Northumberland Round One

THIS evening I lost with black in 21 moves against Matthew Forster (2122 ECF/2070 Fide).

North To Northumberland

AM traveling to North Shields today for the 58th Northumberland congress, which starts this evening.

There are four sections, with my ECF rating of 1952 meaning I have to play in the open, which is Fide-rated.

The time control is 110 minutes, plus a 10-second increment, with Saturday and Sunday's rounds at 10am and 2.30pm.

There are 141 entries, including 43 in the open: N.

Good News ... Bad News

PLAYED last night.

Spanton (Battersea 2 - 1952) - Jack Virgin (HMC 3 - 1881)

Central London League Division Two

Board Two

Benoni

1.Nc3 Nf6 2.d4 c5 3.d5

There are 3,193 games with this position in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database, the normal move-order being 1.d4 c5 2.d5 Nf6 3.Nc3.

3...g6 4.e4 d6 5.f4!?

Much more popular, and preferred by Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02, is 5.Nf3, one idea being to route the knight to c4. However Alexander Alekhine played the text in the 1912 stem game (a 19-move win against Grigory Levenfish).

5...Bg7

Levenfish played 5...Nbd7, but the text is the chief continuation today.

6.e5!?

The mainline in Mega22 runs 6.Bb5+ Nfd7!? 7.a4!? 0-0 8.Nf3 with advantage to White, according to the engines.

How should Black respond to White's pawn thrust?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

6...dxe5

This is most popular, but 6...Nfd7, suggested by Battersea player Victor Rumsey in the postmortem, is preferred by the engines. After 7.e6 fxe6 8.dxe6 my suggestion of 8.Bc4 is probably better than the known continuation 8.Bb5+?!, but the engines reckon Black has the upper hand. Whites have also also tried 7.exd6, when 7...exd6 is equal, according to the engines, but they reckon the pawn sac 7...0-0!? is strong. Interesting is the engines' top choice of 7.Be2!?, intending to continue in gambit style with 7...dxe5 8.Nf3. The position seems unclear but the engines have a slight preference for Black.

7.fxe5 Ng4?

This is the commonest continuation (just) in Mega22, but is a mistake. Black should play 7...Nfd7, when 8.e6.fxe6 9.dxe6 gives White a much- improved version of the first line in the previous note.

8.Bb5+ Kf8

Forced, as 8...Bd7?? loses a piece to 9.Qxg4.

9.e6 Bxe6?

This initiates a forcing sequence that wins material in the short term but gives White an overwhelming position. The engines suggest 9...Nf6 10.exf7 a6 11.Be8!? Nxe8 12.fxe8=Q+ Kxe8 13.Nf3, when material is level and Black has the bishop-pair, but the engines reckon White is positionally winning.

10.dxe6 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qxd1+ 12.Kxd1 Nf2+ 13.Ke2 Nxh1

Black is the exchange and a pawn up, but the king's knight is doomed, and anyway White has a mate-in-five

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

14.Bh6+ Kg8 15.exf7+!?

This is plenty good enough to win but Johann Blum - Heinrich Bruckhaus, German Championship Qualifier (Gelsenkirchen) 1947, saw the superior 15.Rf1, when Black resigned as mate cannot be avoided, eg 15...f5 is met by 16.Be8 etc (15.Be8 also mates).

15...Kxf7 16.Bc4+ e6

If 16...Ke8 then 17.Bg7, and if 16...Kf6 then 17.Rf1+ Ke5 18.Bg7.

17.Nf3 Nd7 18.Nf3 Rhe8 19.Rf1 Nb6 20.Ne5+ Kg8!?

This allows checkmate, but 20...Ke7 21.Rf7+ Kd6 22.Bf4 is also horrific, and 21...Kd8 is no improvement, even if White does not find the engines' long mating sequence starting with 22.Rxb7.

