Ilkley Round Four

Kevin Winter (1782) - Spanton (1998)

Sicilian Hyper-Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4!?

This is much less common than 4.Nxd4 but scores 56% compared with 51% for the latter in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database.

4...Nf6 5.e5 Nc6 6.Qa4 Nd5 7.Qe4 Nb6!?

Marginally more popular in Mega21 is 7...Nc7. Trailing both moves in popularity is 7...Ndb4!?, but it is much more successful percentage-wise (44% for ...Ndb4, 38% for ...Nb6 and 35% for ...Nc7).

8.Nc3 d5!?

The main line runs 8...Bg7 9.Bf4 d5!? 10.exd6 Bf5 11.Qe3 0-0 12.0-0-0!? with chances for both sides.

9.exd6 Bf5 10.dxe7!?

More popular are 10.Qh4 and 10.Qe2.

10...Qxe7?!

Almost certainly better is 10...Bxe7.

11.Qxe7+ Bxe7

Position after 11...Bxe7

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

12.Bb5!?

Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon this apparent novelty is an improvement over the known move 12.Be3.

12...0-0 13.0-0 Rfd8

I rejected 13...Bxc2!? because of 14.Bxc6 bxc6 15.Nd4, but the engines reckon 15...Ba4 16.Nxa4 Nxa4 17.Nxc6 Bf6 equalises, and Black certainly gets a lot of activity for being a pawn down.

14.Be3

Stronger, according to the engines, is 14.Re1!?, eg 14...Bb4 15.Bg5 Rdc8 16.Bd3 Bxd3 17.cxd3, when White's extra pawn is isolated but is passed and not particularly weak.

14...Bf6 15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.Bg5 Bxg5!?

The engines prefer this to 16...Kg7.

17.Nxg5 Bxc2 18.Rac1

KW offered a draw.

18...Bf5

I played on even though I thought White must be better. However the engines reckon the game is equal, presumably regarding the black bishop in an open position as sufficient compensation for Black's isolanis.

19.Rfd1 Kg7 20.h3 Rac8 21.Nf3 Kf6

The engines prefer 21...c5!?

22.Rxd8 Rxd8 23.Ne2 Be4 24.Ned4 Bxf3?!

Now Black has no compensation for the queenside pawn weaknesses. The engines reckon 24...Rd6 maintains equality.

25.Nxf3 Rd6 26.Kf1 h5 27.h4 Nd5 28.Rc4 Nb6 29.Rc1 Ke6 30.Ng5+ Kf6??
White is only slightly better after 30...Ke7, according to the engines.

31.Ne4+  Ke5 32.Nxd6 Kxd6 33.Rc3 Na4 34.Rd3+ Ke6 35.b3 Nb6 36.Ke2 Nd5 37.g3 Ke5 38.a3 c5 39.f3 Ke6 40.Kd2 Ke5 41.Kc2 Ke6 42.Kd2 Ke5 43.Kc2 Ke6 44.Kd2??

White wins easily by activating the rook, eg 44.f4 Kd6 45.Rd2 Ke6 46.Re2+ Kd7 47.Re5 Kd6 48.Kd3 Nb6 49.Re8 Kd7 50.Rb8 Kc6 51.Rf8 f5 52.Rf6+ etc.

After the text I announced I was claiming a draw by repetition as my next move would be 44...Ke5.

½–½