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
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
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
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
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
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| Can you find a winning combination for Black? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
30...Nxc4!
Also strong, according to the engines, is 30...b5!?, but the text wins a second pawn.
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| How should White respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
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.
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