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| Ciutadella cathedral basilica |
Spanton (1915) - Luke Gostelow (*)
U2000
Sicilian Closed
1.Nc3 c5 2.e4 a6 3.a4
The main line runs 3.g3 b5 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.d3 e6 6.f4 d5, when Stockfish14.1 slightly favours White but Komodo12.1.1 reckons the position is equal.
3...Nc6 4.Nge2 Nf6 5.g3 d5
A fairly reliable rule-of-thumb in the Sicilian is that if Black can get this move in without suffering a disadvantage, Black is at least equal.
6.exd5
This is probably better than 6.Bg2!? d4 7.Nd5 Nd7!
6...Nxd5 7.Bg2 Ndb4!
This is an improvement, according to the engines, on 7...Nc7, which was played in Rustam Faiq Bunyatov (2330) - Jakub Půlpán (2321), EU U18 Championship (Prague) 2016. That game continued 8.0-0 g6 9.d3 Bg7 10.Be3 Ne6, when the engines reckon White was on top (but ½–½, 40 moves).
*****
*****
8.0-0 g6 9.d3 Bg7 10.Ne4
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
10...c4!?
10...b6? is a mistake that I intended answering with 11.c3, the point being 11...Nxd3 runs into 12.Nf6+ Bxf6 13.Bxc6+ Bd7 14.Bxa8 Nxc1 15.Bf3 Nxe2+ 16.Qxe2, when the engines reckon Black's bishop-pair and extra pawn do not compensate for having lost the exchange.
10...Qb6? 11.Be3 is also bad for Black.
But the engines reckon best is 10...Bg4!, when 11.Nxc5?! is met by 11...Nd4, and both 11.Be3 Nd4 12.Bxd4 cxd4 and 11.c3!? Nxd3 12.h3 Bf5 seem to give Black an edge.
11.dxc4?!
The engines reckon White has an edge after 11.d4!, the point being 11...Nxd4? 12.Nxd4 Qxd4 13.Qxd4 Bxd4 runs into 14.c3.
11...Qxd1 12.Rxd1 Nxc2 13.Rb1 0-0?!
Too routine, according to the engines, which reckon Black is better after 13...Bg4.
14.Bd2?!
White is at least equal after 14.h3, according to the engines.
14...Bf5!?
Again the engines like ...Bg4.
15.Bc3 e5!?
The engines prefer 15...Rac8 or 15...Rad8.
16.Rbc1 N2d4 17.Bxd4!? exd4 18.Nd6 Bg4 19.f3 Be6 20.Nf4 Rab8 21.Nxe6 fxe6 22.f4 e5?
White is better after 22...Rfd8, according to the engines, but not as much as after the text.
23.Bd5+ Kh8
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
24.fxe5?
I chickened out of 24.Nf7+ Rxf7 25.Bxf7 because I feared the strength of Black's connected passers after 25...e4. However the engines reckon 26.Kf2 leaves White well on top.
24...Nxe5 25.Rf1 Bh6 26.Rce1 Be3+ 27.Kg2 Nd3 28.Rcd1?
The game is equal after 28.Rb1, according to the engines.
28...Nxb2 29.Rb1 Rxf1
I had expected 29...Nxa4??, when 30.Rxb7 is very good for White.
30.Rxf1?
Better is 30.Kxf1.
30...Nxa4?
White can resign with a clear conscience after 30...d3.
31.Nf7+?!
31.Rf7 is more combative.
31....Kg7 32.Ne5 Rf8 33.Rxf8 Kxf8 34.Bxb7 Nc5
I had missed this possibility.
35.Bf3 a5 36.Be2 a4 37.Nd3 Ne4 38.c5!?
White is completely lost but at least this gives counterplay.
38...a3 39.c6 Ke7 40.Nb4 Nc3 41.Bc4 Kd6 42.Kf3 Bh6 43.c7?!
This does not help, but White's position is so bad the engines barely flinch at this move.
The game finished:
43...Kxc7 44.Nd5+ Kc6 45.Nf6 a2 46.Bxa2 Nxa2 47.Ke4 Be3 48.Nxh7 Nc1 49.Nf8 g5 50.Ne6 Nb3 51.h4 Nc5+ 52.Nxc5 Kxc5 0-1
*No Fide but has an ECF of 1863.
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