Mariánské Lázně Game Nine

Manfred Korth (1980) - Spanton (1895)

English Symmetrical

1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.e4!? d6 6.Nge2

Position after 6.Nge2

White is playing what is known as Botvinnik's set-up, ie with a hole at d4, the king's knight at e2 and a fianchettoed light-square bishop. This is a refinement of a set-up Aron Nimzowitsch liked, which was with the king's knight on f3 instead of e2 and the light-square bishop sometimes developed to e2 rather than g2. It is mildly controversial in this position as, according to Tony Kosten, who dedicated much of a book to the subject, Botvinnik's system works best when Black has played ...e5. Andrew Soltis, another English Opening expert, reckoned Botvinnik's system works best when Black has played ...Nf6. Black has done neither in the diagram, and according to Komodo13.02 is slightly better, although Stockfish15 calls the position equal.

6...e6 7.0-0 Nge7 8.d3 0-0 9.Rb1 f5!?

The mainline in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database runs 9...b6 10.a3 Bb7 11.b4 Qd7 12.Be3 Nd4 13.Qd2 with a position the engines reckon is roughly equal, but favours, if anyone, Black.

10.a3 a5 11.Be3 Nd4

This is Black's normal reaction in this system once White has placed the dark-square bishop on e3 (with the queen's knight on c3). However, it lets White reply 12.b4, which may be why the engines prefer 11...fxe4 12.dxe4 e5!?, after which the backward d pawn can be masked by ...Nd4.

12.b3!?

This seems somewhat passive. A normal continuation is 12.b4 axb4 13.axb4 with at least a slight edge for White, according to the engines.

12...Nec6 13.Qc1!?

This supports Bh6 while protecting c3. 13.Qd2 does the same, but then White has to worry about the consequences of a later ...Nf3+.

13...Rf7 14.h4!?

The engines are not keen on this, although they disagree as to what White should play. One interesting suggestion by Stockfish15 is 14.Nxd4!?, the point being 14...cxd4 does not win a piece as White has 15.Bg5.

14...Qf8 15.Nf4?!

The engines strongly dislike this, preferring, for example, 15.Qd2!? with what they assess as an equal position.

15...fxe4

This is fine, but probably stronger is the engines' 15...e5 16.Nfd5 f4, and if 17.gxf4 then Black has 17...Qd8!?

How should White recapture?

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16.Bxe4!?

This is the engines' top choice. Also OK is 16.dxe4, but 16.Nxe4? loses to 16...Rxf4! thanks to the fork threat 17....Ne2+.
16...e5 17.Bd5??

This combination is bad materially and even worse positionally. After ...

17...exf4 18.Bxf7+ Qxf7 19.Bxf4

... White has rook and pawn for bishop and knight, an exchange that slightly favours Black from a material view if other things are equal, especially here where Black gets the bishop-pair into the bargain. But the real problem is the weakness of the white king's position.

19...Bh3 20.Rd1 Nf3+ 21.Kh1 Qf5!? 22.Ne4

Best, according to the engines, is 22.Qe3 Qg4 23.Ne2, but they reckon 23...Nxh4 gives Black a huge advantage.

Black to play and win

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22...Bf1! 0-1