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| White has just captured on a6 in Spanton (151) - S Gallagher (132), Highbury (London) Rapid 1989. Who stands better, and by how much? |
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Black has three isolated pawns, two of them doubled. But it is easy for Black to undouble his c pawns and, in the process, give White an isolated e pawn. Black also has the better minor piece for dealing with unbalanced pawn-structures, but White should find it easier to create a passed pawn. The analysis engines Stockfish12 and Komodo11.01 reckon the position is dead-equal.
38...Kb6 39.Nb4 Bd4+ 40.Ke2 dxe4 41.fxe4 Be5 42.h3 Kc5 43.a3 Bc3
Not 43...Bb2?? 44.Nd3+.
44.Nc2 Be5 45.Kd3 Kb6 46.Ne3 Bb2 47.a4 Be5 48.Nd5+ Ka5 49.axb5 Kxb5 50.Ke3 Bg3 51.Ke3 Be5 52.g4 h4!?
Both the text and 52...hxg4+ leave the position dead-equal, according to the engines.
53.g5 Bg3 54.Ke3 Be5 55.Kd3 Bg3 56.Nc7+ Kc6 57.Nd5 Be5!?
As the move 52...h4!? suggested, SG seems to be playing for a win, or at least to avoid a simple draw.
58.Kc4 Bg3 59.b4 Be1?
The engines reckon Black needed to keep the bishop protecting d6.
60.b5+ Kb7 61.Nf6 Bd2 62.Nh7?
Winning is 62.Ne8 Bxg5 63.Nxd6+ and 64.Nxf7.
62...Bf4 63.Kd5 Be5 64.Nf6 Bf4?
Drawing is 64...Bxf6 65.gxf6 g5 66.Kxd6 g4 67.e5 gxh3 68.e6 fxe6 69.f7 h2 70.f8=Q h1=Q 71.Qe7+.
My scoresheet ends after the text, but I did go on to win. The engines reckon best play is 65.Ne8 Bxg5 66.Nxd6+ and 67.Nxf7, when White is the equivalent of more than eight pawns up.
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