21.Rf7! Rf8

The point is 21...Nxc4 runs into 22.Rg7+ Kh8 23.Nf7# or 22...Kf8 23.Nd7#. The text is as good as any other try, according to the engines.

22.Rxf8+

The engines give a mate-in-seven starting with 22.Rg7+.

22...Rxf8 23.Bxe6+ 1-0

The bad news is we lost the match:

BATTERSEA 2...........................................................HMC 3

Philipp Even (1992).....................0-1..........................Julian Morrison (2006)

Tim Spanton (1952).....................1-0..........................Jack Virgin (1881)

Victor Rumsey (1802)...................½...........................Martin G Baker (1841)

Hendrik Wessels (1726)................½...........................Stephen Berkley (1761)

Stephen Welch (1460)..................0-1..........................Igor Naumov (1804)

.....................................................2-3................................................................

Captain For A Day

AM captaining Battersea 2 against HMC* 3 in division two of the Central London League tonight as our regular captain, Emil Todorow, is abroad.

Unfortunately it seems HMC's first and second teams have the evening off, which means our opponents could be boosted by stronger-than-usual players.

*HMC apparently stands for Honorary Members' Club, a team from the now-defunct London Commercial League.

Nothing New Under The Sun

A COMMON observation made about Magnus Carlsen's playing style is that he is very good at conjuring wins out of seemingly sterile positions.

It is not just 'run-of-the-mill' pundits who make this claim.

Even some of the world's greatest players acknowledge this ability of the current world champion.

For example, Anatoly Karpov said of Carlsen in a 2016 interview: "He can convert a minimal advantage into a real one."

But crediting players with such an ability is nothing new, as the following example from 500 Master Games Of Chess by Savielly Tartakower and Julius du Mont shows.

Notes in italics are algebraicised from the book.

Rudolf Charousek - Emil Schallopp

German Chess Federation Congress (Köln) 1898

Bishop's Opening

In the following elegant game White engineers a win out of practically 'nothing'. His exploitation of an increasing pressure on the open f file is an object lesson in logic.

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3

An ultra-solid continuation.

3...Bc5

Black also resorts to the quietest reply.

Calling 3...Bc5 "the quietest reply" seems rather unfair, especially when 3...d6 and 3...h6 are available.

4.Nc3 d6 5.Be3

Lifeless would be 5.Na4 Bb6 6.Nxb6 axb6, and Black has some compensation for the elimination of his controlling bishop (a [semi-]open a file, a compact mass of pawns on the queenside [and] a general simplification of the contest).

5...Bxe3

Presenting his adversary with an as yet invisible asset in the [semi-]open f file. An easier continuation is 5...Bb6, or even 5...Nc6 as after 6.Bxc5 dxc5 Black's pressure on the d file would compensate him for his doubled c pawns.

6.fxe3 c6 7.Qe2 0-0 8.Nf3 b5 9.Bb3 a5 10.a4

Very readily White blocks up the queenside, so as to devote the more energy to the opposite wing, where the [semi-]open f file furnishes him with an ideal base of action.

10...b4 11.Nb1

More useful than 11.Nd1.

Stockfish15 agrees with this verdict but Komodo13.02 marginally prefers the d1 retreat. If then, as in the game, 11...Nbd7, Komodo13.02's idea, at least at first, is 12.Nf2 (it later prefers 12.0-0), eg 12...d5 13.0-0 Re8 14.Nd2, although both engines reckon 14...Nc5 gives Black the upper hand.

11...Nbd7 12.Nbd2 Nc5 13.0-0 Nxb3 14.Nxb3 Ba6 15.Qe1

Evading the threat 15...Nxe4.

15...Ne8 16.Qg3 g6 17.Rf2 Ng7 18.Raf1 f5?

Restless play, which only precipitates events to his detriment. Better is 18...Qe7.

