+ 40.Kg2, reaching a drawn queen-and-pawn ending.
The game finished:
30...Ke5 31.Kf2
It is too late to push on the queenside, eg after 31.b4 Ke4 32.b5 d4 33exd4 Kxd4 the white king cannot capture the g pawn and get back to the queenside in time to stop the black a pawn.
31...Ke4 32.b4 g3+ 33.Kxg3 Kxe3 34.a4 d4 35.a5 d3 36.b5 d2 37.b6 d1=Q 38.b7 0-1

Fundamentals (part 39)

F Agdestein (-) - Spanton (2035)
Gibraltar 2010

White to play and draw

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
48.Ke6
This loses, as the game continuation shows, but I have not given the move a question mark as Black's win is far from obvious.
One of the king-retreats draws, but which one?
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
The key to working out which retreat draws is that the black king must be stopped from reaching c5, as once it gets there White's position is hopeless. That being the case, White must be able to meet ...Kc6 with Kd4. Therefore the correct move is 48.Ke4! and if 48...Kc6 then 49.Kd4. But losing is 48.Kd4? Kc6 49.Kd3 (49.Kc3 is no improvement) Kc5 50.Kc3 d5 51.cxd5 Kxd5 52.Kd3 Kc5 etc.
The game continued:
48...Kc6 49.Kf6 d5!
The only way to win as 49...Kc5 50.Kg6 Kxc4 51.Kxh6 d5 52.Kxg5 is dead-equal, according to the analysis engines Stockfish11 and Komodo11.01.
50.cxd5+ Kxd5 51.Kg6 b5 52.axb5 a4 53.Kxh6 a3 54.Kxg5 a2 55.h6 a1=Q 56.Kg6 Qh8 57.h7 Ke6 58.g5 Ke7
The engines give mate-in-six starting with 58...Qe8+.
59.Kh6 Kf7 60.g6+ Kf6 61.Kh5 Qc8 62.Kh4 Kxg6+ 0-1

Fundamentals (part 38)

Stewart Reuben (2165) - Spanton (1985)
Hastings 2007-08

White has just captured on d2 - is Black's advantage enough to win?

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
Black has a winning advantage, but it requires correct technique.
40...Kf6 41.Ke3 a6 42.a4 g5 43.f4
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
43...g4?
The simplest way to win is 43...gxf4+, eg 44.gxf4 Ke6 45.Kd3 Kd6 46.Kc3 Kc6 47.Kb3 b5 etc, or 44.Kxf4 Ke6 45.h3 (no improvement is 45.Kg5, eg 45...Ke5 46.h4 Kd4 47.Kh6 Kxc4 48.Kh7 b5 49.axb5 axb5 50.h5 b4 51.Kg6 b3 52.h6 b2 53.h7 b1=Q 54.h8=Q f4+ etc) Kf6 46.h4 h5 47.Kf3 Ke5 48.Ke3 a5 49.Kf3 Kd4 50.Kf4 Kxc4 51.Kxf5 Kb3 52.g4 hxg4 53.Kxg4 c4 etc.
Immediately on playing the text, I saw White draws.
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
44.Kd3
This is OK, but arguably more precise is 44.a5!, forcing 44...bxa5, after which the black king cannot cross the halfway line, and so the game is drawn. However, the game is also equal after the text, provided White spots the drawing idea.
44...Ke6
Stockfish11 reckons Black has the upper hand after 44...a5, but Komodo11.01 rightly recognises the position as still drawn.
45.Kc3
This was the last chance to play a5! Black can try 45...Kd6 but 46.axb6 Kc6 47.Kc3 Kxb6 is another draw as again the black king cannot break through.
45...Kd6 46.Kb3
If 46.a5 then 46...b5 wins because the black king can stop the white a pawn after 47.cxb5 axb5.
The game finished:
46...Kc6 47.Kc3 b5 48.axb5+ axb5 49.Kb3 bxc4+ 50.Kxc4 Kd6 0-1

