Northumbria Challengers (U2000 Fide) Round Eight

Kevin Winter (1762 ECF/1689 Fide) - Spanton (1949 ECF/1852 Fide)

Giuoco Piano

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.b4!?

A fairly rare alternative to 6.0-0, 6.e5 and especially 6.cxd4. but it has been tried by grandmasters.

6...Bb6 7.e5 d5

This is a common response to the thrust e5 in these types of position but Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 slightly prefer ...Ne4!?, when the mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database continues 8.Bd5?! Nxc3 9.Nxc3 dxc3 10.Bg5 Ne7 11.0-0, after which White does not have enough for two pawns, according to the engines.

How should White respond?

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8.Bb5?!

Probably better is 8.exf6 dxc4, when several high-level games have continued 9.Qe2+ Be6 10.b5 and now either 10...Na5 or 10...d3, although Vishy Anand's 10...Nb4!? is also interesting. The position is not clear but the engines reckon Black is better after 10...Na5.

8...Ne4 9.cxd4 0-0

9...Bd7, avoiding doubled pawns on a half-open file and a hole at c5, also seems playable.

10.Bxc6

Olexandr Bortnyk (2598) - Igor Lysyj (2606), Chess.com Blitz 2021, went 10.0-0!? Nxb4 11.h3 c6 12.Be2 f6 13.a3 Na6 14.Bxa6 bxa6, when Black had at least the upper hand, according to the engines (but 1-0, 33 moves).

10...bxc6 11.0-0 Ba6!?

Apparently a novelty. The engines much prefer 11...Bg4 or 11...f6.

12.Re1 f6 13.a4?

Trying to trap the black dark-square bishop, but White does not have time for this. The game is equal after the solidifying 13.Be3, according to the engines.

13...fxe5 14.a5?!

14.Ra2 to protect the weak point at f2 is probably better, but Black is on top.

14...Bxd4

Even stronger is 14...Nxf2!

15.Nxd4 exd4 16.f3

The engines suggest 16.Qxd4!?, but 16...Nxf2 nets Black a second pawn.

16...Nc3?

Missing the killer 16...Qh4!, eg 17.fxe4 Qf2+ 18.Kh1 Bf1!

17.Qxd4??

Black is (temporarily) two pawns up after 17.Nxc3 dxc3 but White is well in the game.

17...Ne2+ 18.Rxe2 Bxe2 19.Nc3 Bc4 20.Bb2 Qg5 21.h4 Qg3 22.Ne4!?

This is best, according to the engines, but after ...

22...fxe4 23.Qxc4+ Kh8 24.Qxe4 Rae8

... White is the exchange down with a weak king.

The game finished:

25.Qg4 Qxg4 26.fxg4 Rf4 27.h5 Rxb4 28.Rb1!? Kg8 0-1

Northumbria Challengers (U2000 Fide) Round Seven

Spanton (1949 ECF/1852 Fide) - Jack Erskine-Pereira (1932 ECF/1752 Fide)

French Steinitz

1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 e6 3.e4 Nf6 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Nf3

This is Siegbert Tarrasch's recommendation, but it scores just 44% in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database.

6...c5 7.dxc5

Played to prevent White's whole centre collapsing. Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 narrowly prefer the somewhat unusual 7.Nce2!?

7...Nxc5!?

This occurs much-less frequently than 7...Bxc5, but scores 12 percentage points more in Mega22.

8.Bd3 Be7 9.0-0 g5!?

This pawn-thrust is quite common in lines of the French where White has a bishop on f4 supporting a potentially vulnerable pawn on e5.

10.Bg3 h5 11.h3

How should Black proceed?

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11...a6

Contrary to initial appearances, 11...g4!? may be possible, After 12.hxg4 hxg4 13.Nh2 Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 continue calmly with 13...Qb6 or 13...Bd7, eg Graham Mooney (1880) - Yannick Pelletier (2578), Olympiad (Tromsø, Norway) 2014, saw 13...Qb6 14.Nxh4 Bd7, with the engines suggesting 15.Nf6+!? Bxf6 16.exf6 followed by long castling by Black, either immediately or after 16...a6. Stockfish15 gives Black the upper hand, but Komodo13.02 reckons the position is balanced.

12.a3 b5?!

This may be a novelty, and probably not a good one, as after ...

13.b4!?

... Black faces problems getting his light-square bishop into play.

13...Nxd3 14.cxd3 Qb6 15.Qd2 Rg8 16.Rfd1!?

This looks passive but I wanted to close the a7-g1 diagonal.

16...g4 17.hxg4 Rxg4 18.Bf4!?

Black threatened 18...Rxg3, but probably a better way to foil this is the consistent 18.d4.

18...Nd4?

This may look aggressive but the black queen is dragged onto an awkward square.

19.Nxd4 qxd4 20.Ne2 Qb6 21.Qe3?

White is positionally winning (Stockfish15) or at least has the upper hand (Komodo13.02) after 21.d4.

21...d4!

A sound pawn-sacrifice, liberating Black's light-square bishop.

22.Nxd4 Bb7 23.f3?

After 23.g3 Black has good compensation for a pawn, but no more.

23...Rxf4!

Suddenly Black is completely winning.

24.Qxf4 Rd8 25.Rac1 Rxd4 26.Qh6

If 26.Qe3 then 26...Bg5!

26...Bg5!?

Anyway, although the engines reckon the simple 26...Rxb4+ is even stronger.

27.Qh8+ Ke7 28.Rc5 Rd8 29.Qxh5 Be3+ 30.Kf1 Bxc5

The game finished:

31.Qh4+ Kd7 32.bxc5 Qxc5 33.Qf4 Ke8 34.Rc1 Qxa3 35.Rc7 Qxd3+ 36.Kg1 Rd7 0-1

Northumbria Challengers (U2000 Fide) Round Six

PLAYED today.

The Holy Name Roman Catholic church, Jesmond

Robert R Sanders (2010 ECF/1937 Fide) - Spanton (1949 ECF/1852 Fide)

Spanish Berlin

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8

The main tabiya of the Berlin Wall - how would you proceed?

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9.Bg5+!?

Developing a piece with tempo is something beginners' books tend to stress, but for the most part here strong players here have tended to choose something else. The mainline in ChessBase's Mega 2022 database runs 9.Nc3 Ke8 10.h3 h5 11.Bf4 Be7 12.Rad1 Be6 13.Ng5 Rh6!?, when Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon White is slightly better.

9...Ke8 10.Rd1 Be6 11.b3!?

Preparing to fianchetto the light-square bishop, which is very likely to be hit by ...h6, which generally is a useful move for Black in the Berlin Wall.

11...h6 12.Bc1 a5 13.a4 Be7 14.Ba3 Bxa3 15.Nxa3 Rd8 16.Rxd8+ Kxd8 17.Rd1+ Kc8 18.Kf1

Each side has fewer than 13 points in pieces, using the traditional system of Q=9/R=5/B=3/N=3, which I regard as making this an endgame - how would you assess it?

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White has the superior pawn-majority and has more pieces in play, although the knight on a3 will require at least two tempi to redeploy somewhere useful. Black has the only bishop, and it might be able to usefully target White's queenside pawns. Meanwhile the e pawn could prove over-extended. Stockfish15 gives Black the upper hand; Komodo13.02 gives Black a slight edge.

18...Re8 19.Nb1 Ne7!?

White's knight retreat is aimed at getting the knight into a generally more useful position; Black's knight retreat has a more-aggressive aim.

