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