Dominic Gibbs (1873) - Spanton (1989)
Spanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.Qe2!?
Other moves are more popular but the text was pioneered by Howard Staunton and has been recommended in at least one popular repertoire book.
4...Bc5 5.c3
5.Bxc6!? has been tried by strong players. After 5...dxc6?! 6.Nxe5 Qe7 (or 6...Qd4) White has 7.Nd3, keeping the extra pawn as 7...Nxe4? runs into 8.f3. Better is 5...bxc6, when 6.Nxe5 Qe7 7.Nd3 can be met by 7...Ba6 with more than enough compensation for a pawn.
5...d6
The mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database goes 5...0-0 6.0-0 Re8 7.d3 h6 with an equal position, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02.
6.0-0
The engines reckon White has a slight edge after 6.d4!? exd4 7.cxd4 Bb4+ 8.Bd2.
6...0-0 7.a4!?
There are only two examples of this move in Mega22 but it is liked by the engines. Normal is 7.Rd1.
7...a6 8.Bc4
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| This position usually arises with White to move after being reached from a Giuoco Piano move-order |
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8...Be6 9.Bxe6 fxe6 10.b4 Ba7 11.d3 Qe8 12.Be3 Qh5!?
I felt 12...Bxe3 13.fxe3 led to a too-drawish position, but the engines prefer it to the text.
13.Bxa7 Rxa7 14.Nbd2
DG offered a draw.
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| How should Black respond? |
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White has more space on the queenside and the black queen's rook is awkwardly placed, but Black has pressure against the white kingside. Stockfish15 reckons the position is equal but Komodo13.02 gives White a slight edge. Clearly the position is very playable for Black, but ...
14...g5?!
... is too ambitious, according to the engines.
15.b5 axb5 16.axb5 Rxa1 17.Rxa1 Nd8 18.Nf1 g4 19.Ne1 Qg6 20.f3!?
The engines prefer counterplay with 20.Ra8 or 20.Ra7.
20...gxf3!?
Komodo13.02 likes 20...h5 but Stockfish15 prefers the text.
21.Nxf3 Nh5 22.Ne3
22.Kh1 or 22.N1d2 may be better.
22...Nf4 23.Qf1
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| How should Black proceed? |
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23...Nxd3!?
This wins a pawn but the engines prefer 23...Nf7!? or 23...d5 as after ...
24.Qxd3 Rxf3
... White has 25.b6!, when 25...cxb6 (best) 26.Qxd6 is at least equal.
The game saw:
25.Ra4?! Qg5 26.Ra8!
The only move to keep the game going.
26...Rf8 27.h3 h5 28.Nc2?!
Probably better is the engines' 28.Nf1.
28...Qc1+ 29.Kh2 Qf4+ 30.Qg3 Kh7?!
Almost certainly better is 30...Kf7, unpinning the black knight.
31.Qxf4 exf4 32.Nd4?!
The engines reckon 32.Rc8 equalises.
32...e5 33.b6!? c6?!
Black has an advantage after 33...cxb6.
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| How should White respond? |
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34.Nxc6! bxc6!?
Stockfish15 agrees with sacrificing the exchange but Komodo13.02 prefers going a pawn down after 34...Ne6 35.Rxf8 Nxf8 36.Nd8 Nd7 37.Nxb7 Nxb6 38,Nxd6, when Black seems to have good drawing chances.
35.b7 Nxb7 36.Rxf8 Nc5 37.Rc8 Nxe4 38.Rxc6
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| Black's extra pawn and active king give decent compensation for the exchange |
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38...Kg6 39.Rc8 Kf5 40.Kg1 Ng3 41.c4 Ke4 42.c5 dxc5 43.Rxc5 Kd4 44.Rc8 e4 45.Kf2 Nh1+ 46.Ke1 Ke3 47.Rc3+ Kd4 48.Rc8 Kd3 49.Ra8 Ng3 ½–½
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