20.Nc3?!

I was expecting the knight to go to d2 to support the f3 knight in defending e5. On c3 it is almost as irrelevant to the critical point of the battle as it was on a3.

20...Bg4 21.Rg3 Ng6

Without making an obvious error, but by probably playing a series of slightly sub-optimal moves, White faces losing the e pawn

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22.h3!?

This is Komodo13.02's top choice. Stockfish15 gives best-play as 22.Re3 c5 23.Ke1!? Nf4 24.Kf1 Rd8, but reckons Black is positionally winning.

22...Bxf3 23.Rxf3 Nxe5 24.Re3 Re7 25.Ke2 Ng6 26.g3 Rxe3+ 27.Kxe3 Kd7 28.f4

As I was thinking about my next move, RS offered a draw

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Clearly, barring blunders, there are only two possible outcomes - a draw or a black win. Stockfish15 reckons Black is winning, but Komodo13.02 gives Black 'only' the upper hand.

28...Ne7 29.Ke4 Ke6 30.Ne2 f5+ 31.Kd3 b6 32.Nd4+ Kd5 33.c4+ Kd6 34.Kc3 c5 35.Nf3

Stockfish15 reckons Black is the equivalent of more than four pawns ahead, which I find hard to believe, but even the more-conservative Komodo13.02 reckons Black is winning (+1.8)

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35...Nc6

The problem with such engine evaluations is that, in the absence of obvious positional compensation, engines tend to overvalue material considerations, not appreciating the difficulty of converting a material-plus well beyond their event horizons.

36.Kd3 Ke6 37.Kc3 Kf6 38.h4!?

The engines are OK with this, at least at first, but it creates a weakness at g4. However Black was threatening ...g5, which is also problematic for White.

38...Kg6 39.Kd3

How should Black proceed?

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39...Kf6

This does not spoil anything, but 39...Kh5 40.Ke3 Nd4! wins. I rejected it because after 41.Nxd4 cxd4+ 42.Kxd4 Kg4 43.Kd5 Kxg3 44.Kc6 Kxf4 45.Kxc7 Ke5 46.Kxb6 f4 47.c5 f3 48.c6 f2 49.c7 f1=Q White also queens and is at least equal. I missed that Black has 45...g5!, which wins as 46.Kxb6 g4 47.c5 g3 48.c6 g2 49.c7 g1=Q+ prevents White usefully queening, eg 50.Kb7 Qg7+ 51.Kb8 Qe5 52.Qb7 Qd5+ etc.

40.Ke3

RS offered a draw.

40...Ke6 41.Kd3 Nd8 42.Ne5 Nb7

Not 42...Nf7? as 43.Nxf7 is surely a draw, as Stockfish15 agrees, although Komodo13.02 at first insists Black is winning, before eventually settling on giving Black the upper hand (+1.4).

43.Nf3 Nd6 44.Nd2 Kf6 45.Ke3 Kg6 46.Kf3 Kh5 47.Kg2 Ne4 48.Nxe4?

The engines reckon 48.Nf1 is better, and certainly Black would still have plenty of work to do.

48...fxe4 49.Kh3

Or 49.Kf2 Kg4 50.Ke3 Kxg3 etc.

Black to play and win ... or lose

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49...g5??

Winning is 49...Kg6 as 50.g4 is met by 50...h5, and if 51.Kg3 then 51...Kf6.

50.g4+ Kg6 51.fxg5 hxg5 52.h5 (1-0, 58 moves).

Northumbria Challengers (U2000 Fide) Round Five

THIS is my second game from today's double-rounder.

The playing hall

David Patrick (1831 ECF/1803 Fide) - Spanton (1949 ECF/1852 Fide)

Spanish Berlin

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.0-0 Nd4 6.Nxd4

The main move. My round-one game, N1, featured the suddenly fashionable 6.Bc4!?

6...Bxd4 7.c3 Bb6 8.a4!?

Unusual. The normal continuations are 8.Nd2 and 8.Bg5.

8...c6 9.Bc4 0-0 10.h3!?

This may be a novelty. Aleksandra Maltsevskaya (2382) - Jung Min Seo (2453), Chess.com Blitz 2021, saw 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 g5!? 12.Bg3 d5 13.exd5 cxd5 14.Bb3 with approximate equality, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 (but 1-0, 31 moves).

10...d5 11.exd5 Nxd5!?

Hoping to pressurise the semi-backward d pawn.

12.Kh2?

Spending time to make the king more vulnerable.

12...Qd6 13.Bxd5?

Giving up the bishop-pair and removing a defender from the d pawn. I expected 13.g3, which comes to be Stockfish15's choice, at least for a while, although it also suggests 13.Kh1 and 13.Nd2. Komodo13.02 likes 13.a5!? Bc7 14.g3, but in any case the engines agree Black has a large advantage.

13...Qxd5 14.f4

The engines prefer 14.Be3 but reckon Black is on top after 14...Bc7 or my planned 14...Bf5.

14...Bf5 15.fxe5 Bxd3 16.Rf3 Rad8 17.Bf4 Bc7 18.Qe1 Rfe8 19.Qg3

If 19.Re3 then 19...f6.

19...Be4 20.Rf2 Bxe5 21.Nd2 Bxf4 22.Qxf4 Bg6

White has no compensation for being a pawn down

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23.Nf3 Qd6 24.Qxd6 Rxd6 25.a5 c5 26.Ra3!?

White's pieces lack coordination, and the text does not help. Stockfish15 reckons Black's advantage is worth about three pawns; Komodo13.02 reckons about 1.3 pawns.

26...h6 27.Rb3 b6 28.axb6 axb6 29.Ra3 Rde6 30.Rb3 Bh5 31.Kg3 Rg6+ 32.Kh2

White gets mated after 32.Kh4? Bxf3 33.Rxf3? Rxg2.

32...Bxf3!?

A bishop is usually better than a knight at working with rooks, but here simplification may be the most pragmatic choice.

33.Rxf3

The engines slightly prefer 33.gxf3!?

33...Re2 34.Rg3 Rge6 35.Rb5 Rc2 36.Rb3

White really cannot do much more than wait for Black to come up with a winning plan.

36...g6 37.h4 h5 38.Kh3 Kf8 39.Rb5 Ke7 40.Rd3 Rce2 41.Rf3 Re3!?

A rule of thumb in this type of ending is the side pushing for a win should prefer two rooks for each side or none at all. The text breaks that rule but I felt my advantage was large enough to again not fear simplification.

42.Kg3 Rxf3+ 43.Kxf3 Kd7 44.b4?!

If White can swop off the queenside pawns, White's drawing chances increase immensely, but trying to implement such a plan is not practical here and probably makes matters worse.

44...Kc6 45.c4 cxb4 46.g4!?

This is Stockfish15's top choice, which shows what a bad way White is in. If 46.Rxb4 then 46...Kc5 47.Ra4 f5 and ...Re4.

The game finished:

46...hxg4+ 47.Kg3 f5 48.h5 Re3+ 49.Kf4 Re4+ 50.Kg5 Rxc4 51.Re5 gxh5 0-1

Northumbria Challengers (U2000 Fide) Round Four

PLAYED today.

Tower of St George's Church, Jesmond

Spanton (1949 ECF/1852 Fide) - Zak Tomlinson (1893 ECF/1767 Fide)

1.Nc3

1.Nc3 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6

This is the main move in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database, ahead of 4...Bc5, 4...Nxd4 and 4...Bb4.

