Calvià Round Eight

MY game from yesterday afternoon.

Alfonso Cemborain Oricain (1815) - Spanton (1731)

Scotch

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Qf6!?

More popular in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database are 4...Bc5, 4...Nf6, 4...Nxd4!? and 4...Qh4!?, but the text has been played by Magnus Carlsen, Vasyl Ivanchuk and especially Jonny Hector.

5.c3

This for a while becomes Komodo12.1.1's second choice behind 5.Nf3!? before being supplanted by 5.Nb5.

5...Qg6?!

5...Bc5 6.Be3 transposes to a main line of the Scotch.

The problem with the text is White can ignore the threat to the e pawn.

6.Nb5! Qxe4+?!

The only game to reach the position after 6.Nb5! in Mega21 saw a 2330 play 6...Kd8, which is preferred by Komodo12.1.1 and Stockfish14.

7.Be2 Kd8

Position after 7...Kd8 in Cemborain Oricain - Spanton

If the position in the diagram looks familiar it is probably because it resembles a main line in the Steinitz Variation of the Scotch that arises after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Qh4 5.Nb5 Qxe4+ 6.Be2 Kd8.

Position after 6...Kd8 in the Scotch Steinitz

The difference between the two diagrams is that in the former White has the extra move 5.c3. The engines' evaluations fluctuate a lot, but Komodo12.1.1 generally reckons the inclusion of c3 very slightly favours White, while Srockfish14 reckons it slightly favours Black.

8.0-0 a6 9.Nd4 Bd6

I rejected 9...Nxd4 10.cxd4 because it frees the c3 square for the remaining white knight to occupy to attack the black queen.

10.Nd2

The engines reckon White has a positionally-won game.

10...Qd5 11.Bc4 Qc5 12.b4 Nxb4?!

The engines prefer 12...Qe5, although after 13.N2f3 Qh5 14.Re1 Black's big lag in development, exacerbated by loss of castling rights, means White has more than enough compensation for a pawn.

13.Ba3 a5

There is nothing better, according to the engines.

14.Nb5 Bf4 15.cxb4 axb4 16.Bb2 Bxd2

16...Nf6 and 16...f6 are not significantly better.

17.Qxd2

This is better than the also-strong 17.Bxg7, according to the engines.

17...Qxc4 18.Bxg7?!

White is still on top after the text, according to the engines, but stronger seem to be 18.Qg5+ Ne7 19.Rfe1 Re8 20.Rac1 and 18.Nxc7 Qxc7 19.Rac1 Qa5 20.Bxg7.

18...Qxb5 19.Bxh8?!

There was no need to capture on a8 immediately, so the engines prefer 19.Rfb1 or 19.Rab1.

19...d6 20.Rfb1 Ra4

Now the tactical melee is over, how would you assess this middlegame in which Black has two pawns for the exchange?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

Black's queenside pawns are clearly dangerous, but they are in front of a vulnerable king and the black kingside pawns are weak. The engines reckon White has the upper hand.

21.Qd4?!

Planning a kingside raid, but this proves a distraction. The engines reckon White should activate the passive queen's rook, eg 21.Rb2 Be6 22.Rc1, but they are by no means sure about this and in most lines White's advantage soon declines to a slight edge.

21...Be6 22.Qg7 Ne7 23.Qf8+?

The engines prefer 23.Qxh7 but Stockfish14 reckons Black has a large advantage, although Komodo12.1.1 evaluates the position as dead-equal.

23...Qe8 24.Qxe8+?!

Exchanging queens favours Black, but Black is also on top after 24.Qg7.

24...Kxe8 25.Re1 Kd7!?

This is Stockfish14's choice but Komodo12.1.1 prefers 25...Rxa2. I rejected the latter because I did not want to give up my only rook in exchange for White's passive rook and a pawn that is weak anyway.

26.Re2 Ng6 27.Bf6 Nf4 28.Rd2 Nd5 29.Bb2 c5 30.f4!?

This is Stockfish14's second choice for a short while, but White is lost however he continues.

30...Nxf4 31.Be5 Nd5 32.Bb2

Consistent is 32.Bg3, but Black has several good moves including 32...f5, 32...Kc6 and 32...b3.

32...c4 33.Bd4 c3 34.Rf2 b3 35.a3 Rxd4 0-1