I am playing for Battersea 2 in Division One West, our first match being on November 23 against our first team.
Philipp Even (2014 ECF) - Spanton (2019 ECF)
Board Two (of eight)
Vienna Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.exd5!?
Much more popular is 4.fxe5, but the analysis engines Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 are almost equally keen on the text.
4...Nxd5 5.Qh5?!
More-conservative options such as 5.Nf3, 5.fxe5 and 5.Nxd5 are probably better.
5...Nxf4 6.Qxe5+ Qe7?!
The engines reckon 6...Ne6 gives Black a sizeable edge.
7.Qxe7+ Bxe7 8.d4 Ng6 9.Bd2 Bf5
Black is equal after 9...Nc6, according to the engines.
10.0-0-0 Nc6 11.Nb5?
White has a slight edge after 11.Nd5, according to the engines, and if, as in the game, 11...0-0-0, White can play 12.Nxe7+, winning the bishop-pair on a fairly open board with rival pawn-majorities.
11...0-0-0 12.Bc3?
This awkward-looking way of defending the d pawn lands White in trouble. Better is 12.c3.
12...a6 13.Na3 Bf6!?
This seems even stronger than smashing the white queenside with 13...Bxa3.
14.Nf3 Bg4 15.d5 Bxc3 16.bxc3
Not 16.dxc6? Bxb2+! 17.Kxb2 Rxd1.
16...Bxf3 17.gxf3 Ne5 18.h4
The f4 pawn cannot be saved.
18...Nxf3 19.h5 Nge5 20.Rh3 Ng5 21.Rg3 f6 22.c4 Nd7 23.Bd3 Rhe8 24.Rf1 Nc5 25.h6!?
 |
| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
25...gxh6?
Black is still better after this, but much stronger is 25...g6, the point being 26.Rxf6? fails to the forking 26...Nge4.
26.Rg4
Again 26.Rxf6? fails to a knight fork.
26...Nxd3+ 27.cxd3 Re3 28.Rxf6 Rxd3 29.Nc2 Rd6 30.Rxd6?!
White should avoid this exchange, according to the engines, eg 30.Rf8+ Rd8 31.Rd6, but after 31...Rh3 they reckon Black is still well on top.
30...cxd6 31.Rh4 Rh3 32.Rf4 Rf3 33.Rh4 Rf6 34.Ne3?!
D4 is a much better square for the knight, according to the engines.
34...Kd7 35.Kc2 Ke7 36.Kd3 Nf3 37.Rh1 Ne5+ 38.Ke4 Kd7
The black queenside is vulnerable.
39.a4
Objectively better might be 39.c5!?, but after 39...Nf7 40.cxd6 Nxd6+ Black has simplified the position.
39...b6 40.Rb1 Kc7 41.Rg1 Rg6 42.Rh1
 |
| What should Black play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
42...Ng4?
Allowing a rook-and-pawn ending is the wrong plan. The engines suggest 42...Nd7!?, eg 43.Nf5 h5! 44.Ke3 h6 45.Rxh5 Rg5 46.Rxg5 hxg5, when Black is a pawn up in a knight-and-pawn ending. However, a probable improvement is 45.Nd4!?, eg 45...Ne5 46.Ne6+ Kb7 47.Rxh5 Nxc4+ 48.Ke4, although Black is still much better after 48...b5.
43.Nxg4 Rxg4+ 44.Kf5 Rxc4
Black is temporarily three pawns up, but the position is dead-equal, according to the engines.
45.Rxh6 b5 46.a5!?
An interesting attempt to complicate, but the position remains dead-equal, as it does after 46.axb5 and 46.Rxh7+, according to the engines.
46...Kb7 47.Rxh7+ Rc7 48.Rh8 b4 49.Ke6 b3 50.Rh3 Rc5 51.Rxb3+ Rb5 52.Rxb5+ axb5 53.a6+!?
Also drawing is 53.Kxd6 b4 54.Kc5 b3 55.d6 b2 56.a6+ Kxa6 57.d7 etc.
53...Kxa6 54.Kxd6 b4 55.Ke7 b3 56.d6 b2 57.d7 b1=Q 58.d8=Q
PE offered a draw.
The game finished:
58...Qh7+ 59.Ke8 Qg8+ 60.Ke7 Qg5+ 61.Ke8 ½–½
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