5.Bg5

5.e4 transposes to the Scotch Four Knights; the text keeps the game in independent lines.

How should Black respond?

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5...Be7?!

This is the second-most popular continuation in Mega22 and has been played by grandmasters, but is probably a mistake. Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 prefer 5...Bb4, which is the commonest move. After 6.Nxc6 the engines reckon 6...bxc6 7.Qd4 Qe7 and 6...Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 bxc6 may give White a slight edge.

White to play and gain a sizeable advantage

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6.Nf5!?

An easy move to miss, but now White has the upper hand, according to the engines.

6...0-0

Dmitry Andreikin (2720) - Yuriy Kryvoruchko (2710), World Blitz Championship (Berlin) 2015, saw 6...Rg8?!, when the engines reckon 7.Nxe7 Qxe7 8.Qd2 is positionally winning. The game went 7.e3 d5 8.Nxe7 Nxe7 9.Qd4 Be6 10.0-0-0 (1-0, 31 moves). Stockfish15 gives best-play as 6...h6!? 7.Nxg7+ Kf8 8.Bxf6 Bxf6 9.Nh5 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Qg5 11.Ng3 d6, albeit giving White the upper hand. Komodo13.02 fluctuates between the text, 6...h6!? and 6...d5!?

7.Nxe7+ Qxe7

7...Nxe7 8.Bxf6 gxf6 is not an improvement.

8.Nd5 Qe5 9.Nxf6+!?

The engines strongly prefer 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.e3.

9...gxf6 10.Bh6 Re8

Possible is 10...Qxb2 as 11.Bxf8?? loses to 11...Qc3+ etc. However 11.Rb1 Qc3+ 12.Bd2 leaves White with the bishop-pair and safer king - more than enough compensation for a pawn, according to the engines.

11.e3 d6

The engines prefer this to 11...d5. Note that 11...Qxb2?? is a blunder thanks to 12.Qg4+ and 13.Qg7#.

12.Bd3!?

Continuing to offer the b pawn. The engines prefer the more-cautious 12.c3.

12...Ne7

12...Qxb2!? 13.0-0 f5 looks risky but Komodo13.02 reckons it may give Black a slight edge, although Stockfish15 disagrees.

13.0-0 Ng6

How should White continue?

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14.f4!?

Offering a pawn that can be captured with check. In return White gets the f1 rook into play and threatens to gain space with f5. The move briefly becomes Stockfish15's top choice, but the engine quickly switches to 14.b3 or the odd-looking 14.Rc1!? Komodo13.02 likes 14.c3 and also 14.Rc1!? One line given by them after 14.Rc1!? runs 14...f5 15.b3 Bd7 16.Qf3 Bc6 17.Qh3, but I am still none-the-wiser about the point of Rc1. Note that in this line 17.Qxf5 can be met by 17...Qxf5 18.Bxf5 Bxg2!, when Black is fine.

14...Qxe3+

The pawn has to be accepted.

15.Kh1 f5

Forced, as Black has to stop the white f pawn advancing further.

16.Qh5 Qe6 17.Rf3 Bd7 18.Raf1 f6 19.Rg3 Qf7

The engines reckon 19...Kh8 gives a roughly equal game.

White to play and win

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20.Bxf5

I rejected 20.Bc4! because of 20...Be6 (20...Qxc4?? allows a quick checkmate after 21.Rxg6+) 21.Bxe6 Rxe6 (21...Qxe6?? 22.Rxg6+ similarly leads to mate) 22.Qxf5, thinking White has little. But White's threats continue, eg the engines reckon Black has to try 22...Kh8, but 23.Qb5 is very strong, and if then 23...c6 White has 24.Qb4, when 24...f5 25.h4 Rg8 26.Re1 is winning as 26...Rxe1+ 27.Qxe1 leaves Black too vulnerable on the long dark diagonal.

20...Bxf5 21.Qxf5 Kh8

Black's last move was forced, but the weakness of the black king means White still has an advantage

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22.Qd3

The engines reckon 22.Qh5 is best, but the text also keeps Black under pressure.

22...Rg8 23.Qd4?!

But this seems to let the advantage slip. Best may be the consolidating 23.b3.

23...Nf8?!

Both 23...Ne7 and 23...Rae8 give Black what looks to be a decent game.

24.Rxg8+ Kxg8 25.f5 Nd7 26.Rf3 Kh8 27.Rg3 Rg8 28.Rxg8+ Kxg8 29.h3

ZT offered a draw as he played ...b6 - how would you assess the ending?

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A queen often does better with a knight than with a bishop, mainly because a queen and knight complement each other while there is duplication with a queen and bishop. But that is largely irrelevant here as as Black's king is chronically weak. According to the engines Black should have grabbed a pawn with 29...Qxa2!?, although they favour White after 30.Qc3.

29...b6? 30.c4?!

This is enough for an advantage, but more convincing is the engines' 30.Qg4+ Kh8 31.Qe4, when the threat of 32.Qa8+ cannot be satisfactorily met, eg the desperate 31...Nb8 32.Qb7 Qe8 gets a draw by perpetual if White plays the greedy 33.Qxc7?, but 33.Bd2 or 32.Bf4 leaves Black unable to defend both the c and a pawns.

30...Ne5 31.b3 a5

Possibly better is 31...Qe8, although play would be similar to the game.

32.Qe4 Qe8 33.Kh2 c6?!

The engines suggest 33...Qc8!?, but Black is passive, and the engines agree White is better, eg 34.g4!? Nf7 35.Bf4 Qd7 36.Kg3!?, when Black is not immediately losing but White has the better pawn-majority, is more active and has the safer king.

34.Qe3 Qd7?!

Not 34...Ng4+?? 35.hxg4 Qxe3 as White has the backward-bishop capture 36.Bxe3. However almost certainly better is 34...Qh5 35.Qg3+ Kf7 36.Qg7+ Ke8 37.Qg8+ Kd7 38.Qxh7+ Kc8 39.Qh8+ Kb7 40.Qg7+ Kc8, but 41.Be3 is winning, according to the engines.

35.Qxb6 Qxf5 36.Qd8+ Kf7 37.Qf8+ Kg6

Not 37...Ke6?? 38.Qe8#.

38.Qg7+ Kh5 39.g4+ Nxg4+ 40.hxg4 Qxg4 41.Qxg4+ Kxg4 42.Bd2 (1-0, 54 moves).

Northumbria Challengers (U2000 Fide) Round Three

THIS is my second game from today's double-rounder.

Footie table at The Gate leisure centre

Raj K Mohindra (1810 ECF/1559 Fide) - Spanton (1949 ECF/1852 Fide)

Giuoco Piano

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3

This first appears in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database in 1836, which is 216 years after 5.d4. The latter occurs 21,713 times in Mega22, but the text has overtaken it with 22,132 appearances.

5...a6

This preparation for withdrawing the dark-square bishop out of range of the white pawns first appears in Mega22 in 1976, although the same position was reached by transposition in a game from 1880.

6.b4!?

Expanding with tempo like this is much less popular than withdrawing the white king's bishop with 6.Bc2.

