Graham DJ Keane (2185 ECF/2144 Fide) - Spanton (1979 ECF/1731 Fide)
New London
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 e6 3.Nf3
One of the main points of White's move-order, compared with the regular London System, which usually starts 1.d4, 2.Nf3, 3.Bf4, is to avoid the king's knight being hit by ...Bg4. Once Black has ruled out ...Bg4, in this instance by playing 2...e6, there is no objection to playing Nf3.
3...Bd6 4.Bg3 Nf6 5.e3 b6!?
Four other moves - 5...0-0, 5...Ne4, 5...c5 and 5...Bxg3 - are more popular than the text in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database.
6.c3!?
A normal move in the London, and here it sets a little trap. Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 like 6.c4, which they reckon gives White a slight pull.
6...0-0
Not, as happened in two games in Mega21, 6...Ba6?? 7.Bxa6 Nxa6 8.Qa4+ etc.
7.Nbd2 Bb7
7...Ba6!? 8.Bxa6 Nxa6 has been played by grandmasters, but White seems a little better after 9.Qe2 Nb8 10.e4.
8.Bd3 Ne4 9.Qc2 f5 10.Bh4 Be7
Not 9...g5? 10.Nxg5 Nxg5 11.f4, but the engines reckon Black has an edge after 9...Qe8!?
11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.Ne5 Nxd2!?
Ensuring the knight on e5 can be exchanged, but at the price of allowing a good-versus-bad bishop set-up.
13.Qxd2 Nd7 14.Nxd7
This is best, according to the engines.
14...Qxd7 15.0-0 Qd6 16.f4 Kh8 17.Qe2 Qe7 18.g4
GK said afterwards this might be premature, but the engines are happy enough with it. Indeed it is Stockfish14's top choice for a while.
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| How should Black respond to White's kingside play? |
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18...Qh4?!
The engines reckon Black should ignore the kingside and concentrate on the queenside, starting with 18...c5 or 18...a5. The point, presumably, is Black does not need to fear 19.gxf5, while 19.g5 is not opening lines and, without open lines, White's build-up on the kingside will not be very quick. So, for example, 18...c5 19.Rf3 c4 20.Bc2 b5 21.Rh3 Bc6, when it is Black, if anyone, who is a tad better, according to the engines.
19.g5 h6?
Much worse is 19...h5?? as the black queen gets trapped, but the text is also a serious error, according to the engines.
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| White to play and win (according to Stockfish14) |
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20.gxh6?
Stockfish14 reckons winning is 20.Qg2, when it gives best-play as 20...Kg8 21.Rf3 hxg5 22.Rh3 Qg4 23.Rg3 Qh5 24.Rxg5 Qh8 25.Rg6 Rae8 26.Rf1, when White has a huge attack. Komodo12.1.1 is not quite so impressed with the white position, but after its best line of 20...hxg5 21.fxg5 Kg8 22.Rf4 Qh7 23.g6 it too reckons White is winning.
20...gxh6 21.Kh1 Rg8 22.Rg1 Rxg1+
GK said he was concerned about 22...Bc6, the idea being to re-route the bishop to h5, but one simple answer is 23.Qf3.
23.Rxg1 Rg8 24.Rxg8+ Kxg8 25.Qg2+ Kh7 26.Qg3 Qh5 27.Qf2 Qd1+ 28.Qf1 Qxf1+ 29.Bxf1 Bc6
GK said he hoped to make something of having a good-versus-bad bishop, but the blocked centre makes Black's task relatively easy.
The game finished:
30.Kg2 Be8 31.Be2 Kg6 32.Kf2 Kf6 33.Ke1 Ke7 34.Kd2 Kd6 35.Kc2 c5 36.Kb3 c4+ 37.Ka3 Kc6 38.b3 b5 39.Kb2 Kb6 40.b4 Kc7 41.Bd1 Kd6 42.a4 a6 43.axb5 axb5 44.Kc1 Ke7 45.Kd2 Kf8 46.Ke1 Kg7 47.Kf2 Kf6 48.Kg3 Kg7 49.Kh4 Kf6 50.Kg3 Kg7 51.Kh4 Kf6 52.Kg3 ½–½
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