Division Three South
Celtic Tigers 2 v Wessex Some Stars B
Board Five (of six)
Spanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 d5!?
A sharp modern move - the earliest example in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database is from 2008.
6.exd5!?
This has become the main line, but White has many other choices, including 6.Nxe5, eg 6...0-0 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.Bxc6 Bxf2+! 9.Kxf2 Ng4 10.Kg1 Qf6 with ...Qxc6 to come. An improvement for White in this variation is probably 7.Bxc6!? bxc6 8.d4 with an unclear position.
6...Qxd5
Also possible may be 6...Nxd5!?, but it transposes to a position normally reached with Black to move.
7.Bc4 Qd6 8.b4 Bb6 9.a4 a6?!
Probably not dynamic enough. The main line in Mega22, albeit from a small number of games, runs 9...0-0!? 10.Nbd2 Bf5 11.Ba3 with a sharp position that Stcokfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon may favour White, but not by much. Note that 'trapping' the bishop with 11.a5 runs into 11...Bxf2+ 12.Kxf2 e4 with strong attacking play for Black. These lines are in their infancy and there is almost certainly a lot to be discovered.
10.Ba3 Ne7?!
Again essentially a passive response. The engines prefer 10...e4.
11.0-0 0-0 12.Qe2
Possibly stronger is the engines' 12.Nbd2.
12...Ng6 13.Nbd2 h6
The engines prefer sacrificing a pawn with 13...Nf4!? 14.Qxe5 Re8 15.Qxd6 cxd6, when Komodo12.1.1 reckons Black has full compensation, but Stockfish14.1 gives White a slight edge.
14.Ne4?
This natural-looking move is a mistake, according to the engines, who give White a large advantage after 14.b5 or 14.a5.
14...Nxe4 15.Qxe4 Bd7?
Good for Black is 15...Qf6, according to the engines.
16.b5 Bc5 17.Bxc5 Qxc5 18.Qxg6 Qxc4
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| How should White proceed? |
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19.Qxg7+?
This wins a pawn, but a much better way of doing it is the engines' 19.dxc4 fxg6 20.Nxe5.
19...Kxg7 20.dxc4 f6
The pawn-structure helps make the black bishop far stronger than the white knight.
21.Rfd1 Be6 22.c5 Rfd8 23.b6!?
Maybe better is the engine-suggested 23.Rxd8 Rxd8 24.c6!?, although the position is unclear.
23...cxb6 24.cxb6
White has undoubled the c pawns but left his queenside very weak.
24...Bb3 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.a5 Rc8
JG offered a draw.
27.Nd2
Accepting that a queenside pawn but must fall, but getting rid of the minor pieces.
27...Rxc3 28.Nxb3 Rxb3
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| Dead-equal, and it will remain so for quite some time |
*****
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29.g3 Rb5 30.Rc1 Rxa5 31.Rc7+ Kg6 32.Rxb7 Rb5 33.Rb8 Kf5 34.b7 a5 35.Kg2
If 35.g4+!?, then 35...Kf4 maintains dead-eye equality, but not 35...Kxg4?? 36.Rg8+ and 37.b8=Q.
35...Rb3 36.h3 a4
Komodo12.1.1 reckons this gives White a slight edge, but Stockfish14.1 disagrees.
37.g4+ Kf4 38.Ra8
Komodo12.1.1's point is 38.Rf8 Rxb7 39.Rxf6+ Kg5 40.Ra6 h5! (not 40...Rb4? 41.Kg3) 41.Rxa4 hxg4 42.Rxg4+. This is a tablebase draw, but is clearly easier for Black to play.
38...Rxb7 39.Rxa4+ Kg5
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| Both engines rate this position as dead-equal |
The engines are happy with White's 43rd move, but very quickly the game has gone from White having one pawn island against Black's two, to Black having one pawn island against White's two, and it is not as if the white passer is likely to be able to safely advance.
44.Re4 Rd3 45.Rg4 Rd4 46.Rg8
46.Rxd4?? exd4 is as easy win for Black.
46...Rd1 47.Rf8 Kg6 48.Rg8+ Kf5 49.Kf2!?
Retreating may look strange, but is perfectly fine, according to the engines.
49...Rh1
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| White to play and maintain dead-eye equality |
*****
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50.Rh8!?
Black gets an edge after this, but not after 50.Rg4, according to Komodo12.1.1, although Stockfish14.1 reckons even the text is dead-equal.
50...Kf4 51.Rh6?!
Probably better is 51.Kg2.
51...f5
Black is winning, according to Komodo12.1.1; dead-equal, according to Stockfish14.1.
52.Ra6 Rh2+
52...Rxh4 is a tablebase draw.
53.Kg1 Rxh4
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| White to play and draw |
*****
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54.Ra4+
White draws with 54.Kg2!, according to the Syzygy tablebase.
54...Kg3 55.Ra5 Rb4 0-1
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