6...Ba7 7.a4 0-0 8.0-0

Almost certainly not 8.b5?! axb5 9.axb5 Bxf2+ 10.Kxf2 Rxa1 11.Bb2, after which Black seems to emerge from the complications with an advantage, eg 11...Ng4+ 12.Ke2 Rxb1 13.Qxb1 Ne7. White could instead try 9.Bb5, but Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon 9...Na5 10.Ba3 Re8 11.Nbd2 c6 12.Bc4 Nh5 leaves Black on top, eg 13.Bc1 d5 14.exd5 Bf5!? 15.Nb3 Nxb3 16.Bxb3 Nxd5 with good prospects. If in this line White grabs a pawn with 10.Nxe5?! then 10...c6 is strong, eg 11.Bc4 d6 12.Nf3 Nxc4 13.dxc4 Nxe4, after which Black has the bishop-pair and much-the-better pawn-structure.

8...d6 9.h3

The mainline in Mega22 runs 9.Bg5 h6 10.Bh4 g5!? 11.Bg3 with an unclear position (Stockfish15 marginally prefers Black; Komodo13.02 gives a tiny edge to White).

9...Nh5!?

Black's last move seems to be a novelty - how should White respond?

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10.Nxe5?!

The engines do not like this pawn grab. Instead they give White at least a slight edge after 10.Bg5 Nf6 (10...f6 is illegal) 11.Nbd2.

10...Nxe5 11.Qxh5 Nxc4 12.dxc4 Be6 13.Na3?!

Probably better is 13.Re1, when 13...Bxc4 14.Be3 Bxe3 15.Rxe3 slightly favours White, according to Stockfish15 (Komodo13.02 disagrees). The engines reckon 13...f5!? may be better, when Black's bishops, activity and lack of pawn weaknesses seem to compensate for White's extra space and pawn.

13...Qd7

The engines like 13...Qf6 14.Bd2 Bd7!?

14.a5

The engines prefer giving the pawn back, eg the complicated line 14.Bf4!? Qxa4 15.Nb5 Qc2 16.Nxc7 Bxc4 17.Nxa8 Bxf1 18.Rxf1 Qxe4 19.Bxd6 Rxa8 ends in equality.

14...f5 15.Qe2?!

Komodo13.02 quite likes this but Stockfish15 is strongly against it, suggesting instead 15.exf5 Rxf5 16.Qh4, although Black looks very active.

15...f4

The pin on the f2 pawn makes this push-past particularly threatening.

16.Qf3!?
This is best, according to the engines.

16...g5!?

The engines do not like this at first but it comes to be Stockfish15's top choice, although Komodo13.02 prefers 16...Qe7 or 17...Qf7.

17.Qh5?!

The queen becomes a target here. Perhaps best is 17.e5, when the engines give 17...Qg7!? 18.Qxb7, and now Stockfish15's 18...g4 is interesting. After the further moves 19.hxg4 (19.exd6!? is also complicated) Qxg4 20.Qe4 White is two pawns up but both 20...Rae8 and 20...Rad8 seem promising for Black.

17...Qg7 18.Kh1?!

Breaking the pin on the f2 pawn, but the king turns out to be no safer on h1 than it was on g1. However there does not seem to be a satisfactory defence.

18...Rf6

White is busted.

The game finished:

19.Qe2 f3 20.Qd2 fxg2+ 21.Kxg2 Raf8 22.Bb2 Qh6 0-1

Northumbria Challengers (U2000 Fide) Round Two

FACED today the Iranian whom I was paired against yesterday evening but who arrived after the default time - we were both repaired last night and won our games.

Queen Street

Spanton (1949 ECF/1852 Fide) - Mohammad Hossein Mozaffari (2013 ECF/1622 Fide)

Modern Defence

1.Nc3 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.d4 b6!?

There are in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database 241 examples of this move, which was a favourite of grandmaster Gata Kamsky.

4.f4 Bb7 5.Nf3 d6

Kamsky has three games in Mega22 with 5...e6.

6.Be2 Nd7 7.Be3 Ngf6 8.e5 Ng4 9.Qd2 c6?!

Probably better is 9...e6, although Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 prefer White after 10.0-0-0 or 10.h3.

10.e6!?

Also strong, according to the engines, is 10.0-0-0.

10...fxe6 11.Ng5 Nxe3

What should White play?

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12.Qxe3

This obvious move is also probably best. After 12.Nxe6?! Nxc2? 13.Qxc2 Qc8 14.Nxg7+ Kf7 both 15.Nh5 and 15.Ne6!? are strong, eg 15.Ne6!? Kxe6 16.f5+!? with a powerful attack. But instead of capturing on c2, Black should capture on g2, eg 12...Nxg2+ 13.Kf2 Qb8 14.Kxg2 Bf6, when the engines reckon White does not have enough for a pawn.

12...Nf8 13.0-0-0

Developing the queen's rook and getting the king to safety while at the same time protecting d4.

13...Bc8 14.Bg4 Bh6?!

If 14...e5?! then 15.Bxc8 exd4 16.Rxd4! Rxc8 (not 16...Bxd4? 17.Qxd4 Rg8 18.Bb7) 17.Rdd1 gives White more than enough for a pawn, according to the engines. But they reckon even better for White is 15.Bf3!?, eg 15...exd4 16.Rxd4! bb7 17.Rhd1! However the engines reckon 14...d5 and 14...h6 give Black better chances than the text.

15.Nxe6?

This swops the f4 pawn for the e6 pawn, which is a bad bargain in itself, but the error is compounded by letting Black exchange two back-row pieces for two active White ones. Better moves include 15.h4, 15.Rde1!? and 15.Kb1.

15...Nxe6 16.Bxe6 Bxe6 17.Qxe6 Bxf4+ 18.Kb1 Qd7 19.Qe4 0-0 20.g3?!

The engines strongly dislike this, preferring 20.d5, when 20...c5 21.Qe6+ Qxe6 22.dxe6 gives White a great square at d5 for the knight. If 20...cxd5 then 21.Nxd5 more or less equalises, according to the engines.

20...Bh6

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 20...d5.

21.Rde1!?

The wrong rook? Maybe - the engines disagree, but they do agree that slightly better is 21.d5.

21...Rae8 22.d5 c5 23.Ref1?!

I was worried about lines with ...Bd2, eg 23.Rhf1? Bd2 forces 24.Rxf8+ as 24.Rd1?? loses to 24...Rxf1 25.Rxf1 Bxc3 26.bxc3 Qb5+ etc, but almost certainly better is 23.Qe6+ Qxe6 24.Rxe6, albeit Black's long-term chances must be promising.

23...Bg7 24.Ne2!?

Maybe better is 24.Qe2, but Black is well on top.

24...Be5

Even stronger seems to be 24...Qb5, and the engines suggest meeting 25.b3 with 25...Qb4!?, eg 26.Qxb4 Rxf1+ 27.Rxf1 cxb4, although there is a long way to go before Black can realise his pawn advantage.

25.h4

The engines prefer 25.Nf4!?, although the simplification arising from 25...Bxf4 26.Rxf4 Rxf4 leaves White facing a long struggle for a half-point.

25...e6?!

Probably better is simplification through 25...Rxf1+ 26.Rxf1 Rf8.

26.dxe6

26.h5!? may be better.

26...Qxe6 27.Rxf8+ Kxf8 28.Rf1+

'Obvious', but 28.h5!? may be slightly more promising.

28...Kg7 29.c4 h6 30.Rd1

The engines suggest 30.Kc2!?, 30.b3 or 30.Nf4, albeit in each case having Black winning.

30...Re7 31.Rf1 Qh3!? 32.Qf3 Qf5+!? 33.Qxf5 gxf5 34.Rxf5 Bxb2 35.Nf4 Be5 36.Nd5

The engines like 36.Kc2!?, and if 36...Bxf4 then 37.gxf4!?, but that leaves White not just a pawn down but with four isolanis.

