Francisco Alberola Reig (1161) - Spanton (1829)
II Open Internacional de Ajedrez Dama NegraSpanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 d5!?
This modern line can quickly become extremely sharp.
6.Nxe5!?
This looks very strong, at least at first glance, but as this game shows there is a reason the text has been overtaken in popularity by 6.Nbd2 and 6.exd5.
6...0-0
The only move, as 6...Qd6? fails to 7.d4.
7.Nxc6
Almost certainly better is 7.Bxc6!? bxc6 8.d4, when Black has sufficient compensation for being a pawn down, according to Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1. But in this line 8.Nxc6?! is problematic after 8...Qe8 or 8...Qd6, eg 8...Qe8 9.Nd4 dxe4 10.0-0 Ba6!, when the engines much prefer Black.
7...bxc6 8.Bxc6
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| How should Black proceed? |
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8...Bxf2+!
This is the lovely point behind 5...d5!?
9.Kxf2
Worse seems to be 9.Kf1?!, eg 9...dxe4! 10.Bxa8 Bg4 11.Qc2 Bh4, when White is a rook up but apparently lost, one plausible line running 12.Bxe4 Nxe4 13.dxe4 Qf6+ 14.Kg1 Qb6+ 15.Kf1 Qa6+ 16.Kg1 (16.c4 Qf6+ 17.Kg1 Rd8 18.Be3 is even worse, according to the engines, thanks to 18...Qxb2!) Rd8 17.Be3 Rd1+ 18.Qxd1 Bxd1, which leaves White ahead on material but undeveloped and subject to a big attack.
9...Ng4+ 10.Kg1
10.Kf1?! has been played by a 2266, but 10...Qf6+ 11.Qf3 Qxc6 seems to give Black an improved version of the game.
10.Kg3!? Qf6 (probably better than 10...Qd6+?! 11.Bf4, when Black will get the piece back but has helped White develop) 11.Rf1 (not 11.Bf4? g5) Qg6 12.Qe2! (only move, according to the engines) Ne5+ 13.Kf2 Qxc6 is unclear but seems to give Black more than enough compensation for a pawn.
10...Qf6 11.Qf3?!
This was played in the only game in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database to reach the position after 10...Qf6, but the engines prefer 11.Bf4!?, 11.Qe1 or 11.Qe2.
11...Qxc6 12.exd5
The engines suggest 12.Nd2!?, but give Black a large advantage.
12...Qb6+ 13.d4 Re8 14.Qg3!
This is the best move in the position, according to the engines, and certainly an improvement on Guntis Jankovskis (2306) - Oleg Krivonosov (2413), Latvian Championship (Riga) 2018, which saw 14.Qd1? Qf6 15.Qd2 Ba6 0-1.
14...Qd6?!
Black still has an advantage after this, but probably better are 14...Re2 and 14...Ba6.
15.Qh4?
Not 15.Qxd6?? Re1#, but 15.Bf4 is an improvement, although after 15...Qxd5 Black has regained one pawn and seems to have more than enough compensation for the remaining pawn-deficit.
15...Qf6??
Both 15...Qxd5 and 15...Re2 give Black a large advantage.
16.Qg3?
White should be fine after 16.Qxf6.
16...Ba6?
Threatening mate in one, but unprotecting the knight. Better is still ...Re2 and the engines' ...h5.
17.Nd2 Re3??
17...Re2 with ...Nf2 keeps Black on top.
18.Nf3 Re2
Or 18...Re4 19.h3 Nh6 (19...Ne3 loses to 20.Ng5) 20.Bxh6 Qxh6 21.Kh2, when White has broken the attack and emerges two pawns up.
19.Bg5?
19.Qxg4! wins as 19...Re1+ fails to 20.Kf2, eg 20...Rxh1 21.Bg5 Qxg5 22.Nxg5 Rxa1, when White is ahead on material and Black's pieces are uncoordinated. Better in this line, according to the engines, is 20...h5!?, but they reckon 21.Qxh5 Rxh1 22.Bg5 Qxf3+ 23.Qxf3 Rxa1 24.Kg3 also leaves White with a winning position.
19.Qxg4! wins as 19...Re1+ fails to 20.Kf2, eg 20...Rxh1 21.Bg5 Qxg5 22.Nxg5 Rxa1, when White is ahead on material and Black's pieces are uncoordinated. Better in this line, according to the engines, is 20...h5!?, but they reckon 21.Qxh5 Rxh1 22.Bg5 Qxf3+ 23.Qxf3 Rxa1 24.Kg3 also leaves White with a winning position.
19...Qg6??
Giving White a second chance to grab the knight.
20.Qxg4 h6 21.Ne5?
White wins after 21.h4 hxg5 22.hxg5 thanks to opening the h file. Also better than the text is getting the b pawn off-prise with 21.b3.
21...Qxg5
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| After the flurry of tactics and blunders, White is two pawns up, but Black has sufficient compensation, according to the engines |
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22.h3?!
Exchanging queens is simple and probably best.
22...Rxb2 23.Qf3?!
Preserving queens sits oddly with having the weaker king's position.
23...f6 24.Nd7?
The engines reckon White had to play 24.h4 and accept being slightly worse after 24...Qd2. Note that 24.d6? is no good as Black has 24...Bb7, thanks to the bishop being protected by the king's rook.
24...Bc4 25.h4 Qxd5 26.Qg4 Qe6 27.Qxe6+ Bxe6 28.Nc5 Bd5 29.Rh2 Rxa2
Black is a pawn up and has the more-active pieces.
30.Rd1?
A poor square for the rook. Best is 30.Rxa2 Bxa2 31.g3, when Black is clearly better but White has play against Black's isolanis.
30...Re8 31.Nd3 Ra3 32.Nf4 Bc4 33.Rh3 Re4 34.Nh5 Re7
34...Be2 35.Re1.
35.Rg3 Kf8 36.Rb1 Rb3 37.Ra1 a6 38.Ra5 Rb1+ 39.Kh2 Rb5
Probably also good for Black, but unnecessarily complicating, is 39...Ree1!? 40.Rxg7 Rh1+ 41.Kg3 Rb3.
40.Rxb5 Bxb5 41.Nf4 Be8 42.d5?!
Presumably hoping to clear the way for the rook to get at the black queenside pawns, but the white pawns are not ready to advance.
42...Bf7 43.c4
The engines reckon best is 43.Rd3 Re4 44.g3 (or 44.Kg3), but then comes 44...Ke7 followed by pushing the a pawn.
43...Re4
The game finished:
44.Ne6+ Bxe6 45.dxe6 Rxh4+ 46.Kg1 Rxc4 47.Re3 Ke7 48.Kf2 Rc6 49.g4 Rxe6 0-1
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