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| Black has just captured on d8 in Ayodeji Jeje (187) - Spanton (174), Sheffield 2017. Who stands better, and by how much? |
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Rival pawn-majorities usually favour the bishop, but Black's majority is damaged by including doubled e pawns. In addition, Black has two isolated pawns, and the bishop's scope is hampered by the e4 pawn. However, Black has more space in the centre, and the bishop currently dominates the knight. Stockfish12 gives White a slight edge, but Komodo11.01 reckons the position is equal.
25.Ke2 Kd7 26.Kd2 Kd6 27.Ne2 f5!?
Another pawn on a light square, but it frees the bishop from having to be able to defend e4.
28.c4 e5 29.g3 g5!?
The engines are not keen on this, preferring 29...exf4.
30.Kc3
The engines give 30.fxg5 hxg5 31.h4 with advantage for White.
30...exf4 31.exf4!?
This is the engines' choice.
31...a5 32.a3 Be8 33.Kd2 a4!? 34.bxa4
White gets a pair of protected passed pawns after 34.b4? cxb4 35.axb4, but Black's split passed pawns, supported by a bishop, are more powerful.
34...Bxa4 35.Nc3!?
Apparently blundering a pawn, but after ...
35...Bb3
(35...Bc6 is more solid) ... White has a close-to-winning resource.
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36.Nd1??
White's position is hopeless after this.
Also bad is 36.g4? gxf4 37.gxf5 Ke5 38.f6 Bxc4.
But 36.fxg5 hxg5 37.g4! fxg5? 38.Nxe4+ wins for White, according to the engines. Black therefore has to play 37...Ke6 (or 37...Ke5) 38.gxf5+ Kxf5 39.Ke3 Bxc4 40.Nxe4 Bd5 41.Nxc5, when 41...Bc6 seems to hold for Black despite being a pawn down. In this line the engines reckon the more prosaic 37.h4 gxh4 38.gxh4 Bxc4 39.h5 draws.
The game finished:
36...Bxd1 37.Kxd1 g4 38.Kd2 Kc6 39.Kc3 Kb6 40.Kc2 Ka5 41.Kb3 h5 42.a4 e3 43.Kc3 Kxa4 44.Kd3 Kb3 45.Kxe3 Kxc4 46.Kd2 Kb3 47.Kc1 Kc3 48.Kd1 Kb2 49.Kd2 c4 50.Ke3 c3 51.Kd4 c2 52.Ke5 c1=Q 53.Kxf5 Qc2+ 54.Kg5 Qxh2 55.f5 Qxg3 0-1
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