Samuel Riggs (1602) - Spanton (1976)
Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6!?
Most popular are 3...d6, 3...e6 and especially 3...g6. Magnus Carlsen has played all four moves.
4.e5 Nd5 5.0-0 g6 6.Re1 Bg7 7.Nc3
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| How should Black proceed? |
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7...Nxc3?!
Overwhelmingly more popular in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database is 7...Nc7. SR in the postmortem said he planned to reply 8.Bxc6, when 8...dxc6 9.Ne4 Ne6 equalises, according to Komodo13.02, although Stockfish15 gives White a slight edge.
8.dxc3!?
The engines much prefer this over building a centre with 8.bxc3.
8...0-0 9.Qd5!? Qb6 10.a4!? a6 11.Bf1!?
8...0-0 9.Qd5!? Qb6 10.a4!? a6 11.Bf1!?
This retreat is Stockfish15's top choice; Komodo13.02 likes 11.Bd3. White also seems better after 11.Bc4 Na5 12.Ba2.
11...d6!?
A pawn sacrifice to free Black's game. The engines prefer 11...Qc7 or 11...Nd8!?, in each case giving White at least the upper hand.
12.exd6 Rd8?!
The engines suggest 12...exd6 13.Qxd6 Bf5, but 14.a5 leaves White well on top.
13.a5 e6!?
This is best, according to the engines, but should lose.
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| White to play and win |
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14.axb6?!
Much stronger is 14.d7. SR said he considered it, but thought 14...Qc7 was a good reply. However then 15.dxc8=Q wins a piece, as does 14...Bxd7 15.Qxd7.
14...exd5 15.Bg5 f6 16.Be3 d4?!
Another positional pawn sacrifice, but almost certainly better is 16...c4 or 16...Bf8.
17.cxd4 cxd4 18.Nxd4 Rxd6 19.Nb5!? Rd8 20.Bc4+ Kh8 21.Nc7 Rb8 22.Bc5 Ne5 23.Bb3 Bf5
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| Black has at last connected rooks, but White has a winning advantage, according to the engines |
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24.Rad1 Bh6?
This loses a pawn, at least temporarily, so better is 24...Bf8.
25.Be7 Rxd1 26.Bxf6+ Bg7 27.Bxg7+ Kxg7 28.Rxd1 Nd7 29.Rd6?!
Probably better is 29.f3, and if 29...Nxb6 then 30.g4 Bd7 31.Rd6 Bc6 32.Nxa6!?
29...Nc5 30.Ne6+?
The engines give 30.Bc4!? Bxc2 31.b4, claiming White's initiative means he is winning, eg 31...Ne4 32.Rd7+ Kh6 33.f3 Ba4!? 34.Rd4 Nf6 35.Ne6 with pressure on both flanks.
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| What should Back play? |
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30...Bxe6?
The correct capture is 30...Nxe6, after which 31.Bxe6 Re8 32.Bc4 (32.Rd7+? loses the white bishop to 32...Kf6) Re1+ 33.Bf1 Rb1 gets Black back into the game, although White remains better.
31.Bxe6 Re8 32.Bc4 Re1+ 33.Bf1 Ne4 34.Re6
Even stronger is 34.Rd7+ Kf6 35.f3 etc.
34...Kf7 35.Re5 Kf6 36.Re8 Kf7 37.Re5 Kf6 ½–½
What did both players miss in this final sequence?
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White wins with 36.f4 or 38.f4.
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