Dresden Game Two

Geza Gal (1765*) - Spanton (1764)

King's Fianchetto Opening

1.g3 e5 2.Bg2 d5 3.d3 Nf6 4.Nd2 Be7 5.c4

5.e4 would take the game into King's Indian Attack territory. Instead, after ...

5...c6 6.Nf3

... it is more of a Réti.

6...Nbd7

6...e4!? seems strong, eg 7.dxe4?! dxe4 8.Ng5?! runs into 8...e3! 9.fxe3 Ng4. Less catastrophic is 7.Ne5!?, but Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon Black has at least a slight edge.

7.0-0 0-0 8.Rb1 a5 9.a3?!

The engines give 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.e4 with what they reckon is an equal game.

9...a4 10.Ne1 d4

Grabbing more space and leaving the white king's knight with nothing better to do than return to f3.

11.Ne4?! Nxe4 12.Bxe4 Nc5 13.Bg2 f5

At first sight this may look impressive but it is hard for Black to advance the central pawn-mass. The engines prefer 13...Bf5.

14.Bd2 Be6 15.Bb4 Qc7 16.Nc2 Rad8 17.Na1!?

This is the engines' top choice.

17...Ra8 18.Rc1

If 18.Nc2 I would almost certainly have varied rather than acquiesce to a draw by repetition.

18...Bd6 19.e3?!

The engines strongly dislike this, preferring 19.b3.

How should Black proceed?

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19...Qd7

The engines reckon 19...dxe3!? 20.fxe3 Rad8!? is winning.

20.exd4 exd4 21.Nc2?!

Probably better is the engines' 21.f4!? or 21.Bxc5.

21...Nb3 22.Rb1 c5 23.Be1!? f4 24.Na1 fxg3

The engines prefer 24...Bh3!? or 24...Nxa1 25.Rxa1 Bh3.

25.hxg3 Bg4 26.Qc2?

Better is 26.f3, although Black keeps an advantage.

26...Nxa1 27.Rxa1 Bf3 28.b4!?

This is Stockfish15's top choice, at least for a while, which only shows how bad White's position is.

28...axb3 29.Qxb3 Be2?!

This wins the exchange, but White gets a pawn and the bishop-pair, which is often sufficient compensation. The engines give 29...Bxg2 30.Kxg2 Bxg3!, the point being 31.Kxg3? succumbs to mate after 31...Ra6.

30.Qxb7 Qxb7 31.Bxb7 Ra7 32.Bd5+ Kh8 33.a4?

Not 33.Bd2? as 33...Bxf1 wins the exchange and a pawn, eg 34.Kxf1 Bxg3. Best, according to the engines, is 33.f4, but 33..Bxf1 34.Kxf1 g5 leaves Black on top.
33...Bxd3 34.a5 Bxf1 35.Kxf1 Bxg3 36.Ra3 Bc7 37.a6 h6 38.Bb7 Rb8 39.Be4 Rb6 40.Rf3 Rf6 41.Rb2?! Rfxa6 (0-1, 54 moves).

*German rating - does not have a Fide rating.