Maciej Nowak (1483) - Spanton (1808)
Wrocław B
Albin Countergambit
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 d4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.g3
This is still the main move in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database despite the modern popularity of other moves, especially 5.a3 and 5.Nbd2.
5...Nge7 6.Bg2 Ng6 7.0-0 Nxe5 8.Nxe5
An indirect way of defending the c pawn as after ...
8...Nxe5
... Black is not threatening to capture on c4 because White has Qa4+ etc.
9.Qb3
Leaving the main line, which continues 9.b3 Bc5 10.Bb2 0-0, when White has a slight edge, according to the analysis engines Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1.
9...c6 10.Rd1 Qf6?!
Almost certainly better is 10...Bc5, and if 11.e3 then 11...Bg4, one point being 12.Rd2?! can be met by 12...d3.
11.Nd2 Qe6
I rejected the known move 11...Bc5?! because after 12.Ne4 Qe7 13.Nxc5 Qxc5 14.e3 the position is opening for White's bishop-pair.
12.Ne4 f5?
Better is 12...Qxc4 although White has the upper hand after 13.Qxc4 Nxc4 14.Rxd4.
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
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13.Rxd4! fxe4?!
The engines prefer 13...Be7, but White is much better.
14.Rxe4 Bd6 15.f4 0-0 16.fxe5 Bc5+ 17.Be3 Qe7 18.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 19.Qe3 Qxe3+ 20.Rxe3 Be6 21.b3 Rad8 22.Rd3 Bf5 23.Rd6 Rfe8?
Lack of concentration. I had intended 23...Rde8, eg 24.e4 Bc8 25.Rf1 Rxe5, when White is a pawn up but there is a lot of play left.
24.Rad1 Ra8 25.e4 Bg4 26.R1d2 Rxe5 27.h3 Be6 28.Rd8+ Rxd8 29.Rxd8+ Kf7 30.Rb8 b5 31.Rb7+ Kf6 32.cxb5 cxb5 33.Rxa7
White has restored his two-pawn advantage and is comfortably winning, according to Stockfish14, but Komodo12.1.1 only gives White the upper hand.
33...Rh5
The engines prefer my original thought of 33...Rc5.
34.Ra6 Ke5?
This is a mistake, according to the engines, who still prefer ...Rc5.
35.Ra5 Kd4 36.a4 Bxb3 37.axb5?
Stronger is 37.Rxb5 Rxb5 38.axb5 Kc5 39.Bf1.
37...Rc5
Not 37...Bc4? 38.Ra4 Rxb5 39.Rxc4+ Kxc4 40.Bf1+ Kc5 41.Bxb5 Kxb5 42.Kf2, when White has an easily won pawn-ending, nor 37...Kc5?? 38.b6+.
38.Ra7 Rxb5 39.Rxg7 Rh5?
Better is 39...h5, not least because the black king stops the white bishop effectively attacking the h5 square.
40.Rd7+?
This drives the black king where it wants to go. Much better is 40.g4.
40...Ke3 41.g4 Rh6
Not 41...Rh4? as White gets a tempo for activating his king by 42.Kh2 and Kg3.
42.e5?
Impatient. Best play, according to the engines, is 42.Rb7 Bg8 43.Kh2 Rg6 44.Rb5 with Kg3 to come.
42...Bc2?
Black has good drawing chances after 42...Kf4, eg 43.Re7 Bg8 44.Re8 Bc4, when the white rook is tied to the defence of the e pawn.
43.Rc7
Even stronger seems to be 43.Rd6!? as 43...Rxd6 44.exd6 Ba4 loses to 45.Bd5 Kf4 46.Bg8 h6 47.Be6.
43...Bd3 44.Rc6 Rxc6 45.Bxc6 Kf4
Black's only hope is to try to get down to a position in which White only has an h pawn and the wrong bishop for forcing it through to promotion.
46.e6 Kg3 47.e7 Bg6 48.e8=Q Bxe8 49.Bxe8 Kxh3 50.Bh5
The only winning move (50.Bd7?? Kh4 and ...h5) but plenty good enough.
The game finished:
50...Kg3 51.Kf1 Kf3 52.Ke1 Ke3 53.Kd1 Kd3 54.Kc1 Kc3 55.Kb1 h6 (or 55...Kb3 56.g5 Kc3 57.Bf7 Kd4 58.Bg8 Ke5 59.Bxh7 etc) 56.Kc1 Kd3 57.Kd1 Ke3 58.Ke1 Kf4 (58...Kf3 59.g5+) 59.Kf2 Ke4 60.Kf3 Ke5 61.Kf3 Ke6 62.Ke4 Kf6 63.Kd5 1-0
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