Menorca Round Three

TODAY was the first of two double-round days at Menorca. Here is my game from this evening.

Spanton (1915) - Oliver Bach (1678)

U2000

Pirc

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be2 0-0 6.0-0 c6

This is easily the main continuation in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database, having more than 2,100 appearances ahead of second-placed 6...Bg4.

7.a4 a5 8.h3 Qc7 9.Be3 Nbd7 10.Qd2 e5

How should White proceed?

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11.Bh6!?

Grandmasters have preferred 11.dxe5 or 11.Rad1, which are also the top two choices of Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1.

11...exd4?!

The engines prefer 11...Bxh6 or 11...Re8.

How should White respond?

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12.Nxd4

Better, according to the engines, is 12.Bxg7!? Kxg7 13.Qxd4.

12...Re8 13.Bxg7

13.Nf5!? Bxh6 (not 13...gxf5?? 14.Qg5 etc, or 13...Bf8? 14.Bxf8 followed by capturing on d6) 14.Nxh6+ Kg7 15.Ng4 gives White a slight edge, according to Stockfish14.1 but Komodo12.1.1 calls the position equal.

13...Kxg7 14.Bd3?!

Probably better is 14.f3 or 14.Bf3.

14...Qb6 15.Nb3 Ne5

This threatens to win with 16...Bxh3!

16.Kh2?

The game is dead-equal after 16.Be2, according to the engines.

16...Be6 17.f4

The engines slightly prefer 17.Nc1!? but reckon Black is on top after 17...d5.

17...Nxd3 18.Qxd3 Bxb3 19.cxb3 Qxb3 20.f5?!

Stockfish14.1 suggests 20.Rae1 Rad8 21.Qg3, albeit much preferring Black, while Komodo12.1.1 gives 20.e5 dxe5 21.fxe5, when 21...Rxe5? loses to 22.Rxf6! but Black is on top after 21...Nd5.

How should Black proceed?

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20...g5?

On 20...Nxe4?! I intended 21.fxg6, when the engines reckon Black has to find 21...f5 to avoid immediate catastrophe, while 20...Rxe4?! also looks problematic after 21.fxg6. However the engines give 20...Qb4 as very good for Black.

21.Qg3 h6 22.h4 g4 23.Rae1?

Too slow. Stockfish14.1 gives 23.Qxd6, when 23...Rad8 24.Qg3 is equal, according to the engines, although 23...Qb4!? may be good for Black. Komodo12.1.1 suggests 23.Rad1 Rad8 24.Rxd6 Rxd6 25.Qxd6, when again ...Qb4 may give Black an edge.

23...Re5 24.Re3 Qb4 25.h5?

This makes a bad position worse.

25...Rg8 26.Rf4 Kh7 27.Qh4 Rg5 28.Kg1 Qxb2

Black has nabbed a second pawn, and has the safer king

The game finished:

29.Ne2 Qa1+ 30.Kf2 Qxa4 31.Nc3 Qc2+ 32.Ne2 a4 33.Kg1 a3 34.Qe1 a2 35.Rc3 Qxe2! 0-1