Doncaster Round Two

Spanton (2042) - Eric Eedle (1849)

Veresov

1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.Bg5 c6

This is usually played in conjunction with quick queenside play by ...Qb6 or ...Qa5, and ...Bb4.

4.Qd3!?

Quite a modern idea, although games in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database go back to 1928, albeit only eight before the 1970s. The main idea is to get in a quick e4.

4...Nbd7 5.Nf3 e6 6.e4 dxe4 7.Nxe4 Be7

Black threatens to win at least a pawn by 8...Nxe4! 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Qxe4 Qb4+ and ...Qxb2.

How should White meet Black's threat?

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8.Bf4?!

Apparently a novelty, and probably not a good one. Normal is 8.Nxf6+, when the analysis engines Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon White is better, eg 8...Nxf6 9.0-0-0 0-0 10.h4!? or 8...Bxf6 9.h4!? h6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.0-0-0.

8...Nxe4 9.Qxe4 Nf6 10.Qd3

The game has reached a position occurring four times in Mega22, but with White to move.

10...b6 11.Be2 Bb7 12.0-0 0-0 13.Rfe1 c5 14.Rad1 Nd5

The engines reckon 14...cxd4 15.Nxd4 favours White.

15.Be5 Qc8!?

This is Stockfish14.1's top choice. Komodo12.1.1 marginally prefers 15...Nb4, although after 16.Qc3 (16.Qb3 is also good) Black cannot play 16...Nxa2? because of 17.Qb3 Nb4 18.dxc5 etc.

16.c3 Rd8 17.Qb1 c4!?

This is the engines' top choice, although it relieves pressure on the white centre.

18.Nd2 b5 19.Bf3 Qd7!?

Putting the queen on the same file as an enemy rook is unusual. A perhaps more-normal plan is to expand on the queenside, starting with 19...a5.

20.Ne4 Rac8 21.Ng3??

Black to play and win

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21...Bf6??
Black wins a piece with 21...f6 as 22.Bxd5 Qxd5 threatens mate.

22.Qe4

Strongest is 22.Nh5, according to the engines.

22...Bxe5?!

White gets dangerous kingside play after this. The engines give the sharp line 22..Nxc3!? 23.Qxb7 Nxd1 24.Bxf6!? Qxb7 25.Bxb7 gxf6, which they reckon is dynamically balanced after 26.Rxd1!? Rc7 27.Bf3.

23.dxe5 Qe7 24.Qh4 h6?!

This seems too slow. The engines give 24...f5 25.exf6 Nxf6 26.Qf4, reckoning White has a slight edge.

25.Nh5!?

Possibly even stronger is 25.Ne4.

25...Qg5 26.Qe4 Ba8 27.h4 Qg6

Not 27...Qe7? 28.Qg4, when both 28...Qf8 29.Bxd5 Bxd5 30.Re3 and 28...g6 29.Bxd5 Bxd5 30.Nf6+ are very strong for White.

28.Qd4?!

It was probably better to go for the positional advantage to be had by 28.Qxg6 fxg6 29.Bxd5 and Nf4.

28...a5?

The engines reckon 28...Rd7, protecting the a pawn and setting up a potential defence of g7, equalises.

29.Ng3

This is good enough for an advantage, but probably stronger is 29.Re4, obliging Black to spend a tempo moving the king.

29...f5 30.Bh5

The simple 30.exf6 Qxf6 (forced) 31.Bg4 may be better.

30...Qh7 31.Bf3

Not 31.Qa7? g6 32.Qxh7+ Kxh7, when Black is better as the danger to his king and to his queenside pawns has been removed.

31...g6 32.Bxd5 Bxd5 33.Ne2 Qc7?

Undefending h6 is a mistake. Probably best is the engines' 33...g5, but also playable is 33...Qe7, which hits h4 and prepares to support ...g5.

34.Qe3 Kh7 35.Nf4 Qc6

Relatively best, according to the engines, is 35...h5, but after, for example, 36.Rd2 Rd7 37.Red1 Qc6 38.Qg3 Rg8 39.Qg5 the engines reckon White has a positionally won game.

36.Qg3 Rg8 37.Nxd5 exd5

The passed pawn allows a decisive breakthrough

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38.e6 Rge8 39.Qe5 Rcd8 40.h5 Rd6 41.hxg6+ Kxg6 42.Re3 Rexe6 43.Rg3+ Kf7 44.Qg7+!?

This seems even stronger than 44.Qxf5+.

44...Ke8 45.Qh8+ Kd7 46.Rg8 Rf6?

This allows a quick mate, but 46...Qb6 is not much of an improvement, eg 47.Qg7+ Re7 48.Qf8 Qc7 (48...Qb7 49.Qxe7+! etc) 49.Qxf5+ Kc6 50.Rc8.

47.Rg7+ 1-0

Doncaster Tomorrow

AM due to train it back from Doncaster to London in the morning, arriving at King's Cross at lunchtime.

My score in the Doncaster open of +1=1-3 saw me lose 20 ECF elo, assuming my round-one opponent counts as 2343.

Doncaster Today

DREW with white this morning in round four against a 1922; lost with black this afternoon in round five against a 1960.

Doncaster Yesterday

WON in the morning with white against an 1849; lost in the afternoon with black against a 2167.

Doncaster Round One

FACED a Scottish teenager (born 2004) on board one in the Doncaster open this evening.

Jake M Sanger (*) - Spanton (2042)

Pseudo-Chigorin

1d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3 Bf5!?

There is quite a debate among Chigorin afficionados of whether to meet 3.g3 with the text or 3...Bg4.

4.Bg2 e6 5.0-0 Be7 6.c4 dxc4!?

The main move is 6...Nf6, when Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon 7.Ne5 gives White a slight edge.

7.Qa4 Qd7 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.Bg4 0-0

The engines prefer a complicated line, namely 9...Nd5!? 10.Bxe7 Nb6! 11.Ne5 Nxa4 12.Nxd7 Nxc3 13.bxc3 Kxd7 14.Ba3, when Black is a (doubled) pawn up but White has the bishop-pair and possibly a slight edge, according to the engines.

10.Ne5!?

The engines like the straightforward 10.Qxc4, claiming an advantage for White.

10...Nxe5!?

Possibly better is 10...Qxd4 11.Nxc6 bxc6, when Stockfish14.1 reckons 12.Be3 Qd6 13.Bxc6 Rab8 14.Rfd1 Qb4 15.Bxa7 Qxa4 16.Nxa4 Rb4 17.Bc5 Bxc5 18.Nxc5 is equal, while Komodo12.1.1 gives 13.e4 Bg6 14.Be3 Qe5 15.Qxc6 Ng4 16.Bf4 Qc5 17.Qxc5 Bxc5 18.h3 Nf6 19.e5 Nd5 20.Nxd5 exd5 21.Bxd5 Rab8 22.Bxc4 Rxb2, again with an assessment of equality. Both of these lines are long with plenty of non-forcing moves, but they do suggest the position after 10...Qxd4 is roughly balanced.

11.dxe5 Qxa4 12.Nxa4 Nd5 13.Bxe7 Nxe7 14.Bxb7 Rab8 15.Nc5 Rfd8

How would you assess this position?

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White has regained his pawn and has the better remaining pawn-structure, but Black's pieces are active. The engines reckon White possibly has a slight edge.

16.b3!?

The engines prefer 16.Rfd1, when they reckon 16...Bc2?! 17.Rxd8+ Rxd8 followed by 18.Rc1, or 18.Kf1 and then Rc1, is very good for White. However Black can keep White's advantage to a minimum with 16...g5!?, according to the engines.

16...cxb3!?

Perhaps 16...Rd2 is better.

17.axb3 Bc2?

Better is 17...Rd2. I played the text under the aberration that after ...

18.Rxa7

... I could play ...Bxb3, as the white knight and bishop would be on the same file after the reply Nxb3, but I somehow missed that the bishop is protected by a rook. After 18.Rxa7 White is only a doubled pawn up, materially, but the engines reckon White is winning.

18...Rd1?!

Almost certainly better is the engines' 18...Nc8, but after 19.Ra3 they still have White winning.

19.Ra2 Rxf1+ 20.Kxf1 Bf5 21.Rd2 Ng6 22.f4 Nf8

This prevents immediate loss of a second pawn, but the respite is temporary.

23.b4 h6 24.b5 g5 25.e3 Kg7 26.Bc6 Kg6 27.Kf2 h5 28.Na6 Rc8 29.Bb7 Re8 30.e4

Also winning is 30.Nxc7 Re7 31.b6 Nd7 32.Rxd7!? Rxd7 33.e4 Bh3 34.Bc6 Rd8 35.b7 with Na6 etc to come.

