Calvià (part four)

Spanton (1793) - José Luis Moreno Mateos (1812)

Calvià U2350 Round 4

Caro-Kann Bronstein-Larsen

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ gxf6 6.c3!?

This quiet continuation is the commonest in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database.

6...Bf5 7.Bc4!?

Usual is 7.Nf3.

7...e6 8.Ne2 Bd6!?

This is the most-popular move in Mega21, but the analysis engines Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1 much prefer 8...h5 or 8...Nd7.

9.Ng3 Bg6 10.Qf3 Nd7 11.Bh6

Position after 11.Bh6

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11...f5?!

An apparent-novelty, and probably not a good one. Normal is 11...Rg8, while the engines like 11...Bf8!?

12.h4 f4!?

Giving up a pawn is Black's best chance, according to the engines.

13.Bxf4 Bxf4 14.Qxf4 Nb6 15.Bb3 Nd5 16.Qe5 Qf6 17.Qxf6 Nxf6 18.0-0-0 h6 19.Rhe1 0-0-0 20.Bc2 Bxc2 21.Kxc2 Rhg8 22.c4?

This gives the pawn back. The engines reckon 22.Rd3 keeps the upper hand for White.

22...Rg4 23.Kc3 Rxh4 24.Rh1 Rxh1 25.Rxh1 Rh8

Possible is 25...Rg8!? as 26.Rxh6 runs into 26...Ng4 27.Rh7 Nxf2 with at least equality.

26.Kd3 Ng4 27.Ke2 Kd7 28.Ne4 Ke7 29.f3 Nf6 30.Nc5 b6

Probably better is the engines' 30...h5!?, freeing the rook so 31.Nxb7 can be met by 31...Rb8.

31.Nd3 Rg8?

The engines suggest 31...Nd7 or 31...h5.

32.Rh2?

Strong is 32.g4 as the h pawn must fall.

32...Rd8?

The engines give 32...Rg5 or 32...h5.

33.Ne5 Kf8

Not 33...Rxd4?? 34.Nxc6+.

34.Rxh6 Ng8?

Less passive is 34...Kg7.

35.Rh4 Rc8 36.Rh7 Rc7 37.Ng6+ Ke8 38.Rh8 fxg6 39.Rxg8+ Kf7 40.Rh8

White is only one pawn up in a rook-and-pawn-ending, but the white rook is more active and Black has two isolanis.

40...Kf6 41.Ke3 c5 42.Rh4 a6 43.Kd3 b5 44.dxc5 Rxc5 45.b4 bxc4+ 46.Rxc4 Rd5+ 47.Rd4 Rh5 48.Kc4 Ke5 49.a4 Rh1 50.Kc5 Rb1 51.Re4+ Kf5 52.Kb6 Rb2 53.g4+ 1-0

JM tried to play 53...Ra2, and then resigned.