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| War memorial? No, it is a drinking fountain erected after the death in 1859 of John Randall, much-praised manager of the nearby Dunraven Estate |
Spanton (1889) - John R Richardson (FM 2289)
Caro-Kann Tartakower
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.c3 Bd6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.Ne2 Re8 9.0-0 Nd7 10.Ng3
The mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database runs 10.Bf4 Nf8 11.Bxd6 Qxd6 12.Ng3 with a position Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon is equal.
10...g6 11.Qf3 Nb6 12.Ne4 Be7 13.Re1 Be6 14.Bd2 f5 15.Ng3 a5 16.Rad1!? a4
Not 16...Bxa2 as 17.Nxf5! gives White a large advantage, the point being 17...gxf5?? 18.Qxf5 leads to mate in three.
17.Bc2 Bf8 18.Bb1?!
Probably better is 18.b3 axb3 19.Bxb3!?, although the engines slightly prefer Black.
18...Qd5!?
With a compromised kingside pawn-majority, Black would not normally want to exchange queens. But White's queen is active, and Black has hopes of pressurising the white queenside with minor pieces and the queen's rook.
19.Qxd5 Bxd5 20.Ne2?!
The knight has better prospects after 20.Nf1, as after the text play runs ...
20...Nc4 21.Bc1 Bd6
... and it is possible White's best now is 22.Ng3!?
22.b3 axb3 23.axb3 Na3 24.Bxa3 Bxa3?!
This seems to throw away most of Black's advantage. After 24...Rxa3 25.c4 Be6 Black is positionally winning, according to the engines.
25.Bd3!? Bb2
25...Bxb3 26.Rb1.
26.c4 Be4
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
27.f3?
Both 27.Bxe4 and 27.Kf1 equalise, according to the engines.
27...Bxd3 28.Rxd3 Ba3 29.Kf1 Bb4 30.Nc3!?
Giving up a pawn, but the engines agree it is preferable to 30.Red1 Ra2, eg 31.Ng3 h5 32.h4 Bd6, or 31.Nc1 Rc2 32.d5 (best, according to the engines) Kg7 33.d6 Bc5! 34.R3d2 Rxd2 35.Rxd2 Rd8 etc.
30...Rxe1+ 31.Kxe1 Ra2 32.Kf1 Bxc3 33.Rxc3 Rd2 34.h3?
Better is 34.d5 cxd5 35.Ke1! (this gives more drawing chances than 35.cxd5, according to the engines), eg 35...Rd4 36.Ke2 dxc4 37.bxc4, which is dead-equal, according to Stockfish15, although Komodo13.02 gives Black a slight edge. If 35...Rxg2 then 36.cxd5 gives strong counterplay.
34...Kg7 35.d5 cxd5 36.cxd5 Rxd5 37.Ke2 g5?!
The engines do not like this, preferring to improve the pieces first, eg 37...Rd4 or 37...Kf6.
38.Re3?!
White should take the chance to gain kingside space with 38.h4!? or 38.f4!?, according to the engines, one point being capturing the attacking pawn is met by 39.Rc4, after which the sacrificed pawn is recovered and Black's kingside is smashed, eg 38.h4!? gxh4 39.Rc4 Rb5 40.b4. However the engines reckon Black remains better if he avoids capturing, eg 38.h4!? h6.
38...Kf6 39.Rc3 Ke5?
Black cannot afford to leave the seventh rank undefended. The engines reckon 39...Rd4 and 39...Rb5 maintain a large advantage.
40.Ke3?
Missing the opportunity. After 40.Rc7 Rb5 41.Rxf7 White has equalised, according to Stockfish15, although Komodo13.02 gives Black a slight edge.
40...f4+ 41.Ke2 h6 42.Rc7 Rb5 43.Rc3
It is too late for a rook raid, eg 43.Rxf7 Rxb3 44.Rh7 Rb6!? leaves Black well on top.
43...Kd4 44.Kd2 Ra5 45.Rc4+ Kd5 46.Kc3
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
46...Ra2
This wins, but so does the pawn ending, although it is harder to calculate, eg 46...Rc5 47.Kd3 Rxc4 48.bxc4+ Kc5 49.Kc3 b6 50.Kd3 Kb4 51.Kd4 f6 52.Kd3 Kb3 53.Kd4 Kc2! 54.c5 (54.Kd5 Kd3 etc) bxc5+ 55.Kxc5 Kd2 56.Kd4 Ke2 etc.
47.Rd4+ Ke5 48.Re4+ Kf6 49.Rb4 Rxg2 50.Rxb7 Rxg3 51.Rb6+ Kg7 52.b4 Rxf3+ 53.Kc4 Rxh3 (0-1, 59 moves).
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