30...Bg4 31.Ke3

White had many winning moves but there was a surprising trap in 31.Kg2 h4 32.h3 hxg3, when 33.hxg4? gxf4 is only a draw, according to the engines. However other lines win, eg 33.f5+ exf5 34.hxg4.

The game finished:

31...gxf4+ 32.gxf4 Re7 33.Rc2 Bd1 34.Rxc7 Rxc7 35.Nxc7 Nd7 36.Bc6 Nb8 37.Na6 Nxc6 38.bxc6 Ba4 Nb8 1-0

*Sanger has no no ECF over-the-board standard rating but had an "F" rating of 2343 last month. He also has an ECF online standard rating of 2343, which is rather a coincidence.

Donny Bound

AN earlyish start today as I am traveling to Doncaster for a weekend congress, which has 204 entries (DC)

There are five rounds - Friday evening, Saturday morning and afternoon, and Sunday morning and afternoon.

It is split into four sections - open, U2001, U1801 and U1601 - with a time limit of all moves in 100 minutes plus a 10-second increment.

What Next?

A GAME in Division Three South at this month's 4NCL weekend began 1.e4 e5 2.f4 f5!?

The full game, which ended in a draw, can be found at KG, but here I want to concentrate on how to react to such a shocking move over the board.

There are 70 examples of this position in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database

I write "shocking" on the assumption the move caught White by surprise, but I guess if one plays the King's Gambit regularly then the possibility of 2...f5!? will have crossed one's mind.

Nevertheless I am going to proceed on the basis that White was unfamiliar with the move.

There is a rough-and-ready rule-of-thumb in openings that it is better to carry on developing than to initiate exchanges.

It may have been on this basis that White chose 3.Nf3, but after 3...fxe4 4.Nxe5 Nf6 Black was already at least equal.

Indeed, after the further moves 5.c3 (a 2305 in Mega22 preferred 5.Be2) d6 4.Nc4 Black had at least the upper hand, according to the analysis engines Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1.

A better way to 'just' develop is 3.Nc3, when 3...fxe4?? is a blunder thanks to 4.Qh5+.

More sensible is 3...exf4, when the engines reckon White may have a slight edge after both 4.Qe2 and 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Qe2.

However the diagram position seems to be a case where capturing is good, namely by 3.exf5 (four games in Mega22 feature the blunder 3.fxe5??, although only one black managed to find the winning reply 3...Qh4+), as played by Bobby Fischer in a 1964 simul in Houston, Texas.

At first glance exf5 may appear counterintuitive, especially for a King's Gambit player, in that White captures away from the centre.

But  concrete analysis suggests Black has no fully satisfactory answer.

There are 33 games in Mega22 with the reply 3...exf4?!, but the symmetry ends if White plays 4.Qh5+.

Fischer's opponent preferred 3...d6?!, which can also be met by 4.Qh5+, which is what Fischer played, delivering mate on move 15.

The engines reckon Black should choose the modest 3...Qe7!?, which appears three times in Mega22, each game continuing 4.Qh5+, when the engines give 4...Kd8!? 5.fxe5!? Qxe5+ 6.Be2 Nf6 7.Qh4 Qxf5 8.Nf3!?

Capturing with 8...Qxc2!? looks risky, but otherwise White is better thanks to Black having lost castling rights.

Nevertheless the engines reckon White can improve with 4.Nf3!?, when 4...exf4+ restores material equality, but after 5.Be2 the black queen seems misplaced.

Perhaps more natural is 4...e4, when the engines prefer 5.Ng5 over 5.Ne5. After 5...Nf6 6.Be2 d5 7.Bh5+!? the engines reckon White has a large advantage.

Black has other choices at move four, including ...d6 and ...Nc6, but they do not seem to alter the verdict of White having the better game.

Nevertheless the position is not completely clear and several moves, for both sides, are tricky to find over-the-board.

CONCLUSION: it has become a cliché to stress that concrete analysis should be given precedence over generalised considerations, but, as with most clichés, there is a good reason for it.

White scores 74% in Mega22 after 4...f5!?, but perhaps the move can be played as a surprise weapon, and might even be a good punt against 'bookish' opponents who do not like being taken out of their repertoire.

New 'Tube Puzzle'

TRAVELING on a South Western Railway train yesterday, I saw this carriage serial number: 71528.

As usual, each number should be used once, and once only, and must be added, subtracted, multiplied or divided to make a balanced equation.

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My solution: (7 x 2) - 1 = 5 + 8 

Four Knights

PLAYED in Division One West of the London League last night.

Spanton (2040 ECF) - Baptiste Alloui-Cros (*)

Battersea - King's College London, Board One (of eight)

Spanish Four Knights

1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bb5 Nd4

This move is often attributed to Akiba Rubinstein, but was known long before his playing career, the oldest game in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database being from 1881.

5.Bc4

The commonest reply is 5.Ba4. Grabbing the e5 pawn with 5.Nxe5 is usually met by 5...Qe7, when the main line runs 6.f4 Nxb5 7.Nxb5 d6 8.Nf3 Qxe4+ 9.Kf2!? Ng4+, reaching a somewhat murky position that may slightly favour Black.

5...Bc5 6.0-0

Normal is 6.d3, although White does much better percentagewise in Mega22 with 6.Nxe5!? However, after the latter the most-popular continuation 6...Qe7 7.Nf3 d5!? 8.Bxd5 Bg4 9.d3 0-0-0 10.Be3 Nxd5 22.Nxd5 Rxd5!? 23.exd5 Re8 is not clear despite White being the exchange and two pawns up.

6...0-0!?

More popular is defending the e5 pawn with 6...d6.

7.Nxe5!?

In turn more popular is the solid 7.d3, but the text may be better. 

7...d6 8.Nf3

Not 8.Nd3?? Bg4 9.f3 Nxf3+ 10.Kh1 Nd4 11.Qe1 Nxc2, when Black had a winning advantage in Benoit Pigeat (1873) - Alloui-Cros (2139), French Online Blitz Championship Qualifier 2020 (but 1-0, 26 moves).

8...Bg4 9.Be2 Nxe2+ 10.Qxe2 Nh5!?

The analysis engines Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 give 10...Re8 11.d3 with what they reckon is a slight edge for White.

11.d3 f5

How should White proceed?

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12.h3??

The engines reckon White is much better after several moves, including 12.e5 and 12.exf5.

12...Ng3 13.Qe1?

Better, but still very good for Black, is 13.Qd1.

13...Bxf3 14.gxf3 Nxf1 15.Qxf1 fxe4 16.Nxe4 Qh4!?

Even stronger is 16...Rxf3, when 17.Qg2 can be met by, among other moves, 17...Qf8 since 18.Bh6 is not much of a threat in view of Bxg7?? being meetable by ...Qxg7, pinning the white queen.

17.Qg2 Qh5 18.Nxc5 Qxc5 19.Bh6 Qe5 20.c3 Qf6 21.Be3 Qxf3

Black has regained his pawn and is a pure exchange ahead (0-1, 48 moves).
Battersea defaulted on board eight. King's College London won 4.5-3.5.

*Has a Fide rating of 2076 and an ECF "F" rating, based on six games, of 1995.

Old As The Hills?

SOME people believe, or at least imply, that sacrificing the exchange is a relatively modern technique.

The following game shows the idea was in circulation and practised almost 200 years ago, and was almost certainly known long before then.

It is from a series of matches played in London in 1834 between Louis-Charles de Labourdonnais and Alexander McDonnell.

Notes in italics are algebraicised from 500 Master Games Of Chess by Savielly Tartakower and Julius du Mont.

Labourdonnais - McDonnell

Match One, Game 21

Bishop's Opening

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Qe2

A supporting move, indicated as early as 1561 by Ruy Lopez, with the ingenious threat of Bxf7+.

3...Nf6

Besides this purely developing move, the replies 3...d6 and 3...c6 are useful.

4.d3

A wise procedure. Strategy lacking in foresight would prompt 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qc4+ d5 6.Qxc5 Nxe4, with advantage to Black. With the text move White reserves the option of developing his kingside by 4.Nf3 or 4.f4.

4...Nc6 5.c3 Ne7!?

Premature would be 5...0-0, on account of 6.Bg5, and if, impulsively, 6...h6 [then] 7.h4 etc.

The game Edmund Thorold - Miksa Weiss, British Chess Association Congress (Bradford, West Yorkshire) 1888, continued 7...d6 (7...hxg5 9.hxg5 is probably better for White, but after the text Black is really threatening to capture the white queen's bishop) 8.Bxf6 Qxf6, when the analysis engines Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon Black is better (but 1-0, 35 moves).

