Spanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1!?
This queens-on way of combatting the Berlin Defence has become increasingly popular, perhaps helped by engines marginally preferring it over the mainline 5.d4.
5...Nd6 6.Nxe5 Nxe5 7.Rxe5 Be7 8.Ba4!?
Most popular in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database is 8.Bf1!?, while most successful percentage-wise, among the commonly played moves, is 8.Bd3!?
8...0-0 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.c3 Rxe1+ 12.Qxe1 Qe7 13.Qxe7 Bxe7 14.Bf4 c6 15.Nd2 Nf5 16.Re1
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| How would you assess the position? |
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White has put his king safely away and activated the remaining pieces, while Black is at least four moves away from activating the black rook (four moves because a tempo will have to be spent on safeguarding the dark-square bishop). Nevertheless there are no weaknesses in the black position, and queens are off the board, so a swift attack is less likely. Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 give White a slight edge.
16...Kf8 17.Bc2
Perhaps 17.Nf3 is a tad better.
17...d5 18.Re5
The engines suggest 18.g4!?, but basically reckon Black has more-or-less equalised.
18...g6 19.Bxf5!? Bxf5 20.Bh6+ Ke8 21.Bg5 Be6 22.Bxe7 Kxe7
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| How would you assess this ending? |
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Black's bishop is bad - the d5 pawn is fixed on a light square, and every other black pawn bar one is on a light square. In addition there are 14 pawns on the board, which usually favours a knight over a bishop, especially when there are not rival pawn-majorities. However this is not a classic case of good knight v bad bishop because the knight does not have a good dark-square outpost it can hope to occupy. But the key to why Black is not worse is the presence of rooks, which almost always favours the side with a bishop. The engines reckon the position is completely equal.
23.Kf1 Kd6 24.b4?
Presumably hoping to keep as many black queenside pawns as possible on light squares, but the move is bad because it allows the black rook to be easily activated.
24...a5 25.a3 axb4 26.axb4 Ra1+ 27.Ke2 Rc1 28.Re3 b6!?
This may be a little slow. The engines like 28...Bg4+.
29.Nf3 f6 30.Kd2 Rf1 31.Ke2 Ra1 32.h3!?
The engines like taking control of g4 in this way, but it does provide a target for a black kingside pawn-advance.
32...Rb2+ 33.Ne2!?
Self-pinning. The engines prefer retreating with 33.Kf1!, when, as in the game, 33...g5 is a way to add pressure.
33...g5 34.Kd3
The engines suggest 34.g4!? or 34.f4!?, but give Black at least a slight edge.
34...Ra1
Even stronger may be 34...h5 or 34...Bc8!?
35.g4!?
The engines approve of this, but reckon Black has the upper hand.
35...Bf7?!
This seems to let slip much of Black's advantage. The engines like 35...h6!?, intending ...f5.
36.Ke2 h5 37.Rf3 Ke7 38.Re3+ Kf8 39.Rg3?!
White equalises with 39.Rf3 or 39.Nf1, according to the engines.
39...Rh1 40.Nf1
This becomes Stockfish15's top choice, but Komodo13.02 prefers 40.Re3.
40...Bg6 41.Re3?!
The engines prefer something like 41.gxh5!? Bxh5+ 42.f3 Bg6 (Black must be careful that the rook is not trapped on a1) 43.Kf2 Bd3 44.Ne3 Kf7, although they reckon Black has at least a slight edge.
41...Kf7 42.Rg3
Giving up a pawn by 42.gxh5 Bxh5+ 43.f3 Rxh3 is preferred by the engines, but looks desperate. If 43.Ke1?, then 43...f5 is very strong, eg 44.Rg3 f4! 45.Rxg5 Bf3 (this seems even stronger than 45...Bg6 46.b5!) 46.Rf5+ Ke6 47.Rxf4 Bg2 etc, or 46.h4 Be4.
42...h4 43.Rf3?!
Probably better is 43.Re3, but 43...Bc2 is winning, eg 44.Nd2 Bd1+ 45.Kd3 Rh2, or 44.f3 Bb3! (this is even stronger than 44...Rxh3) 45.Kf2 Bc4 46.Re1 Bxf1 47.Rxe1 Rxh3 48.Kg2 Rg3+ 49.Kf2 f5! 50.gxf5 Kf6 etc.
43...Be4 44.Re3 Bg2 45.Nd2 Bxh3 46.f3 Bg2 47.Kf2 h3 48.Kg3 Rd1 49.Nb3 Rb1 50.Nd2 Rb2 51.Rd3 Kg6 52.Kh2
There is no defence, eg 52.Kf2 b5 53.Kg3 f5 54.gxf5+ Kxf5 55.Kf2 Kf4 56.Ke2 h2 etc.
52...Bf1 0-1
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