Hugo Bassa (no rating) - Spanton (2042 ECF)
Battersea Club Championship
French Advance (by transposition from the Sicilian Alapin)
1.e4 c5 2.c3 e6
The text trails 2...d6, 2...Nf6 and 2...d5 in terms of popularity in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database.
3.d4 d5 4.e5
4.exd5 keeps the game in independent Sicilian Alapin lines, and was the choice of Semyon Alapin.
4...Bd7 5.Nf3 Qb6
The idea of Black's move-order is (usually) to follow with ...Bb5 and exchange light-square bishops.
6.Qb3!?
An unusual way of cutting across Black's plans, but one that has been played by grandmasters, although in Mega22 it only dates back to 1969. The main line runs 6.Be2 Bb5 7.0-0 Bxe2 8.Qxe2 Qa6!? (8...Nc6 is also popular) 9.Qd1!? with a position slightly favouring White, according to Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1.
6...Nc6 7.Na3!?
The engines like this and the somewhat-more popular 7.Qxb6.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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7...cxd4
7...cxd4
This is apparently a novelty. Komodo12.1.1 prefers 7...c4 8.Qxb6 axb6, claiming equality. Stockfish14.1 fluctuates between 7...Qxb3, 7...f6 and 7...Qc7, in each case also claiming equality.
8.Qxb6 axb6 9.Nb5
The game has transposed to a known position in which Vladimir Bondarenko (2315) - Leonid Totsky (2450), Moscow 1995, continued 9...Ra5 10.Nbd4, when White had the upper hand, according to Stockfish14.1, although Komodo12.1.1 is less enthusiastic about White's chances, and the game was drawn in 52 moves.
9...Rc8 10.Nbxd4 Nge7 11.Bf4
The engines prefer 11.Be3!? Ng6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 with a roughly level position.
11...Ng6 12.Bg3 Be7 13.Bd3 0-0 14.h4!? Nxd4 15.Nxd4!?
The engines reckon the text and 15.cxd4 and of about the same value.
15...Bc5
The engines prefer 15...f6 16.Nf3 Nxe5 17.Nxe5 fxe5 18.Bxe5, albeit giving White a slight edge.
16.h5 Ne7 17.h6 g6
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| How should White proceed? |
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18.Nc2!?
I thought this very strange but, once played, it comes to be Komodo12.1.1's top choice, although Stockfish14.1 narrowly prefers 18.Nf3.
18...Nc6 19.b4?
This seriously weakens the queenside. The engines prefer 19.0-0-0, 19.Ne3 or 19.Be2!?
19...Be7 20.a3?
Too slow. Black has at most a slight edge after 20.0-0-0 or 20.f4, according to the engines.
20...Na7?
Not active enough. Black is positionally winning, according to Stockfish14.1 after 20...f6 21.f4 fxe5 22.fxe5 Bg5, although Komodo12.1.1 'only' gives Black the upper hand.
21.Kd2 Bb5
At last getting in the thematic move (see note to 5...Qb6)!
22.Nd4 Bxd3 23.Kxd3 Rc4 24.f4 Rfc8 25.Rhc1!?
I thought this was a mistake, and rather a crass one at that, but the engines disagree.
25...Bf8
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| What should White play? |
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26.Be1
Stockfish14.1 reckons White has an edge after 26.Bf2!? Bxh6 27.g3 (Komodo12.1.1 rates the position as equal). The point seems to be White is better placed for play on both flanks, for example if it were White's move the engines reckon best-play would go 28.a4 g5 29.Be3 Nc6 30.Nxc6 R4xc6 31.Bd4 Kg7 (31...gaxf4 32.Rh1). A plausible continuation given by Stockfish14.1 runs 32.Ra2 Kg6 33.Rh1 Bg7 34.fxg5 Ra8 35.Rf1 with pressure. Bearing this in mind, the engines reckon Black should meet 27.g3 with 27...g5 28.Be3 Nc6, when Black is a tempo up on the previous line and seems fine.
The text is the engines' second-choice, but probably is inferior because it interferes with rook-play along the first rank.
26...Bxh6 27.Bd2 Bf8 28.g4!?
Presumably played to attempt to restrain ...h5, but the engines do not like it, preferring the consolidating 28.g3.
28...Nc6 29.Nc2?
Black has the upper hand after 29.Be3 g5!? 30.Nxc6 R8xc6 but White is still in the game, according to the engines.
29...Na7?!
Stronger seems to be the engines' 29...g5, eg 30.Re1 gxf4 31.Nd4 Bg7!? 32.Bxf4 Rxd4 33.cxd4 Rc2, when Black is a pawn up with a big initiative.
30.Ne3
This is better, according to the engines, than trying for repetition with 30.Nd4, when 30...Nc6 returns to the position - good for Black - after 28...Nc6. Black also has 30...g5!?
30...R4c6
Black is slightly better after 30...Re4!?, when ....g5 and ...Nc6 are both strong threats, according to the engines.
31.g5 h5 32.gxh6 Bxh6 33.Ng4 Bg7 34.a4
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| Black apparently has only one move to maintain equality |
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34...Kf8?!
It seems 34...Rc4 may be necessary, when neither side can make progress, according to the engines.
35.Nf6?!
The engines give 35.Be3 Rc4 36.Nf6 Bxf6 37.exf6 Nc6 38.Rh1 Ke8 39.Rh8+ Kd7 40.Rxc8 Kxc8 41.b5 Nb8, when White has a lot of play for a pawn.
35...Ke7 36.Ng4 Rh8 37.Rh1 Rcc8?!
White seems only slightly better after 37...Rxh1 38.Rxh1 Rc4.
38.b5
This is good enough for equality, according to the engines, but promising is 38.Be3!?, after which Black's defensive task is very difficult, eg 38...Rxh1 39.Rxh1 Rc6 40.Bd4 Nc8 41.Ne3 followed by c4.
38...Rxh1 39.Rxh1 Rh8 40.Rxh8 Bxh8 41.c4 Nc8 42.cxd5 exd5 43.Ne3 Ke6 44.Kd4?!
White is equal after 44.Nc2, intending Nd4(+), according to the engines.
44...Ne7?!
Almost certainly stronger is 44...f6 45.exf6 Bxf6+.
45.Bb4 Nf5+ 46.Nxf5 gxf5 47.Bd6 f6 48.Bc7 fxe5+ 49.fxe5 Bg7 50.Bxb6 Bxe5+ 51.Kd3 Kd7
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| How should the game finish? |
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52.a5?
This loses whereas almost any bishop move, eg 52.Be3, 52.Bf2 or 53.Ba5, draws, according to the engines.
52...Bc7 53.Bxc7 Kxc7 54.Kd4 f4 55.Kd3 Kd6 56.Ke2 d4 57.a6 bxa6 58.bxa6 Kc6 0-1
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