The engines agree the text is a mistake but 18...Qe7? is worse as it allows 19.Nxa5. It seems unlikely 18...Qe7 ("18...Q-K2" in the book) is a typo as 18...Qc7? is no better, thanks to the reply 19.Ng5. The engines reckon 18...f6 is equal.

How should White proceed?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****
19.Nh4?

This parries the threat of 19...fxe4 and attacks the f5 pawn a fourth time, whereas it is effectively defended but twice (on account of a potential pin on the g file).

But the correct way to parry Black's threat to capture on e4 is 19.Nfd2, according to the engines, after which they reckon White has a slight edge.

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

19...f4?!

Almost certainly better is the engines' 19...Nh5 20.Qh3, and now 20...f4, when 21.g3?! and 21.g4? seem to be successfully countered by 21...Bc8, so White should probably play 21.exf4, but then 21...Nxf4 gives Black at least equality.

20.exf4 exf4?

Black had to play 20...Nh5, when the engines reckon 21.Qg5 Nxf4 22.Qxd8 gives White a slightly better version of best play in the previous note.

21.Rxf4

Winning the pawn fairly and squarely, as the fork ...g5 is not applicable now or on the next move.

21...Rxf4 22.Qxf4 Qc7

For if 22...g5 [then] 23.Qf7+ Kh8 24.Nf5 etc.

23.Nc5

An elegant manoeuvre. But not 23.Nxa5 on account of 23...Nh5 24.Qg5 Bxd3 etc.

As the engines point out, 25.cxd3 wins for White, eg 25...Rxa5 26.Nf5! Kh8 27.b3 Qb8 28.Qh6 Ra8 29.Nd4, after which White is up a protected passed pawn and has the safer king and better-coordinated pieces.

23...Nh5 24.Nxa6 Qb6+ 25.Qf2 Qxf2+ 26.Kxf2! Rxa6 27.Ke3

It is hard to imagine that this position should lead to an easy and rapid win.

How would you assess the position?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

White is a pawn up and has the more-active king and rook. The engines agree White is winning, and while "an easy and rapid win" may not be expected, Tartakower/du Mont's last comment seems more connected with their first comment on this game rather than on the position the game has reached.

27...Kg7 28.Nf3 Nf6

Or 28...h6 29.Nd4 etc.

29.Ng5 h6?!

Almost certainly better is the engines' 29...Ra8.

30.Ne6+ Kf7 31.Nc5

A 'deflecting sacrifice'. In a twinkling Black's game collapses.

31...dxc5

Or 31...Ra7 (parries 32.Nd7) 32.e5 dxc5 (32...dxe5 33.Ne4, winning the knight) 33.Rxf6+ followed by 37.Rxc6 and wins.

32.e5 Ke6 33.Rxf6+ Kxe5 34.Rxg6 1-0

A very strangely annotated game by Tartakower and du Mont. Naturally it is easy to appear wise with the help of powerful engines, but one wonders how many of Carlsen's 'wins out of nothing' would stand up to rigorous analysis.

I'll Never Forget Whatshisname - Part Two

Spanton (2007) - Stebbings (2285)

Gibraltar 2011

English Symmetrical

1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 c5 3.Bg2 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Nc3 Nc7!?

Black's play may appear a little strange but it is part of a plan attributed to Akiba Rubinstein in which Black sets up a Maróczy Bind. The mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database runs 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.0-0 c5, reaching a position occurring 4,379 times in Mega22. Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon Black has equalised.

6.Qb3!?

The start of a counter-plan recommended by Nigel Davies on his ChessBase English Opening DVD.

6...Nd7!?

The commonest continuation is 6...Nc6 7.Bxc6+!? bxc6 with an equal position, according to the engines.

7.Nf3 e5

Black has set-up the thematic bind but lags in development

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

8.0-0 Be7 9.e3

White should almost certainly strive to break the bind before Black has time to consolidate.