More Lockdown Chess

I AM playing on board three for Lean Thinkers in division two of the 6th British Webserver Correspondence Championship, where the format is six games as a single-round-robin.
My first two games to finish were draws, and I won the next on the black side of a Maróczy Bind (https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2020/05/lockdown-chess.html).
Here is the fourth game to finish.
Spanton (2256) - John G Cooper (2136)
Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6
More popular are 3...g6, 3...e6 and 3...d6 but there are 3,700 examples of the text in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database. Richard Palliser in The Bb5 Sicilian (Everyman Chess 2005) called it "the fashionable line."
4.Qe2
More popular, and scoring a higher percentage in Mega20, are 4.Nc3, 4.e5 and 4.Bxc6. The text is not liked by the analysis engines Stockfish11 and Komodo11.01 but has some interesting points.
4...g6 5.c3 Bg7 6.d4 cxd4 7.cxd4 d5
A standard Black response when White gets pawns abreast in the centre.
8.e5 Ne4 9.0-0 0-0 10.Nc3 Bf5
The obvious alternative is 10...Nxc3 11.bxc3, after which Roland Ott (2225) - Evgeny Sveshnikov (2510), World Students Team Championship (Caracas, Venezuela) 1976, continued 11...Na5 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bd2 Bd7 14.Bd3 with an equal game, according to the engines (½–½, 29 moves).
11.Bxc6!?
Giving up the bishop-pair without being provoked by, for example, ...a6, may seem a little strange, especially as White is left with a bad bishop (an old rule of thumb has it that when you have a bad bishop you should not give up your good one), but the move has been played by David Bronstein and Levon Aronian.
11...bxc6 12.Nh4
This was Aronian's choice last year at the Fide World Cup in a draw against Quang Liem Le. Bronstein preferred 12.Na4 in the 1975 Soviet Championship against Vitaly Tseshkovsky, a game that also ended in a draw.
12...Nxc3
Le played 12...e6.
13.bxc3 Bc8
Black has the bishop-pair, and White has a bad bishop. But in the middlegame, I believe I am right in saying, what counts is not so much whether a bishop is good or bad but whether it is active or inactive. Here White is able to activate his one bishop on the a3-f8 diagonal. Meanwhile White has more space in the centre, which should probably also eventually mean more space on the kingside.
14.Ba3 Qa5!?
This is the engines' choice, narrowly over 14...Re8, but White's rather obvious reply makes the move seem odd to me.
15.Bb4 Qc7 16.Bc5 a5 17.Rfe1 f6!?
Black's dark-square bishop, although technically good (Black's d pawn is on a light square), is biting on granite, so the text is an attempt to give it a more-active role and at the same time undermine White's centre. Consistent with Black's previous move is 17...Ba6, but then the engines reckon 18.Qc2, possibly with f4-f5 to come, is good for White.
18.Qe3 fxe5 19.dxe5
We now have a position with rival pawn-majorities, which usually favours the bishops. But here Black's queenside majority is blockaded while White's kingside majority is free to advance.
19...Rb8 20.Nf3 Rb2
This is Komodo11.01's choice. Stockfish11 also likes it at first but comes to prefer 20...Rf5.
21.h3
Partly luft for the king but also keeping the light-square bishop out of g4.
21...Rb5!?
A point behind this is revealed in the note to Black's next move.
22.a4 Rb2
Black may have intended 22...Bh6!? After 23.Qxh6 Rxc5 Black has given up the bishop-pair but broken the blockade on his queenside. The engines reckon White has the upper hand after 24.Re3, and it has to be said Black's king looks unsafe. However I was also considering sacrificing the queen with 23.axb5!? Bxe3 24.b6, which I may well not have had the courage to do over the board, but one can look more deeply at the ramifications when playing correspondence chess.
23.Rab1 Rxb1 24.Rxb1 Bf5 25.Re1 Qd7
The engines give 25...h5 26.Nd4 Kh7 but with a large advantage for White. It seems Black, without making any obviously bad moves, has slowly slipped into a very difficult position.
26.Nd4

Black's queenside is now firmly blockaded, and Black apparently has no counterplay against White's coming kingside expansion.

