Spanton (1829) - Francisco Salvador Martínez Rodríguez (1859)
II Open Internacional de Ajedrez Dama NegraSpanish Exchange
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7.Nxd4 Bg4!?
This rare move has been tried by players rated 2400+. Their idea after ...
8.f3
... has been to continue 8...Bd7, presumably arguing that 8.f3 is weakening. But playing f3 is normal in the Exchange Variation of the Spanish, and indeed the position after 8...Bd7 is usually reached with Black to move.
8...Bh5!?
Black's thinking behind this will soon become clear.
9.Be3 0-0-0 10.Nd2 f6?
Black wants to place the light-square bishop on f7, from where it will bear down on the white queenside. But first the white knight on d4 should be kicked by 10...c5.
11.0-0-0?
Missing the chance to get rid of Black's bishop-pair by 11.Ne6.
11...Bf7 12.Kb1?!
There is no question of Black capturing the white a pawn as the bishop would be trapped by White replying b3, so this move could wait as it might prove a loss of two tempi if it turns out the king is better placed on c1.
12...g6 13.N2b3 Bc4!?
Threatening to win a piece by 14...c5, but the threat is easily parried.
14.Na5 Bf7 15.Nab3 Ne7!?
This gives White a second chance to deprive Black of the bishop-pair, but in a less damaging way than could have occurred at move 11.
16.Nc5
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
16...g5
During the game I thought Black should complicate matters with 16...Nd5!?, when 17.exd5 Bxc5 18.dxc6 bxc6 19.Nf5 Bb4 leaves Black with smashed queenside pawns, but Black keeps the bishop-pair and White no longer has a kingside majority. Better, according to Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1, is 17.Nxc6!? bxc6 18.exd5 Bxc5 19.Bxc5 Rxd5 20.Rxd5 cxd5 21.Kc1, when the engines give White a slight edge thanks to Black having an extra pawn-island, but opposite-coloured bishops in the ending virtually assure Black of a draw despite the presence of rooks.
17.Ne6 Rd6 18.Nxf8 Rxf8 19.Ne2 Rfd8 20.Kc1
See note to White's 12th move.
20...b6?!
This lets White exchange a pair of rooks without undoubling Black's c pawns, and follow up with a kingside initiative.
21.Rxd6 Rxd6 22.h4 gxh4!?
22...h6 is no bed of roses either after 23.hxg5 fxg5, when White has a protected passed pawn and pressure down the f file, while 23...hxg5 24.Rh7 is probably worse, although it does not immediately lose material as Black has 24...Bc4.
And 22...g4?! can be pleasantly met by 23.Bf4, or simply 23.fxg4, intending to meet 23...Re6 with 24.Ng3.
23.Rxh4 Bg8
The engines prefer 23...Bg6 or 23...h5.
24.Rh1!?
Hoping to force an exchange of rooks on the d file, but it may be a little slow. The engines like 24.Ng3.
24...c5 25.a3!?
This may become necessary, but it is not needed yet as 25.Rd1 Rxd1+ 26.Kxd1 Bxa2?! 27.b3 still traps the bishop after 27...c5 28.Kc1 cxb3 29.Kb2, although Black emerges, temporarily, with three pawns for it.
25...f5!?
This is the engines' choice, although it seemingly allows White a favourable liquidation.
26.Bg5 Rd7 27.Bxe7!?
But the engines do not like this, much preferring 27.e5 Ng6 28.f4.
27...Rxe7 28.Ng3 fxe4 29.Nxe4 Rg7
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
30.Rh2
Bishop and rook usually work better together than knight and rook, but 30.Nf6 Rxg2 31.Nxg8 Rxg8 32.Rxh7 is dead-equal, according to the engines.
30...Rg6 31.Kd2 Kd8 32.Ke3 Bd5 33.Kf4 Bxe4!? 34.Kxe4
This rook-and-pawn ending is winning for White, according to Stockfish14.1; equal, according to Komodo12.1.1. I do not believe I am sticking my neck out by suggesting the truth lies somewhere in-between. Indeed, having typed this, Stockfish14.1 maintains its verdict of winning for White, while Komodo12.1.1 now gives White a slight edge. Certainly the fact Black has an h pawn to worry about makes the rook-and-pawn ending more favourable for White than the one that would have arisen after 30.Nf6.
34...Rg7 35.g4 Re7+ 36.Kf4 Rf7+ 37.Kg3 Ke7 38.f4 Kf6 39.Re2 Rd7 40.Kh4?!
More promising is 40.g5+, when it is hard to find a decent defence for Black.
40...Rd1 41.Rf2 Rh1+ 42.Kg3 Re1?!
A probable improvement is 42...h5!? 43.Kg2 Rd1 (not 43...Rh4? 44.g5+ as 44...Kf5 45.Rf3! Rxf4? - other moves also lose - fails to 46.Rxf4+ Kxf4 47.g6 etc) 44.gxh5 Rd5 45.f5 Kg5, when it is hard to see how White makes progress, although the engines remain split - White has the upper hand, according to Stockfish14.1.1; only a slight edge, according to Komodo12.1.1.
43.Kf3 Rg1?!
Probably better is 43...h6.
44.Rh2 Kg6 45.f5+ Kg7 46.Kf4 h6 47.Rd2 Kf6 48.Rd7 Rf1+ 49.Kg3 Rg1+ 50.Kf3 Rf1+ 51.Kg3 Rg1+ 52.Kf3 ½–½
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| The final position |
I offered a draw as I could see no sensible way of continuing, but after 52...Rf1+ the engines like 53.Kg2. I rejected this (originally at move 51) because of 53...Rb1 54.Rxc7 Rxb2, but the engines give 55.Rh7 Rxc2+ 56.Kg3 as winning for White, despite being a pawn down. What I missed is that 56...Kg5 does not hold up White on the kingside as there follows 57.Rg7+ Kf6 58.Rg6+ and 59.Rxh6, when the connected white passers are surely winners.
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