TONIGHT I was upfloated in what was the last of the evening rounds.
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| Bay view |
Spanton (1861) - Josep María Sayrol Clols (2047)
Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3,Bb5 d6 4.0-0 g6!?
The text has been played by grandmasters, but the mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database runs 4...Bd7 5.Re1 Nf6 6.c3 a6 7.Bf1!? Bg4!? 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3, when White is slightly better, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02.
5.c3
The engines like 5.d4 cxd4 6.Qxd4 Nf6 7.e5 dxe5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.Ne5, which wins a pawn. If, instead, 5...Bd7, the engines reckon 6.dxc5, 6.d5 and 6.Bxc6 are all good.
5...Bg7 6.d4 cxd4 7.cxd4 a6
The engines prefer this to the more-popular 7...Bd7.
8.Ba4
8.Bxc6+!? bxc6 9.Qc2 is better for White, according to the engines.
8...b5 9.Bb3!?
This is probably better than allowing the white kingside to be broken up with 9.Bc2 Bg4 10.Be3 Bxf3 11.gxf3.
9...Nf6 10.h3 Qc7?
Not 10...Nxe4?? 11.Bd5, but the text also causes Black problems. Possibly best is the simple 10...Bb7.
11.Qc2 Qb6?!
Better is 11...Ra7 or 11...Qb7, according to the engines.
12.e5!?
Also strong is 12.Be3, and if 12...Nb4, then rather than 13.Bxf7+ the engines reckon even better is moving the queen, for example to d2.
12...Bf5
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| How should White proceed? |
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13.Qe2
I thought this was clearer than winning three pieces for the queen by 13.exf6!? Bxc2 14.fxg7 Rg8 15.Bxc2. The engines disagree, although Komodo13.02 is not as sure as Stockfish15.
13...dxe5 14.dxe5 Ng8?
Well, it certainly is clear now. Black had to play 14...Nd7, when best may be 15.Bxf7+ Kxf7 16.e6+ Kg8 (16...Bxe6 17.Ng5+) 17exd7, after which White is surely better but the position is not completely clear.
15.e6?!
Much stronger is 15.Nc3 or 15.Be3, according to the engines.
15...f6?
Better, but still very good for White, according to the engines, is 15...Bxe6 16.Bxe6 fxe6 17.Qxe6 Qc5.
16.Nc3
Threatening to win the f5 bishop with 17.g4.
16...h5 17.Be3 Qc7
Black is completely lost wherever the queen goes, according to the engines.
18.Rac1 Rc8 19.Rfd1 Qb8 20.Rd7 Ne5 21.Ba7 Nxf3+ 22.Qxf3 Qe5
Or 22...Qa8 23.Bd5.
23.Qb7 1-0
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