9...0-0 10.Rd1 Ne6 11.d4

Garry Kasparov played 11.Nd5 in a 1985 simul against 32 computers (he won every game), but today's engines reckon 11...e4 12.Ne1 Nf6 leaves Black in a better state than after the text.

11...exd4 12.exd4 cxd4 13.Nxd4 Ndc5

The bind has been smashed and Black still lags in development.

14.Nxe6!?

Sacrificing the exchange for interesting play. Two subsequent games went 14.Qc4 Nxd4 15.Rxd4 Be6 17.Nd5, after which White has the upper hand, according to the engines.

14...Nxb3 15.Nxd8 Nxa1 16.Nxb7 Bg4!? 17.Rd4 Be6 18.Nd5 Bxd5

I recall during the game being more concerned about 18...Bd8!?, although Rybka3, after the game,  continued 19.Be4 Bb6 20.Rd1, claiming a slight edge for White. However Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon it is Black who has a slight edge after the further moves 20...Bxd5 21.Bxd5 Nc2. In any event my modern engines prefer the text.

19.Bxd5 Rac8 20.Bd2 Bf6 21.Ra4 Bxb2

White is no longer a pawn up but still has the bishop-pair. The engines reckon the position is equal.

22.Bb4 Rc1+ 23.Kg2 Rb8 24.Nd6 Nc2 25.Bxf7+?!

The engines reckon 25.Ba5!? gives complete equality, although the position remains sharp.

25...Kf8 26.Rxa7

How should Black proceed?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

26...Nxb4?

Black has an advantage after 26...Rxb4 27.Be6 g6!, according to the engines, but play is complicated, eg 28.Rf7+ Kg8 29.Re7+ Kh8 30.Bd5!? Ne1+ 31.Kh3 g5!? 32.Re8+ Kg7 33.Re7+ Kg6 34.Re6+ Bf6 35.Ne4+ Rxe4 36.Bxe4+ Kf7. The problem with the text is it leaves the rook on b8 unprotected.

27.Be6 Nc6?

Protecting the hanging rook but walking into a mate. The engines give 27...Rc6!? 28.Rf7+ Kg8 29.Rb7+ Kf8 30.Rxb8+ Ke7 31.Rxb4 Bx3 32.Nf5+ Kxe6 33.Nd4+ Bxd4 34.Rxd4, after which White is two sound pawns up, but it is a rook-and-pawn ending.

28.Rf7+ Kg8 29.Rf6+ Kh8 30.Nf7+ Kg8 31.Nd8+ 1-0

I'll Never Forget Whatshisname

TYPICALLY when people discover I play in chess tournaments they recount how they knew the moves as a child but never kept at it.

Sometimes they relate meeting a "strong" player who always beat them, but they usually cannot remember the person's name, or at least only recall a first name.

The other day, however, in my East End 'local', I was chatting to a guy who had a slightly different version of this story.

Apparently he often played someone who always beat him easily, and who eventually said to him something along the lines of: "Don't feel too bad about it. See this chess book - I have games in it."

And, unusually, the guy remembered the player's name: "Stebbings - Terry Stebbings."

I recognised the surname but it was only later in the evening that I realised Terry should be Tony.

When I got home I looked him up in my database of personal games and found we had played twice.

All of which is an excuse for recounting the games, which have interesting points, on my blog. Here is the first one.

Spanton (2060) - Anthony J Stebbings (2280) 

Hastings Masters 1995-6

Sicilian Alapin

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4 d6 7.Bd2!?

This is the second choice of Komodo13.02, behind the main move 7.Bc4.

7...Bd7 8.Nc3 Bc6 9.Bc4 Nb6 10.Bb3 N8d7 11.0-0 Be7?!

This is probably a mistake. Lê Thảo Nguyên Phạm (2319) - Sergei Movsesian (2658), Chess.com Blitz 2015, went 11...dxe5 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Qd4 14.Qe2 Be7 with equality, according to Stockfish15, although Komodo13.02 gives White a slight edge (0-1, 58 moves).

