Walter Estrada (1928) - Spanton (1829)
Spanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 a6!? 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.Re1 Nf6 8.Rxe5+!?
My main analysis engines Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 prefer 8.Nbd2!? or 8.Nxe5, but the text is not without bite.
8...Be7 9.Qe1
Not 9.Qe2? Ng4, when the engines' choice 10.Re4 can be hit by 10...f5.
9...Be6
Possibly better is 9...h6!? with ...Be6 to follow.
10.Ng5 Qxd4
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| How should White proceed? |
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11.Nxe6
This obvious move is best as the 'clever' 11.Rxe6? fxe6 12.Nxe6 Qd7 13.Nxg7+? (White should accept being the exchange down) fails to 13...Kf7, when the knight on g7 is trapped.
11...fxe6 12.Rxe6 Qd7 13.Nd2!?
The point of developing the knight like this will soon become apparent.
13...Kf7
Possibly slightly better is Stockfish14.1's 13...Nd5 (Komodo12.1.1 disagrees) 14.c4 Nf4 15.Re4 Ng6.
14.Nf3
The point of White's 13th move - the knight threatens checks at e5 and g5.
14...Bd6 15.Ng5 Kf8
Not 15...Kg6?? 16.Qe4+ Kh5 17.Qf3+ Kg6 18.Qd3+ Kh5 19.g4+ Nxg4 20.Qh3#.
16.Bd2 h6 17.Nf3 Kf7 18.Re3 Rae8
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| How would you assess the position now the sharp play has died down? |
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White has the better pawn-structure (a pawn-ending will almost certainly be lost for Black) and the safer king. Black has a little more activity thanks to the prospect of gaining a tempo down the e file and having the better-placed bishop. Komodo12.1.1 reckons the position is dead-equal, but Stockfish14.1. gives a tiny edge to White.
19.Rd1!?
The engines prefer a queen move, eg 19.Qe2, or activating the bishop with 19.Bc3.
19...Ng4!?
Possibly better is the engines' 19...Qf5, more-or-less obliging White to spend a tempo on 20.c3 or 20.Rc1.
20.Rxe8 Rxe8 21.Qf1 Qf5 22.h3 Ne5
Not 22...Nxf2?? 23.Qc4+ and Kxf2.
23.Nd4 Qg6?!
Keeping pressure on c2, but a better way of doing this is the engines' 23...Qe4, meeting 24.Bc3 with 24...b5 or 24...c5.
24.f4
White gets a slight initiative.
24...Nd7
The engines give 24...Nd3!, eg 25.cxd3 Bc5 26.Bc3 Qf6 27.Qf2 Rd8 etc with equality.
25.Bc3?
Too slow. Best, certainly from a practical view, is probably Stockfish14.1's 25.f5 Qg3 26.Qc4+ Kf6 27.Nf3, when the black king is precariously placed. Also interesting is Komodo12.1.1's 25.Qc4+ Kf8 26.f5 Qf7 27.Ne6+ Kg8 28.Bf4, with promising positional play, although Komodo12.1.1 reckons Black has equal chances.
25...Kg8?!
Probably overly cautious. Black is slightly better after 25...Nf6, according to the engines.
26.Qf3 Rf8?
I somehow missed White can meet this with ...
27.f5
... after which Black is lost, according to Stockfish14.1.
27...Qf7 28.Ne6 Re8!?
I felt keeping material on gave the best chance, but objectively better, according to the engines, is giving up the exchange by 28...Qxf5 29.Nxf8 Qxf3 30.gxf3 Nxf8.
29.Bxg7 Ne5 30.Bxe5 Bxe5 31.c3 Kh7 32.Rd3 Bd6 33.Qe4
I assumed the point of White's last move was to make 33.g4 possible, but the text is also strong.
33...Qf6 34.b3
Again g4 looks natural, but the text spoils nothing.
34...Re7 35.Qg4 Rf7
Not 35...Rxe6? 36.fxe6 Bc5+ as White has 37.Rd4 or 37.Kh2 Bd6+ 38.Rxd6, in both cases leading to a queen-and-pawn ending in which White is up a pawn, has an advanced passed pawn and has the safer king.
36.Rf3 Be5 37.a4
Setting a trap as 37....Bxc3?? allows 38.Rg3, threatening Qg8#. But note 38.Rxc3? Qxc3 39.Qg6+ Kh8 is less clear as 40.Qxf7 allows a perpetual starting with 40...Qe1+.
37...Kh8 38.c4 Bd6 39.Rf1
Defending the back rank, but the engines' 39.Qg6 seems a safe way to get down to a relatively simple ending.
39...Re7
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| What is Black's threat, and how should White meet it? |
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40.h4?
The engines reckon simplest is 40.g3, but plenty of other moves preserve White's winning advantage.
40...Rxe6! 41.fxe6 Bc5+ 42.Kh2 Qxf1 43.Qe4 Qf6 44.Kh3 Bd6 45.Kg4 Kg7 46.a5 Qg6+ 0-1
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