Wrocław Round Two

IN the second of today's two games in the Adolf Anderssen Memorial, I met a boy registered with Belgium and aged 14 or 15, making my seventh junior in a row in over-the-board competition.

Igor Vanduyfhuys (1605) - Spanton (1808)

Wrocław B

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6!?

Position after 4...Nf6!?

The text is much less well-known than 4...Nc6 and 4...Bg7, but it is popular with some grandmasters. Often the main idea is to prevent a Maróczy Bind, but it also sets a rather obvious trap.

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5.e5?!

But apparently the trap is not so obvious. However, all is not lost for White for after ...

5...Qa5+ 6.Nc3 Qxe5+ 7.Be2

... White gets an initiative.

7...Nc6 8.Be3 Bg7 9.0-0 0-0 10.Re1 d6?!

The engines prefer withdrawing the queen with 10...Qc7.

11.Bf3 Nxd4?

11...Bd7 leaves Black slightly better, according to the engines.

12.Bxd4

Now White gets his pawn back, and still has an initiative.

12...Qg5 13.Rxe7 Nh5?

The analysis engines Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon best is the passive 13...Rd8, but White has a large advantage.

14.Bxg7 Nxg7 15.Re1 Bf5 16.Nd5

Probably even stronger is 16.Qxd6 Bxc2 17.Nd5.

16...Rfe8?

Missing how vulnerable f6 is. The engines give 16...Be6, but with a large advantage for White.

17.Qd4 Ne6?

This really was a bad (tactical) day at the office for me. Best, according to the engines, is 17...Rxe1+ 18.Rxe1 Re8 19.Re3 Rxe3, but after 20.Nxe3 Black is losing material.

18.Nf6+ Kf8

Or 18...Kh8 19.Rxe6 fxe6 (19...Rxe6? 20.Ne4+ etc) 20.Nxe8+ e5 21.Nxd6! exd4 22.Nf7+ and 23.Nxg5.

19.Qxd6+ 1-0