THERE are 58 Romanians, a Pole, a Ukrainian and myself in the main tournament, and in round one I faced a Romanian junior (born 2005).
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| The playing hall before the start of the round |
Spanton (1889) - Hunor-Zoltán Antal (2263)
French Winawer
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.Bd2
This is second in popularity, a long way behind 5.a3, but has been played by many strong grandmasters.
5...Ne7 6.a3
This wins the bishop-pair - Black can hardly countenance 6...Ba5?! 7.dxc5 - but in a position in which the bishops have few open lines on which to operate.
6...Bxc3 7.Bxc3 b6 8.Nf3
White can keep the bishop-pair with 8.Bb5+ Bd7 9.Bd3, but 9...Nbc6 seems fine for Black.
8...Ba6 9.Bxa6 Nxa6 10.Qe2 Nb8!?
Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 prefer this over 10...Nc7, when the knight is developed but has few prospects.
11.dxc5?!
This may be just about OK, despite giving Black a preponderance of pawns in the centre - 11.0-0 is normal - but was chosen as part of a faulty plan.
11...bxc5 12.Qb5+?!
The queen will have to retreat at some point after Black's reply, meaning the black queen's knight gets to develop for free, but at least it will be on the d7 square rather than the more-active c6.
12...Nd7 13.b4 Rc8 14.0-0!? 0-0
Black cannot grab a pawn by 14...cxb4 15.Bxb4 Rxc2? as 16.Rac1 gives White a strong initiative.
15.Qe2
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| The net result of Qb5+ Nd7, Qe2 is Black developed the queen's knight without loss of tempo |
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15...Qc7
Adding pressure on the c file, but this can be bypassed, which may be why the engines prefer 15...cxb4!? 16.Bxb4, after which White has two queenside isolanis against Black's one.
16.b5 d4 17.Bd2 Ng6
I expected 17...Nd5, although the engines reckon White is fine after 18.a4 or 18.Rfe1. I was thinking of playing 18.Qe4, but the engines give 18...Rfe8, when 19.Ng5? runs into 19...f5.
18.Rfe1 c4?!
Probably trying for too much. The engines reckon the game is equal after a move such as 18...a6 (Stockfish15) or 18...h6 (Komodo13.02).
19.Bb4?!
'Clever', but probably not best. The engines like 19.Nxd4 Ndxe5 20.a4.
19...Rfd8 20.Bd6?!
Again Nxd4 seems better, the idea of the engines being to meet 20...Ndxe5 with 21.Bc3!?
20...Qb6 21.a4 d3!? 22.cxd3 cxd3 23.Qxd3 Ndxe5 24.Nxe5 Nxe5 25.Rxe5 Rxd6 26.Qe3 Rc2
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| Both players have to be careful about back-rank mates |
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27.a5!? Qxe3 28.Rxe3 Rb2 29.Rc3 g6
29...Kf8 30.Rc8+ Ke7 31.Rc7+ Rd7 32.Rxd7+ Kxd7 33.b6 is very drawish as long as Black avoids 33...axb6?? 34.a6 etc.
30.b6! axb6 31.Rc8+!?
Possibly better is 31.a6 Ra2! 32.Rcc1 Rc6! 33.Rcb1 Rxa1 34.Rxa1 Rc8 35.Kf1.
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| Position after the variation ending with 35.Kf1 |
31...Kg7 32.a6 Ra2! 33.Rcc1 Rxa1 34.Rxa1 Rd8 35.Kf1
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| Position after 35.Kf1 in the game |
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Comparing the two diagrams, we can see the black king is more flexibly placed in the game position and the black rook controls a file nearer to the white king. The engines reckon White has a slight edge in the first diagram but that Black, if anyone, is better in the game position.
35...Kf6 36.Ke2 Ke5 37.f4+ Ke4 38.Rb1 Rb8 39.Rb4+ Kd5 40.a7 Ra8 41.Rxb6 Rxa7
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| How would you assess this ending? |
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Black is a pawn up but all pawns are on one side of the board, which greatly boosts White's drawing chances. Stockfish15 reckons the position is equal but Komodo13.02 gives Black the upper hand. I suspect the truth theoretically is nearer the former's evaluation, but in practical over-the-board play Komodo13.02's assessment has something to be said for it.
42.Rb4 h5 43.h4!? Ra2+ 44.Kf3 Ra3+ 45.Kf2 f6 46.Ke2 Ra2+ 47.Kf3 Ra3+ 48.Ke2 Rg3 49.Kf2
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| How should Black proceed? |
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49...Rc3
Stockfish15 at first reckons 49...Rg4 is dead-equal, but later comes to give Black a miniscule edge; Komodo13.02 at first reckons 49...Rg4 wins, but later gives Black 'only' the upper hand. White is forced to reply 50.g3, then the interest focuses on 50...e5 51.Kf3 exf4 52.gxf4. Now 52...Rxh4 53.Rb6 looks rather drawish, so a better try may be 52...Ke6, but Stockfish15 reckons the obvious 53.Rb6+ completely equalises, although Komodo13.02 still gives Black the upper hand.
50.g3 Rc2+ 51.Ke3 e5 52.fxe5 fxe5 53.Rb6 Rc3+ 54.Kf2 Rc6 55.Rb4 e4 56.Rb8 Rf6+ 57.Ke2 Ke6
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| Stockfish15 rates the position as dead-equal; Komodo13.02 has come down to giving Black only a slight edge |
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58.Ke3 Rf3+ 59.Kxe4 Rxg3 60.Rb6+ Kf7
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| How should White proceed? |
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61.Rb7+??
As H-ZA pointed out afterwards, and as I had seen in the game, but then played the wrong move first, White has a draw with 61.Ke5, eg 61...Rg4 62.Rb7+ Kg8 63.Kf6 etc.
61...Kf6 62.Rb6+ Kg7 63.Ke5 Rg4 64.Rb7+ Kg6 0-1
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