Alexander A Yakimenko (2055) - Spanton (1825)
Mariánské Lázně Seniors 50+Spanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1
This is less than half as popular as 5.d4 but scores the same, 54%, in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database.
5...Nd6 6.Nxe5 Nxe5 7.Rxe5+ Be7 8.Bf1!?
This is the main continuation, probably because other retreats of the bishop, although playable, are problematic, eg 8.Ba4 0-0 9.d4 Nc4 or 8.Bd3!? 0-0 9.Nc3 c6!? 10.b3 Ne8 11.Bb2 d5, while 8.Be2, which cuts off the retreat of the rook, does not appear in Mega22.
8...0-0 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Nf5
Zukertort played 10...Re8 and went on to beat Steinitz in game four of their 1886 world championship match.
11.c3
Carlsen has played the interesting unbalancing move 11.d5!?
11...d5 12.Bf4 c6 13.Nd2 Nd6!?
The main move in Mega22 is 13...Nh4.
14.Qf3
Possible is 14.Bd3 as, unlike after 13...Nh4, the reply 14...Bf5?? loses material to 15.Bxd6.
14...Bg5 15.a4 Qf6 16.Bxg5 Qxg5 17.Qe3 Qxe3 18.fxe3!?
An interesting way to keep life in the game, and one that is considered by Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 to be at least as strong as 18.Rxe3, not that they reckon either move gives White an advantage.
18...Bf5 19.c4 Nxc4 20.Nxc4 dxc4 21.Bxc4 Rfe8
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| How would you assess this position? |
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Black has fewer pawn-islands, pressure against the white central pawns and a lovely square at e4 for a piece; White has more space. Komodo12.1.1 reckons the position is dead-equal but Stockfish14.1 gives White an edge worth about a fifth of a pawn.
22.b4 a6 23.Kf2 Kf8 24.Rac1 Be4 25.Rc3 Red8 26.Rec1 Rd6 27.Bf1!? Rf6+ 28.Kg1 Ke7 29.Rc5 Rd8 30.Ra1 Rd5 31.Ra2 Rdf5 32.Rxf5 Rxf5 33.Rf2 Rxf2 34.Kxf2
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| How would you assess this bishop ending? |
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White has an extra pawn-island but has the better bishop (the b7 pawn is weak, even though it may not appear so at present, because it is a target for the white bishop). The engines reckon the position is dead-equal.
34...Bc2
The engines like 34...b5!?, which solves the problem of the weak b7 pawn but creates new weaknesses at c6 and a6 after 35.a5.
35.a5 Be4 36.h4 h5?!
Ceding space is almost certainly a lesser evil than putting another pawn on a light square.
37.Be2 g6
Another pawn has to go on a light square as 37...Bg6? leaves Black very inflexible.
38.Bf3
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| How should Black proceed? |
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38...Bd5?
This turns a difficult position into what is almost certainly a lost one.
Correct is 38...Bxf3, when I was worried about 39.gxf3. The engines reckon only 39...f6! equalises, eg 40.e4 (40.f4 f5) g5! (another only-move, according to the engines), after which Black will get a protected passed pawn if White ever plays f4, while 41.d5 can be met by 41...Ke6. The alternative recapture, 39.Kxf3, again needs an only-move, this time 39...f5!, eg 40.Kf4 Kf6 41.g3 Ke6 42.Kg5 Kf7.
39.e4 Be6 40.Ke3 Kd6 41.Kf4 Bc4 42.Kg5 Be6?!
42...Ke7 probably puts up tougher resistance, but White wins after something like 43.Kh6 Kf6 44.g4 hxg4 45.Bxg4 Be6 46.Bf3 Bb3 47.Kh7 Be6 48.Kg8 Ke7 49.d5 cxd5 50.exd5 Bc8 51.d6+! Kf6 52.Bd5 Ke5 53.Bxb7! Be6 54.Kg7 Kxd6 55.Bxa6 etc.
43.Kf6 Bc4 44.g3 Bb3 45.g4 hxg4 46.Bxg4 Ba2
Or 46...Kc7 47.Ke7 Bc4 48.Bd7 etc.
47.e5+ Kd5 48.e6 1-0
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