Spanton (1983) - Robin Sarfas (1784)
English Symmetrical Botvinnik
1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.e4 Nf6!?
An interesting moment to break the symmetry. Most popular in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database is 6...e6.
7.Nge2 0-0 8.0-0 a6 9.h3 Rb8 10.a4
There are 1,146 games with this position in Mega22.
10...Bd7
This is popular, but the mainline runs 10...Ne8!? 11.Be3 Nc7 12.d4 cxd4 13.Nxd4 Ne6 14.Nde2, slightly favouring White, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02.
11.Be3 e5 12.Qd2?!
Much more popular is 12.f4, as after the text ...
12...Nd4
... threatens an unpleasant fork.
 |
| How should White respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
13.Bxd4
The engines give 13.Rab1!? even though this allows 13...Bxh3, when they continue 14.Bg5 (14.Bxh3?? Nf3+), reckoning 14...Nxe2+ 15.Qxe2 Be6 16.b4 leaves Black at best only slightly better.
13...cxd4 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.cxd5 b5 16.b3?!
Probably better is 16.axb5, although 16...Bxb5 leaves Black with the upper hand.
16...bxa4 17.bxa4 a5
Black is winning, according to the engines.
18.f4 Rb4 19.fxe5 dxe5
Even stronger might be 19...Bxe5!?
20.Qc2 f5 21.Kh2 Qb6 22.Rfc1 Rc8?
Very strong is 22...fxe4 23.dxe4 Rb2.
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
23.Qd2
The engines give 23.Qxc8+! Bxc8 24.Rxc8 Bf8 (forced) 25.exf5 gxf5 26.Rf1, when Black is still better but White has serious counterplay.
23...Rb8 24.exf5 gxf5 25.Qg5 Qd6 26.Rc6!?
Desperation, but it becomes Stockfish15's top choice for a short while.
26...Bxc6 27.dxc6 Rb2 28.Qh5 Rc2 29.Rf1 Qg6 30.Bd5+ Kh8 31.Qf3 Qd6 32.Bc4 e4 33.Qh5 Qg6 34.Qxg6 hxg6
Probably even better is 34...Rxe2+, but the text is plenty good enough.
The game finished:
35.Rf2 e3 36.Rg2 Be5 37.Bb5 g5 38.Kg1 f4 39.gxf4 gxf4 40.Rg5 Rg8 41.Rxg8+ Kxg8 42.Bc4+ Kg7 43.Nxd4? Bxc4 0-1
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