WAS downfloated this afternoon
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| Sunbathers |
Miguel Cerdó Fernández (1774) - Spanton (1861)
Spanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 a6!?
A fairly popular alternative to the well-known 5...Nd6 and 5...Be7.
6.Bxc6
6.Ba4 transposes to the Open Variation of the Spanish.
6...dxc6 7.Nxe5!?
The mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database runs 7.Qe2 Bf5 8.dxe5, when Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon 8...Bc5 gives Black at least equality.
7...Be7 8.Re1 Nd6 9.Nd2 0-0 10.c3 Be6 11.Nf3 Bd5 12.Bf4 Re8 13.Rc1!?
The engines suggest 13.Ng4.
13...f6 14.Nd3 b6!?
The engines reckon Black should preserve the bishop-pair, for example by 14...a5, or by14...Qd7 so as to meet 15.Nb4 with 15...Bf7. I rejected 14...Qd7 because of 15.Nc5, but the engines reckon 15...Qf5 is good.
15.b3
Preparing to grab a bigger share of the centre. The game is equal after 15.Nb4 and 16.Nxd5, according to the engines.
15...Qd7 16.c4 Bf7
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
17.Bg3?
White's extra space in the centre might well compensate for Black's bishop-pair if it were not for the weakness of d4. As it is, the engines reckon to equalise White has to find 17.Nde5! fxe5 18.dxe5 and 19.exd6. The engines' second line starts with 17.Bxd6, but Black seems to have an edge whichever way the bishop is recaptured.
17...Nf5 18.Nf4 g5!? 19.Ne2 Ba3 20.Ra1
Both 20.Rc2 and 20.Rb1 can be answered by 20...Bg6.
20...Bb4 21.Rf1 Qe7 22.a3
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| What should Black play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
22...Nxg3?
The simple 22...Bxa3 is strong. I cannot recall why I did not play it.
23.hxg3?
White equalises with 23.Nxg3, eg 23...Bxa3 24.Re1 Qf8 25.Rxe8 Rxe8 26.c5 Bb4 27.cxb6 cxb6 28.Rxa6 - dead-equal, according to the engines.
23...Bxa3 24.Ra2 a5 25.Nc1 Rad8 26.Re1 Qf8 27.Rxe8 Rxe8 28.Nd3 Be7 29.Re2 Bd8 30.Rxe8 Qxe8 31.Nde1 a4!?
The engines reckon 31...Qe4 and 31...Bg6 are stronger.
32.bxa4 Bxc4 33.Qc2 Qe6 34.Nd3? Bb3 (0-1, 65 moves).
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