6.f4!?

Having consolidated his base, White now challenges the centre.

The engines strongly dislike the text, preferring 6.Nf3.

6...exf4

The engines give 6...d5!?, meeting 7.fxe5 with 7...Nxe4!?, when 8.dxe4 dxc4 9.Qxc4 runs into 9...Bxg1 10.Rxg1 Ng6, after which White is a pawn up but faces numerous threats. Better seems to be 8.Bb5+ c6 9.dxe4 Bxg1 (not 9...cxb5? 10.Qxb5+) 10.Rxg1, although the engines reckon Black has the advantage after 10...cxb5, eg 11.Qxb5+?! Bd7 12.Qxb7 0-0 13.exd5 Ng6 gives Black huge compensation for being three pawns down.

7.d4 Bb6 8.Bxf4

With a strong pawn-centre, White has satisfactorily solved the problem of the opening - but Black, without losing faith, is looking for some weakness in the enemy camp.

The engines prefer 8.e5!?

8...d6

McDonnell was famous for his aggressive play, but here he misses a chance to challenge the white centre with 8...d5!? Also interesting is winning the bishop-pair with 8...Nxe4!? - the engines reckon White's best response is 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qxe4, albeit preferring Black after 10...d5 or 10...Re8.

9.Bd3!?

This prevents ...Nxe4 and plans to meet 9...d5 with 10.e5 at a time when Black does not have ...Ne4. However development with 9.Nd2 looks more natural, while the engines like 9.Bg5 Ng6, and then 10.Nd2.

9...Ng6 10.Be3 0-0 11.h3!?

Preventing ...Bg4 and preparing, in anticipation of castling long, a kingside attack, but the engines prefer developing with 11.Nf3 or 11.Nd2.

11...Re8

An indication of Black's idea to exert pressure on the semi-open king's file, although, for the moment, White's e pawn can be adequately defended.

12.Nd2 Qe7!?

Black's pressure continues. It is in itself an achievement for Black to have some counterplay at this stage, or at least some definite objective.

The engines are unimpressed, preferring 12...d5, meeting 13.e5 with 13...Nxe5! 14.dxe5 Rxe5 15. Nf1 (forced) Nh5, which seems a winning attack. Perhaps White should play 13.0-0-0!? dxe4 14.Bc2, when Black is a pawn up but opposite-side castling introduces a large degree of uncertainty.

13.0-0-0

How would you assess this middlegame?

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White has more space in the centre and the white pieces seem better coordinated, but the pawns in front of the black king are unmoved while the white king's defences are slightly compromised. Stockfish14.1 for a long time gives Black a slight edge, but comes to agree with Komodo12.1.1 that the position is more-or-less equal.

13...c5

Undermining the hostile centre.

14.Kb1?!

A standard idea, but it costs a tempo and sometimes it is played unnecessarily, which seems to be the case here. The a2 pawn was not threatened and was unlikely to be for the foreseeable future. Probably better is developing with 14.Ngf3.

14...cxd4 15.cxd4

Although White's centre is still very strong, it has now to be self-supporting.

15...a5?!

The engines strongly dislike this. It seems Black should concentrate on attacking the white centre, for example by 15...Bd7, intending 16...Bc6.

16.Ngf3 Bd7 17.g4

A waiting policy in the centre - attack on the wing; such is White's motto.

The engines prefer supporting the centre with 17.Rhe1.

17...h6?

This creates a target for White's kingside attack, while 17...Bc6 ups the ante against the white centre.

18.Rdg1?

Too slow. White is better after 18.g5.

18...a4?!

Nor does Black remain inactive.

Consistent, but almost certainly wrong. The engines like 18...Bc6.

19.g5 hxg5 20.Bxg5 a3

Disrupting the defences of the white king seems to be Black's best chance as by now ...Bc6 is too slow in the face of 21.h4 etc.

21.b3

This comes to be Komodo12.1.1's top choice, for a while, but eventually the engines settle on 21.Nc4, although after 21...Ba7 White's best may not be 22.Nxa3 as 22...Qe6 breaks the pin on the f6 knight and so gives counterplay. However the engines' 22.h4!? look promising.

21...Bc6?!

This still seems to be too slow. Sharp and interesting is the engines' 21...d5!?, the idea being to meet 22.e5 with 22...Qb4, pinning the e pawn. Then best-play, according to the engines, runs 23.Bxf6 Qc3 24.Nf1 Bxd4 25.Nxd4 Qxd4 26.Nh2!? (26.Bg5? Rxe5) gxf6 27.Bxg6 fxg6 28.Rxg6+ Kf7 29.Rxf6+ Ke7, when White is a pawn up but the position remains sharp and unclear.

22.Rg4?!

Of course not 22.d5 Bxd5, eg 26.exd5 Qxe2 27.Bxe2 Rxe2 etc, or 23.Bxf6 Qxf6 with the sudden threat of  24...Qb2#. The necessity for the artificial manoeuvre in the text demonstrates that White's centre has only hypothetical power and mobility. It is continually exposed to attack, and there is no threat at all of a breakthrough.

The engines reckon 22.h4!? leaves White well on top, and if 22...Bxe4!? then 23.h5 Nf8 24.Nxe4 Nxe4!? 25.Bxe4 Qxe4 26.Qxe4 Rxe4 27.Bf6 wins, eg 27...Ne6 28.h6 etc.

22...Ba5?!

An eliminating manoeuvre.

In this unclear position the engines prefer breaking a pin with 22...Qe6, bring the queen's rook into play on the centre/kingside with 22...Ra5!? or giving extra support to f6 by 22...Bd8.

23.h4?!

Ironically the engines now regard h4 as too slow, preferring to up the pressure on f6 with 23.Rf1, or down the g file with 23.Rhg1.

23...Bxd2?!

According to the engines it is better to break the pin on the f6 knight with 23...Qe6.

24.Nxd2  Ra5!?

Komodo12.1.1 likes this for a while but comes nearer to agreeing with Stockfish14.1's verdict that breaking the pin with ...Qe6 is much better.

25.h5?!

On the principle that "a threat is more powerful than its execution."

This may look strong but misses a detail. The engines reckon 25.Rf1 gives White a large advantage.

Black to play and get a winning advantage

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25...Rxg5!

Compulsory and compelling. This sacrifice of the exchange completely alters the picture.

Saving the g6 knight by 25...Nf8 runs into 26.Rhg1, while 25...Nf4 26.Bxf4 Nxg4 27.Qxg4 is very good for White, eg 27...f5 28.Qg6 (not 28.exf5?? Bxh1) fxe4 29.Bxd6 with Bc4 to come. After the text the game still has a long way to go, but Black is winning.

26.Rxg5 Nf4 27.Qf3 Nxd3 28.d5!?

If 28.Qxd3 [then] Nxe4 and wins. White, in trying to redress the balance, must continue his artificial evolutions.

28.Rhg1!? has been given in annotations as drawing after 28...Bxe4 29.Rxg7+ Kh8 30.Nxe4 Qxe4 31.Qxe4 Rxe4? 32.Rxf7 Nxh5 33.Rxb7, but the engines improve significantly with 31...Nxe4, eg 32.Rxf7 Nb4 33.Rc7 Rf8 etc.

28...Nxd5!?

A trenchant reply, eg 29.exd5 Qxg5 etc, or 29.Rxd5 Bxd5 30.exd5 Qe5 31.Nc4 Qc3 etc.

29.Rhg1

The sequel will show that White's threats amount to only one check. The crisis is near.

If 29.Qxd3 Black has several ways to win including 29...Qxg5, 29...Qf6!? and 29...Nc3+.

29...Nc3+ 30.Ka1

If 30.Kc2 [then] 30...Qxg5 31.Rxg5 Ne1+ and wins.

30...Bxe4 31.Rxg7+ 

If 31.Nxe4 Black wins with 31...Nxe4 32.Rxg7+ Kh8 33.Qf5 Nf6 (or, for example, 31...Qe5+), but not 31...Qxe4?? 32.Rxg7+ Kh8 33.Rh7+ (33.Rg8+ also wins) Kxh7 34.Qxf7+ Kh6 35.Qg7+ Kxh5 36.Qg5#.

31...Kh8 32.Qg3!?

Threatening mate in two by 33.Rg8+ or 33.Rh7+. If 32.Nxe4 [then] 32...Nxe4.

Black to play and win

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32...Bg6?

A manoeuvre with two objectives: closing White's base of action (the g file), and unmasking his own artillery.

The text loses, as does 32...Bg2? 33.Qxd3 Kxg7 34.Rxg2+ etc, but Black has a win with 32...Qf6 33.Rg8+ Kh7 34.Rg7+ Kh6.

