Double Jeopardy

THE Central London League* was back in action last night when Battersea took on its second team in a division one match at our home venue, Battersea Labour Cub.

I was playing on board two for the second team, and by coincidence I was paired against Midhun Unnirkrishnan.

He is the same player I have been drawn against in the first round of the club championship.

This season the championship has been divided into three sections: two swisses, and an eight-player knockout for the championship proper.

Each of the knockout matches consists of two games, with a blitz "shootout" if necessary to break a tie.

MH and I agreed we might as well count our league game as the first of our championship games.

Spanton (1965 ECF) - Unnirkrishnan (2253 ECF)

Spanish Berlin.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1!?

5.d4, which usually leads to the Berlin Wall, is very much the main line, but the text is also popular with grandmasters. It leads to a strategically simpler game.

5...Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1

This is the most-popular move in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, but it is hard to believe White can hope for an opening advantage after such a retreat. The move scores 51% in Mega21. Most successful percentagewise is 7.Bd3!? with 54%.

7...0-0 8.d4 Nf5 9.c3 Nxe5 10.dxe5!?

Grandmasters have usually preferred 10.Rxe5, which maintains the theme of strategic simplicity and is arguably a better choice against a much stronger player. The analysis engines Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon there is objectively little to choose between the recaptures.

10...d5 11.Bd3

This time the strategically simpler choice is to capture en passant.

11...Bc5 12.Qh5

The engines reckon White has an edge after 12.Nd2.

12...g6 13.Qe2

Encouraging Black to half-open the f file with 13.Qg5, prompting 13...f6, does not look right, and I did not want to put the queen on f3, where it would be opposite the black king's rook.

13...Re8 14.Qf3 c6

14...f6, trying to exploit the pin on the e file, is not a problem for White after 15.Bf4.

15.Bf4 Qb6 16.b4 Bf8 17.Nd2 a5 18.a3 axb4 19.axb4  Be6 20.g4!?

Bold, and probably good.

20...Ng7 21.Nb3 h5 22.h3 Rxa1 23.Rxa1 c5

How should White proceed?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

24.Be3!?

MH said after the game White is winning with 24.Nxc5, his point being 24...Bxc5 25.bxc5 Qxc5 is met by 26.Bh6, with Qf6 to come, but the engines reckon the position is equal.

The text also seems to also give equal chances, if followed up correctly.

24...hxg4 25.hxg4 d4

Position after 25...d4

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

26.Nxd4??
The wrong way to give up the piece. Correct is 26.cxd4 Bxb3 27.bxc5, when the engines reckon the white central pawn-mass compensates for being material down.

26...cxd4 27.Bxd4

White gets a little initiative, but it is nowhere near enough, and, in the long run, the white king will be much the more vulnerable.

27...Qd8 28.Ra7?!

Probably better is the engines' 28.Be4, when 28...Bxb4 29.Bxb7 at least gives White a passed pawn. The engines prefer defence with 28...Bc8 or counterattack with 28...Qh4.

28...Bxb4

Even stronger, according to the engines, are 28...Bd5 and 28...Qg5.

29.Bb5 Rf8 30.Qe3 Be7 31.f3 Bd5 32.Bb6 Qc8 33.Kh2 Ne6 34.Qd3 Bc6 35.Bc4 Kg7 36.Kg3 Bg5 37.Be3 Bxe3 38.Qxe3 Bxf3 39.Qxf3

Or 39.Bxe6 fxe6.

39...Qxc4 40.Rxb7 Nc5 41.Rb4

41.Qf6+ leads nowhere.

The game finished:

41...Qe6 42.Qe3 Nd7 43.Re4 Rc8 44.Kf4 Nb6 45.Kf3 Nd5 46.Qd4 Rxc3+ 47.Kf2 Rc2+ 48.Kf3 Nb6 49.Qd6 Qb3+ 50.Re3 Qxe3+! 51.Kxe3 Nc4+ 52.Kd3 Nxd6 0-1

*Sadly there is still no information on the 2021-22 season at the Central London League website.