Bregenz Round Four

FACED a  Dutchman this afternoon.

Unusual wall decoration in the old town

Elwin Osterwald (2133) - Spanton (1860)

English Botvinnik

1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.e4 d6 6.Nge2 Nf6 7.d3 0-0 8.0-0

A popular tabiya in Botvinnik's System in the English

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8...Ne8!?

There are 1,300 games with this move in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database, although that pales in comparison with the 1,937 games featuring 8...a6.

9.Be3 Nd4

Preventing White heading for a Maróczy Bind with d4.

10.Rb1 Nc7

This and 10...a5, delaying b4, are roughly equally popular.

11.b4 Bg4!?

Almost certainly a novelty.

How should White respond?

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12.f3

Stockfish14.1, but not Komodo12.1.1, prefers grabbing a pawn with 12.bxc5 dxc5 13.Rxb7. Stockfish14.1 continues 13...Qc8 14.Rb1 Nf3+ 15.Kh1 Bxc3 16.h3! Nd2 17.Bxd2 Bxe2 18.Qxe2 Bxd2 19.Bxd2, when White is a pawn up but only has a slight edge, according to both engines. Komodo12.1.1 gives 13...Nf3+ 14.Kh1 Bxc3 15.h3! Bc8 16.Rxc7 Qxc7 17.Nxc3 Nd4, when White has a pawn and the bishop-pair for the exchange. Komodo12.1.1 reckons White is slightly better; Stockfish14.1 reckons White has the upper hand.

12...Bc8 13.f4

By declining the sacrifice, White has got in f4 for free and has a slight edge, according to the engines.

13...e5

Possibly better is 13...b6!?, intending to meet 14.e5 by sacrificing the exchange, eg 14...dxe5 15.Bxa8 exf4 16.Rxf4 (this is best, according to the engines) Nxa8, after which the engines reckon Black is at least equal.

14.Qd2 Qe7

Again the solidifying ...b6 may be better.

15.bxc5 dxc5 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.exd5?!

White stands better after 17.cxd5, according to the engines.

17...Nxe2+ 18.Qxe2 exf4 19.Rxf4 f5?

I rejected the superior 19...Bf5! because of 20.g4, missing that both 20...Rae8 and 20...Bd4 give Black decent play with roughly equal chances, according to the engines.

20.Qf2

Not only does this win the c5 pawn, but the Black queenside comes under intense pressure.

20...Re8 21.Bxc5 Qe2 22.Qxe2 Rxe2 23.Rf2 Rxf2 24.Kxf2 Bf8!?

Not much better is 24...b6 25.d6.

25.Bxf8 Kxf8 26.c5 Ke7 27.Ke3 b6??

I resigned before pressing the clock. It is a sign of how bad Black's position was that this rook-losing blunder does not greatly alter the engines' evaluations.