33.hxg6 Qe1+

An original finish.

Black is mated after 33...Kxg7 34.gxf7+, but the text also loses.

White to play and win

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34.Rxe1??

White wins with 34.Nb1 Qxg3 35.Rh7+ Kg8 36.gxf7+ Kxh7 37.Rh1+! Kg7 38.fxe8=Q etc, or 34...Kxg7 35.gxf7+ Qxg3 36.fxe8=N+! etc.

34...Rxe1+ 35.Qxe1 Nxe1 36.Rh7+

The Frenchman by now must have seen what was coming, but sportingly allows his opponent to play out the pretty finish.

36...Kg8 37.gxf7+ Kxh7 38.f8=Q Nc2#.

Doncaster Runners & Riders

DONCASTER, which starts on Friday, seems to have closed its entries at 204: Don.

New Kent Venue

PLAYED for Kent against Surrey in the U2050 section of the Southern Counties Chess Union's championships yesterday at Kent's new home venue, a spacious Catholic church-hall in St Mary Cray, near Orpington

Philip M Stimpson (2021) - Spanton (2040)

Board Three (of 16)

Jobava-Prié

1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 e6

Offering a French but ruling out, at least for the moment, a Veresov. PM chooses to make the opening a Jobava-Prié.

3.Bf4 Bd6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7!?

The most-popular continuations in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database are 5...0-0 and 5...Bxf4 6.exf4 0-0.

6.Ne5!?

Played at a time when Black can hardly reply ...Bxe5.

6...Bb4!?

Moving the bishop for a second time, but the white king's knight has also moved twice and can now be captured by the black queen's knight.

7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Ne4 9.Qd3

Komodo12.1.1 suggests sacrificing a pawn by 9.f3!?, meeting 9...Nxc3 by 10.Qd2 Na4 11.c4, gaining an initiative.

9...Nxe5

9...Qh4 10.Bg3 Nxg3 possibly favours Black, but 10.g3 Qe7 11.Nxd7 Bxd7 12.c4 is equal, according to Komodo12.1.1 and Stockfish14.1.

10.Bxe5 f6 11.Bg3 h5

The engines prefer 11...c5!?, claiming a slight edge for Black.

12.f3 Nd6

Also possible is 12...h4, when White has several roughly-equal responses including 13.fxe4, 13.Bxh4 and 13.Bxf4, the last coming to be the engines' favourite, albeit by a small margin.

13.Qg6+ Kf8 14.Bf4 Qe7

Black has lost castling rights, but it is not easy for White to get at the black king.

15.Rb1 b6 16.h4 Bd7 17.Bd3 e5 18.dxe5 fxe5 19.Bg5 Qf7 20.Rf1?!

The engines reckon White should castle or exchange queens.

How should Black proceed?

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20...Qxg6

I looked at, but not well enough, 20...Qg8!, the idea being to trap the white queen. I cannot recall why I rejected it, but the engines reckon best-play runs 21.f4 e4 22.f5 exd3 23.f6 Nf7 24.Rb4 gxf6 25.Qxf6 Qg7 26.Qe7+ Kg8 27.Qxd7 Qxc3+ 28.Kf2 dxc2, which they calculate gives Black the upper hand, albeit in a messy position. White looks to have no reasonable alternative to giving up the light-square bishop, so ...Qg8 seems strong.

21.Bxg6 Bf5?!

Almost certainly better is 21...Be8, with at least equality.

22.Bxf5 Nxf5

How should White proceed?

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23.g4

I had spent a lot of time, at move 21, looking at 23.e4 Ng3 24.Rf2 dxe4 25.fxe4+, concluding Black has nothing to fear. That seems correct, but the engines give 23.Rd1 c6 24.e4, when 24...Ng3 25.Rg1! dxe4 26.Kf2 Nf5 27.fxe4 leaves Black badly uncoordinated and with White poised to invade the seventh rank.

23...Nd6 24.Rd1

What should Black play?

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24...Nb5?

The engines reckon Black is equal after both 24...c6 and 24...Kf7!?, eg 24...c6 25.e4 Kf7 26.exd5 cxd5, when the natural-looking 27.Rxd5?! runs into 27...Ke6 28.Rd3 hxg4 29.fxg4 Rac8, after which White is a pawn up but has more weaknesses and it is Black who is better coordinated. The engines reckon that for equality White needs to play 27.f4, eg 27...Ne4 28.fxe5+ Ke6 29.c4 dxc4 30.Bf4 Rad8 31.Rxd8 Rxd8 32.gxh5, when White is nominally a pawn up but Black has lots of activity.

The somewhat surprising 24...Kf7!? also seems fine for Black, one point being 25.Rxd5?! probably favours Black, eg 25..Ke6 26.e4 hxg4 etc.

After the text White invades the black position, and the black pieces lack almost any coordination.

25.Rxd5 Nxa3 26.Rxe5 Re8

Certainly not 26...Nxc2+?? 27.Kd2 Na3 28.Be7+ and 28.Bxa3.

27.Rxe8+?!

Almost certainly better is setting up an invasion of the seventh rank after 27.Rd5, eg 27...Nc4 28.Ke2, after which it seems impossible to find a good move for Black.

27...Kxe8 28.Kd2

The engines prefer 28.Ke2!, one point being 28...Nxc2? is met by 29.Rd1.

The problem with the text is that after ...

28...hxg4 29.fxg4 Nc4+

... White is more-or-less obliged anyway to play:

30.Ke2

White may well still be better as rook and bishop usually outplay rook and knight, especially with rival pawn-majorities. White also has an extra pawn, but it is doubled and Black's passed pawn is dangerous. Stockfish14.1 reckons White is winning, but Komodo12.1.1 gives White only a slight edge.

30...Rf8?!

Probably better is 30...a5.

What should White play?

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31.Bf4

31.Rxf8+!? gives up the advantage of rook-and-bishop v rook-and-knight, but gains a different advantage, that of a minor-piece ending in which the bishop is better than the knight thanks to there being rival pawn-majorities. However Black's ability to create a protected passed pawn makes the position less clear.

Best seems to be 31.Rd1!? Ne5 32.Rd4, when the engines reckon Black needs to play 32...Kf7 33.Rf4+ Kg8, but then White has 34.Ra4 with very good chances.

31...Rf7

Komodo12.1.1 reckons 31...Kd7!? equalises; Stockfish14.1. disagrees.

32.h5 Rd7 33.Rd1

Also good is 33.g5!? as 33...Rd2+ is not to be feared since, after 34.Kf3, Black can hardly play 34...Rxc2? in view of 35.h6 etc.

33...Rxd1 34.Kxd1 a5

White seems to be winning whatever is played, but at least the a pawn gives counterplay.

35.Kc1 c6 36.g5 a4 37.h6 gxh6 38.gxh6 Kf7

White to play and win

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39.Kb1?

White wins easily with 39.e4 as Black cannot stop both white passed pawns.

39...Nd2+ 40.Ka2 Ne4?!

This may draw, but simplest is 40...b5, and if 41.Ka3 then 41...Nc4+ forces 42.Ka2 Nd2 etc as 42.Kb4? loses to 42...c5+!

41.Ka3 b5 42.c4 Nf6?

42...Nd2 43.cxb5 cxb5 44.Kb4 Kg6 holds the balance, according to Stockfish14.1 although Komodo12.1.1 gives White the upper hand. The same position is reached after 42...Kg6 43.Kb4 Nd2 44.cxb5 cxb5.

43.cxb5 cxb5 44.c4?

Black still faces a tricky defence after the text, but much better is 44.Be5.

44...bxc4 45.Kxa4

More challenging is 45.Be5! Nh7 46.Kxa4, although 46...Ke6 gives a tablebase draw.

45...Nd5 46.Bg5

Black to play and draw

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46....Kg6!

The endgame tablebase Syzygy shows the plausible 46...Nc3+ 47.Kb4 Ne4 loses to 48.Be7!, eg 48...Nd2 49.Kc3 Ne4+ 50.Kd4! (50.Kxc4 Kxe7=) Nd2 51.Bb4 Nf3+ 52.Kc3! (52.Kxc4 Ne5+ and 53...Ng4=) Ne5 53.Bd6 Ng4 54.Bf4, when the c pawn finally falls.

47.Ka3 Nc7

47...Nc3 also draws, but not 47...Kxg6?? 48.h7 etc.

48.e4 Nb5+ 49.Kb4 Nd6 50.e5 Nf7

Not 50...Ne4?, eg 51.Bf4 c3 (51...Nf2 52.Kxc4) 52.e6 etc.

