Four Nations: Game One

Jimmy Blair (War and Piece B: 1469 ECF/no Fide) - Spanton (Wessex Some Stars: 1974 ECF/1895 Fide)

4NCL Division Four, Round Three, Board Five (of six)

Giuoco Piano

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3!?

There are 12,619 examples of this innocuous-looking move in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database, and among those who have played it is Vladimir Kramnik

4...Nf6 5.Nd5!?

An interesting and, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02, a sound sacrifice.

How should Black respond?

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5...0-0

Critical is 5...Nxe4, when the most-popular reply in Mega23 is 6.0-0, although the engines reckon that favours Black. I rejected capturing because of 6.Qe2, which is equal, according to the engines, eg 6...Nd6 (6...Nxf2 7.d4 gives White at least a  slight edge, according to Stockfish15, although Komodo13.02 reckons the position is equal) 7.d4!? Nxd4 8.Qxe5+ Ne6 9.Bd3, when White seems to have good compensation for a pawn.

Marcos Valério Souza (2169) - Darcy Gustavo Macha Lima (2502), João Pessoa (Brazil) 2009, saw 5...d6 6.d3 Nxd5 7.exd5 Ne7, after which White is at best equal, according to the engines (0-1, 28 moves in ChessBase, although the final position looks very equal).

6.d3 h6

Preventing a pin by 7.Bg5, but perhaps a better way to do this is 6...Nxd5!?, the point being 7.exd5?! Na5 seems to favour Black as 8.Nxd5?? drops the knight to 8...Qe7.

7.h3 Re8 8.c3 Na5 9.b4!? Nxc4

How should White proceed?

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10.bxc5?

The engines give 10.Nxf6+ Qxf6 11.bxc5 Na5 12.0-0 with approximate equality. If 10.dxc4?!, then 10...Bf8!? 11.Qe2 c6 12.Nxf6+ Qxf6 gives Black the upper hand, according to the engines.

10...Nxd5 11.dxc4

Or 11.exd5 e4.

11...Nf6

Material is equal but White has too many weaknesses for it to likely remain that way for long

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12.Qe2 Qe7 13.0-0

13.Ba3 b6 14.Qe3 Ba6 15.Nd2 Qe6 16.Qe2 Qc6 17.cxb6 axb6 keeps equal material for the time being, but the engines reckon Black is comfortably winning.

13...Qxc5 14.Be3?

This loses a second pawn.

14...Qc6 15.Nd2 Nxe4 16.Nxe4 Qxe4 17.c5 b6 18.cxb6 axb6 19.Rab1?

Now an exchange drops.

19...Ba6 20.Qd2 Bxf1 21.Rxf1 d6 22.Re1 Qc4 23.Bxh6!?

Desperation.

23...gxh6 24.Qxh6 Re6 (0-1, 31 moves)

Wessex Some Stars won the match 6-0.