Spanton (1889) - Ioan-Alexandru Iuga (1848)
French Alekhine-Chatard
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4 h6!?
Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon this is the best way to decline the gambit.
7.Bxe7 Qxe7 8.Qg4
This is the mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database, but the engines prefer 8.f4!?
8...0-0
One of the advantages of the ...h6 defence is Black can usually castle kingside in comparative safety.
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| How should White proceed? |
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9.Nh3?
The white centre is too fragile to allow this. Normal is 9.0-0-0 or 9.f4, in both cases with equal chances, according to the engines.
9...c5!
This is not in Mega22, which has 9...Qb4?! and 9...f6?! The former can be answered with 10.0-0-0 while the latter runs into 10.Nf4.
10.Bb5
10.Bb5
10.Nb5 is well-countered by 10...a6 or 10...Nc6. The engines suggest 10.dxc5!?, but agree Black is winning after 10...Nxe5.
10...cxd4 11.Qxd4 Nc6 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.0-0-0 c5 14.Qf4 f6?!
This looks natural but the engines reckon it throws away much of Black's advantage. They recommend 14...Rb8 or 14...Bb7.
15.exf6 Nxf6 16.Qd2?!
Almost certainly too passive. I rejected 16.Qe5 because of 16...Ng4?! 17.Nxd5 Qb7, missing that after 18.Ne7+ Qxe7 White has the forking 19.Qe4. Then 19...Rb8 20.Qxg4 leaves White a pawn up, but Black's pieces are so much more active that the engines reckon Black is better. This is somewhat academic, however, as the engines reckon both 16...d4 and 16...Nd7 leave Black well on top.
White's best chance, according to the engines, is 16.Rhe1, when White has pressure against Black's impressive-looking centre, although they reckon 16...Qb7 gives Black an advantage.
16...d4 17.Ne2 Ne4 18.Qe1
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| How should Black proceed? |
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18...Qxh4?
Black should continue calmly with, for example, 18...e5, maintaining a large advantage, according to the engines.
19.g3?
White at least equalises with 19.Nef4, according to the engines, eg 19...Rxf4 20.g3, or 19...Nxf2 20.Rf1, and if 19...Nd6? then 20.Ng6.
19...Qe7 20.Nxd4!?
It is a sign of how bad Black's position is that the engines are OK with this move. However, after ...
20...cxd4
... my planned 21.Qxe4 is answered by 21...Bb7.
21.Rxd4 Nf6
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| Black has bishop for pawn but is effectively much more than a rook ahead, according to Stockfish15, although Komodo13.02 puts the advantage at 'just' than a minor piece |
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22.Nf4 Qc5!?
Giving up a pawn in return for simplification. The engines prefer 22...e5, when 23.Ng6?! Qf7 24.Nxe5 is met by 24...Qxa2.
23.Nxe6 Bxe6 24.Qxe6+ Kh8 25.Rhd1 Rac8 26.Qe2 Qa5 27.Kb1 Rfd8 28.Qd3 Rxd4 29.Qxd4 Qc5 30.c3 Qxd4 31.Rxd4 Re8 32.Kc2 Re2+ 33.Rd2 Rxd2+ 34.Kxd2
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| How would you assess this ending? |
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Black has the only piece (apart from kings) and has possibilities of creating a passed pawn on the h file, but White's extra two pawns on the queenside look menacing. The engines agree Black is winning, but this is one of those unusual imbalances - unusual in the sense of not occurring all that often, except when the position is trivially winning for the player with the minor piece - that is tricky to play over the board.
34...Kg8 35.Kd3 Kf7 36.Kd4 Ke6 37.c4 h5
I-AI said afterwards he should have played 37...g5 to prevent my next move, and I thought he was probably right, but the engines reckon both moves win easily.
38.f4
Otherwise 38...g5 with ...h4 to come.
38...Kd6?!
Black is still much better after this, but 38...Kf5 is stronger, eg 39.c5 Kg4 36.c6 Ne8 with ...Kxg3 to follow.
39.b4
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| Black is still on top, but suddenly there are serious chances to go wrong |
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39...Nd7?
39...Nd7?
Both 39...Ke6!? and 39...g6 are winning, according to Stockfish15, although Komodo13.02 'merely' gives Black the upper hand.
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| What is White's drawing plan? |
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White needs to exchange off the black queenside pawn, even if this costs all three white queenside pawns, while at the same time penetrating on the kingside with the white king.
40.c5+ Kc6 41.a4 a6
The engines reckon Black can get away with, for example, 41...g6!?, but after 42.b5+ the white pawn-juggernaut means Black has to be careful not to lose.
42.Ke4!
The key switch of direction. Stockfish15 reckons Kc4 also draws, but recognises its error as soon as the move is inputted on the board.
42...g6 43.Kd4
Black is effectively in a sort of zugzwang.
43...Nf6 44.Ke5 Nd5 45.b5+ axb5 46.axb5+ Kxc5 47.b6
Diverting the knight.
47...Nxb6 48.Kf6 h4 49.gxh4
I-AI offered a draw.
49...Nd5+ 50.Kxg6 Nxf4+ 51.Kf5 Nh5 52.Kg5 Ng7 53.Kg6 Ne6
An only-move, but not difficult to find.
54.Kf6 ½–½
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