How should White proceed?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

12.Bf4?!

The engines give White the upper hand after 12.exd6 Bxd6 13.d5!, eg 13...Nxd5 14.Nxd5 exd5 15.Re1+ Kf8 (not 15...Be7?? 16.Bb4) 16.Bc3, when White is a pawn down but has a strong attack.

12...dxe5 13.Nxe5 Nxe5 14.dxe5 Qxd1 15.Rfxd1 0-0 16.Be3 Rfd8 17.a3 Rxd1+ 18.Rxd1

I offered a draw.

18...Rd8 19.f4 Rxd1+ 20.Bxd1?

The game is equal after 20.Nxd1.

20....Nc4 21.Bxa7

Even worse seems to be 21.Bc1?! Bc5+.

21....Nxb2 22.Be2 Bxa3 23.g4?!

This is probably more weakening than anything else.

23...Bb4 24.Bd4 Ba5 25.Nb5 Na4 26.Kf2 Nb6 27.Nd6 Nd5 28.f5 Bd2 29.Bc4 Bb4 30.fxe6 fxe6 31.Ke2 Kf8 32.Kd3 Ke7 33.Ne4?!

This allows Black a knight tour that ends with White losing the bishop-pair. Probably better is 33.Bb3, not fearing 33...Bxd6? 34.exd6+ Kxd6 as 35.Bxg7 gives excellent drawing chances.

33...Nf4+ 34.Ke3 Ng2+ 35.Kd3

Or 35.Kf3 Ne1+ 36.Kf4 g5+!? 37.Ke3 Nc2+ 38.Kd3 Nxd4.

35...Ne1+ 36.Ke3 Nc2+ 37.Kd3 Nxd4 38.Kxd4 Ba3 39.Ng5!?

Not much better is 39.Nc3 Bb2.

39...Bb2+ 40.Kc5 Bxe5 41.Nxe6 Bd7 42.Ng5 h6 43.Nf3 Bd6+ 44.Kb6 Bxg4 45.Nh4 g5 46.Kxb7!? gxh4 47.Bd5 Bxh2 0-1

Ilkley Game Five

Randolph E Donahue (1789) - Spanton (1952)

U2000

Giuoco Piano

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d4!?

An interesting gambit that scores a very good 61% for White in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database.

5...Bxd4 6.Nxd4 Nxd4

For a pawn White has the bishop-pair and is able to quickly generate tactical threats

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****
7.Bg5!?

The mainline runs 7.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Bg5, slightly favouring Black, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02, which reckon Black's best continuation is 9...Qe7!? After 10.Na3 Be6 (this is the commonest move in Mega22, but better may be the almost-as-popular 10...Rg8!?) 11.c3 Bxc4 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Nxc4 Ne6 White's large lead in development, better pawn-structure and safer king at least compensate for being a pawn down.

7...h6 8.Bh4 d6

8...g5 9.f4! seems good for White, eg 9...gxh4 10.fxe5 wins the piece back with a continuing attack, and 9...gxf4, which has been played by at least one grandmaster and is the second-most popular continuation in Mega22, loses to 10.Rxf4! exf4 11.Qxd4 etc. Best may be 9...d5!? 10.exd5 gxh4 11.fxe5 Nxd5 12.Qxd4 Be6, although White is clearly better.

9.f4 b5!?

This may be a novelty. The mainline runs 9...Bg4 10.Bxf6 Bxd1 11.Bxd8 Rxd8 12.Rxd1 Nxc2 13.Nc3 Nxa1 14.Rxa1 with an unclear position, but one that Russian grandmaster Igor Lysyi has had twice as Black in Mega22, losing to a 2347 and drawing with a 2135.

How should White respond?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****
10.fxe5

There are many interesting continuations, including 10.Bxb5+ Nxb5 11.fxe5 dxe5 12.Qxd8+ Kxd8 13.Rxf6! Ke8 14.Rc6 f6 15.a4 Nd4 16.Rxc7 and 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Bd3 Bd7 12.f5!?, but the text may be as good as any.

