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

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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

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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