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| Spring has sprung in Bad Wörishofen |
Witold Marzec (1661) - Spanton (1912)
U2000
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nf3
A Botvinnik set-up with 5.e4 and 6.Nge2 is common in English-speaking countries, not least thanks to Tony Kosten's Dynamic English book. But more popular in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database are 5.d3 and 5.e3, although the text has been tried by many strong players including Korchnoi, Taimanov, Keene, Najdorf, Caruana, Anand and Ivanchuk.
5...d6 6.O-O f5 7.d3 Nge7!?
The main move is the more-aggressive 7...Nf6.
8.a3 O-O 9.Bg5!?
This either gives up the bishop-pair or surrenders a tempo (if the bishop retreats after 9...h6). But not 9.b4?? e4.
9...h6 10.Bxe7 Nxe7 11.Qd2 Be6 12.Ne1!?Presumably played to make f4 possible. Stockfish14.1 prefers queenside expansion with 12.b4, while Komodo12.1.1 gives 12.e3.
12...d5?!
Impatient. Almost certainly better is building up in the centre with 12...c6, and if 13.f4, which is Stockfish14.1's choice, then the engines like, among other moves, 13...Qb6+, meeting 14.Kh1 with 14...Rad8.
13.cxd5 Nxd5 14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.Bxd5+ Qxd5
White has given up his fianchettoed bishop, but it is difficult for Black to exploit the light-square weaknesses around the white king. Meanwhile Black has lost the bishop-pair, and the simplification has made White's defence easier despite Black's central space advantage.
White has given up his fianchettoed bishop, but it is difficult for Black to exploit the light-square weaknesses around the white king. Meanwhile Black has lost the bishop-pair, and the simplification has made White's defence easier despite Black's central space advantage.
16.Qc2 Rf7 17.Rc1 Kh7 18.Qc4 Qd7 19.b3 Raf8 20.Ng2 f4?!
Giving up the e4 square is a mistake, according to Stockfish14.1, although Komodo12.1.1 is OK with it. A sensible alternative is 20...c6, when the engines give Black a slight edge.
21.Nh4
21.Nh4
White threatens 22.Qe4.
21...Bf6 22.Nf3 h5?!
Probably best is 22...Qf5, when the engines give 23.Qe4!?
23.Qe4 fxg3 24.hxg3
The engines prefer this to 24.fxg3.
24...c6 25.Kg2
Black gets full compensation for a pawn after 25.Nxe5 Bxe5 26.Qxe5 Re8, according to the engines.
Black gets full compensation for a pawn after 25.Nxe5 Bxe5 26.Qxe5 Re8, according to the engines.
25... Qd5 26.Qxd5?!
Probably better is 26.Rc4, as promoting the c pawn to a central pawn helps Black.
Probably better is 26.Rc4, as promoting the c pawn to a central pawn helps Black.
26... cxd5 27. a4 g5 28. e4
Stockfish14.1 prefers 28.Rc5, but Komodo12.1.1 reckons the moves are of equal worth.
28...dxe4 29.dxe4 g4 30.Ng1?
White is equal after both 30.Nh2 and 30.Nh4, according to the engines.
30...Bg5 31.Rcd1 h4?
Black gets at least the upper hand after 31...Rc8, according to the engines, eg 32.Rfe1 Bd8! 33.Re2 Bb6 with strong pressure against the white position.
32.gxh4 Bxh4 33.f3 Kg6?!
The engines reckon Black has a tiny edge after 33... Rg7 34. fxg4 Rxg4+ 35.Kh3 Rxf1 36.Rxf1 Rxe4 37.Rf7+ Kg6 38.Rxb7 Bf2.
34. fxg4 Rxf1 35. Rxf1 Rxf1 36. Kxf1 Kg5 37. Nf3+ Kxg4 38. Nxe5+
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| Black to play and draw |
*****
*****
*****
*****
38...Kf4!
Giving up the bishop is the only way to draw.
39.Ng6+ Kxe4 40.Nxh4 Kd3 41.Nf5 Kc3 42.Nd6 Kxb3 43.Nxb7
43.a5 is not an improvement, eg 43...b6 44.a6 Kb4 45.Ke2 Ka5.
43... Kxa4 44. Ke2 Kb5 45. Kd2 ½–½
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