Coulsdon Autumn Daytime Round Seven

PLAYED this afternoon.

Spanton (2019 ECF/1804 Fide) - Venerando Bermudez (1737 ECF/1672 Fide)

Spanish Cozio

1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 e5

One point about Black's move-order is it avoids the King's Gambit. Whether Black should be trying to avoid that opening is another matter.

3.Bb5 Nge7 4.Nc3

The main moves are 4.0-0 and 4.c3, but the text is also often played by grandmasters.

4...a6

This became popular after Black experienced difficulties with 4...g6 5.d4 exd4 6.Nd5!?
5.Ba4 b5 6.Bb3 Na5?

VB had arrived at the board late, and probably should have spent more time settling down before starting the game.

7.Nxe5 Nxb3 8.axb3 d6 9.Nf3 Ng6? 10.Nxb5

Believe it or not, this may be the first move of the game not to appear in databases. A game from the semi-finals of the 2011 Algerian women's championship saw White play 10.h3?, although she went on to win.

10...Bg4 11.Nc3 Ne5?!

Probably a little better is 11...Nh4, but it should not change the outcome of the game.

12.d4 Nxf3+ 13.gxf3 Bh5 14.Qd3 Qc8 15.Bf4 Bg6 16.Nd5

Played with the coming combination in mind.

16...Qb7!?

For a while this is the top choice of both Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1, which only goes to show how desperate Black's position is.

How should White proceed?

*****

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17.Rxa6! c6

Or 17...Rxa6 18.Qxa6 Qxa6 19.Nxc7+ etc.

18.Rxa8+ Kd7 19.Rxf8 Rxf8 20.Ne3 (1-0,  43 moves)