36...Rf7 37.g4?

This makes it too easy.

37...Kg6?

Throwing away Black's advantage. Winning is 37...Rxf5 38.gxf5 h5 as the h4 pawn must fall.

38.h5+ Kg7 39.a4

White remains a pawn down but the position is equal, according to the engines

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39...Rb7

Black's king is trapped in its own half of the board after 39...Rxf5 40.gxf5.

40.Rf3 Rf7 41.Rxf7+ Kxf7 42.Kc2 Ke6 43.Kd3 Bf6 44.Ke4 Bd8 45.Nf4+ Kd7?!

Ceding space can be dangerous. The engines give 45...Kf6 46.Kd5 Be7 (not 46...Kg5?? 47.Ne6+).

46.Kd5 Bf6 47.Ne6

How should Black proceed?

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47...Be5?

47...Be7 and 47...a6 seem to hold.

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48.Nf8+?

Missing a win with 48.g5 hxg5 49.Nxg5, eg 49...Bf4 50.Nf7 Ke7 51.Nxd6! Bxd6 52.h6 Kf7 53.Kxd6 etc.

48...Ke7 49.Ne6 Kf6 50.Nd8 Kg5

White to play and draw

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51.Nc6?

51.Nf7+ Kxg4 52.Nxh6+ draws.

Black to play and win

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51...Kxg4

This looks natural but the engines' 51...a5! seems the only way to win, the point being White has not enough time to create a dangerous queenside passer before Black's h pawn queens.

52.Nxa7 Kxh5 53.Nc8 Kg4 54.Nxb6 Bc3

White to play and draw

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55.Kxd6?

There seem to be two drawing moves.

A: 55.Ke4, eg 55...h5 56.Nd5 Ba5 57.Nf6 Kg5 58.Nxh5!? Kxh5 59.Kd5 etc.

B: 55.Kc6!?, eg 55....h5 56.Nd5 h4 57.Nxc3 h3 58.Nd5 h2 59.a5 h1=Q 60.a6 Qa1 61.Kb7 Qb2+ with complete equality, according to the engines, although hair-raising to play over the board.

55...h5 56.Nd5 h4 57.Ne3+

Or 57.Nxc3 h3 58.Kxc5 h2 59.a5 h1=Q 60.Nd5 Qg1+ 61.Kb5 Qa7, when the black queen has got in front of the white pawns and, unlike example B in the previous note, the white pieces are not well-enough placed to support them.

The game finished:

57...Kf3 58.Nf1 Kg2 59.Ne3+ Kf3 60.Nf1 h3 61.Kxc5 Kf2 62.Nh2 Be5!? 63.Ng4+ Kg3 64.Ne3 Bf4 65.Nf5+ Kg4 0-1

Northumbria Challengers (U2000 Fide) Round One

MY opponent, Iranian Mohammad Hossein Mozaffari (2013 ECF/1622 Fide), failed to show within the 30-minute default time, and I was repaired against a Mexican from the open.

Grainger Street

Gustavo León Cazares (2168 ECF/2071 Fide) - Spanton (1949 ECF/1852 Fide)

Spanish Berlin

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.0-0 Nd4 6.Bc4!?

There are just 31 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database, but it has been played against me the last three times I have reached the position after 5...Nd4.

How should Black respond?

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6...Nxf3+!?

The main move in Mega22 runs 6...d6, after which White usually chooses between 7.Nxd4, 7.c3 and 7.h3. The text develops the white queen for free, as it were, but it is far from clear whether the queen is well-placed on f3.

7.Qxf3 d6 8.Nc3 c6 9.h3

Melikset Khachiyan (2480) - František Vrána (2250), Pardubice (Czechia) 1996, went 9.Be3 Bb6 10.h3 Be6 with an equal game, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 (but 1-0, 38 moves).

9...a5

With the not-so-subtle threat of trapping the white light-square bishop with 10...b5 etc.

10.a4 Be6 11.Be3 Bxe3 12.Qxe3

Probably not 12.fxe3?! Bxc4 13.dxc4, when Black has a semi-backward d pawn but White has two sets of doubled pawns, including a pair of isolanis.

12...0-0

How should White proceed?

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13.f4?

Missing Black's threat. The engines reckon 13.Bxe6 and 13.Ne2 maintain an even game.

13...exf4 14.Rxf4 Nh5 15.Rf2 d5 16.exd5 cxd5 17.Bxd5??

Better is 17.Bb3, although 17...d4 18.Qf3 dxc3 19.Qxh5 cxb2 20.Rb1 Bxb3 21.cxb3 Qxd3 is good for Black.

17....Bxd5 18.Qe5

Possibly better is the engines' 18.Qc5!? Nf6 19.Rxf6 Qxf6 20.Nxd5 (20.Qxd5? gives White a worse version of the game after 20...Qb6+), but 20...Qxb2 leaves White the exchange down without much prospect of tricks.

18...Nf6 19.Rxf6 gxf6 20.Qxd5 Qb6+ 21.d4 Qxb2 22.Ne4!?

Desperation, but White loses a piece whatever he plays.

The game finished:

22...Qxa1+ 23.Kh2 Qf1 24.Qd6 Ra6 25.Qg3+ Kh8 26.Nd6 Rxd6!? 27.Qxd6 Rg8 28.Qd5 Qf4+ 0-1

Greight Mallorca

THE English contingent for the Calvià congress in Mallorca in October is growing, with eight entries for the nine-round U2350: E8.

Our Friends In The North

AM catching a train to Newcastle today to play in Tim Walll's Northumbria congress.

There are six tournaments, including two all-play-all 10-player norm events, a nine-round open and a nine-round U2000.

The congress is billed as the Northumbria Masters, which is also the name of the open.

I am playing in the U2000 Northumbria Challengers, which has 41 entries: NC (the list will presumably be updated to August's ratings before the draw is made).

Round one is at 18:30 tomorrow, followed by four double-round days at 10:00 and 15:00.

The time control is all moves in 90 minutes, with a 30-second increment.

Final Thoughts On Olomouc

I PLAYED in the Olomouc Open from 2009-11 and 2014-16, and in the Olomouc Seniors from 2017-19.

The covid pandemic saw the chess festival cancelled in 2020 and 2021, so it was good to have it back this year.

My early-years participation was when it was held at a rather rundown hotel opposite the city's train station, but later it moved closer to the centre of the city at the Hotel Flora, which is beside one of Olomouc's numerous municipal parks.

The venue is being rebranded as Central Park Flora, and certainly the breakfast and bar service had been upgraded since my last visit.

Olomouc Chess Summer is part of the CzechTour, which has been running since 2001 at various places across Czechia and at Sunny Beach, Bulgaria.

Olomouc is one of the chess festivals that has been held since the CzechTour began, but some have come on to the calendar only to be later dropped.

I have played at Prague, Hradec Králové, Třebíč, Brno, Pardubice and Mariánské Lázně, and can recommend them all as being good value for money with decent playing conditions.

Upcoming events listed at CT are yet to have details printed, but the dates are:

• Hradec Kralove Open, November 5–12, 2022
• Brno Open, November 12–19, 2022
• Prague Open, January 6–13, 2023
• Marienbad Open, January 14–21, 2023
• Liberec Open, February 24 – March 3, 2023
• Pilsen Open, March 4–11, 2023

Summing Up Olomouc

MY score of +4=1-4 in the Czech Seniors Open Championship saw me lose 26.2 Fide elo.