10...dxe5 11.Bxf7+?

But this is too optimistic. The engines give 11.Bxb5+ Nxb5, transposing to the first line in the previous note.

11...Kxf7 12.Qh5+ g6

The engines reckon 12...Ke6!? is probably even stronger.

13.Qxe5 g5 14.Nc3

How should Black continue?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

14...Kg6?

14...Be6? loses to 15.Bf2!, according to the engines, eg 15...Nc6 16.Qxb5 Qe8 17.Nd5 Rb8 18.Qc5 Nxe4 19.Bd4+ Kg8 20.Qxc6. But Black seems to be winning after both 14...Re8 and 14...gxh4.

15.Rad1

Slightly better may be the engines' 15.Bf2!?

15...Ng4!

This is the only move that does not lose, according to the engines.

16.Qc5 Qd6 17.Qxd6 cxd6 18.Rxd4 gxh4 19.Rxd6+ Kg7

White only has two pawns for a bishop, but Black has weak pawns and an exposed king

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

20.Nxb5

Taking a third pawn, but slightly better, according to the engines, is first 20.h3.

20...Rb8 21.a4 a6 22.Na7?

Better is 22.Nd4, eg 22...Rxb2 23.h3 Ne3 24.Rf4, which Stockfish15 reckons is equal although Komodo13.02 gives Black at least a slight edge..

22...Rxb2 23.Rc6?!

Both 23.h3 Ne3 and 23.Nxc8 Rxc8 are good for Black, but the engines reckon the text is even worse.

Black to play and win

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

23...Bb7?

This allows a perpetual, whereas 23...Bd7 24.Rc7 Ne5 solves Black's difficulties and allows a win on material.

24.Rc7+ Kg6 25.Nc6 Bxc6

More-or-less forced as 25...Re8?! 26.Ne7+ gives White a strong attack, eg 26...Kg7 27.Nf5+ Kh8 28.Nd6, when 28...Rb8?! runs into 29.h3 Ne3?! 30.Rff7 etc.

The game finished:

26.Rxc6+ Kg7 27.h3 Ne3 28.Rc7+ Kg6 29.Rc6+ Kg7 ½–½

Ilkley Game Four

Spanton (1952) - Robert A Newton (1937)

U2000

Modern Defence

1.e4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.d4 d6 4.Nc3 Nbd7

4...Nf6 would be a transposition to the Pirc; the text keeps the game in independent lines.

5.Be2 c6 6.a4 Qc7 7.a5!?

Castling is normal.

7...Ngf6 8.h3 0-0 9.Be3

The moves may have appeared somewhat random, or perhaps lacking planning, but the game has reached a position occurring 163 times in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

9...h6!?

The mainline runs 9...e5 10.dxe5 dxe5, when Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon 11.Bc4!? or 11.0-0 gives White at least a slight edge. One point of the text is to prevent 10.Qd2 followed by 11.Bh6.

10.Qd2 Kh7 11.0-0 a6 12.Rfd1 Ng8?!

The engines strongly dislike this retreat.

13.d5 c5 14.Qc1!?

Planning to re-route the king's knight to c4.

14...Rb8 15.Nd2 Ndf6 16.Nc4 Ne8?!

Another retreat strongly disliked by the engines.

17.Qd2 f5 18.Bd3 fxe4 19.Bxe4 Ngf6 20.Bd3 e5 21.Rf1

21.dxe6 Bxe6 22.Nb6 also leaves White on top, according to the engines.

21...Qe7 22.Rae1 Bf5 23.f4 Bxd3 24.Qxd3

The engines slightly prefer 24.cxd3!? to prevent Black's next move.

24...e4 25.Qd2 Rd8 26.g4 Nc7 27.Rd1 Nb5!? 28.Nxb5?!

