Ilinca-Petra Batagan (1932) - Spanton (1889)
Catalan*
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 c5
One point of Black's move-order is ...c5 can be played without White being able to push past with d5, although of course many blacks like White to push on to create a major imbalance.
4.Bg2 d5
The mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database runs 4...Nc6 5.0-0 d5 6.c4, reaching a position Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon slightly favours White.
5.c4 Nc6 6.cxd5
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| How should Black recapture? |
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6...Nxd5
The engines, and most strong players, it seems, prefer the most popular move in Mega22, 6...exd5, when 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nc3 0-0 reaches the main tabiya of the Tarrasch Defence - 15,057 games in the database.
7.0-0 cxd4
The commonest move in Mega22 is 7...Be7, with an almost even split between the replies 8.dxc5 and 8.Nc3 (the engines prefer the former).
8.Nxd4 Bd7 9.e4
White kicks the knight to gain space and let the queen's knight be developed without contracting two queenside isolanis.
9...Nf6 10.Nc3 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Bc6
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| How would you assess this position, and how would you proceed? |
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Black has no weaknesses and has a well-placed light-square bishop, but White has more space in the centre and is ahead on development. The highest-rated game to reach the position, Daniel Hausrath (2493) - Diogo Fernando (2482), ICC online blitz 2009, continued 12.Be3 Qxd4 13.Bxd4 Be7 14.Rfd1 0-0 15.e5 with advantage to White, according to the engines (1-0, 54 moves). The engines suggest an apparent novelty in 12.Qc4!?, claiming White has the upper hand, eg 12...Be7 13.Rd1 Nd7 14.b4!? a6 15.a4 with an initiative.
12.Qe3
This, like 12.Qc4!?, avoids an exchange of queens, but leaves the white queen's bishop short of squares. Nevertheless the engines reckon White's lead in development and extra space give a slight edge.
12...Bb4!?
Possibly a novelty. 12...Be7 is known from a nonsense game in Mega22 that continued 13.e5 0-1.
13.Rd1 Qa5
This is much better than the passive 13...Qe7?, after which 14.e5 creates major problems for Black as 14...Nd5 loses a pawn, and 14...Nd7 15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.Ne4 is even worse, according to the engines.
14.Bd2 0-0 15.a3 bc5 16.Qe2 Qb6 17.e5 Bxg2 18.Kxg2
After 18.exf6?! Qc6 White is holding on with 19.Qg4, according to the engines, but 19.fxg7?! Rfd8 looks good for Black.
18...Nd7?!
Better, according to the engines, is 18...Nd5, but 19.Nxd5 exd5 is clearly good for White.
19.Bf4
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| How should Black respond to White's threat to create an outpost at d6? |
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19...Bd4!?
The engines prefer 19...Rfd8!?, but 20.Bg5 f6 21.exf6 Nxf6 22.Bxf6 gxf6 leaves Black with an extra pawn-island and an exposed king.
20.Kg1?
Too conservative. Strong is 20.Nb5 Bc5 21.Rac1 Rac8 22.b4 Be7, when 23.Be3 wins a pawn and leaves White with much the better position. But not 20.Qd2? Qc6+, eg 21.Kg1 Nxe5! After the text the game quickly peters out into a draw.
20...Bxc3 21.Rxd7
21...bxc3?! keeps the game interesting, but probably favours Black.
21...Qxb2 22.Qxb2 Bxb2 23.Ra2 Bc3 24.Rc2 Ba5 25.Rxb7 Rfb8 26.Rxb8+ Rxb8 27.Be3 Bb6 28.Bxb6
Or 28.Rb2 Bc7.
28...axb6 29.Rc7 ½–½
*ChessBase classifies the opening as a Catalan, although during the game I thought it was probably a Semi-Tarrasch.
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