By a stroke of luck, the tram that goes to the chess venue also passed very near to the clinic, so I arrived at the board for round four of the Basel Tournament 'only' 17 minutes late.
My opponent was a junior from Germany, aged 15 or 16.
Spanton (1814) - Maximilian Ponomarev (2017)
Sicilian 1...e6
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 g6?!
Perhaps it is presumptuous of me to say so, but this move, which has been played by many strong players, including Svidler and Kamsky, is probably a mistake, as I hope will become clear.
5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
6...Bg7
Grandmasters have tried many different moves, but it is doubtful if any is fully satisfactory.
The text is most-popular in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database.
Svidler chose 6...Qb6, but the analysis engines Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon White is much better after 7.Nb3 (Kamsky's 2270 opponent played 5.0-0, but still managed to draw).
I thought Black should perhaps try 6...a6, but it has to be said Black's position looks very suspicious.
7.Nb5
The point behind why I believe ...g6 at move four is dubious. Having said that, Komodo12.1.1 reckons White 'only' has a slight edge. Stockfish13, as is often the case in its assessments, is more enthusiastic for the side with an advantage.
7...Nf6?
I thought Black should try 7...Qa5+ 8.N1c3 Bxc3+ 9.Nxc3, which turns out to be the most-popular line in Mega21, but the engines reckon White is positionally winning.
The engines suggest Black should sac a pawn with 7...d5!? 8.exd5 exd5 9.Qxd5 Qe7+ 10.Qe4 Be6, which was seen in a Russian blitz game between two players rated just under 2500. The engines reckon White is only slightly better.
8.Nd6+
Not bad, but the engines much prefer 8.e5!?, the point being 8...Nxe5 9.Qd6, when the engines reckon best is 9...Qa5+ 10.N1c3 Nc4 11.Qc7! 0-0 12.Qxc4, leaving White up a knight for a pawn.
8...Kf8 9.Nc3 a6 10.0-0 Ne8 11.Bf4
MP in the postmortem suggested 11.Nxe8 Qxe8 (the engines prefer 11...Kxe8) 12.f4. The engines reckon best is 11.Be3, but all three moves leave White much better.
11...Nxd6 12.Bxd6+ Kg8 13.Kh1!?
Preparing f4, but this never comes, and MP said, bearing in mind what happens in the game, that Kh1 may be a mistake. Certainly it may be too slow. If 13.f4, Komodo12.1.1 gives the continuation I was worrying about, viz 13...Qb6+ 14.Kh1 Qxb2, but both engines reckon White is much better after 15.Rf3.
13...Bf8 14.e5 Bxd6 15.exd6
The engines much prefer 15.Qxd6, I rejected it because after 15...Qf8 White cannot retreat the queen without dropping the e pawn, and I felt White's advantage was bigger with queens on. However the engines reckon 16.Na4 Qxd6 17.exd6 is very good for White.
15...b6 16.Bxc6!?
This may be best, but the position is unclear.
16...dxc6 17.Qf3?!
But this seems to throw away much of White's already-diminishing advantage.
17...Bb7?!
This does not seem best, but again the engines are unsure, flitting between 17...Ra7!?, 17...Qxd6 and 17...Kg7.
18.Kg1?
Scared of shadows. White has the upper hand, according to the engines, after 18.Rad1.
18...Qxd6 19.Ne4 Qe7 20.Qc3
Not 20.Nf6+?? Kg7.
20...f5!
A committal move, but if the knight retreats, Black's worries are over.
21.Nf6+!
This may look suicidal, but White has resources to emerge with at least equal chances.
21...Kf7 22.Rad1 Rad8
MP rejected 22...Rhd8! because of 23.Nxh7, but the engines continue 23...Rxd1 24.Rxd1 Rd8 with equality.
23.Rd7
Spectacular, perhaps, but not best as 23.Nd7! uses the same idea to reach a position in which White regains the pawn and has more pieces on the board to menace the black king (after 23...Rhe8 24.Nxb6).
23...Rxd7 24.Nxd7 Rd8
Not 24...Qxd7?? 25.Qxh8.
25.Nxb6 c5 26.Nc4 Qc7 27.Re1 Rd5?
As MP pointed out in the pm, this should lose. The engines reckon White has a slight edge after 27...Rd4.
28.Ne5+?
Missing the winning 28.Qh8.
28...Kg8 29.Qe3 Rd4 30.f3 Bd4!? ½–½
MP offered a draw, and I accepted as I could not see a way to an advantage. However the engines reckon White is well on top after 31.c3. I am fairly sure I thought 31...Ra4 was a good answer, but the engines give 32.Rd1 as winning.
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