Tegernsee R8 Game

PLAYED April 2.

Thomas Bertram (1709) - Spanton (1912)

Senioren Cup

Giuoco Piano

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5!?

More popular are 2...Nc6 and especially 2...Nf6, but after the latter White has a dangerous gambit in 3.d4!? exd4 4.Nf3!? Having said that, the main line in the gambit continues 4...Nc6 5.e5 d5 5.Bb5 Ne4 6.Nxd4 with what Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon is an equal position.

3.Nf3

Transposing to the Giuoco Piano in this way is easily White's commonest response.

3...Nc6 4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3

Can you find an equalising combination for Black?

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No.

5...Nxe4??

This well-known idea fails spectacularly here.

6.Bxf7+?

This gives White a large advantage, but Bxf7+ in these positions is nearly always inferior to Nxe4, and this is no exception as 6.Nxe4 wins a piece thanks to 6...d5 7.Nxc5.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe4 Be7 8.d4!

Much better than the quiet 8.d3, after which 8...d5 equalises, according to the engines.

8...d5!

This is best, according to the engines. Black speeds development without worrying about the possibility of losing a pawn.

9.Neg5+ Bxg5?!

Better seems to be the engines' 9...Kg8!?, the point being 10.dxe5 can be met by 10...h6 11.Nh3 Bxh3, when White's shattered kingside gives a fair bit of compensation for a pawn.

10.Bxg5!?

Prioritising development. Komodo12.1.1, but not Stockfish14, prefers 10.Nxg5.

10...Qd6

Despite first appearances, this does not save a pawn, so the engines' 10...Qd7!? may be better.

11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Bf4

This wins a pawn but the engines slightly prefer 12.Nxe5+!? Qxe5 13.Qh5+ g6 14.Qf3 Qf5 15.Qg3 with good attacking chances.

12...Nxf3+ 13.Qxf3 Qf6 14.Qxd5+ Be6 15.Qh5+ g6 16.Qe5?!

Letting queens come off the board, when the black king is so exposed, greatly reduces White's winning chances.

16...Qxe5 17.Bxe5 Rhd8 18.a3?!

18.Bf4, covering the d2 entry square, is almost certainly better.

18...Rd2 19.Rac1 c6 20.Bf4 Re2 21.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 22.Rxe1 Bf5 23.Bg5 Re8 24.Rxe8 Kxe8

Komodo12.1.1 reckons White has a slight edge, but Stockfish14's verdict of equal is surely right.

25.c3 Kd7 26.Kf1 Kd6 27.Ke2 Kd5 28.h4

TB offfered a draw.

28...Kc4 29.Kd2 a5 30.Bd8 a4 ½–½