Calvià (part eight)

Spanton (1793) - Enrique Fernando Asensio Ramos (2070)

Calvià U2350 Round 8

Hippopotamus Defence

1.e4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.Nf3 a6

Eight games reach this position in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, but none saw:

4.a4

However we return to theory after ...

4...b6 5.d4 Bb7 6.Bc4

... when this move reaches a position my analysis engines Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon is very favourable for White, although 6.Bc4 scores just 33% in Mega21.

6...h6 7.h3

Again the game leaves known theory, although not for long.

My idea with the text was to rule out Black playing ...Nf6-g4. Stockfish13 gives White the upper hand; Komodo12.1.1 has White slightly better.

6...e6 8.Bf4 d6 9.Qd2 Ne7 10.h4!?

With g4 unlikely to be visited by a black piece any time soon, or so I thought, it seemed fine to use the h pawn to gain kingside space.

10...Nd7

A picturesque position after 10...Nd7

11.b4!?

Once again leaving known theory, and this time for good. Known moves are 11.0-0, 11.0-0-0 and 11.Kf1!?

11...Nf6 12.Bd3 Ng4

So a black piece occupies g4 after all. The position is dead-equal, according to the engines.

13.a5!?

The engines dislike this, preferring 13.0-0.

13...b5 14.Rd1 0-0 15.0-0 Qc8 16.Ne2 Rd8 17.h5!? e5 18.Be3

I wanted to play 18.hxg6!? exf4 19.gxf7+ Kxf7 20.Nxf4, but did not believe it. However the engines reckon Black's exposed king gives White more than enough compensation. Indeed they reckon Black should reject the piece sacrifice and instead play 18...fxg6, 18...Nxg6 or 18...f5.

18...f5 19.exf5?

The engines give 19.d5, and if 19...f4 they reckon 20.Bxf4 exf4 21.Nxf4 again gives White good compensation. But in this line they like 19...c6 or 19...Rf8.

19...e4 20.Bxe4 Bxe4 21.fxg6

White has three pawns for a bishop, whereas in previous lines he only had two, but the engines reckon here Black is clearly winning.

21...Rf8 22.Nf4?!

Better, according to the engines, is 22.Nh4, 22.Bf4 or even 22.Ng5!?

22...Nd5 23.Ne1 Qf5 24.Nxd5 Bxd5 25.f3 Rae8 26.fxg4!?

It is hard to come up with anything significantly better.

26...Qxf1+ 27.Kh2 Rxe3!? 28.Qxe3 Rf2 29.Rd2 Rxd2 30.Qxd2 Bf6 31.Qxh6?

This speeds the end, which came after:

31...Qxe1 32.Qh7+ Kf8 33.g7+ Bxg7 34.Qf5+ Bf7 35.Kh3 Qe3+ 36.Kh4 Qe1+ 37.Kh3 Qh1+ 38.Kg3 Bxd4 39.Qe4 Be5+ 40.Kf2 Qh4+ 0-1