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PLAYED last night.

Anders Lundbäck (1897) - Spanton (2001)

Battersea Club Championship

Jobava-Prié

1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 e6 3.Bf4 Bd6 4.e3!?

This is White's most-popular response to Black's quick challenge to the Jobava-Prié bishop.

4...Nc6!?

Possibly a novelty, although it transposes to a known position. Black's aim is to attack the white centre with ...e5 rather than the easier-to-achieve ...c5. Grandmasters have generally preferred completing kingside development with 4...Nf6 and 5...0-0, while popular at lower levels is 4...Bxf4 5.exf4 Nf6, which Stockfish15 - but not Komodo13.02 - reckons favours White.

5.Nf3 Nge7!?

The knight will attack the white dark-square bishop and further support ...e5.

6.Be2 Ng6 7.Bxd6

Also possible are 7.Bg3 and 7.g3!?, but the engines do not like 7.Bg5?! because of 7...f6 8.Bh4 Nxh4.

7...cxd6 8.0-0

White's pressure against d5 means ...e5 is still not a threat.

8...0-0 9.e4?!

This undoubles Black's d pawns while facilitating ...e5. Better is 8.Qd2 with a roughly even game.

9...dxe4 10.Nxe4 Nf4 11.c4?!

Now Black gets an initiative. The engines reckon 11.Bb5 maintains equality.

11...e5 12.d5 f5!?

How should White respond?

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13.Nc3

The engines agree this is best. The problem with 13.Nxd6!? is that after 13...Qxd6 14.dxc6 Qxc6 White does not have 15.Nxe5?? as Black replies 15...Qxg2#.

13...Ne7 14.Re1 Neg6 15.Bf1 e4 16.Nd4

How should Black continue?

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16...Qg5?!

This may look intimidating, but can be successfully countered. The key to the position is the d3 square, Black can stick a knight there with 16...Ne5 etc, or play 16...Qf6 with the idea of 17.g3 Nd3 18.Bxd3 Qxd4.

How should White defend?

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17.Re3?

This does nothing about the threat to occupy d3. Probably best is 17.g3!?, which looks weakening but will force the f4 knight to retreat, eg 17...Nh4? 18.Kh1 or the less-damaging for Black 17...Bd7 18.Kh1.

17...Nh5?

A weak retreat that covers the g3 square but otherwise does nothing for Black's position. Better is 17...Ne5, when 18.Rg3 can be answered by 18...Qh6 or 18...Qf6 with Black well on top, according to the engines.

18.Ncb5

This counterattack gives White the advantage.

18...Rf6?

Weak. The engines give best-play as 18...Nf6 19.Rg3 Qf4 20.Nc7 with a large edge for White.

19.Nc7 f4?!

Desperation. Objectively better is 19...Rb8 but Black is forced to give up the exchange without compensation after 20.N(either)e6 Bxe6 21.Nxe6 as 21...Qh6? loses to 22.Rh3.

20.Rxe4 Bf5 21.Nxf5 Qxf5 22.Bd3 Ne5?

Better is 22...Raf8 23.Re6 Qg5 24.Rxf6 Rxf6 but 25.Ne6 gives White a crushing advantage, according to the engines.

23.Rxe5 Qxe5 24.Nxa8

After ...

24...f3 25.g3 Qg5 26.Nc7 Nf4 27.Bf1 Qh5 28.Qe1 Ne2+ 29.Bxe2 fxe2 30.Ne6

... White had consolidated his material advantage (1-0, 39 moves).