26...Qb7 27.g4 Bc8 28.f4 Bh6
Komodo11.01 at first reckons this move equalises, but soon comes to agree with Stockfish11's assessment of a large edge for White.
29.Rf1 Rf7 30.e6 Rf8 31.Kg2 1-0
Resignation might seem premature, and I am sure JC would have carried on in an over-the-board game, but the engines agree White is roughly the equivalent of a piece up.

Fundamentals (part 37)

Spanton (1985) - E Uche (1958)
Hastings 2007-08

Black has just captured on e3 - who stands better?

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
White's two extra pawns give a very large advantage despite the black king's activity
40.h4 Kf4 41.h5 Kg3 42.Kxd2 Kg2 43.Ke3 Kg3 44.f4 Kg4
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
45.e5?
White wins easily with 45.f5, eg 45...Kg5 46.Kf3 Kxh5 47.Kf4 f6 48.e5. After the text the position is drawn.
45...Kxh5 46.Ke4 Kg6 47.f5+ Kg5
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
48.e6?
Now Black wins. The position is still equal after the forced line 48.f6 h5 49.Kd5 h4 50.Kd6 h3 51.e6 Kxf6 52.e7 h2 etc.
The game finished:
48...fxe6 49.fxe6 Kf6 50.e7 Kxe7 51.Ke5 h5 52.Kf5 h4 53.Kg4 Ke6 54.Kxh4 Ke5 55.Kg3 Ke4 56.Kf2 Kd3 0-1

Fundamentals (part 36)

Tobias Boje (1908) - Spanton (1995)
Gausdal Elo 2007

White has just captured on f5 - who stands better?

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
The position is dead-equal, according to the analysis engines Komodo10 and Stockfish10.
28...Ke7 29.Kg4 c5?
Advancing and, if possible, centralising the king is usually a priority in pawn endings, and this one is no exception. Here 29...Kd6? loses to 30.Kh5, eg 30...Ke7 31.Kg6 Kf8 32.e7+! Kxe7 33.Kxg7 etc, so sensible was 29...Kf6, which maintains the balance.
30.f4?
White offered a draw.
But winning is 30.Kh5 Kf6 31.e7! Kxe7 32.Kg6 Kf8 33.f6, eg 33...gxf6 34.Kxf6 e4 35.e5 etc, or 33...e4 34.fxg7+ Kgg8 35.Kf5 Kxg7 36.Ke5 etc.
30...e4 31.Kg3 d4 32.Kf2 b5
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
33.Ke2
White seems to have a draw with 33.b4! c4 34.c3! although Komodo10 reckons Black is winning. After 34...dxc3 35.Ke2 there seems no way for Black to convert his pawn advantage, although Komodo10 for a long time continues to believe Black is winning. However eventually Komodo10 agrees with Stockfish10's assessment of equality, one line running 35...Kd6 36.Ke3 h5 37.h4 Ke7 38.Ke2 when there is no way to make progress.
33...a5 34.Kd2
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
34...e3+?
Black wins with 34...b4, eg 35.a4 h5 36.h4 Kf6 37.Ke2 c4! 38.Kd2 (if 38.bxc4 then 38...d3+ 39.cxd3 b3 etc) c3+ 39.Ke2 Ke7 40.Kd1 d3 41.cxd3 e3! 42.d4 Kd6 43.d5 Ke7, or 35.axb4 axb4 (35...cxb4 also wins) 36.Kd1 c4! 37.Kd2 (if 37.bxc4 then 37...d3 38.cxd3 e3! etc) c3+ 38.Ke2 h5 39.h4 Kf6 40.Ke1 d3 42.cxd3 e3! etc.
35.Ke2 c4 36.b4 a4 37.h4 h5 38.Kf3 Kf6 39.Ke2 c3 40.Kd3 Ke7 ½–½