51.h7

If 51.Bf4 then simply 51...Nxe5.

51...Kxh7 52.e6 Nd6 53.Kc5 Nf5 54.Kxc4 Kg8 55.Kd5 Kf8 56.Ke5 Ne7

Not 56...Ng7?? 57.Bh6 Kg8 58.Bxg7 Kxg7 59.Kd6 etc.

57.Kd6 Nf5+

An amusing finish is 57...Ke8 58.Bxe7 stalemate. After the text Komodo12.1.1 rather bizarrely gives White the upper hand.

58.Kd7 Kg7 59.Bc1 Kf8 60.Ba3+ Kg7 61.Be7

Hoping for 61...Nd4?? 62.Bf8+ etc.

61...Kf6 ½–½

Surrey won the match 8.5-7.5.

Germany Calling

GERMANY is downgrading the UK from a "high-risk area" tomorrow, meaning there will no longer be a requirement for people traveling from Britain to complete pre-departure digital registration.

This is good news for anyone who is fully vaccinated and hoping to play in Germany over the coming weeks.

Generally speaking countries across Europe are opening up, which should make chess planning easier.

MacDonnell Gambit

HERE is another interesting clash from 500 Master Games of Chess by Savielly Tartakower and Julius du Mont.

Notes in italics are algebraicised from the book.

George MacDonnell - Samuel Boden

British Chess Association Challenge Cup (London) 1869*

Bishop's Opening

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.b4!?

A fancy opening, the invention of the Scotch master himself.

This gambit, a sort of Accelerated Evans, is better than it may appear. Wilhelm Steinitz was a keen user of it in simuls.

3...Bxb4

Or 3...Bb6 4.a4 (if not 4.Bb2 d6, or 4.Nf3 d6 5.d4 etc) a5 5.b5 Nf6 6.d3, and White has a strong game.

4.c3

After 4.f4 ("MacDonnell's Double Gambit") Black's best plan, instead of acceptance by 4...exf4 5.Nf3 etc, is to advance in the centre by 4...d5 5.exd5 e4 6.Ne2 Nf6 etc.

Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon f4 is at best dubious and probably a mistake, although it is how Steinitz liked to play the opening.

4...Bc5 5.d4

White tries to outflank the enemy in preference to reverting to the "Evans Gambit" formation by 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.d4 etc.

5...exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Kf1!?

Threatening 8.Qb3 or 8.Bxf7+ Kxf7 9.Qb3+ followed by ...Qxb4(+).

How should Black proceed?

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7...Ba5?!

If  7...Be7 [then] 8.Qb3. But 7...Nc6 brings another piece into the lists, eg 8.Qb3 Qe7 etc, or 8.d5 Ne5 etc.

The engines reckon best is 7...Ne7!?, eg 8.Qb3 d5! 9.Qxb4 (9.exd5 Bd6; 9.Bxd5 Nxd5 10.exd5 a5) 9.Qxc4 b6!?

8.Qh5

To be considered is the continuation 8.Bxf7+ Kxf7 9.Qh5+ g6 10.Qxa5, also dislodging the hostile king.

Black to play and find a move that keeps him in the game

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8...d5

The only possible parry.

9.Bxd5 Qe7 10.Ba3 Nf6

Black always finds the right answer.

White to play and obtain an advantage

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11.Bxf7+?

The game is roughly equal after 11.Bxe7 Nxh5 12.Bg5, but 11.Qg5! is best, according to the engines, eg 11...Bb4 12.Qxg7 Rf8 (or 12...Rg8 13.Bxb4 Rxg7 14.Bxe7 Nxd5 15.Ba3) 13.Bxb4 Qxb4 14.Qxf6 Qb2 15.Nf3 Qxa1 16.Ke2, when White has a pawn and an attack for the exchange.

11...Qxf7 12.Qxa5 Nc6 13.Qa4!?

The engines prefer 13.Qe1 or 13.Qb5, albeit giving Black at least the upper hand.

13...Nxe4

Re-establishing the numerical balance, but dynamically Black's chances are superior. 
14.Nf3 Bd7

Threatening 15...Ne5, and preparing to castle on the queenside, his only chance.

15.Nbd2 Nxd2 16.Nxd2 0-0-0

This contains the astute threat 17...Nxd4 18.Qxa7 (18.Qxd4 Bb5+, winning the queen) Bb5+ 19.Ke1 (or 19.Kg1 Ne2+) Qe8+ 20.Kd1 Ba4+ 21.Kc1 Ne2+ 22.Kb1 Qg6+, forcing the mate.

17.Rb1 Qd5

Throwing the whole weight of the queen into the fray, in preference to spasmodic enterprises such as 17...Nxd4 18.Qxa7 Bb5+ etc, or 17...Qxa2 18.Qb5 b6 etc.

18.Nf3 Bf5 19.Rd1 Rhe8 20.Bc5

In order to guard, as far as possible, the pawns at d4 and a2. He expects only 20...b6 (which would be telling enough), but Black has prepared a far more ingenious and skilful scheme to settle the issue. White's battered position is already beyond repair. If, for instance, 20.Qb3 [then] 20...Qxb3 21.axb3 Bc7 wins a vital pawn, and if 20.h4 [then] 20...Bg4 etc.

Black to play and finish in style

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20...Qxf3!

A "break-up sacrifice" of the queen.

As the book annotations point out, 20...b6 is also very strong, as are several other moves, but the text is the prettiest finish.

21.gxf3 Bh3+ 22.Kg1 Re6

Threatening a fatal check.

23.Qc2

Watching the fateful square (g6), but another and diabolical machination puts an end to all resistance.

23...Rxd4!?

Most elegant.

Again Black had several ways of converting his advantage, including 23...Ne5 and 23...Nxd4.

24.Bxd4 Nxd4 0-1

*The year is given in the book as 1865, but 1869 seems correct.

Timely Intervention

PLAYED last night in division one of the Central London League.

Spanton (2041) - Dimitar Mogilarov (2167)

Battersea 2 - Athenaeum, Board One (of five)

Sicilian Bb5(+)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7!?

Black scores 53% with 3...Nd7!? in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database, 50% with 3...Nc6 and 46% with 3...Bd7. There are also three(!) games with 3...Qd7??

4.c4 e5!?

More popular are 4...a6 and especially 4...Nf6, but Stockfish14.1 prefers the text. It stops White setting up a Maróczy Bind, and also leaves Black better placed than White for creating a pawn break down the f file (the white f pawn is obstructed by the white king's knight).

5.Nc3 Nf6

A logical alternative is 5...Ne7, intending ...g6 and ...Bg7. Quốc Khan To (2299) - Thiên Hải Đào (2560), Vietnamese Championship (Đồng Tháp) 2003, continued 6.d3 a6 7.Ba4 Nc6 8.0-0 g6 9.a3 Bg7, slightly favouring White, according to Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 (but 0-1, 29 moves).

6.d3 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Ne1!? Ne8!?

This may be a novelty. The position after 8.Ne1!? is reached in four games in Mega22; three saw 8...Nb6 and one 8...a6.

9.f4 exf4

9...f5 seems possible. After 10.exf5 Rxf5 Komodo12.1.1 gives 11.g4!?

10.Bxd7!? bxd7 11.Bxf4 Bg5!?

The engines do not like this, preferring 11...f5 or 11...Nc7.

12.Qd2 Bxf4 13.Qxf4 Be6 14.Nc2

Heading for e3, and so gaining contact with the squares d5 and f5.

14...a6 15.Ne3 Nf6 16.Nf5

The engines prefer 16.Ncd5, and if 16...Bxd5 Stockfish14.1 very much likes 17.cxd5 while Komodo12.1.1 very slightly prefers 17.exd5.

16...Bxf5 17.Qxf5 Nd7 18.Nd5 Ne5

How should White proceed?

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19.Rf4!?

This pawn sacrifice for an initiative may be overly optimistic. On the other hand 19.Rad1 seems to leave Black without serious problems.

19...Nxd3 20.Rg4 Kh8 21.Rf1 Ne5 22.Rg3

How should Black proceed?

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22...Qd7

Best, according to the engines, is 22...Re8!?,  and if, as in the game, 23.Qh5, then 23...Re6 looks like a full defence. The engines prefer 23.a4!?, effectively giving up thoughts of an immediate attack and just playing on a pawn down; Black must be better.

23.Qh5 g6?!

I was more concerned about 23...f6, one point being the fork 24.Nb6?! - not that I had noticed it - is countered by 24...Qe8. White should prefer 24.Rh3 h6 25.Nb6, when 25...Qe7 26.Nxa8 Rxa8 may give White a slight edge, but Black has a pawn and a strong knight for the exchange.

