Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Cap d'Artrutz lighthouse

SPAIN scrapped most of its mask-wearing rules today - just in time for tonight's first round at Menorca.

Spanton (1915) - Diego Aguilo Pons (1394)

Menorca U2000 Round One

French Alekhine-Chatard

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

This scores 61% in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database, eclipsing the 59% of the more-popular 6.Bxe7.

6...a6!?

This is Black's commonest reply, but White's score rises to 63% in Mega22.

7.Qg4 Bxg5 8.hxg5 c5

How should White proceed in this mainline position?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

9.Bd3?!

Most popular in Mega22 is 9.g6!? f5 10.Qf4 h6, reaching a position Komodo12.1.1 reckons is equal but Stockfish14.1 reckons strongly favours White. The engines prefer 9.dxc5!?, agreeing White is much better but being unsure how Black should respond. The text may be a novelty and is probably a mistake.

9...Nf8?

I was concerned about 9...Nc6!?, but the engines reckon best is 9...cxd4, when 10.Qxd4 Nc6 11.Qf4 Ndxe5 is clearly bad for White, and 10.g6!? Nxe5!? 11.gxf7+ is unclear. The text is as horrible as it looks.

10.Nf3

Despite appearances, Black's last did not stop 10.g6!?, eg 10...fxg6 11.Bxg6+ Nxg6 12.Qxg6+ hxg6 13.Rxh8+ Ke7 14.Rxd8 Kxd8 15.dxc5, after which 15...Nd7 16.Nf3 Nxc5 17.Kd2 is very good for White, according to the engines.

10...cxd4 11.Qxd4 Nc6 12.Qf4 Qe7 13.0-0-0 Nb4 14.Na4?!

A mental aberration. I somehow thought if Black met the text with 14...Nxa2+ the knight would be lost to 15.Kb1 since I would have a pawn on a3 covering the b4 square.

14...Nxd3+!?

Black can certainly grab the a2 pawn, although Komodo12.1.1 prefers the text, at least for a while. After 14...Nxa2+ 15.Kb1 Nb4 16.Nb6 Rb8 Stockfish14.1 reckons 17.Qe3 leaves White at least slightly better, but Komodo12.1.1 gives Black more-or-less equality.

15.Rxd3 Nd7

The engines reckon 15...b5!? is better.

16.Qd4 b5 17.Nb6 Rb8 18.Nxd7

18.Nxc8 Rxc8 brings Black right back into the game.

18...Bxd7 19.Ra3 Bc8 20.Qd3 b4 21.Rb3 a5!?

There is no good reply, according to the engines, although they switch between recommending the text and 21...h5!?

22.Rxh7 Rxh7 23.Qxh7 Qf8 24.g6 a4 25.Rd3 b3

The engines prefer 25...f5, but agree Black is lost.

26.cxb3 a3?

This only makes matters worse.

27.gxf7+ Qxf7

27...Kxf7 is not an improvement, eg 28.Ng5+ Ke8 29.Qg6+ Kd8 30.Nxe6+ etc.

28.bxa3 Kd7 29.Qh4 Bb7 30.Rc3 Ra8 31.Qb4 Bc6? 32.Qd6+ 1-0