The engines reckon much better is 28.Ne2, in effect asking Black what the knight is doing out on a limb on the queenside. Stockfish15 reckons 28.Ne2 gives White a won game, but Komodo13.02 allows White only a slight edge, suggesting the game is hard to evaluate, with positional factors dominating over the engines' strongpoint of tactics.

28...axb5 29.Na3 Qd7 30.Qe2 b4

The engines' 30...h5! initiates immediate kingside counterplay.

31.Nc4 Qf7 32.Qd2

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 32.f5 g5 33.Qd2.

32...h5 33.g5!?

The engines prefer 33.f5 hxg4 34.Qg2, claiming a slight edge for White.

33...Ng8 34.f5!? gxf5 35.Bf4 Qg6 36.Qh2 Rf7 37.h4?

Better is 37.Qg3, or even Komodo13.02's 37.Bxd6!?, the point of the latter being 37...Qxg5+ 38.Kh1 seems to leave White better coordinated.

37...Ne7?!

Almost certainly stronger is 37...Nf6 (or 37...Nh6) with ...Ng4 to come.

38.Bxd6 Bd4+ 39.Kh1 Nxd5 40.Bxc5!? Bxc5 41.Ne5 Bd6 42.Rxd5 Bxe5 43.Qxe5 Rxd5 44.Qxd5 f4

After a brief flurry of tactics we have a late-middlegame in which White has the better overall pawn-structure, but Black has a dangerous pair of passed pawns

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

45.Qe5?

Both 45.Kg2 and 45.c4 are much better, according to the engines.

45...f3 46.Kg1 Qf5 47.Qxf5+ Rxf5 48.Kf2

There is nothing better.

48...Rxa5?

White is reduced to losing passivity after 48...Rf4.

49.Ke3 Re5 50.Rd1 Kg6 51.Kf4?!

White seems to have a comfortable draw after 51.Rd8 or 51.Rd7.

51...Re6 52.Re1??

Pushing the c pawn one or two squares holds, according to the engines.

52...f2 53.Rf1 e3 0-1

London League Summer Open Round Nine

PLAYED last night.

Spanton (1952) - Alexander Cherniaev (GM 2469)

St George's Defence

1.Nc3 a6 2.d4 b5 3.Nf3 Bb7 4.a3!?

To a certain extent the text could be said to justify Black's first move in that both players have now spent a tempo on moving their queen's rook pawn one square. Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon the position is level, but that if anyone has a tiny edge it is Black.

4...Nf6 5.Bg5 e6 6.Qd3!?

This may be a novelty. A known plan is the immediate 6.e4, when 6...h6 7.Bxf6 Qxf6 gives Black the bishop-pair but White a classical centre.

6...h6 7.Bh4 d6 8.e4

White has two pawns abreast in the centre on the fourth rank but the engines reckon Black is slightly better

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

8...Nbd7 9.Be2 g5 10.Bg3 Nh5 11.Nd2 Nxg3 12.hxg3 Bg7 13.Bf3?!

The engines strongly dislike this, preferring 13.f4, 13.Nf1 or 13.a4.

13...c5 14.Ne2?!

The engines suggest 14.dxc5 or 14.d5, but much prefer Black.

14...cxd4 15.Nxd4 g4! 16.Be2

Not 16.Bxg4?? Ne5 17.Qe2 Nxg4 etc.

16...Qg5 17.N2b3?

Better is 17.c3.

17...Ne5 18.Qd2 Bxe4 19.Qxg5 hxg5 20.Rxh8+ Bxh8

After just 20 moves Black is a pawn up, has the bishop-pair and enjoys more space

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

21.f3 gxf3 22.gxf3 Bd5 23.0-0-0 Nc4 24.c3 Be5 25.Rg1 Kd7 26.Bxc4 bxc4 27.Nd2 Rh8 28.Kd1 Rh2 29.Ke1 f5

Black's plan is simply to advance his central-kingside pawn-mass. White has no effective counterplay.

