Winfried Basener (2070) - Spanton (1912)
Senioren Cup
Sicilian Accelerated Dragon
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6
The first seven games to reach this position in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database feature Henry Bird with the black pieces.
7.Bc4 0-0 8.h3?
There are 128 examples of this move in Mega22, but it is a mistake.
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| Including transpositions, there are 191 games with this position in Mega22 |
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8...Nxe4
A standard 'equalising' tactic, although here, thanks to White's eighth move, which turns out to be irrelevant to the position, Black gains an edge.
9.Nxe4
Probably not 9.Nxc6?!, when both 9...Nxc3 10.Nxd8 Nxd1 and 9...Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 bxc6 seem strong. However Stockfish14.1 prefers 9.Bxf7+!? Rxf7 10.Nxe4, although Komodo12.1.1 favours the text.
9...d5 10.Nxc6
The engines agree this is best.
10...bxc6 11.0-0
MB spent 42 minutes on this move, which comes to be Stockfish14.1's top choice, at least for a while. Komodo12.1 prefers 11.Bd4!?
11...dxc4
Looking at the game later ,while soaking up sunshine outside a cafe near the Seeforum venue in Rottach-Egern, 11...Bxb2!? was suggested by Geoffrey Stern, but the engines reckon 12.Bh6 comes close to equalising, eg 12...Re8 13.Rb1 Bg7 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Qd4+ e5 16.Qc5 dxe4 17.Qxc6. However this seems better than 11...dxe4?!, when the engines reckon 12.c3 gives White full compensation for a pawn.
12.Qc1 Qc7 13.Bh6 Rb8 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Re1 Bf5 16.Ng3 Be6 17.b3!?
This offers Black the chance to dissolve his doubled c pawns.
17...Qa5
This is better than 17...cxb3, according to the engines, as they reckon 18.axb3 gives White a tiny edge. Presumably they value White's piece-activity and better pawn-structure more than Black's extra pawn.
18.Qe3 Rfd8 19.Ne4
WB offered a draw (in my time).
19...Bf5
Probably not 19...Bd5?! 20.Nc5, but possibly marginally better is 19...Rb5. I rejected it because of 20.a4 Re5 21.f4, missing that 21...Red5 22.bxc4 can be met by 22...Rd4. This line is not forced, and does not seem clearly better than the text.
20.bxc4!?
The engines prefer 20.Rac1!? or 20.Ng5. The former probably cannot be met by 20...Qxa2?! as 21.Qc3+ Kg8 22.Ra1 cxb3 (only move) 23.Rxa2 bxa2 24.Qa5 favours White, according to the engines.
20...Qa4?
White is at least equal after this. The engines reckon 20...Qe5 keeps an advantage for Black.
21.Ng3 Qxc2?
21...Be6, as suggested by Stern, seems to hold the balance. I think I rejected it because I believed it would leave Black no better than equal, which is true, but after ...
22.Qxe7
... White has the advantage, and even better may be the engines' 22.Rac1!?
22...Re8!?
The engines' 22...Bd3 may keep Black's disadvantage to a minimum.
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| How should White proceed? |
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23.Nxf5+?!
Probably best is 23.Qxa7, but not 23.Qxe8? Rxe8 24.Rxe8 Be6, when White's pieces are uncoordinated.
23...Qxf5 24.Qxa7 c5!?
Blocking the white queen's defence of f2.
25.Qa3 Red8!?
Possibly better is the engines' 25...Rxe1+ 26.Rxe1 Rb4.
26.Qc3+ Kg8?!
Probably better is 26...Qf6 27.Qxf6+ Kxf6, when Black has the more-active king, although the position has been simplified, meaning fewer chances for either side to go wrong.
27.a4 Rd4 28.a5 Qf4 29.Reb1?!
White is still much better after this, but there seems no decent answer to 29.a6, eg 26...Rxc4 27.Qa5 Rc2 28.Rf1 with a7 to follow.
29...Rxb1+ 30.Rxb1 Rxc4 31.Qa3?
White is better after 31.Rb8+ Qxb8 32.Qxc4, when the engines reckon Black's best hope is 32...h5!, eg 33.Qxc5 Qb1+ 34.Kh2 Qb8+ 35.g3 h4, which may be drawn. However the engines give 33.a6! as being more difficult for Black to meet, although it is far from clear White is winning.
31...Rc2 32.Rf1 Qd2 33.a6 Ra2 34.Qxc5 Qa5
Not 34...Rxa6?? 35.Qc8+ Kg7 36.Qxa6.
35.Qe7 Qxa6?!
This draws, but only just. Simpler is 35...Kg7.
36.Rd1!?
The best try.
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| Black to play and draw |
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36...Qe2?
The engines give 36...Qc4!, when 37.Rd8+ Kg7 38.Qf8+ Kf6 seems survivable for Black. Another possibility is 36...Kg7, but then 37.Rd6 Qe2 38.Qf6+ Kh6 39.Rd4 Ra1+ 40.Kh2 Ra5 41.Rh4+ Rh5 42.Rxh5+ Qxh5 43.Qxf7 is not pleasant for Black.
37.Rd8+ Kg7 38.Qf8+ Kf6
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| White to play and win |
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39.Qd6+?
White wins with 39.Rd6+ Kg5 40.h4+, eg 40...Kxh4 41.Qh6+ Kg4 (41...Qh5? 42.Rd4#) 42.Rd4+ Kf5 43.Qf4+ Ke6 44.Rd6+ Ke7 45.Qf6+ and mate, or 40...Kg4 41.Rd4+ Kh5 42.Rd5+ f5 43.Rxf5+! etc.
Also winning is 39.Qh8+.
39...Kg7?
39...Qe6 had to be played. The text gives White another chance to find the winning Rd6+.
40.Qf8+ Kf6 41.Qd6+? Kg7? 42.Qd4+
Black can claim a draw by threefold repetition after 42.Qf8+.
42...Kh6 43.Qh4+ Kg7 44.Qd4+ Kh6 45.Qf4+
Or 45.Rg8 Qe1+ 46.Kh2 Qxf2 with a draw.
45...Kg7 46.Qd4+ ½–½
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