Nikash Vemparala (1633) - Spanton (1829)
Giuoco Piano
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 5. 6.e5
This is the main alternative to 6.cxd4.
6...d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb6
8...Bb4+ and 8...Be7 are viable alternatives.
9.Nc3 0-0 10.Be3
Not 10.Nxe4? dxe4, eg 11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.Ng5 Ba6!, when the White king is trapped in the centre on a relatively open board.
10...f5 11.exf6 Nxf6!?
A retrograde move. Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 prefer 11...Rxf6 or 11...Nxc3.
12.0-0
The engines prefer 12.Bxc6!? bxc6, and either 13.h3 or 13.Ne5.
12...Bg4 13.Be2
A more-or-less forced retrograde move.
13...Qd7 14.Rc1 Kh8!?
The engines agree this is not yet necessary, but I did not like the possibility of lines in which White plays Nxd5 and meets ...Qxd5 with the pinning Bc4.
15.h3 Bh5 16.Ne5 Nxe5 17.Bxh5?
The engines give 17.dxe5 Bxe2 18.Qxe2 d4 19.exf6 dxe3, when both 20.fxg7+ and 20.fxe3 hold out some hope of an advantage, according to Stockfish14.1, but Komodo12.1.1 reckons equal chances.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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17...Nxh5
This is probably enough for a small edge, but stronger seems to be 17...Nc4!?, eg 18.Be2 Nxe3 19.fxe3 c6, when Black dominates on the dark squares, making the white king's position look very vulnerable.
18.Qxh5 Rf5 19.Qe2?!
This is Komodo12.1.1's choice for a while, but it is almost certainly a mistake. Best seems to be 19.Qh4, but Black has an edge.
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| How can Black exploit White's last move? |
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19...Ng6
19...Ng6
Strong is 19...Nf3+!, when 20.gxf3? Rh5 gives a winning attack, so White must play 20.Kh1, when 20...Nxd4 wins a pawn, but 20...Raf8!? may be even better.
20.Qd2 Raf8 21.Ne2 c6
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| How should White proceed? |
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22.f4!
This looks horrible at first, bearing in mind White has a dark-square bishop, but the move stems Black's attack and sets up a pawn-storm.
22...Bc7 23.g4 R5f7 24.f5
White has an initiative and the white bishop has plenty of potential activity.
24...Ne7
Possible may be 24...Nh4!?, when 25.Bg5 is not as strong as it looks thanks to 25...Nxf5! 26.gxf5 Rxf5 27.Rxf5 Qxf5, when White has to find 28.Qe3, with what the engines reckon is an equal position.
25.Nf4
The engines marginally prefer 25.Bf4.
25...Bxf4
The engines reckon 25...Nxf5!? 26.gxf5 Rxf5 is dead-equal.
26.Bxf4 Ng8
If 26...Nc8?!, White has 27.Qh2.
27.Be5 Nf6 28.Qg2!?
I expected 28.Bxf6, when White may have a slight edge and at any rate is safe. The text is more combative.
28...Ne4 29.h4 Kg8 30.Rf4 Qd8 31.Qh2 Qa5
Striving for counterplay. It would surely be foolhardy to passively wait for White to build a kingside attack.
32.Rcf1!? Qd2
The engines prefer 32...Qxa2?!, but it looks very risky.
33.Qh3!?
Stockfish14.1 slightly prefers White after 33.Qxd2, but Komodo12.1.1 gives Black a tiny edge.
33...Qxb2 34.g5 Qc3 35.R4f3 Qb4
Not just saving the queen, but threatening a fork on d2.
36.Rf4 Qa5?
Black should settle for a repetition with 34...Qc3.
37.f6 g6
Also losing is 37...gxf6 38.gxf6 Kh8 39.Qg4 Rg8 40.Qg7+! Rgxg7 41.fxg7+ Rxg7 42.Rg4, when it seems the only way to prevent mate in the short-term is 42...Nf6!? 43.Bxf6 Qc7, but White has a simple win with 44.Bxg7+ etc.
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| White to play and win |
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38.Rg4?
Too slow, allowing Black to again offer an exchange of queens. Winning is the thematic push 38.h5, when an exchange of queens is to no avail after 38...Qc3 39.Qxc3 Nxc3 40.hxg6 hxg6 41.Rh4, eg 41...Ne4 42.Rh6 c5 43.Rxg6+ Kh7 44.Rh6+ Kg8 45.Kg2, followed by Rfh1 etc.
38...Qc3 39.Rf3 Qc1+ 40.Rf1 Qd2?
Giving White another chance to find the winning h5.
41.Rg2? Qc3 42.Rf3 Qc1+ 43.Rf1 Qc3 ½–½
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