24.Qh6 f5?

Better is 24...f6, although after 25.Nb6 White has an improved version of the previous note, eg 25...Qe7 26.Nxa8 Rxa8 27.h4 etc. Better in this line, according to the engines, is 25...Qg7, but after 26.Qxg7+ Kxg7 27.Nxa8 Rxa8 28.Rb3 White has good chances in the ending.

25.exf5??

This turns a win into a loss. I was so concentrated on the kingside that I missed 25.Nb6, with a much-improved version of the previous two notes.

25...Rxf5 26.Re1 Raf8 27.h3 Qg7

Even stronger, according to the engines, is the immediate 27...Qf7!?

28.Qh4 Rf2 29.Rb3 Qf7 30.a3

Can you find a winning combination for Black?

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30...Nxc4!

Also strong, according to the engines, is 30...b5!?, but the text wins a second pawn.

How should White respond?

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31.Rxb7!?

White is quickly mated after 31.Qxc4 Rxg2+!, while also losing is 31.Re7 Rxg2+! 32.Kxg2 Qf1+ 33.Kh2 Rf2+ 34.Qxf2 (34.Kg3 Qg2#) Qxf2+ 35.Kh1 b5. Objectively best, according to the engines, is 31.Ne3, but Black's attack is overwhelming, eg 31...Nd2 32.Rd3 Rf4 33.Qh6 Rd4!

31...Qxb7 32.Re7 Rxg2+! 33.Kh1! Qxe7!

This wins, but the engines prefer the tempting 33...Rxh2+?!, when 34.Kg1 Rf1+! 35.Kxf1 Nd2+ leads to a quick mate. However after 34.Kxh2 Qxb2+ 35.Kg1 Qb1+ 36.Kh2 Qc2+ 37.Kg1 Qd1+ 38.Kh2 h5, when Black is three pawns up, 39.Nf6 seems to draw, although the engines do not get it, carrying on with queen checks that lead nowhere.

34.Qxe7 Rgf2 35.b3 Nd2 36.Ne3 1-0

Black's flag fell as DM played 36...R8f7, when 37.Qxd7 is met by 37...Nf3 38.Ng4 Rf1+ 39.Kg2 Ne1+ 40.Kh2 h5 41.Qxg6 Nf3+ (41...hxg4? 42.Qh5+ is a draw) 42.Kg3 h4+ 43.Kg2 Ne1+ 44.Kh2 R7f2+! 45.Kg2 Rg1+ etc - not an easy line to find, whether in time trouble or not.

Athenaeum won the match 4-1.

New Tournament In Mallorca

I HAVE been sent notification of a new Spanish congress, to be held in Mallorca in early June.

There is an U2400 from June 4-12, an IM round-robin from June 3-11 and an U1600 from June 3-5.

Full board at the venue hotel, using a chess discount, works out at 825.02 euros - just under £700 - for 10 nights, ie June 3-13.

More information at NewMal.

CORRECTION: the price I quoted above is for bed-and-breakfast.

Delayed Sicilian Wing Gambit

PLAYED last night in the Battersea Club Championship at the club's home venue, Battersea Labour Club.

Spanton (2041 ECF) - Tim Valentine (1753 ECF)

Sicilian ...e6

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 Nf6 5.e5!?

It is much more normal to defend the e4 pawn by 5.Qe2, 5.d3 or 5.Nc3, but in playing the text I had a gambit idea in mind.

5...Ng4 6.b4!?

Offering Black the choice of two pawns. There is just one game with this move in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database.

How should Black respond?

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6...Ngxe5

Attila Czebe (2465) - Jakub Szotkowski (2369), Budapest GM Tournament 2017, saw 6...Qc7!? 7.bxc5 Bxc5 8.0-0 Ngxe5 9.Nxe5 Qxe5 10.c3 with an unclear position (the game is listed in Mega22 as a win for White in 31 moves - perhaps on time as the final position is only slightly better for White, according to Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1).

An obvious alternative is 6...Nxb4, when the engines continue 7.0-0 Nc6, which also seems unclear but which they reckon slightly favours Black.

Another possibility is 6...cxb4, eg 7.d4 d6 8.h3 Nh6 9.0-0, when again the question is whether White has quite enough compensation for a pawn.

7.Nxe5 Nxe5 8.bxc5 d5

Not 8...Bxc5?? 9.d4.

9.cxd6

9.d4!? seems a viable alternative.

9...Bxd6 10.0-0 0-0 11.d4 Nd7!?

This may be a tad slow, but 11...Nc6 and 11...Nc4 are not all plain-sailing either.

12.c4 Nf6 13.Bb2

The engines prefer the arguably more-aggressive 13.Nc3 and 13.c5!?

13...Qc7 14.Qe2 Bd7 15.Rd1 Rfe8 16.Nd2 Bc6 17.Nf3

Avoiding an exchange of light-square bishops, but the engines reckon 17.Rac1!? Bxg2 18.Kxg2 Qc6+ 19.Qf3!? Qxf3+ 20.Kxf3 favours, if anyone, White.

17...Rac8 18.Rac1 Qa5 19.a3 Qh5 20.Re1 Ng4 21.h3 Nf6 22.Qd3 Nd7

How should White proceed?

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23.g4!?

Double-edged, but Black is not well-placed to exploit white kingside weaknesses. The engines are OK with the move, but prefer something like 23.Re3 or 23.Bc3!?

23...Qa5

On 23...Qg6 I intended 24.Qd2, when the engines reckon 24...Bxf3!? is the only way to maintain equality.

24.Bc3!

Forcing the black queen off the rank.

Black has to find an only-move

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24...Qd8
Not 24...Qa6 or 24...Qa4 as both moves are met by 25.Ng5 or 25.d5, in each case with a large advantage for White, while 24...Qxa3 is also calamitous after 25.Ng5 or 25.Ra1.

The engines give best-play as 24...Qc7! 25.d5 Nc5 26.Qb1, when 26...exd5 27.cxd5 Bxd5 28.Ng5 Bh2+ 29.Kh1 Bxg2+ 30.Kxg2 g6 31.Rxe8+ Rxe8 32.Qb5 gives White full compensation, but no more, for a pawn, according to the engines.

25.d5 Nc5

Or 25...exd5 26.Rxe8+ Qxe8 27.Ng5 Nf8 28.Qd4 Be5 (an amusing sideline runs 28...f6 29.Bxd5+ Bxd5 30.Qxd5+ Kh8 31.Nf7+ Kg8 32.Nh6+ Kh8 33.Qg8#) 29.Qxe5 Qxe5 30.Bxe5 f6 31.cxd5 Bd7 32.Rxc8 Bxc8 33.Bxf6 gxf6 34.Ne4, when White is only a pawn up but has an overwhelming position. If 27...g6, White has 28.Re1, eg 28...Ne5 29.Qd4 f6 30.f4 etc.

26.Qd4 e5 27.Nxe5 Rxe5

27...Bxe5 comes to the same thing, while 27...Nb3 28.Nxf7 Nxd4 29.Nxd8 Ne2+ 30.Rxe2 Rxe2 31.dxc6 Rxd8 32.cxb7 gives White three pawns and much the better position for an exchange.

28.Rxe5 Bxe5 29.Qxe5 f6 30.Qe3 Bd7

White is a pawn up but also has powerful bishops and a dangerous protected passed pawn 

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31.Bd4 b6 32.Re1 Nb7 33.Bf1 Qc7 34.Qd3 b5?

It is hard to explain this.

The game finished:

35.cxb5 Nd6 36.Re7 Qd8 37.Bxf6! Bxb5 38.Rxg7+ Kf8 39.Qxh7 1-0

Seniors Venue

THE Holiday Inn at Kenilworth, Warwickshire, is being touted as the likely venue for the English seniors championships from Wednesday May 4 to Sunday May 8.

The championships will be split into 50+ and 65+ sections, each of seven rounds with a time limit of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment.

According to a notice at the English Chess Federation: "Further details and entry form to follow shortly on the English Seniors Championship web site."

Unfortunately the site is "password protected," but presumably that will change.

Early Bird Update

JUST spotted this update from Peter Ackley of the Doncaster congress, which starts on February 25:

Good news - we have obtained extra space within the school. We can therefore increase capacity to 200. We will be moving one section out of the hall giving all players more space.
I will shortly be contacting all players on the waiting list however this does create (I think) 10 extra spaces - first come first served. After that the waiting list will go back in place again.

Early Bird Required

TOURNAMENTS across Europe are filling up in record numbers.

Doncaster, Bad Wörishofen, Menorca and the spring edition of Bad Wiessee are all turning away entries and/or seeking overflow facilities.

