Calvià (part seven)

Guillermo Simo Bordoy (1903) - Spanton (1793)

Calvià U2350 Round 7

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Ne2 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nxc6!?

Not a popular choice, but there are more than 2,300 examples in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database.

5...bxc6 6.Qd4

This seems to have been first played by Emanuel Lasker in 1892 in a match-game win against Henry Bird.

6...Nf6

Bird played 6...f6, which is today generally regarded as too passive.

7.e5 Ng8!?

My turn for passivity. More popular is 7...Nd5.

8.Bc4 Bg7 9.0-0 d5 10.Bb3 Nh6 11.Bf4!?

This is not much liked by the analysis engines Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1. Known moves are 11.f4 and 11.c4, but these are not liked by the engines either. Stockfish13 suggests 11.Re1 0-0 12.Qc3, while Komodo12.1.1 gives 11.Ba4 Bb7 12.Bxh6, in each case with approximate equality.

11...Nf5 12.Qd2 0-0

The engines give 12...g5!?

13.Nc3 e6 14.Bg5 f6 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Na4 Nh4?!

Probably better is 17...e5 to anticipate White's plan to restrain the black centre.

18.f4! Nf5 19.Rae1 Nd6

Planning to occupy the e4 outpost and so mask the weak e pawn.

Position after 19...Nd6

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20.Nc3

The engines prefer 20.c3!?, not worrying about 20...Ne4. Perhaps the point is other black pieces are not well-placed to support the knight.

20...Ba6 21.Rf2 Rae8 22.Rf3?!

Admitting that his last move lost a tempo - or perhaps this move loses a tempo, as the engines basically see no difference in value between 21.Rf2 and 21.Rf3. Instead, after 21.Rf2 Rae8, they want White to play 22.Qe3!? d4 23.Qd2 c5 24.Ne4.

22...c5 23.Qf2 d4

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24.Nb1?

Black has a winning advantage after this retreat, according to the engines. They give 24.Na4! c4 25.Nc5 cxb3 26.Nxa6 bxa2 27.Nc5, reckoning Black has a slight edge.

24...Bb5

Enough for a large advantage, but even stronger, according to the engines, is 24...Bb7.

25.f5!?

Best may be 25.Nd2 c4 26.a4 Bc6 27.Nxc4 Nxc4 28.Bxc4 Bxf3 29.Qxf3 Qxf4 30.Qxf4 Rxf4, although Black has a large advantage as 31.Bxe6+? loses to the simple 31...Kg7, eg 32.Re2 d3! 33.cxd3 Kf6 34.Bg4 Rxe2 35.Bxe2 Rxa4 etc.

25...Nxf5 26.Qd2!?

Again the engines prefer Nd2.

26...c4 27.g4 cxb3 28.gxf5 bxa2

Black has emerged from the tactics three pawns up. The game finished:

29.Na3 Bc6 30.Rg3 exf5 31.Ra1 Bd5 32.Nb5 Rb8 33.Nc7 Bc4 34.b3 Rfc8 35.Rxa2 Rxc7 36.bxc4 Rb1+ 37.Kf2 Re7 38.Qa5 Rbe1 39.Qd5+ (or 39.Qxe1 f4!) Kg7 40.Rd3 Qh4+ 0-1