The venue-hotel

Czech Seniors Open Championship Round Nine

Part of the rosarium

Spanton (1852) - Aleš Barabas (1756)

Sicilian Bb5(+)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Nxd7!?

This allows the black queen to be developed on its normal Sicilian diagonal of d8-a5, but at the cost of placing the queen's knight on a square from where it is less active than it would be on c6.

5.0-0 Ngf6 6.Qe2 e6

The general rule-of-thumb in positions like this is that if Black fianchettoes the king's bishop, White should build a classical centre with c3 and d4, but if Black develops the king's bishop at e7, White should go for a Maróczy Bind.

7.d4

The immediate 7.c4 is possible, the point being if Black prevents the bind with 7...e5!? Black is left with a bad bishop.

7...cxd4 8.Nxd4 Be7 9.c4 0-0 10.Nc3 Rc8 11.Rd1

The mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database runs 11.b3 a6 12.Bb2 Qa5 and either 13.Rac1 or 13.Rad1, in each case with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02.

11...a6 12.Bd2

Not 12.b3? b5.

12...Qc7

Torsten Sarbok (2325) - Nick de Firmian (2536), Gausdal (Norway) 2003, went 12...Qb6 13.Be1!? Rfe8 14.Rac1 Bf8 15.b3 with a slight edge to White, according to the engines (½–½, 22 moves).

13.b3 Ne5 14.Rac1 Nc6 15.Be3 Nd7 16.h3!?

I regretted this during the game as a waste of time, but the engines are OK with it, although they prefer 16.Nxc6!?, and if 16...bxc6 then 17.f4.

16...Rfe8 17.f4 Nxd4 18.Bxd4 Bf6

How should White proceed?

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19.Qe3

The engines reckon White is slightly better after the semi-forcing 19.Bxf6 Nxf6 20.e5 dxe5 21.fxe5 Nd7 and 22.Ne4!

19...Rcd8 20.Bxf6 Nxf6 21.e5?!

Almost certainly better is 21.Rd3 with Rcd1 to come.

21...dxe5 22.fxe5?!

This gives White an inferior version of the note to move 19. Almost certainly better is 22.Qxe5, when Black should probably avoid exchanging queens as 22...Qxe5?! 23.fxe5 Nd7 can be met by 24.Ne4!. the point being 24...Nxe5?! can be met by 25.Nd6 Re7 26.Nxb7, when the threat of back-rank mate means the white knight cannot be captured, so White is left with a powerful 3-1 queenside pawn-majority.

22...Nd7 23.Re1

More-or-less forced as 23.Ne4?! can be met by 23...Qxe5.

23...Qc5

The engines prefer 23...h6 or 23...Nb8, with probably a slight edge for Black.

24.Rcd1 Qxe3+ 25.Qxe3 Nb8?!

The game is level after 25...Kf8, according to the engines.

What should White play?

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26.Red3

The engines reckon White is slightly better after 26.Rd6!?, when they give best-play as 26...Rxd6 27.exd6 and now either 27....Rc8 or 27...Kf8, in each case with an edge for White.

26...Rxd3

If 26...Nc6 then 27.Rxd8 Rxd8 28.Rxd8+ Nxd8 29.Na4 with maybe a slight edge for White.

27.Rxd3 Nc6 28.Rd7!?

Giving up a pawn but keeping the white rook active. If 28.Re3 then 28...Rd8 gives Black the open file and something of an initiative, eg 29.Kf1 Kf8 30.Ke2 Nd4+ 31.Kf2 Nc2 with a slight edge, according to the engines.

28...Rb8 29.Ne4 Nxe5 30.Rc7 Kf8

The engines prefer 30...b6.

31.Nd6?!

Almost certainly better is 31.Nc5, which, like the text, hits b7 but at the same threatens a6 if the b7 pawn moves.

31...b6 32.c5?

Better is 32.Nc8, and if 32...Ke8 then 33.Nd6+, forcing 33...Kf8 as 33...Kd8? fails to 34.Ra7.

32...bxc5 33.Rxc5 Rd8 34.Ne3 Rd5 35.Rc8+?!

Almost certainly preferable is 35.Rxd5 exd5 36.Nc5, although the engines reckon Black is much better after 36...a5.

35...Ke7 36.Ra8 a5?!

Much stronger seems to be the engines' 36...f5, eg 37.Ng3 Rd1+ 38.Kh2 Rd6.

37.Ra7+ Ke8 38.Nc3 Rc5

This does not spoil anything, but Black needs to find ...Nc6.

39.Ne4 Rd5 40.Nc3 Rc5

After 40...Nc6 Black is at least slightly better, according to the engines.

41.Ne4 ½–½

Czech Seniors Open Championship Round Eight

Soviet war memorial

Jiří Fišer (1768) - Spanton (1852)

Sicilian Maróczy Bind

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.c4 Bg7 6.Nc2!?

This is a long way behind 6.Be3 in popularity but, since apparently first appearing in master play in 1934, has been tried by many leading player including Magnus Carlsen. The idea is White wants to avoid exchanges as White has more space.

6...d6 7.Nc3 Bxc3+!?

This radical departure from 'normal' play is liked by Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02, and was first played in the aforementioned 1934 game, but has since been superseded in popularity by 7...Nf6.

8.bxc3 Qa5 9.Bd2 Nf6 10.f3

If 10.Bd3?! then 10...Ne5.

10...Ne5 11.Ne3

How should Black proceed?

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11...Bd7

Sebastian Siebrecht (2417) - Benedict Krause (2425), German Blitz Championship (Magdeburg) 2020, saw 11...Be6 12.Nd5 Rc8!?, the point being 13.Nxf6+?! exf6 leaves the c4 pawn very vulnerable. Instead the game went 13.Qb3 b6 14.Be2 Nfd7!? with a slight edge to Black, according to the engines (0-1, 46 moves).

12.Qb3 0-0 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.cxd5 Qc7

Stockfish15 slightly prefers 14....Qa5!? or 14...Rac8!?, but Komodo13.02 is equally happy with the text. After 14....Rac8!?, capturing the b pawn with 15.Qxb7?! can be met by 15...Rab8 16.Qa6 Qc5, when the engines reckon Black has more than enough compensation for a pawn.

15.f4 Ng4 16.h3 Nf6 17.Bd3

White has gained space and is starting to activate the bishop-pair - how should Black respond?

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17...Nh5?

This looks vaguely threatening but achieves nothing. The engines prefer attacking the white centre with 17...e6, when 18.0-0!? allows 18...Qc5+ 19.Kh2 exd5 20.exd5 Nxd5, after which Black is a pawn up, but the black pieces are not well-coordinated, and meanwhile the board is opening for White's bishops. Alternatively 18.dxe6 Bxe6 slightly favours Black, according to Komodo13.02, although Stockfish15 calls the position dead-equal.

18.0-0 f5 19.e5

Less convincing is 19.exf5?! Bxf5 20.Bxf5 gxf5, when White has an edge, according to the engines, but the e4 square beckons the knight.

19...Ng3!?

Consistent but unimpressive. The engines suggest 19...b5, but much prefer White.

20.Rf2 a6 21.e6 Bb5?

Allowing White to improve his position with 22.c4 without loss of tempo.

