Spanton (1808) - Kinga Marczyk (1271)
Wrocław B
English Botvinnik
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.e4
This pawn-formation, with a hole at d4, was pioneered by Aron Nimzowitsch, but he used to develop his king's knight at f3. Mikhail Botvinnik refined the system by developing the king's knight to e2.
5...d6 6.Nge2 Nge7 7.0-0 0-0
More than 600 games reach this position in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, and the vast majority continue with 8.d3.
8.f4!?
There are lines in the Botvinnik system where a quick f4 can inconvenience Black, but that is usually when White threatens to continue with an immediate f5. That is not the case here, so 8.d3 is more flexible.
8...exf4!?
This is perhaps a novelty. A 2527 in Mega21 preferred 8...Be6, while Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 like 8...Bg4. The text makes the f4 a good square for a white knight, while it is not clear a black piece could remain for long on e5.
9.Nxf4 Nd4 10.d3 Bd7
The engines make various suggestions, including the text, but one slightly surprising move they like is 10...c5!?
11.Be3 Nec6 12.Qd2 Re8?!
Taking the rook off White's half-open file is asking for trouble. The engines suggest 12...a5 or 12...Nb4!?
13.Nd5 f5?
The engines give 13...Ne6 14.Rf2 Ne5 15.Raf1, reckoning White has the upper hand.
14.Bg5 Qc8 15.Nf6+ Bxf6 16.Bxf6
White is positionally winning.
16...Rf8 17.Nd5 Rf7 18.Qg5
Even stronger is the engines' 18.exf5 Bxf5 19.g4! Bxg4 20.Bxd4 Nxd4 21.Rxf7 Kxf7 22.Qg5. If 18...Nxf5, then 19.g4 Ng7 20.Bc3! is overwhelming, while 18...gxf5 19.Qg5+ Kf8 20.Rae1 leads to a quick win.
18...Be6
This lets the rook defend c7. The engines suggest 18...Qf8, when c7 is indirectly defended by pressure on White's dark-square bishop, but the engines agree White has a large advantage.
19.Rae1
Not 19.Rf4? as Black has a fork on e2, but the engines again prefer exf5.
19...Qf8 20.exf5
This is still strong.
20...Bxf5 21.Rf4
White is still winning after this but the engines like 21.Ne7+ Nxe7 22.Bxe7 with Bd5 to come.
21...h6
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22.Qh4??
One of the points of playing ...Rf4 was to follow up with ...Rh4, threatening to sac the queen on g6 in order to mate with ...Rh8. But somehow I forgot this after being shocked by 21...h6, and so what should have been at easy win for White becomes a better game for Black.
One of the points of playing ...Rf4 was to follow up with ...Rh4, threatening to sac the queen on g6 in order to mate with ...Rh8. But somehow I forgot this after being shocked by 21...h6, and so what should have been at easy win for White becomes a better game for Black.
22...g5 23.Bxg5 hxg5 24.Qxg5+ Qg7 25.Qh4?!
Exchanging queens is best, according to the engines, but I was reluctant to do that bearing in mind the exposed black king.
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| Black to play and win |
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25...Ne5!
Also strong is 25...Raf8, but the text is winning.
26.Rxd4
Worse, according to the engines, is 26.Rff1 c6 27.Nf4 Raf8, when Black is up a knight for two pawns, has pressure against d3 and it is the white king that is looking more vulnerable.
26...Ng6
The point of Black's 25th move.
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27.Nf6+?!
Almost certainly better is 27.Ne7+ Rxe7 28.Rxe7 Nxe7 29.Rf4, when 29...Ng6?? fails to 30.Bd5+ Kf8 31.Rxf5+. Also probably better is 27.Rg4!? Nxh4 28.Rxg7+ Kxg7 29.gxh4 Bxd3, when White is 'only' the exchange down for a pawn, but has doubled isolanis on the h file.
27...Rxf6
Black gets queens off after 27...Qxf6!?, but the variation is not so clear as White can grab a third pawn (b7) for the missing knight.
28.Qg5 Rf7 29.Qe3 Re7 30.Bd5+ Kf8 31.Be4 Bxe4
Probably even stronger is getting the last piece into play with 31...Rae8!?
32.Rxe4 Rxe4?
Definitely better is 32...Rae8.
33.Qxe4
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33...Ne5
The engines reckon Black has to play 33...Kg8 to keep a sizeable advantage, eg 34.Qxb7 Qd4+ 35.Kg2 Rf8, with the upper hand.
34.Rf1+ Kg8 35.d4
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35...Ng6
Black has a slight edge after 35...Nf7, according to the engines.
36.Qe6+ Kh8 37.Rf6?!
White draws after 37.Qh3+ Kg8 38.Qe6+ etc, and may even have an edge if Black keeps the game going, ie 37...Qh7?! 38.Qxh7+ Kxh7 39.Rf7+.
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37...Rf8?
Black has an edge after 37...Rg8 as now 38.Qh3+ Qh7 39.Qxh7+?! Kxh7 40.Rf7+ is easily countered by 40...Rg7.
38.Rxg6 Qxd4+ 39.Kg2 Qxb2+?
39...Qf2+ 40.Kh3 Qf5+ gives some hope in an admittedly bad rook-and-pawn ending.
40.Kh3 Qf2 41.Rh6+ Kg7 42.Qg6#
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