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| Black has just captured on d4 in Spanton (2026) - Anton Wallis (2200), Liechtenstein 2005. Who stands better, and by how much? |
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Rival pawn-majorities usually favour the bishop, but the analysis engines Stockfish12 and Komodo11.01 reckon the position is equal. I guess what they do not like about the black set-up is that the bishop is obstructed by the semi-fixed d pawn.
27.Kd3 Bc1
The engines prefer centralisation with 27...Kd6!?, one point being 28.Kxd4?! is met by 28...Bg7+ and 29...Bxb2.
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28.Kxd4?!
This exchange of pawns almost certainly favours Black. The engines reckon White has a small edge - very small, according to Komodo11.01 - after 28.b3. Also possible is 28.b4!?
28...Bxb2+ 29.Kc5
AW said afterwards he thought this was wrong, but it is the engines' choice.
29...Kd7 30.Kb4?!
I cannot recall what I was hoping to achieve with this retreat. It was surely time to activate the knight by 30.Nd2 or 30.Ng3.
30...Kd6 31.Ng3 Bd4
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32.Ne2?!
This is the engines' second choice, but they much-prefer 32.Ka5!?, and if 32...Bb6+ then 33.Ka6!?, which they reckon is dead-equal. I doubt if this sequence would ever have occurred to me.
32...Bb6
The problem with White's last move is that Black is now well-placed to advance his queenside pawns.
33.Nf4 Ke5 34.Ne2 Kd6 35.Nf4 Be3?!
The logical 35...a5+ is good for Black.
36.Ne2?
Correct is 36.Nd3, the point being that if, as in the game, 36...Bd2+ 37.Kb3, Black cannot advance with 37...Kc5 or 37...Ke5. And 36...a6?, intending ...c5, is bad because of 37.Ka5.
36...Bd2+ 37.Kb3?!
Probably better is 37.c3, although the engines much prefer Black.
37...Kc5 38.Ka3?
AW could not understand why I played this ground-giving move; neither can I. However the position is difficult for White in any event, eg the engines give best play as 38.c3 Be3 39.Ng3 h5, when Black is winning (Stockfish12) or at least has the upper hand (Komodo11.01).
38...Kc4 39.Kb2 a5 40.Kb1 a4 41.Kb2 b4 42.Kb1 c5 43.Kb2 Be3 44.Kb1 a3 45.Ka1 Bd4+ 46.Kb1 Bb2 47.f4 Kb5 48.g4 c4
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| Position after 48...c4. How should White proceed? |
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49.c3
This is the engines' choice but it seems White could continue to mark time, for example with 49.Ng1!? The engines' main line then runs 49...Kc5 50.Nf3 Bc3 51.Kc1, which they reckon is winning for Black. However after 51...Bd4 52.Kb1 Be3 53.f5 gxf5 54.gxf5! Kd6 55.Ka1 there seems no way for Black to make progress, eg 55...Ke7 is met by 56.c3! bxc3 ( 56...b3 57.Ne5) 57.Kb1 Kd6 58.Kc2, when White seems to be holding.
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49...b3
Not 49...bxc3? 50.Kc2 Kb4? (50...Kc5 is dead-equal, according to the engines) 51.Nd4, when White is winning, eg 51...Kc5 52.Nf3 h6 53.h4 Kd6 54.h5 gxh5 55.gxh5 Kc5 56.e5 Kd5 57.f5 Kc5 58.f6 exf6 59.f6! Kd6 60.Ne5!
Even worse is 49...Bxc3?? 50.Nxc3 bxc3 51.Kc2 with a winning pawn-ending for White.
50.f5 Kc5 51.fxg6 fxg6 52.axb3?!
This hastens the end, but White is lost anyway.
52...cxb3 53.e5 Kd5 54.Nf4+ Kc6 55.Ne2 g5 56.Nd4+ Kd5 57.e6 Kd6 58.Nxb3 Bxc3 59.Nc5
Or 59.Ka2 Bb4 60.Nd4 Kd5 etc.
59...Bf6
Not 59...Bb4? 60.Ne4+.
60.Nd7 Be7 61.Kc2 Kxe6 62.Nb6 Ke5 63.Nc4 Kf4 0-1
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