22.c4 Be8 23.a4 Re8 24.Be3 h6

Freeing a square for the black king at h7 in case White tries to come in on the long dark diagonal.

25.Kh2 Nh5 26.g4 fxg4 27.hxg4 Nf6 28.Kg3 h5 29.gxh5 Nxh5 30.Kh2 Kg7 31.a5 Rh8 32.Kg2 Nf6 33.Rf3 Qd8 34.Bb6 Qc8 35.Bd4 Qc7 36.Rg3

The g pawn is doomed.

36...Rh5 37.Qc2 Rh6 38.f5 Rc8 39.Bb6 Qb8 40.Bb2 g5!?

Desperation - the Black position is hopeless.

41.Rxg5+ Kh7 42.Rh1 Ba4 43.Rxh6+ Kxh6 44.Rg6+ Kh7 45.Qc1 Ng4!? 46.Qh1+ 1-0

Czech Seniors Open Championship Round Seven

Sculpture-festival entry

Spanton (1852) - Jiří Macoun (1675)

French Rubinstein

1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 e6 3.e4 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6!?

This continuation does not have a great theoretical reputation. There are 5,043 examples of the move in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database, compared with 10,385 for 4...Bd7 and 19,573 for 4...Nd7. White scores an excellent 61% after the latter two moves, but an even more impressive 67% after the text. Looking in Mega22, the oldest game with 4...Nf6!? is from 1861. Another 29 years were to pass before Adolf Albin played 4...Nd7, and a further 12 years before José Capablanca introduced 4...Bd7. But 4...Nf6!? is a favourite with some grandmasters, including Hungarian Candidate Richárd Rapport.

5.Nxf6 Qxf6 6.Nf3 h6 7.Bd3 Nc6

Rather than attacking the white centre with ...c5, Black aims for ...e5.

8.0-0 Bd6

The double-blunder 8...Nxd4?? 9.Nxd4 Qxd4?? 10.Bb5+ does not appear in Mega22, but has probably occurred in many friendly games.

9.c3

Is ...e5 already possible?

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9...0-0

The game Marek Ihnát (2066) - Gyula Pap (2535), Piešťany (Slovakia) 2021, went 9...e5!? 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Nxe5, at which point the game was agreed drawn. Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 continue 11...Bxe5 12.f4 Bd6 13.Re1+, claiming White has the upper hand. They reckon Black improves with 10...Bxe5!?, when 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 effectively rules out 12.f4 (12...Nxd3), while 12.Re1 is simply met by 12...0-0, after which White has the bishop-pair but must spend a tempo moving the light-square bishop to preserve it, meaning Black has equalised, according to Stockfish15, although Komodo13.02 gives White a slight edge. So the answer seems to be that 9...e5!? is playable.

10.Re1

This allows 10...e5. The main move in Mega22 is 10.Qe2, the idea perhaps being that 10...e5!? can be met by 11.Qe4. However Black can then reply 11...g6!? as the 'obvious' 12.Bxh6?! is hit by 12...Bf5 13.Qe3 exd4 14.cxd4 Rfe8 15.Qd2 Bg4, when the engines reckon Black has good compensation for a pawn. An improvement in this line for White, according to the engines, is 12.dxe5 Nxe5 13.Nxe5 Bxe5, when 14.Re1 may give White a slight edge. Rather than 10.Qe2, Stockfish15 suggests 10.Bc2!?, preparing a bishop-queen battery on the b1-h7 diagonal. Komodo13.02 prefers 10.Be4!?, but either way both engines reckon White is better.

10...Bd7?!

Missing the chance to play the thematic 10...e5, when 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 is equal according to Stockfish15, although Komodo13.02 gives White a tiny edge.

11.Bc2

Preparing a battery on the key diagonal. Gilberto Hernández Guerrero (2510) - Luís Galego (2435), Capablanca Memorial Premier, Matanzas (Cuba) 1995, saw another way of threatening this, ie 11.Qe2. The game continued 11...Ne7 12.Ne5 (12.Qe4 Qg6 13.Qxg6 Nxg6 14.Bxg6 slightly favours White, according to the engines) Bxe5, when the engines reckon 13.dxe5 gives White the upper hand. The game saw 13.Qxe5 Qxe5 14.dxe5, when the bishops give White an edge but the game was quickly drawn.

11...Rfe8?!

Both games in Mega22 saw 11..Ne7 12.Ne5, when the engines reckon White is much better. The engines suggest 11...Rfd8, and if 12.Qd3 then 12...Qf5, when 13.Qxf5 exf5 is only slightly better for White, according to the engines. One of the points of 11...Rfd8 is to protect the light-square bishop while also vacating the f8 square for the black king.

White to play and get a winning advantage

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12.Qd3

The engines give 12.Ne5!?, and if 12...Rad8 then 13.Qh5, eg 13...Be7 14.Re4 Nxe5 15.dxe5 Qf5 16.Qe2 with a huge attack, or 13...Bxe5 14.dxe5 Qe7 15.Bxh6! gxh6 16.Qxh6 f5 17.exf6 Qf7 18.Re3 etc. Alternatively 12...Bxe5 13.dxe5 Nxe5 loses to 14.Qd4.

12...Ne7?

Black should settle for 12...Qf5, when 13.Qxf5 exf5 14.Bd2 gives White at best a slight edge, according to the engines.

13.Ne5

Also strong is 13.Qh7+ Kf8 14.Qh8+ Ng8 15.Ne5, reaching a position that could also be reached in the game. White can also play 15.Bh7, eg 15...g5!? 16.Qxg8+ Ke7 17.Qxg5 hxg5 18.Bg5 Qxg5 19.Nxg5, but 19...f5 leaves White's advantage less clear.

13...Bc6 14.Re3?!

Almost certainly too slow. One line given by the engines runs 14.Qh7+ Kf8 15.h3!?, intending 16.Ng4 (if 15.Ng4 then 15...Qh4 slows White's attack, although the attack still seems strong).

14...Nf5 15.Nxc6 bxc6

Not 15...Nxe3?? 16.Qh7+ Kf8 17.Qh8#.

16.Rf3 Qh4

The engines prefer 16...c5, albeit giving White the upper hand after 17.dxc5 Bxc5 18.Qe2.

17.Rh3 Qg4 18.Bd1 Qg6 19.Bh5?!

Over-chasing the black queen. White is still better after this, but the engines' 19.Ba4 wins the c6 pawn as defending it with 19...Ne7 seems even worse, eg 20.Qxg6 fxg6 21.Re3 Kf7 22.c4.

19...Qf6 20.Bf3 Ne7 21.c4?

Fatally weakening the d pawn. White remains better after 21.Be4, eg 21...e5 22.Rf3 Qe6 23.dxe5, when having the bishop-pair and better pawn-structure give White the upper hand, according to the engines.

21...Rad8!

Preventing 22.c5 and breaking the pin on the c6 pawn.

22.Qe4 c5 23.Be3?

Better is 23.Bd2, accepting that 23...cxd4 wins a pawn.

23....cxd4 24.Bd2

Black gets a central initiative after 24.Bxd4? Bxh2+ and 25...Rxd4.

24...Qf5?!

Probably too eager for exchanges.

25.Re1?!

Probably better is 25.Qxf5, when 25...exf5 dilutes Black's pawn advantage, while 25...Nxf5 allows strong counterplay, eg 26.b4 c5 27.b5.

25...Qxe4 26.Bxe4 Be5?

Black has a large advantage after 26...Rb8.

How should White proceed?

