WAS downfloated against a Scot last night.
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| A kitten plays in the venue-hotel grounds while its mother keeps a wary eye on me |
Spanton (1861) - Jonathan Grant (2157)
Nimzo-Indian
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd2!?
No doubled c pawns today, thank you.
4...d5 5.e3 0-0 6.Nf3 c6!?
This is quite a rare continuation, although it has been played by grandmasters. Normal are typically Nimzo-Indian moves, 6...b6 and 6...c5. Also quite popular is 6...Nbd7!?, which JG said in the postmortem he gave serious attention to.
7.Rc1 Nbd7 8.a3?!
With Black having played ...c6, it is should be obvious Black will play for the ...e5 break or plant the king's knight on e4 and support it with f5. So a3 gives Black a tempo to either relocate the dark-square bishop to d6, where it will support ...e5, or to capture on c3 and follow-up with ...Ne4. Having said that, 8.a3?! has been played by a 2445 and a 2327, although they both lost.
8...Bd6 9.Bd3 Re8 10.0-0
There is an argument for playing e4 before Black can get in ...e5, but it looks risky with White uncastled, and the move is strongly disliked by Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02.
10...e5
In positions with pawns facing each other at d4 and d5, the first player to get in the e-pawn break often has an edge, or at least the initiative. Here it is not so clear as White has a slight lead in development.
11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5
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| How should White proceed? |
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13.f4?!
I rejected the engines' choice, 13.cxd5, because I was worried about a Greek Gift sacrifice on h2, but the engines reckon 13...Bxh2+? 14.Kxh2 Ng4+ 15.Kg3 (not 15.Kg1?? Qh4 etc) wins for White. Instinctively I did not trust 13.h3?!, and indeed the engines reckon Black is at least slightly better after 13...dxc4 14.Bxc4 Bf5. That left the text, which removes immediate danger from the white king but creates a backward e pawn and leaves a hole at e4.
13...Bg4 14.Qc2 dxc4?!
Probably better is the engines' 14...Bc7, or 14...Bxc3 15.Bxc3 dxc4 16.Bxc4, which transposes to the game but without allowing White the option of capturing on e5.
15.Bxc4
The engines' give 15.fxe5!? cxd3 16.Qa4 Rxe5 17.Rxf6 Qxf6 18.Qxg4 with an unclear position.
15...Bxc3
The engines prefer 15...Bc7.
16.Bxc3
Not 16.Qxc3?? Ne4, while 16.bxc3? creates more weaknesses.
16...Nd5
The engines marginally prefer grabbing the pawn with 16...Rxe3, but White's bishop-pair and better-coordinated pieces make it a chancy decision in practice.
17.Bxd5 Qxd5 18.Bd4 Bf5 19.Qc3 Re6!?
Indirectly defending g7 (20.Bxg7?? Rg6) and preparing more pressure against g2, but the engines reckon Black should defend with 19...f6 and concentrate on central play.
20.Rcd1
This is the engines' choice, but Stockfish15 points out the possibility of 20.Bxa7!?, the point being the threat of back-rank mate means 20...Rxa7?? loses to 21.R(either)d1. However, after 20...Rg6 21.Rf2 Be4 White apparently has nothing better than 22.Qd4, when 22...Rxg2+ 23.Rxg2 Bxg2 24.Qxd5 Bxd5 25.bc5 is at best equal for White.
20...Rg6 21.g3?
Not 21.Rf3?? Qxf3, but the engines reckon 21.Rd2 is dead-equal.
21...Bh3 22.Rf2
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| Not only is White horribly weak on the kingside light squares, but the white rooks are uncoordinated |
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22...h5 23.Rdd2!?
Weakening the back rank is often a dubious idea but at least the text links the white rooks.
23...Qa2?!
A doubtful diversion. Black is better after the consistent 23...h4.
24.Qd3!?
Putting the queen on a file that will be occupied by the black queen's rook may not be best. The engines suggest 24.Rd1.
24...Rd8 25.b4 Qd5 26.e4
The engines slightly prefer 26.Qe2 or 26.f5!?
26...Qd7 27.Qe3
27.e5 prevents Black's next, but 27...h4 is good.
27...Rd6 28.Bc3 Rd3
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| How should White respond? |
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29.Qe2?
Best is 29.Rxd3 (29.Qxd3 comes to the same thing) Qxd3 30.Qxd3 Rxd3 31.Rc2, although as JG pointed out Black is better after 31...Rf3 (the engines reckon Black has the upper hand).
29...Rxc3?!
Spectacular, but not best, according to the engines. They give the more-prosaic 29...Rxd2 30.Qxd2 Qc7 31.Qe2 c5!, claiming a winning advantage for Black, eg they reckon best-play runs 32.Qxh5 cxb4 33.axb4 Qxc3 34.Qxh3 35.Qxb4, when Black's connected queenside passers, combined with the continuing weakness of the white king, give a large advantage.
30.Rxd7 Rxd7 31.Rf3??
Correct is 31.Rf1 Bxf1 32.Kxf1, when 32...Rxa3 33.e5 (33.Qxh5?? Rd2) gives decent drawing chances, eg 33...h4 (33...Re7 34.Qxh5) 34.e6 Re7 35.exf7+ Kf8 36.Qg4. Instead of 32...Rxa3, Stockfish15 prefers coordinating rooks with 32...Rdd3, but 33.e5 again gives drawing chances, although 35...h4 36.e6 Rf3+! 37.Kg2 Rfe3 gives Black the upper hand, according to the engines.
The game finished:
31...Bg4 32.Qb2 Rxf3 33.f5 Bh3 0-1
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