Spanton (1943) - Eric Eedle (1907)
Veresov
1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.Bg5 Nbd7 4.e3 c6 5.Bd3?!
The main moves in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database are 5.f4!? and especially 5.Nf3, both of which prevent 5...e5.
5...g6?!
Black is slightly better, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02, after 5...e5.
6.Nf3
Nigel Short (2220) - Iván Morovic Fernández (-), World U17 Championship (Cagnes-sur-Mer, France) 1977, went 6.Nge2!? Bg7 7.Nf4?! 0-0 8.Qe2 e5 with advantage to Black (but ½–½, 47 moves).
6...Bg7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Re1 Re8 9.h3 Nf8
Black is at least equal after 9...e5, according to the engines.
10.Ne5 Ne6 11.Bh4 Nc7 12.Qf3 Rf8 13.Rad1 Nce8
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| How would you assess this middlegame? |
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White has every piece in play, including moving the rooks to central files, while Black is a long way from even connecting rooks. The position is relatively closed, which favours the undeveloped side; even so Stockfish15 gives White the upper hand, although Komodo13.02 awards White just a slight edge.
14.Ne2?!
14.Ne2?!
This dithering seems to throw away all of White's advantage. The main way to exploit a lead in development is to open the position, and that calls for 14.e4, eg 14...dxe4 15.Nxe4 Nxe4 16.Qxe4 Nd6 17.Qf3, when the engines reckon White has at least a slight edge.
14...Nd6 15.Ng3 Nd7 16.Ng4?
A mistake that hands Black the initiative.
16...f5!? 17.Nh2 Qe8 18.Qe2 e5 19.dxe5 Nxe5
Black's light-square bishop is bad, but Black has more space and White's pieces on the kingside are awkwardly bunched.
20.c3
The engines give 20.f4!?, which makes the e pawn backward but gains space and emphasises how blocked in is Black's queen's bishop.
20...Bd7!?
Black wins the bishop-pair with 20...Nxc3 but would be exchanging a well-placed knight for a bishop biting on the granite formation of Black's kingside.
21.Bb1 Qf7 22.Nf3 Nxf3+ 23.Qxf3 Nc4 24.Qe2 Rae8 25.b3 Nd6 26.Qd2 b5!?!
This is aimed against the threat of 27.c4, but the engines prefer kingside play with 26...f4 or 26...Bh6!?
27.Ne2 h6 28.Bg3 Ne4 29.Bxe4 fxe4 30.c4
White gets c4 in anyway, and is better.
30...bxc4 31.bxc4 Be6 32.c5!?
Stockfish15 likes 32.cxd5 but Komodo13.02 prefers the text.
32...Bd7 33.Nd4 Be5 34.Bxe5
The engines give 34.Rb1!? Bxg3 35.fxg3, claiming White has at least the upper hand.
34...Rxe5 35.Rf1 Qe7?!
Better, according to the engines, is 35...Qf6 with at best a slight edge for White.
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| How should White proceed? |
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36.Rc1
This may look natural but is an example of passive rook-play that should be avoided if possible, and it was possible here, as the engines show with 36.Rb1!. After 36...Qxc5 37.Rb7 White has a strong initiative, eg 37...Qd6 38.Qa5! Perhaps better is 36...Qg5!? but then 37.Rb7!? Bxh3 38.f4 exf3 39.Rxf3 Rxf3 40.Nxf3 Qxe3+ 41.Qxe3 Rxe3 42.Kf2 Bc8 43.Rxa7 favours White, according to the engines, despite White being a pawn down, eg 43...Re4 44.Ra8 Re8 45.a4!?
36...Qg5 37.Kh2 Re7 38.Qe2 Ref7 39.Rb1 h5 40.g3?
I was worried about ...Qh4, followed by pushing the g6 pawn, but better is 40.f4!? exf3 41.Rxf3 with equality, according to the engines.
40...h4?!
Probably better is 40...Qe5, eg 41.Kg2 Qe7 42.Rbc1 (not 42.Rb7?? Bxh3+ etc) h4 43.g4 Rf3 with a very strong attack.
41.g4 Qe5+ 42.Kg2 Rf3 43.Qe1?
Completely equal is 43.Rb7, according to the engines.
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| Black to play and win |
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43...R3f7
Black wins after 43...Bxg4!, eg 44.hxg4 (44.Nxf3 exf3+ 45.Kh1 Bxh3 46.Rg1 Bg2+ 47.Rxg2 fxg2+ 48.Kxg2 Qe4+ etc) Qg5 45.Rh1 Qxg4+ 46.Kf1 Rxf2+ 47.Qxf2 Rxf2+ 48.Kxf2 Qg3+ 49.Kf1 Qxe3 50.Rd1 h3 51.Rg1 g5, after which the piece-count gives White two rooks and a knight for a queen, but Black has four extra pawns and White is quite helpless.
44.a4 Qg5 45.Qd1 Rf3?
Deciding to sacrifice the exchange after all, but the position no longer justifies it. The position is completely equal, according to the engines, after, for example, 45...Qe7.
46.Nxf3 exf3+
Or 46...Rxf3 47.Rb8+.
The game finished:
47.Kh1 Qe5 48.Qd4 Qc7 49.Rb4 Bc8 50.Rfb1 Ba6 51.g5 Rf7 52.Rb8+ Bc8 53.Qxh4 Kg7? 54.Qh6+ Kg8 55.Qxg6+ 1-0
Battersea 2 won the match 3-2.
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