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27.Ra3!?

This switch-of-play - easy for engines to see, but not for humans focussed on the kingside - wins back White's lost pawn.

27...d3 28.Rxa7

Obvious, but the engines prefer 28.b4!?

28...c5?!

Good for White is 28...Bxb2 29.Rxc7, but the engines like 28...Nc8!? 29.Ra3 Bxb2 30.Rb3 Bf6, reckoning Black may have an edge after 31.Bxd3 Rd7.

29.b3 Nc8?!

JM went to play 29...Nc6??, but just in time saw 30.Bxc6.

30.Ra8 Bd4 31.Ba5!?

The engines for a long time reckon this is a mistake (they change their verdict a few moves into the variation detailed below the diagram), but it seems to be as strong as it looks at first glance. The engines instead suggest 31.g4!?, which seems to be aimed against ...f5. White can also play 31.Bxd3!? as 31...Bxf2+? 32.Kxf2 Rxd3 runs into 33.Be3, when White will get three connected passed pawns on the queenside.

What should Black play?

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31...d2?

This looks more threatening than it is. For a long time the engines reckon Black equalises with 31...Nd6!? 32.Rxd8 Rxd8 33.Bxd8 Nxe4, but they come to agree 34.a4!? is good for White, eg 34...Nxf2 35.Kf1 d2 36.Rb1 d1=Q+ 37.Rxd1 Nxd1 38.a5 Be5 39.a6 Bb8 40.Bb6, after which White is a knight down but the white queenside pawns give excellent compensation (winning, according to Stockfish15, although Komodo13.02 allows only the upper hand). However this may be academic as the engines reckon a major improvement in this line is 33.Bh7+!?, displacing the black king further from the queenside. Much of this is very difficult to see over the board, but it is relatively easy to see the text gets Black nowhere.

32.Rd1 Rd6

No longer giving hope is ...Nd6 as 33.Rxd8 Rxd8 34.Bxd8 (34.Bh7+!? also wins) Nxe4 35.Kf1 is a much clearer win for White than the lines in the previous note.

33.Bc7 f5 34.Bxd6 Nxd6 35.Rxe8+ Nxe8 36.Bc2 Bc3 37.Kf1 Kf7 38.Ke2 Kf6 39.Rxd2!?

Returning the exchange, the point being that after ...

39...Bxd2 40.Kxd2

.... White is a pawn up, has a 3-1 queenside majority and the better piece for dealing with rival pawn majorities.

The game finished:

40...e5 41.a3 Nd6 42.Kc3 e4 43.b4 cxb4+ 44.axb4 Ke5 45.Ba4 f4 46.c5 Nc8 47.Kc4 g5 48.Bd7 Ne7 49.b5 e3 50.fxe3 fxe3 51.Kd3 Kd5 52.c6 Kd6 53.Kxe3 Nd5+ 54.Kf3 Kc7 55.Kg4 Ne3+ 56.Kh5 Nxg2 57.Kxh6 Nh4 58.h3 Kf3 59.Kh5 Kb6 60.Kg4 Nd4 61.Kxg5 Nxb5 62.h4 1-0

Czech Seniors Open Championship Round Six

FACED a Ukrainian.

Around almost every corner lies a church

Boris Gurtovoi (1701) - Spanton (1852)

English

1.e3 e5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Bb4

Black is effectively playing the white side of  the Rossolimo Variation of the Sicilian but with a tempo (e3) less.

4.Qc2!?

Most popular is 4.Nge2, just as in the Rossolimo in a similar position Black usually plays ...Nge7.

4...0-0 5.a3 Bxc3!?

Giving up the bishop-pair is the normal continuation. The idea, I guess, is Black has a slight lead in development, and if White recaptures with a pawn it will mean doubled pawns and difficulties in developing the dark-square bishop. If, on the other hand, White recaptures with the queen, which is the main continuation and is played in the game, White will still require at least two tempi to get the dark-square bishop developed, and the queen may be subjected to a hit from a black knight on d5.

6.Qxc3 Re8 7.g3?!

It is doubtful if White can afford the time to play this.

How should Black proceed?

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7...d5!?

Opening the position when the opponent has the bishop-pair is usually inadvisable, except when the player doing the opening is ahead on development, the idea being to take advantage of the extra development to disorganise the opponent. Here Black has castled and developed a knight and rook, while White has only the queen developed. In addition it is Black to move, so I like to think of the development-tempi count in such a situation as being 3.5-1 in Black's favour (the 0.5 for being on move). Naturally the specifics of the position must be taken into account. Komodo13.02 reckons the text is the best move in the position; Stockfish15 rates it and 7...Nc6 as equally good.

8.cxd5

On 8.Bg2 I planned 8...d4, which is strong, as is the engines' 8...Nc6.

8...Qxd5

Hitting the white queen with 8...Nxd5 is also enough for an edge, but the text is better.

9.f3 Nc6 10.Bc4!?

The engines agree developing with tempo like this is best. If 10.Bg2 both 10...Bf5 and 10...e4 are strong.

10...Qd6 11.b4 Nd4!?

What should White play?

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12.Kf2?
Clearly not 12.exd4?? exd4+, but best, according to the engines, is 12.Bb2, although they reckon Black remains on top.

Black to play and win

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12...Nc6?

Missing 12...Nxf3!, when 13.Nxf3 Ne4+ and 13.Kxf3 Qc6+ are killers. Best seems to be 13.d3, but 13...Ng5 leaves Black with an overwhelming advantage, according to the engines. Also strong is 12...b5.

13.Ne2?!

Probably not best. The engines recommend either 13.b5, eg 13...Ne7 14.e4, or 13.d3, eg 13...Be6 14.Ne2, in each case with advantage to Black.

13...e4 14.f4

Not 14.fxe4?? Nxe4 and 15...Nxc3.

14...Bh3!? 15.Rd1?!

Overprotecting d2 and trying to set-up counterplay, but it was almost certainly necessary to take Black's kingside threats more seriously. One line given by the engines runs 15.Bb2 Ng4+ 16.Ke1 Qh6 17.b5 Ne7 18.Qb3 Rf8 19.Qb4 Nf5 20.Qc5, albeit they prefer Black after 20...Nd6.

15...Ng4+ 16.Kg1 Qh6 17.Bb2

How should Black continue?

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17...Re5??

Best, according to the engines, is patient build-up with 17...Rad8 or 17...Ne7.

White to play and win

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18.Nd4??

Stockfish15 gives 18.fxe5 Ncxe5 19.Qxe5! Nxe5 20.Bxe5, when White has rook, knight and bishop (plus the bishop-pair) for queen and pawn. Komodo13.02 prefers 18.Bxf7+!? Kxf7 19.fxe5, when 19...Ncxe5?? fails to 20.Qxc7+ etc.

18...Nxh2??

The simple 18...Nxd4 wins, eg 19.Qxd4 Nxh2 with a massive attack, or 19.exd4 Rh5, again winning.

19.Nxc6 Nf3+?!

The engines reckon 19...bxc6 and 19...Rh5 are roughly equal.

20.Kf2 Bf1??

Less clear, but possibly favouring White, is 20...Rh5, eg 21.Ne7+ Kf8 22.Qxg7+!? Qxg7 23.Bxg7 Kxg7 24.Rh1.

The game finished:

21.Bxf1 Rh5 22.Bg2 bxc6 23.Rh1 Rd8 24.Rxh5 Rxd2+ 25.Qxd2 1-0