As a precaution I have already entered for Mallorca in October - as have two other England players: Mal.

Black Is Back

AFTER six whites on the bounce, I returned to having the back pieces yesterday, playing in Division Three South of the Four Nations Chess League at the Holiday Inn in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Andrew Boughen (1813 ECF/no Fide) - Spanton (2040 ECF/1901 Fide)

Surbiton - Wessex Some Stars B

Board Three (of six)

Chigorin

1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.e3!?

This innocuous-looking move was used by Wilhelm Steinitz to score three wins in three attempts against Mikhail Chigorin in their 1889 world championship match. Today 4.Nc3 and especially 4.cxd5 are more popular.

4...e6

Chigorin preferred 4...e5 in match-games 10 and 14.

5.Nc3 Nf6

In match-game 12 Chigorin played 5...Bb4, and play continued 6.Bd2 Nge7 7.Bd3 Bf5!? 8.Bxf5 Nxf5 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Qb3 Bxc3 11.Bxc3, which the analysis engines Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon slightly favours White (1-0, 61 moves).

6.Be2

Breaking the pin is the main continuation in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database.

6...Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.a3 a5 9.Bd2 Re8 10.Rc1 Bf8 11.h3 Bf5!?

This keeps white pieces off the b1-h7 diagonal, but the achievement is strictly temporary.

12.Nh4 Ne7 13.Nxf5 Nxf5 14.cxd5 exd5

White has won the bishop-pair and exchanged into a pawn-structure very reminiscent of the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit, but with the white dark-square bishop passively placed inside the main white pawn-chain 

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15.Qc2 Nd6 16.Nb5?!

Inducing an exchange that probably helps Black more than White.

16...c6 17.Nxd6 Bxd6 18.b4 Qe7?!

The engines strongly dislike this, preferring 18...Ne4 or 19...Bc7. The problem with the text is that after ...

19.bxa5 Bxa3 20.Ra1

... Black's queenside pawns are a little awkward to defend.

20...Ne4

How should White proceed?

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21.Bd3

I had spent quite a lot of my opponent's thinking time considering meeting 21.Be1!?, which preserves the bishop-pair, with 21...Ng3??, but the continuation 22.fxg3 Qxe3+ is hopeless for Black as White has several good replies, including the simple 23.Kh2 as 23...Qxe2 24.Qxe2 Rxe2 loses a piece to 25.Rxa3. However, Black does not need anything spectacular as 21.Be1!? shuts in the white king's rook, so a calm move such as 21...Bd6 is fine. The engines reckon best is 21.Rfb1, claiming a slight edge for White after 21...Nxd2 22.Qxd2 Bd6 23.Qc3.

21...Nxd2 22.Qxd2

This seems better than 22.Bxh7+?! Kh8 23.Qxd2 g6 (as AB pointed out in the postmortem, not 23...Kxh7?? 24.Qd3+, after which the black bishop falls) 24.Qxd3 Rxa5 25.Bxg6 fxg6 26.Qxg6, when the engines' 26...Qe4! looks strong.

22...Bb4 23.Qc2 Rxa5 24.Rxa5 Bxa5 25.Bxh7+ Kf8

The engines reckon the text and 25...Kh8 are of almost exactly equal value.

26.Bd3 Bc7 27.Be2!?

Possibly better is occupying the open file with 27.Ra1, or blunting threats along the b8-h2 diagonal with 27.g3.

How should Black proceed?

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27...Ra8

This is OK, but Black had the interesting move 27...Qd6, meeting 28.g3 with 28...Rxe3!? White cannot reply 29.fxe3?? as that allows 29...Qxg3+ 30.Kh1 Qh2#, However White has 29.Rb1, which seems to give dead-eye equality. Instead of 28.g3 White can try 28.Qc5, but the engines reckon 28...Qxc5 29.bxc5 is maybe slightly better for Black after 29...Ra8.

28.Qh7 Qd6 29.g3 Ra2!?

I rejected 29...Qh6 as being too drawish after 30.Qxh6 gxh6 31.Rb1, but it was the safer option.

30.Qh8+ Ke7 31.Qh4+

Possibly even stronger is 31.Bg4!?, when the engines reckon best-play goes something like 31...g6 32.h4 b5!? 33.h5 gxh5 34.Qxh5 Qf6, when they give White a slight edge.

31...Qf6

Discretion overcoming valour.

32.Qxf6+

The engines suggest going for a draw by repetition, eg 32.Qg4 Qe6 33.Qg5 Qf6 34.Qg4 etc.

32...Kxf6 33.Bg4 Ke7 34.Rc1

34.Rb1 can be met by 34...b6 or 34...b5, and 34.Bc8 by, for example, 34...b6 or 34...Ra7, in each case with equality.

34...Kd6 35.Bf5 g6 36.Bd3 b6 37.Kg2 b5!?

The c pawn is backward but seemingly easily defendable; meanwhile White has to be a little wary Black's passed pawn.

38.Kf3 Ra3 39.Ke2 Ra2+ 40.Rc2 Ra1 41.h4 Ba5 42.Kf3 b4 43.Rb2 Ra3 44.Bc2 c5 45.dxc5+ Kxc5 46.Bb3

What should Black play?

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46...Bxb3!?

A last throw of the dice - it was either this or accept a draw.

47.Rxb3 Kc4 48.Rb1

Black to play and avoid a quick defeat

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48...b3

Not 48...Kc3? 49.Rc1+ (49.Ra1 also wins) Kb2 50.Rc5, eg 50...b3 51.Rxa5 Kc2 52.Rxd5 b2 53.Rb5 etc.

49.Kf4

49.Ke2 and 49.g4 also draw, according to the engines.

49...Bc3

White to play and draw

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50.g4?

It is too late for this move.

Also possibly insufficient, but not absolutely clear, is 50.e4!?, eg 50...d4 51.e5 b2 52.Ke4 d3 53.f4 Bd4! 54.g4 d2 55.Rd1! (only move) Kc3 56.Kf3! Kd3 (56...Kc2 57.Ke2) 57.h5 Bc5 58.h6 Ba3 59.h7 b1=Q 60.Rxb1 Bc1 61.Rxc1 dxc1=Q 62.h8=Q Qe3+ 63.Kg2 Qxf4 64.Qc8, when Black has slightly the better of an ending with queen-and-two-pawns-aside. But in this engine-line it is fiendishly difficult to see many moves ahead, and there are probably more ways for White than for Black to go wrong.

However it seems a draw was to be had with the paradoxical retreat 50.Kf3!?, eg 50...b2 51.e4 dxe4+ 52.Kxe4 Kb3 53.Kd3, after which neither player can seem to make progress.

50...b2 51.h5 gxh5 52.gxh5 Kd3 53.Kf5 Kc2 54.Rxb2+ Bxb2 55.e4 d4 56.h6 d3 57.e5 d2 58.h7 Bxe5 0-1

A pretty finish, but the engines point out a rather-more prosaic win by 58...d1=Q 59.h8=Q+ Kg5 60.Bc1+ Kh4 61.Qh1+ etc.
Surbiton won the match 4-2.

Birthday Surprise

YESTERDAY, my 65th birthday, saw me playing for Wessex Some Stars B against Cambridge University C in Division Three South of the Four Nations Chess League at the Maidenhead Holiday Inn, Berkshire.

Spanton (2040 ECF/1901 Fide) - Miroslaw Walkusz (2060 ECF/1944 Fide)

Board One (of six)

French Alekhine-Chatard

1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.Bg5 e6 4.e4 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4!?

This is the first time this gambit, credited to Adolf Albin, has appeared in a game of mine

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6...a6

This is the commonest way to meet the gambit, the main idea presumably being to follow with ...c5 at a time when White cannot use the b5 square for a minor piece.

The commonest acceptance line runs 6...Bxg5 7.hxg5 Qxg5 8.Nh3 (this is probably better than Albin's 8.Nf3) Qe7, when both 9.Nf4 and 9.Qg4 are popular.

7.Qg4 f5?!

Most popular in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database is 7...Bxg5 8.hxg5 c5 9.g6 f5 with an unclear position; Stockfish14.1 gives White the upper hand but Komodo12.1.1 reckons the game is equal.

8.Qh5+ Kf8!?

Probably slightly better is 8...g6 9.Qh6 Bxg5 10.hxg5 Qe7, albeit the engines much prefer White.

9.Nh3

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 9.g4!?

9...Qe8 10.Bxe7+ Qxe7?!

This loses a pawn, so Black probably has to play 10...Ke7, although the engines reckon 11.Qg5+ gives White at least the upper hand.

