Spanton (1764) - Jim G Murray (1908)
Jobava-Prié
1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 Bf5 3.Bf4 a6 4.e3 e6 5.Bd3 Bxd3 6.cxd3!?
Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 marginally prefer this to going for speedy development with 6.Qxd3.
6...Bd6 7.Qg4!? Nf6 8.Qf3?!
This makes Qg4 a clear loss of tempo. The engines reckon the position is equal after 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qh6 Bxf4 10.Qxf4 Rxg2.
8...Bxf4 9.Qxf4 Nc6 10.a3 Qe7 11.Nf3 Rd8?!
The rook may be misplaced here. The engines reckon 11...h6 and 11...0-0-0!? give equality.
12.0-0 0-0 13.Rfc1 Rc8!?
This is Stockfish15's top choice, at least for a while, but both engines also suggest 13...Qd6. If 13...Na5, then not 14.Na4?? Nb3 15.Rxc7 as 15...Qe8 leaves two white pieces en prise, but 14.Ne2 gives White a pull, according to the engines.
14.b4 Na7 15.Na4 c6 16.Nc5 Nb5 17.Nd2 Qc7 18.Qe5
The engines reckon 18.Qxc7!? Rxc7 19.a4 Nd6 20.h3 gives White at least a slight edge.
18...Nd7 19.Qxc7 Rxc7 20.Nxd7 Rxd7 21.Nb3 Nd6 22.Nc5 Re7
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| How would you assess this late-middlegame? |
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White has a well-placed knight and some pressure against the black queenside, but the simplification has left Black without major problems. The engines come to like White's position more the more time they are given to consider it, but even so give White at best a slight edge.
23.a4 Rfe8
Not 23...e5?? as 24.dxe5 cannot be met by 24...Rxe5? because of 25.Nd7.
24.f4!?
The engines prefer 24.h4.
24...f6 25.Re1 e5 26.dxe5 fxe5 27.Kf2 exf4?
This gives White a kingside pawn-majority capable of making a passed pawn, while Black will be left with a blockaded queenside majority. I was more concerned about 27...Rf7 28.g3 g5, but 29.Kg2 and even 29.Rac1!? seem fine for White, eg 29.Rac1!? exf4 30.gxf4 gxf4 31.e4!? dxe4 32.dxe4 Rfe7 33.Kf3 b6!? 34.Nxa6 Nxe4 35.Nc7 Ng5+ 36.Kf2 Rxe1 37.Rxe1 Rc8 38.Re8+ Rxe8 39.Nxe8 is completely equal, according to the engines. Perhaps simpler is 29.Kg2, eg 29...gxf4 30.exf4 exf4 31.Rxe8+ Nxe8 32.Re1 Ng7 33.g4, when the engines reckon White's activity again fully compensates for the pawn-minus.
28.exf4 Rxe1!?
It is hard for Black to keep rooks on the board but it does not seem sensible to actively exchange them when the coming knight-and-pawn ending is very difficult for Black.
29.Rxe1 Rxe1
The engines flick between this and preferring to cede the open file with 29...Rf8.
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| In this position JM offered a draw |
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30.Kxe1 Kf7 31.g4 Ke7 32.Ke2 Kf6 33.h4?!
30.Kxe1 Kf7 31.g4 Ke7 32.Ke2 Kf6 33.h4?!
This may be premature when the white king is not fully activated.
33...g6 34.Nd7+ Ke7 35.Ne5?!
The engines much prefer 15.Nc5, and if 35...Kf6 then one move they like is 36.g5+, the point being 36...Kf5? 37.Kf3 leaves Black in zugzwang.
35...Ne8 36.Ke3 Ng7 37.a5 Ne6?
The engines reckon White is at best only slightly better after 37...Kd6.
38.f5 gxf5 39.gxf5 Ng7!?
The engines do not like this but reckon White is well on top anyway after, for example, 39...Nc7 40.h5 Kf6 41.Kf4 d4!? 42.Nd7+ Ke7 43.Nc5 Nd5+ 44.Ke5 Nxb4 45.Kxd4 Kf6 46.Nxb7 Kxf5 47.Nc5.
40.Kf4 Kf6 41.Ng4+ Kf7 42.Kg5 Ne8 43.h5 Nd6 44.h6?!
Probably premature. Almost certainly better is 44.f6.
44...Ne8!?
Stockfish15 much prefers 44...Ke7. Komodo13.02 reckons White has the upper hand after either move.
45.Kf4 Nd6 46.Ke5 Ne8 47.Kf4
Again f6 seems better.
47...Nd6 48.Kg5 Ne8 49.Ne5+ Ke7 50.Nf3 Nf6?!
The engines much prefer 50...Nd6, albeit giving White the upper hand.
51.Nd4 Ne8 52.Ne6
The engines' 52.Nb3!? seems best.
52...Nd6 53.Nc5?!
This seems to lose most of White's advantage. The engines give 53.Kf4, reaching a position occurring in the game two moves later.
53...Nf7+ 54.Kf4
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| Black to play and draw |
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54....Nd6
The engines' 54...Nd8! holds as Black both protects b7 and prevents Ne6. This is certainly clearer than 54...Nxh6, eg 55.Nxb7 Kf6 58.Nd8 Nxf5 59.Nxc6 Ng7 60.Nd4! Ke7 61.b5 Kd7 62.b6, but it may be Black can defend this too.
55.Ne6
Now we have the position that could have been reached at move 53.
55...Nf7 56.Ng5 Nxh6 57.Nxh7 Nf7 58.Ng5 Nh6 59.Ne6?!
This allows a draw, whereas 59.Ke5 Ng4+ 60.Kd4 is not so clear.
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| Black to play and draw |
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59...Nf7?
59...Nf7?
After 59...Kf6 60.Nd8 Nxf5 61.Nxb7 Nd4 Black is in time to defend the queenside.
60.Nc5 Nd6 61.Kg5 Nf7+
Or 61...Kf7 62.Ne6, when moving the knight allows 62...Nd8+ followed by ...Nxb7, and moving the king lets the white king advance.
62.Kg6 Ne5+ 63.Kg7 Nf7 64.f6+ Ke8 65.Nxb7 1-0
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