London League

PLAYED for Battersea against Mushrooms in division one on board four (of eight) last night.

Ilya Iyengar (2125) - Spanton (1987)

QGD Exchange

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.Nc3 0-0 6.cxd5!?

The Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit is especially popular at club level, but usually via the move-order 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5.

6...exd5

This is the main move in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database, but there is a lot to be said for the simplifying 6...Nxd5!?, when the mainline in Mega23 continues 7.Bxe7 Qxe7 8.e3 Nxc3!? 9.bxc3 c5, which is equal, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02.

7.Qc2 c6 8.e3 Nbd7 9.Bd3 Re8

We are well into the opening but there are more than 12,200 examples of this position in Mega23

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10.0-0 Nf8 11.Rab1

Preparing the well-known Minority Attack. White scores 58% with this move in Mega23.

11...Ne4 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.b4 a6 14.a4 Ng6 15.Rfc1!?

This somewhat obscure move - just 10 examples in Mega23 - is the top choice of the engines. The mainline in Mega23 runs 15.b5 axb5 16.axb5 Bg4 17.Bxe4 dxe4 18.Nd2, with White having the upper hand, according to the engines.

15...Bg4 16.Ne1!?

Not 16.Nd2? Nxf2!, after which 17.Kxf2 Qxe3+ 18.Kf1 Re6 gives Black a winning attack, but the engines prefer 16.Bxe4 dxe4 17.Nd2, claiming the upper hand for White.

16...Rad8 17.Nd1 Bxd1!?

This is Komodo13.02's top choice, while Stockfish15 narrowly prefers 17...Bd7!?

18.Rxd1 Rd6

The engines suggest 18...Rc8!?, albeit giving White a slight edge.

19.b5 axb5 20.axb5 Rf6 21.Bxe4!?

Piece-exchanges reduce Black's kingside attacking chances, while preserving White's pressure against Black's coming queenside weak pawn.

21...dxe4 22.bxc6 bxc6 23.Rb6 Rc8 24.Rdb1 Qe6 25.Rb8 Re8 26.Qa4

How should Black defend?

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26...Rf5?

Black should create luft for the king with 26...h6, after which White keeps a slight edge, but no more.

27.Qa8

Black to play and avoid immediate defeat

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27...Rf8!?

Not an easy move to find, at least for me.

28.g3 Qd6

The engines give 28...Rb5!?, but after 29.Rxb5 cxb5 30.Qb7 White is clearly on top.

29.Ng2 h5 30.Nh4?!

This seems to throw away White's advantage, which is winning, according to the engines, after 30.Rxf8+ Nxf8 31.Nf4, eg 31...g6 32.Qe8.

30...Rb5 31.R1xb5 cxb5 32.Rxf8+ Qxf8 33.Qxe4

White has won a pawn, but Black seems to have enough counterplay thanks to having an outside passed pawn.

33...Nxh4 34.Qxh4 g6?!

Almost certainly better is 34...b4!? or 34...Qb8!?, when grabbing the h5 pawn would be very risky for White.

35.Qe4 b4?

It is too late to push this pawn, which now becomes weak, whereas 35...Qb8 leaves White only slightly better, according to the engines.

36.Qb7

Now the black queen is tied to the defence of the b pawn, which cannot advance and will eventually be rounded up by the white king.

The game finished:

36...Qd6 37.h4 Kg7 38.Kf1 Kf6 39.Ke2 Kg7 40.Qb5 f6 41.Kd3 Qe6 42.Qxb4 Qf5+ 43.Ke2 Qg4+ 44.Kf1 Qd1+ 45.Kg2 Kh6?! 46.Qf8+ Kh7 47.Qf7+ Kh8 1-0
Mushrooms won the match 5.5-2.5.