11.Nf4 Qf7

White threatened 12.Ng6+, and if 11...Kg8 the engines give 12.Ncxd5! exd5 12.Nxd5 Qf7 13.Qxf7+ Kxf7 14.Nxc7 Ra7 15.e6+ etc.

12.Qxf7+ Kxf7 13.Ncxd5! exd5 14.e6+ Ke8?!

Marginally better seems to be 14...Ke7.

15.exd7

Even stronger seems to be 15.Nxd5!?

15...Kxd7 16.Nxd5 Re8+ 17.Kd2 Nc6 18.c3 Kd6 19.Nf4 b5 20.Bd3 Na5 21.b4 Nc4+ 22.Bxc4 bxc4 23.Rhe1 Bd7 24.Rxe8 Rxe8 25.Re1 Rxe1

Black could not really avoid rooks coming off, but after ...

26.Kxe1

... the minor-piece ending is easily won for White.

26...Be8 27.Kd2 g6 28.Ke3 h6 29.Nh3 Ke6 30.Kf4 Kf6 31.g3 Bc6 32.Ng1 g5+ 33.hxg5+ hxg5+ 34.Ke3 Bd5 35.Nf3 Be6 36.Ne5 Ke7 37.Nc6+ Kd6 38.Ne5

Not 38.Nd8?? as the knight is lost after 38...Bd5, while 38.Nb8? seems to let Black off with at least a draw after 38...Bc8.

38...Ke7 39.d5!? Bxd5 40.Kd4 Ke6 41.Nxc4 Bc6 42.Ne5 Be8 43.c4 Ba4 44.Nd3

Now a second pawn falls.

The game finished:

44...Bc6 45.Nc5+ Kf6 46.Nxa6 f4 47.gxf4 gxf4 48.Nxc7 1-0

Wessex won the match 3.5-2.5.

Doncaster Full-Up

THE following notice has appeared at the website of the Doncaster congress, which runs from February 25-27:

As at 10/02/2022, entries totalled 181 meaning the limited-capacity congress became “full”.

However, a waiting list is being maintained since:

(a) we are attempting to obtain more space and (b) there may yet be some withdrawals.

Early Immortal?

THIS sparkling gem from 500 Master Games Of Chess by Savielly Tartakower and Julius du Mont features opponents whose chess is little-known today but who were famous in their time for other activities.

White is Thomas Bowdler, who published a cleaned-up "family" edition of Shakespeare that omitted words that could not "with propriety be read aloud."

Black is Henry Conway, a veteran of the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War who opposed British attempts to suppress the American Rebellion and rose to become Commander-in-Chief of the British army.

Notes in italics are algebraicised from 500 Master Games Of Chess.

Bowdler - Conway

London (casual) 1788

Bishop's Opening

A forerunner of the "Immortal Game." White gives up the two rooks in their corners and all his pieces except queen and bishop, and drives a successful king hunt to its logical conclusion.

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4

The 'truth' - as it was known in those far-off days.

2...Bc5

This symmetrical variation is called the Classical Defence.

Much more popular today is 2...Nf6, although then White scores well in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database after 3.d4!? (58%) and 3.d3 (57%).

3.d3

A quite continuation. 3.Nc3 leads back into the Vienna Game, and 3.Nf3 Nc6 into the Giuoco Piano.

For what it is worth, the text is the top choice of Stockfish14.1, at least for a while.

3...c6

Pawn strategy. But after an active development by 3...Nf6 4.Qe2 (preventing 4...d5) 0-0 Black has a very good game.

Today the main reply to 3...Nf6 is 4.Nf3, when 4...d5?! 5.exd5 seems good for White.

4.Qe2 d6

If, instead, 4...Nf6, White is already able to play 5.f4, and to obtain the initiative after 5...exf4 6.e5 etc, or 5...d6 6.Nf3 etc. As Black, by his last move, has renounced expansion in the centre, the proceeding move has robbed his queen's knight of its natural development at c6.

Today 4...Nf6 is usually met by 5.Nf3. The problem with 5.f4?! exf4 (Carl Schlechter's 5...d5!? also looks good) 6.e5 is Black has 6...0-0 7.Bxf4 d5 with excellent play. In any case there seems nothing wrong with "expansion in the centre" by 4...d5!?, eg 5.exd5 cxd5 6.Qxe5+ Ne7 7.Bb5+ Nc6 8.Qxg7?! Rg8 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.Qc3 Qb6 11.Kf1 Bxf2, which Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon favours Black.

5.f4

Intensifying the struggle. 5.Nc3 first would be sound and strong. It will be noticed that players of the Philidor era preferred, in the opening, to pay attention to pawns rather than pieces.

5...exf4 6.Bxf4 Qb6!?

A double attack against White's king's knight and b pawn. How can it be parried?

Position after 6...Qb6!?

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7.Qf3?

By not defending either point, but staging an astute unmasking combination.

Unfortunately the engines show the combination is faulty. However they reckon 7.Bb3! is good for White, and if 7...Bxg1 then 8.Nd2 Bc5 9.d4! Bxd4 10.0-0-0, when White is down knight and pawn but has a huge attack, eg 10...Be6 11.Nc4 Bxc4 12.Qxc4 Be3+ 13.Kb1! Nh6 14.Bxh6 0-0 15.Bxe3 Qxe3 16.Rhf1 with much the better game.

7...Qxb2

Starting his queen on an expedition which, in the end, will prove ill-fated. Similarly, if  7...Bxg1 [then] 8.Bxf7+ etc. But by first of all blocking up the f file by 7...Nf6, Black could have maintained his threats. It is true, however, that the wondrous consequences of the continuation in the text were hard to foresee.

The engines agree 7...Nf6 is strong, but reckon the text is stronger.

8.Bxf7+

An ambush.

8...Kd7

Clearly not 8...Kxf7, because of the recoil 9.Be5+. Playable would be 8...Kf8 9.Ne2 Nf6.

The engines reckon best is 8...Kd8!?, meeting 9.Bg5+ with 9...Nf6 or 9...Kc7.

9.Ne2 Qxa1

A spirit of consistency. Or 9...Nf6 10.Kd2 Qxa1.

10.Kd2

In order to play 11.Rf1, to be followed by Nbc3, relying both on his attack and on the difficulties the black queen will experience in getting clear of this "wasps' nest."

10...Bb4+?!

He stresses his advantage in material instead of trying to consolidate his gains, either by 10...Nf6 or 10...Qf6.

11.Nbc3

Sensation! He gives up another rook rather than allow Black redress the balance by 11.c3 Qb2+ 12.Ke3 Nf6 13.cxb4 Kc7 14.h3 Rf8 etc, or by 11.Kc1 Qf6 etc.

In the first line the engines reckon ...Kc7 is a mistake, much preferring 13...Ke7 or 13...Rf8.

11...Bxc3+

By playing 11...Qxh1 at once Black would still maintain his king's bishop in its defensive functions.

12.Nxc3 Qxh1 13.Qg4+

The final assault.

13...Kc7 14.Qxg7

At once 14.Qg3 would be powerful.

The engines reckon neither move saves White.

14...Nd7 15.Qg3

And not 15.Qxh8, because of 15...Qxg2+, followed by ...Ngf6, and Black takes his revenge by imprisoning the queen.

15...b6

An illusory refuge. Or, eg 15...Ne7 16.Bxd6+ Kd8 17.Bc7#. Or 15...Ne5 16.Bxe5 dxe5 17.Qxe5+ etc, with improved chances for White. But 15...b5 would give the black king more breathing space than the move in the text.

16.Nb5+

A beautiful surprise, which spreads a mating net around the black king.

The engines agree the text is White's best chance, but they find a winning defence for Black.

Black to play and win

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16...cxb5??

This turns a win into a loss. The engines reckon 16...Kb7 17.Nxd6+ and 16...Kd8 17.Bxd6 are dead-equal, but winning is 16...Kb8!, eg 17.Nxd6 a6 (or 17...a5) and the black king finds refuge on a7.

17.Bxd6+ Kb7

An amusing detail: 17...Kc6 18.Bd5#.

17...Kd8 18.Bc7+ Ke7 19.Bh5 also leads to a quick mate.

18.Bd5+ Ka6 19.d4

Opening the door by this turn of the key.

19...b4?

There is no saving clause.

Better resistance is put up by the engines' 19...Nc5!? 20.dxc5 b4 21.cxb6! Bd7 22.Bxb4 Bc6!? 23.Bxc6 Rd8+ 24.Bd5 Rxd5+ 25.exd5 axb6, when Black is still, temporarily, ahead on material but is lost after 26.Bc3.

20.Bxb4 Kb5 21.c4+ Kxb4 22.Qb3+ Ka5 23.Qb5#.