Spanton (1831) - Tadeáš Pejřimovský (1412)
Sicilian (Bb5+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.c3 Bg7 5.d4 a6!?
Playing ...cxd4 is almost automatic in the Sicilian, and it is the most popular move here, but grandmasters have also played 5...Qb6 and 5...Qa5.
However the text does not appear in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database. As a rule, ...a6 in Bb5(+) lines of the Sicilian is usually played when Black has a way of recapturing on c6 without damaging his pawn-structure - otherwise it is considered a waste of a tempo, by many players at least, as White often wants to capture on c6 without being provoked by ...a6.
6.Ba4!?
White can, and arguably should, win a pawn by 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxc5, although after 7...Qxd1+ 8.Kxd1 Black has some compensation in the form of the bishop-pair. White has also lost castling rights, but the white king should be safe on c2.
6...b5 7.Bc2 e6?
Black's fifth move was debatable, but this is just bad.
8.dxc5 Nf6 9.Bf4 0-0 10.Bd6 Re8 11.0-0 Na5 12.Nbd2
Developing a piece and strongly discouraging ...Nc4.
12...Nb7 13.e5 Nd5 14.Ne4 f5 15.exf6 Nxf6 16.Nxf6+ Bxf6 17.Be4 Ra7
Stockfish11 and Komodo11.01 suggest giving up the exchange by 17...Nxd6!? 18.Bxa8 Nb7 19.Bxb7 Bxb7, but agree White is winning.
18.Qd3?!
Missing 18.Bb8, and if 18...Ra8 the engines like 19.Be5, when Black's kingside is looking vulnerable.
18...Nxd6 19.cxd6 Bb7
This is best, according to the engines, but it means Black will not even have the bishop-pair as compensation for his pawn-minus, uncoordinated pieces and central cramp.
20.Rfd1 Bxe4
Black solidifies the queenside with 20...Bc6!?, but 21.Bxc6 dxc6 is very good for White, according to the engines.
21.Qxe4 Qb6 22.Rd2 Rc8 23.Ne5 Rc5?
After 23...Qc5 there is still a long way to go before White can convert the extra pawn.
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| How should White proceed? |
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24.Nf3
24.Nxd7!? Rxd7 25.Qxe6+ Rf7 is equal, according to the engines.
But Black should not have abandoned the back rank as White wins with 24.Nxg6! hxg6 25.Qxg6+ Bg7 26.Qe8+ Bf8 27.Rd4, when 27...Rf5 (the move I feared) fails to 28.Rg4+ Kh8 29.Rf1! In this variation, if 26...Kh7 then 27.Rd3 Rf5 28.Rh3+ Bh6 29.Qe7+ Kg8 30.Rg3+ Kh8 31.Rf1! wins. In both lines I missed the Rf1 idea.
After playing the text I was starting to realise White's win is not as simple as I had thought, or at least is no longer so simple. Black can start a minority attack on the queenside which, combined with pressure against d6, gives White plenty to cope with. Then came a gift ...
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24....Ra8??
The game finished:
25.Qxa8+ Kf7 26.Rad1 Rc6 27.Rd3 e5!? 28.Rd5 e4 29.Ne5+ Bxe5 30.Rxe5 Rxd6 31.Qe8+ Kg7 32.Qe7+ 1-0
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