PLAYED this afternoon.
Spanton (1825) - Petr Šobotník (1914)
Mariánské Lázně Seniors 50+Colle
1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Bf5
This move experienced a surge in popularity thanks to grandmaster Alexey Bezgodov's 2014 New In Chess book The Liberated Bishop Defence.
3.e3
The attempt at an outright refutation begins with 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3.
3...Nf6 4.Bd3 Bxd3
This is much more popular in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database than the main alternatives 4...Bg6 and 4...e6.
5.cxd3!?
5.Qxd3 is commoner but the text has also been played by GMs.
5...c6 6.Nc3 e6 7.0-0 Be7
7...Bd6?! might look more aggressive but after 8.e4 Black will be obliged to either move the bishop again or move the king's knight to a less-favourable square.
8.Qe2 0-0 9.Rd1!?
The rook shadows the black queen but is blocked by two white pawns, a situation that will not change unless Black plays ...dxe4 in response to e4, or at some point plays ...c5. So quite possibly better is 9.e4.
9...Nbd7 10.e4 Rc8
My main analysis engines, Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1, reckon ...dxe4 favours White.
11.Bf4
11.e5 is an obvious alternative, but there is no rush to play this. Definitely bad is 11.Bg5? Nxe4 12.Bxe7 Nxc3 13.bxc3 Qxe7, when White has lost a pawn.
11...Nh5 12.Be3
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| How should Black proceed? |
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12...g6
I was apprehensive about 12...f5!?, which comes to be Stockfish14.1's top choice, and is Komodo12.1.1's for a while. However the engines reckon something like 13.Re1 Qe8 14.exd5 exd5 may give White a slight edge.
13.e5!?
Hoping to exploit the dark-square holes on Black's kingside, but the engines prefer holding back on pushing the e pawn and perhaps getting on with development with 13.Rac1.
13...Ng7 14.Bh6 Re8 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Qe3 h6 17.Qf4 Rh8!?
White is not the only one who can attack on the kingside.
18.Rac1 g5 19.Qg3
Not 19.Qd2?? g4 20.Ne1 Bg5, but possible is 19.Qe3 g4 20.Nd2.
19...Kh7 20.Nd2 Qg8 21.Ne2 Qg6 22.f4 Rcg8 23.Rf1 gxf4!?
This comes to be Komodo12.1.1's top choice, at least for a while, but is not liked by Stockfish14.1, which reckons 23...Rg7 leaves Black with a slight edge (Komodo12.1.1 very slightly prefers White).
24.Qxg6+ fxg6
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| How should Black recapture? |
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24...fxg6?!
This is the worst of the three choices, according to the engines, which reckon 24...Kxg6 25.Nxf4+ Kg7 is equal while 24...Rxg6 25.Nf4+ may give White a slight edge, however Black replies. The problem with the text is e6 becomes awkward to defend.
25.Nxf4 Nf8
Not 25...Bg5?? 26.Nxe6 Bxd2? (26...Be3+ 27.Kh1 h5 28.Rf7+ is better but still horrible for Black) 27.Rf7+ Rg7 28.Rxg7#.
26.Nf3?!
This relinquishes White's advantage, according to the engines, which reckon White has a very nice game after 26.Nb3 Rg7 27.Nc5 Bxc5 (forced) 28.dxc5.
26...g5 27.Nh5 Nd7
If 27...Kg6 I was contemplating a strong pawn sacrifice in 28.Nf6! Bxf6 29.exf6. Black cannot accept the pawn as 29....Kxf6? 30.Ne5+ Ke7 31.Rf7+ Ke8 32.Rxb7 is catastrophic, and so has to play 29...Nd7, but then 30.Ne5+ Nxe5 31.dxe5 gives White a protected passed pawn, albeit with lots of play left in the game.
28.g4 Rf8 29.Rc2 Kg6 30.Rf2
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| Black to play and lose |
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30....Rf7??
Black is at least equal, according to the engines, after 30...Rh7 or 30...a5.
31.Nh4+ 1-0
Black is losing more than just the exchange, viz 31...gxh4 32.Rxf7 Rh7 33.Rxh7 Kxh7 34.Rf7+ etc.
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| Mariánské Lázně has many interesting old buildings |
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