Gaston Franco (2022) - Spanton (2016)
Board Two (of 16)
Spanish Berlin/Open
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 a6!?
Magnus Carlsen has tried this alternative to the mainline 5...Nd6, and he has also played another popular choice, 5...Be7.
6.Ba4
6.Bxc6 keeps the game in Berlin lines. After the text the game soon reaches the chief starting point of the Open Variation of the Spanish.
6...b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3 Be7
The sharp 9...Bc5 is more popular in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database, scoring 49% against 43% for the text.
10.Bf4!?
Six other moves are more popular in Mega22, but the text has also attracted grandmasters.
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| How should Black respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
10...g5?!
Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 prefer the main move in Mega22, 10...0-0, continuing 11.Nd4 Qd7 12.Bc2, rating the position as equal.
*****
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| How should White reply? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
11.Bg3?!
Almost certainly better is 11.Be3, the point being 11...g4 12.Nd4 Nxe5 wins a pawn but after the engines' 13.Nd2!? (all four games in Mega22 saw 13.Nxe6) Black is lagging in development and does not have a safe haven for the king.
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
11...g4?!
11...g4?!
Black seems to get excellent chances after 11...h5, eg 12.h3 g4 13.Nd4 Nxd4 14.cxd4 gxh3, when Black has won a pawn and it is the white king that seems more in danger.
12.Nd4 Nxd4
Possible is 12...Nxg3!?, and it might be stronger, eg 13.Nxc6 Qd7 14.hxg3 Qxc6.
13.cxd4 h5 14.Nc3 Nxg3 15.fxg3!?
It seems to make sense to get the king's rook into play, and to keep the h file closed longer than would be the case after 15.hxg3.
15...h4 16.Ne2 Bg5
The engines suggest 16...hxg3 17.Nxg3 Bf8!?
17.Qd3 hxg3 18.Qxg3 Qe7 19.Nf4 0-0-0 20.Rac1 Rh7 21.Rc5
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| What should Black play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
21...Rdh8?
The only good continuation, according to the engines, is 21...Bxf4 22.Qxf4 Rdh8 with what they reckon is dead-eye equality. I rejected it because I was reluctant to give up my good bishop.
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| What should White play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
22.Rfc1?
22.Rfc1?
Black is fine after this. White is winning after 22.Nxd5 Bxd5 23.Bxd5, when Black is a pawn down and about to lose a second one to Qxg4(+) or Rxf7 (Qa3 is also a strong threat).
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| How should Black continue? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
22...Rxh2?
Still good is ...Bxf4, but probably even better is stepping aside with 22...Kb8! If 23.Rxc7 then 23...Qb4 is very good for Black thanks to the twin threats of 24...Rxh2 and 24...Qxd4+. Best, according to the engines, is 23.Nxe6!?, when 23...Bxc1? loses to 24.Nxc7, so best seems to be 23...fxe6 24.Rxc7 Qb4 25.Rxh7 Rxh7!? (better than 25...Qxd4+ 26.Qf2 Qxf2+ 27.Kxf2 Rxh7 28.Rc6, according to the engines) 26.Rd1, when Black's activity gives good compensation for a pawn, eg 28...Qf8! 29.Rf1 Qh6, after which White can hold as long as he spots the threat 30...Be3+ 31.Kh2 Bf2!!
23.Rxc7+ Qxc7 24.Rxc7+ Kxc7 25.Qc3+ Kb8!? 26.Nxd5
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| Black to play and draw (probably) |
*****
*****
*****
*****
26...Bxd5?
26...Bxd5?
Black has to play 26...Rh1+, probably meeting 27.Kf2 with Stockfish14.1.1's 27...g3+!? 28.Kxg3 R(either)h3+!? (Komodo12.1.1's 28...Bxd5 also gives drawing chances) 29.gxh3 Rxh3+ 30.Kf2 Rxc3 31.bxc3 Bxd5 with what seems to be a drawn opposite-coloured-bishops ending.
27.Bxd5 g3?!
Probably better, but still losing, is 27...Rh1+ 28.Kf2 Rc1.
28.Kf1 Rh1+ 29.Ke2 Rc8 30.Qxg3 Bh4 31.Qf4 Rcc1 32.Bf3 Rcd1 33.g3 Rhe1+ 34.Kf2 Rf1+ 35.Kg2 Rg1+ 36.Kh3 Bxg3 37.Qe4 1-0
Middlesex won the match 9-6.
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