30.Ne2 Bf6 31.f4 g4 32.Nf1 Rh8 33.Kd2 Kc6 34.Ne3 Kc5 35.Nxd5 Kxd5

Getting rid of the bishop-pair is only a minor achievement.

36.Ke3 e5 37.Rb1 Rb8 38.Rd1+ Ke6 39.Rd2 Bd8 40.Nc1 Bb6+ 41.Ke2 Rh8 0-1

Final Ranking after 9 Rounds

Rk.	SNo			Name	Gr	FED	RtgI	RtgN	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	1		GM	Cherniaev Alexander	A	ENG	2387	2472	8	0	7	49,5
2	6			Brixel Christof Dr.	Op	GER	1961	2026	6,5	0	5	42,5
3	4		FM	Eames Robert S	Op	ENG	2112	2179	6	0	4	45
4	3		CM	Okike David	Gold	NGR	2157	2258	5,5	0	5	46,5
5	9			Shaw Matthew H	Op	ENG	1868	1949	5	0	2	37
6	8			Spanton Tim R	A	ENG	1861	1955	4,5	0	3	45,5
7	5			Toon James	Plat	ENG	1934	2046	4,5	0	3	42
8	13			Horan George	Op	ENG	1679	1869	4	0	3	41,5
9	11			Macneil Elliott Cm	K	WLS	1771	1905	4	0	2	38,5
10	7			Brown Michael St J	Op	ENG	0	1984	4	0	1	34,5
11	20			Landman Aharon	Op	ENG	0	1573	3,5	0	2	45
12	10			Shenbagakumar Gautham	A	ENG	1762	1934	3,5	0	1	36,5
13	12			Virgin Jack	Op	ENG	0	1872	3,5	0	1	34,5
14	17			Phillips Max	Op	ENG	0	1719	3,5	0	0	33,5
15	16			Alcock Graham P	Op	ENG	1757	1822	3	0	1	36,5
16	19			Veselow Zoe	A	ENG	1427	1641	2,5	0	2	41
17	15			Jakhria Kushal	Op	ENG	1601	1853	2,5	0	1	36,5
18	18			Ortolani Paolo	Gold	ITA	1573	1692	2,5	0	0	36
19	2			Brozel Sacha	K	ENG	2120	2281	2	0	1	39
20	21			Sobolevski Damien	P	ENG	0	1003	0	0	0	29
21	14			Shah Meet	Op	ENG	1602	1868	0	0	0	27,5

Grandmaster Opposition

AM playing Russian GM Alexander Cherniaev (2469) tonight in the ninth and final round of the London League's summer open tournament at the Mindsports Centre, Hammersmith.

Bo.	No.			Name	Gr	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Gr		No.
1	8			Spanton Tim R	A	4½		7	GM	Cherniaev Alexander	A		1
2	6			Brixel Christof Dr.	Op	5½		5½	CM	Okike David	Gold		3
3	10			Shenbagakumar Gautham	A	3½		5	FM	Eames Robert S	Op		4
4	9			Shaw Matthew H	Op	4		3½		Landman Aharon	Op		20
5	13			Horan George	Op	3½		3		Virgin Jack	Op		12
6	16			Alcock Graham P	Op	3		3		Brown Michael St J	Op		7
7	2			Brozel Sacha	K	2	0			not paired
8	5			Toon James	Plat	4½	0			not paired
9	11			Macneil Elliott Cm	K	4	0			not paired
10	14			Shah Meet	Op	0	0			not paired
11	15			Jakhria Kushal	Op	2½	0			not paired
12	17			Phillips Max	Op	2½	0			not paired
13	18			Ortolani Paolo	Gold	2½	0			not paired
14	19			Veselow Zoe	A	2½	0			not paired
15	21			Sobolevski Damien	P	0	0			not paired