Adam McRae-Taylor (1719) - Spanton (1972)
Pseudo-Chigroin
1.Nf3 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.g3
There are 3,614 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database, but more popular are 3.e3 (Colle), 3.c4 (mainline Chigorin) and especially 3.Bf4 (London System).
3...Bg4
Chigorin specialist Alexander Morozevich has recommended 3...Bf5, which is preferred by Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1.
4.Bg2 Qd7 5.h3 Bf5 6.c4!?
More popular in Mega22 is the defensive 6.c3, but the engines much prefer the text.
6...dxc4(?)
It seems 6...e6 is necessary, although the engines reckon 7.Nc3 leaves White at least slightly better.
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| How should White proceed? |
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7.d5!
The diagrammed position occurs in only five games in Mega22, but all at quite a high level. A 2385 played 7.Qa4?!, which the engines reckon lets Black equalise with 7...e5! The other four games, featuring players rated 2261, 2535, 2580 and 2609, saw 7.Nc3, which the engines reckon is good for White. But they prefer the text.
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| How should Black respond? |
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7...Nb4
Best, according to the engines, is 7...Bxb1!?, part of a semi-forcing line, 8.Rab1 Rd8 9.e4 e6. 10.0-0 exd5 11.exd5 Qxd5 12.Re1+ Be7 13.Qa4, that reaches a position in which Black is two pawns up but facing dangerous threats, including 14.Ne5 and 14.Bf4. Stockfish14.1 reckons White is winning, although Komodo12.1.1 'only' gives White the upper hand.
8.0-0
Even stronger seems to be 8.Ne5, when 8...Nc2+ 9.Qxc2 Bxc2 10.Nxd7 Kxd7 11.Na3 Bg6 12.Nxc4 sees White recover the pawn and emerge with a position the engines agree is winning. Black could try 8...Qd6, when 9.Nxe5 is probably not best, thanks to 9...Qa6, but the engines reckon 9.0-0 and 9.Na3 are winning.
8...Nc2+?!
The engines prefer 8...f6!?, stopping Ne5, but 9.Nd4 leaves White well on top.
9.Ne5 Qc8 10.e4 Nxa1 11.Qa4+??
After 11.exf5 Black is the exchange and a pawn up, but completely lost, according to the engines, eg 11...Qxf5 12.Qa4+ Kd8 13.Bf4 with a huge attack. Better probably is 11...Nf6, when a sample line runs 12.Nc3 g6 13.Bf4 Bg7 14.Qa4+ Nd7 15.Nxc4 0-0 16.fxg6 hxg6 17.Rxa1, giving White a material as well as a positional advantage.
11...Bd7
It is a sign of how big White's advantage was that even now Komodo12.1.1 at first reckons the game is equal. Stockfish14.1's assessment of the upper hand for Black seems closer to the truth, and indeed Komodo12.1.1 comes to wavering between equality and giving Black a slight edge.
12.Nxd7?!
Probably better is 12.Qxc4. The text wins the bishop-pair but eases Black's crampedness.
12...Qxd7 13.Qxc4 Nf6?
This encourages White to gain space. Best, according to the engines, is 13...e5, and if 14.dxe6 then 14...Qxe6!?, offering pawns for speedy development and prospects of rescuing the queen's knight, eg 15.Qxc7 Rc8 16.Qxb7 Bc5!?
14.Nc3?
White is right back in the game after 14.e5, when 14...Ng8? 15.e6 is winning for White while 14...b5 is equal, according to the engines.
14...c6?!
Probably stronger is 14...e5.
15.e5?
White is equal after 15.Bf4, according to the engines.
15...Nxd5 16.Nxd5 cxd5 17.Bxd5 e6 18.Be4 Rc8 19.Qe2 Be7 20.Be3 Qa4
This is best, according to Stockfish14.1, although Komodo12.1.1 wants to simply give up the knight with 20...Nc2!?, the point being that after 21.Bxc2 0-0 Black has got the king to safety and is the exchange up.
21.Bxb7
This is probably best although the engines also like 21.Qd3, albeit agreeing Black is winning after both moves.
21...Rc2!?
Walking into a pin, but Black can safely get out of it, and anyway White cannot capture the rook as it is protected by the knight as well as the queen.
22.Qd1 0-0 23.Qxa1 Rb8 24.Bf3 Rcxb2
Not 24...Rbxb2?? 25.Bd1.
25.a3 Bxa3!?
Another pin, but again it is not dangerous.
26.Bc1 Rb1!?
Forcing a winning ending.
27.Qxa3 Qxa3 28.Bxa3 Rxf1+ 29.Kxf1 Rb3 30.Bc5 Rxf3 31.Bxa7
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| Position after 31.Bxa7 |
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31...Kf8?!
This is objectively OK but it is simpler to extricate the rook, after which being the exchange up is a fairly simple win despite all the pawns being on the same side of the board.
32.Be3 Ke7 33.Kg2
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| How should Black proceed? |
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33...Rf5?
It was necessary to take the plunge with 33...Rxe3 34.fxe3 Kd7, which is a winning pawn ending for Black.
34.f4
Now the position is drawn.
34...g5 35.g4 Rxf4
Not 35...gxf4?? 36.Bc5+ etc.
36.Bxf4 gxf4 37.Kf3 Kd7 38.Kxf4
AM-T offered a draw.
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| How should Black respond? |
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38...Kc6?
38...Kc6?
38...Ke7 39.Kg5 f6! 40.exf6 Kf7 is a tablebase draw, although Komodo12.1.1 reckons White is winning.
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| What should White play? |
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39.Ke4?
Winning is 39.Kg5 Kd5 40.Kf6 Ke4 41.h4 Kf4 42.g5, eg 42...Ke4 43.h5 Kf4 44.Kxf7 etc.
39...Kc5 40.g5?
White still had a draw after several moves, including 40.h4, eg 40...Kc4 41.h5 Kc5 42.Kf4 Kd4 43.Kg5 Kxe5 44.Kh6 Kf4 45.Kxh7 e5 46.Kg7 etc.
40...Kc4 41.h4 Kc5 42.Ke3
Or 42.h5 Kc4 etc. White loses because 40.g5? blocked the white king's access to the black kingside.
42...Kd5 43.Kf4 Kd4 44.h5 Kd5
White's flag fell as he played 45.h6.
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