Spanton (1976) - Martin G Baker (1862)
French Exchange
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.c4
I suspect Paul Morphy would not play such a move (he twice played 5.Bd3), so I cannot include this game in my series Morphing The French.
5...c6 6.Nc3 Ne7!?
This is easily the main continuation in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database, presumably with two main ideas: a) make it easier to break the pin in the event of Bf5, b) support ...Bf5 to swop light-square bishops if White plays a quick Bd3.
7.c5 Bc7 8.b4
 |
| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
8...Bf5
Probably not 8...a5?!, seeking to undermine White's queenside, as the reply 9.b5 seems strong.
9.Bd3!?
This gives Black the opportunity to exchange his technically bad bishop - it is on the same-coloured squares as Black's central pawn - for White's good bishop, but such a swop will develop the white queen with tempo, and anyway the black light-square bishop is Black's most-actively developed piece.
9...Nd7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Bg5 f6!?
This leaves a hole at e6, but perhaps that is a small price to pay for breaking the pin.
12.Bh4 Re8 13.Re1
Threatening Rxe7 followed by Bxf5.
13...Bxd3
An obvious alternative is 13...Bg6. Either way, Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1 reckon White has a slight edge.
14.Qxd3 Nf8 15.Ne2!?
Hoping to exploit the hole at e6.
15...Qd7 16.Bg3 Neg6 17.Bxc7 Qxc7 18,g3!? Re6 19.h4 Rae8 20.h5 Nh8 21.Nf4 Rxe1+ 22.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 23.Nxf1 Qe7 24.Nf3 Nf7 25.Kg2
 |
| What should Black play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
25...Qe4?
This allows White to favourably unbalance the pawn-structures. The engines reckon 25...Ng5!? gives equality.
26.Qxe4 dxe4 27.Nd2 Ng5!?
Maybe 27...f5 is better.
28.d5 cxd5 29.Nxd5
 |
| White has the more-mobile pawn-majority, and it is on the opposite flank to the kings, all-in-all giving White the upper hand, according to the engines |
*****
*****
*****
*****
29...Nfe6 30.Nc4 Nd8 31.Nd6 Kf8 32.Kf1 a6
The engines marginally prefer giving up the doomed e pawn immediately with 32...Ngf7!? 33.Nxe4.
33.Ke2 Nge6 34.Ke3!?
There is no rush to grab the pawn as Black's position can hardly be improved.
34...a5 35.a3 axb4 36.axb4 Ng5 37.Nxe4 Nxe4 38.Kxe4 Kf7 39.b5 Ke6 40.f4 f5+ 41.Kd4 g6 42.hxg6 hxg6 43.Nb6 Nf7 44.Nc4 g5 45.Ne5!? gxf4
The engines reckon 45...Nxe5!? is worse, but perhaps it was worth a try as after 46.fxe5 f4!? 47.gxf4 gxf4 White must avoid 48.Ke3? f3 49.Kxf3 Kxe5 with a draw. However 48.c6 bxc6 49.bxc6 f3 50.Ke3 wins.
46.Nxf7 fxg3
There is no hope in 46...Kxf7 47.gxf4.
The game finished:
47.Ng5+ Kf6 48.Nf3 Ke6 49.Kc4 g2 50.Kd4 Kd7 51.Ke5 f4 52.Kxf4 Ke6 53.Ke4 Kd7 54.Kd5 Kc7 55.Ke6 Kc8 56.Kd6 Kd8 57.c6 Kc8 58.Ng1 Kb8 59.Kd7 1-0
Battersea 2 won the match 4-1.
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