Spanton (1965 ECF/1747 Fide) - David W Gostelow (1975E/1915F)
Northumberland Open Round 4
Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
This move scores 57% in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, which compares very favourably with the 51% of 3.d4 and the 52% of 3.c3.
3...g6 4.c3
More popular, and scoring marginally better in Mega21, are 4.0-0 and 4.Bxc6.
4...Nf6 5.Qe2
This, and gaining space in the centre with 5.e5, are almost equally popular in Mega21, with both moves scoring 52%.
5...Bg7 6.d4!?
Normal is 6.0-0, which has been played by Magnus Carlsen and Levon Aronian.
6...cxd4 7.cxd4 d5 8.e5 Ne4 9.0-0 0-0 10.Nbd2!?
Trying to trap the advanced black knight with 10.Bxc6 (not 10.Ne1?? Nxd4) bxc6 11.Ne1? runs into 11...Qb6, when Black threatens the d4 pawn as well as ...Ba6. However, more popular than the text are 10.Nc3 and 10.Be3.
 |
| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
10...Nxd2
This looks natural but grandmasters have tended to prefer a move favoured by Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1, namely 10...Qb6!? If White replies 11.Bxc6, aiming to follow up by twice capturing on e4, Black has 11...Qxc6. Black can even play 11...bxc6!? as 12.Nxe4? is met by 12...Ba6.
11.Bxd2 Bg4 12.Bc3
The engines prefer 12.Bxc6!? bxc6 and either 13.Bb4 or 13.h3.
12...Qb6 13.Bxc6 bxc6
White's move-order has given Black the option to capture on c6 with the queen, but the queen will eventually be hit by a white rook coming to c1. Stockfish14 prefers the text; Komodo12.1.1 prefers 13...Qxc6.
14.h3 Bf5
The engines strongly prefer returning the bishop-pair with 14...Bxf3!? 15.Qxf3 a5, which they reckon gives White at best a tiny pull.
15.Qd2!?
Preventing Black quickly activating the king's bishop with ...Bh6, which would control the c1 square, and at the same time preparing queenside action.
15...a5
DW said in the postmortem he nearly played 15...Rfd8??
16.Nh4 Bd7
16...Bc8 might look natural but, as DG pointed out, the follow-up ...Ba6 is unlikely to be possible because it leaves the a5 pawn hanging.
17.Kh2
Stockfish14 gives 17.b4!?, to which both engines reckon Black's best reply is 17...a4.
 |
| Analysis position after 17...a4 |
Stockfish14 claims White is positionally winning but Komodo12.1.1 rates the position as equal. Given enough time, Komodo12.1.1's concedes White a slight edge, but even so the contrast in the engines' evaluations is huge.
17...Rfc8 18.f4 e6 19.g4
The game becomes a race between rival flank attacks. Although it is White who is attacking on the kingside, it is the white king that becomes more exposed.
 |
| Stockfish14 gives White a slight edge; Komodo12.1.1 gives Black a slight edge |
The engines prefer 20.Nf3, 20.Rf2 or 20.dxc5. The text looks natural, but there is an unexpected problem that will soon become apparent.
20...exf5
This is best, but also satisfactory for Black is the line I feared: 20...cxd4 21.Bxd4 Qb4, when White has nothing better than 22.Qxb4 axb4 23.f6 with approximate equality. Bad is 22.Bc3? Bxe5+!, while 22.Qf2?! Rc4 23.Bc3, which was DW's suggestion and looked good for White in the postmortem, runs into 23...Rxc3! 24.bxc3 Bxe5+ 25.Kg2 Bxc3, when for an exchange Black has two pawns, the bishop-pair and attacking chances.
21.gxf5
 |
| Black to play and win (or least get a large advantage) |
*****
*****
*****
*****
21...gxf5?
21...cxd4 22.Bxd4 Qb4 is similar to a line in the previous note, but the engines point out 22...Rc2!! 23.Qxc2 (23.Bxb6 Rxd2+ leaves White with too many hanging pawns) Qxd4, when Black is down an exchange but has the bishop-pair and will win a pawn, and gets attacking chances, eg 24.Qf2 Qxe5+ 25.Kg1 Bb5, which Stockfish14 reckons is winning for Black although Komodo12.1.1 gives Black 'only' the upper hand.
22.Nxf5 Bxf5 23.Rxf5 cxd4 24.Bxd4 Qg6?!
Probably better is the engines' 24...Qc7, although they reckon 25.Bc3 leaves White well on top.
25.Raf1!?
Even stronger seems to be 25.Qf2 followed by 26.Rg1.
25...Rc4 26.b3 Rc7?
The engines reckon much better is 26...Rc6, although 27.R1f2 is still very good for White.
27.R1f2
Even stronger is 27.R5f2!?, when the engines reckon best-play runs 27...Qh6 28.Qxh6 Bxh6 29.Rg2+ Kf8 and either 30.e6 or 30.Bb2!?, in each case with a winning advantage.
27...Rac8?
Better is the engines' 27...Kh8!?, but 28.Qd3 Rc1 29.Rg2 is very strong.
28.Qf4?
Slow. Winning easily is 28.Rg5, eg 28...Rc2 29.Rxg6 Rxd2 30.Rxg7+ etc.
28...Rc2 29.Rg5 Rxf2+ 30.Bxf2 Qh6 31.Qf5?
White keeps a large advantage with 31.Bd4, eg 31...Rc2+ 32.Kg3 when the threat of 33.e6 cannot be met.
 |
| Black to play and draw (or at least be only slightly worse) |
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
31...Qe6?
Best is 31...Rc6, when the engines reckon White has a slight edge but no more.
32.Qf6!
Black is completely lost.
The game finished:
32...Qxf6 33.exf6 Rc2 34.Rxg7+ 1-0
No comments:
Post a Comment