Neil Cannon (1986) - Spanton (1976)
Evans Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bd6!?
The Stone-Ware Defence - probably better than its reputation.
6.0-0
Much more common in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database is 6.d4, after which the mainline runs 6...Nf6 7.0-0, transposing to the game.
6...Nf6 7.d4 0-0
Not 7...Nxe4? 8.dxe5 Nxe5 9.Nxe5 Bxe5 10.Qd5 Qe7 11.Re1 etc (but not 11.Qxe4?? Bxh2+ and 12...Qxe4).
8.Bg5
The main move in Mega23 is 8.Re1, which Stockfish15 reckons gives White a slight edge, but Komodo13.02 calls equal.
8...h6 9.Bh4 Be7!? 10.Qe2 d6
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
11.dxe5
Victor Nithander (2465) - Emil Hermansson (2469), Swedish Team Championship 2008-9, saw 11.Rd1 Bg4 12.h3 Bh5 13.d5 Na5 14.g4 Nxc4 with a large advantage for Black, according to the engines (0-1, 37 moves).
11...Nxe5 12.Nxe5 dxe5 13.Rd1 Qe8 14.h3 Bd7 15.Nd2 Bc6
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| White leads in development but Black is a pawn to the good and with no weaknesses |
*****
*****
*****
*****
16.Bg3 Bd6 17.Bd3 Rd8 18.Bh4 Be7 19.Bg3 Bd6 20.Bh4 Be7 21.Bg3 Nd7
Declining threefold repetition - Black is better.
22.Nf3
I was more concerned about 22.Nc4 with Na5 to come, but the engines reckon 22...Bg5 23.Na5 Nc5 24.Nxc6 Qxc6 is good for Black.
22...Bf6 23.Nh4 g6!? 24.Qe3 Kg7
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| Can White equalise material by grabbing the a7 pawn? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
No, or, rather, yes, but he would regret it, eg 25.Qxa7? Qe7 26.Nf3 Nc5, after which White cannot save both the light-square bishop and the queen.
25.Nf3 b6 26.Bh4 Qe7 27.Bxf6+ Qxf6 28.Bc2 Nc5 29.a3 Ne6 30.Kh2 Rxd1 31.Rxd1 Rd8 32.Rxd8 Nxd8 33.Kg1
The king moves are to little effect, but it is difficult to suggest a constructive plan for White, who has the inferior bishop and pawn-structure as well as being a pawn down.
33...Qd6 34.c4 Ne6 35.Qc3 Nd4 36.Nxd4 Qxd4 37.Qd3 Qxd3
The engines prefer keeping queens on the board, but getting them off simplifies matters (at least for a human).
38.Bxd3 Kf6 39.Kf1 Ke6 40.Ke2 Kd6 41.Kd2
41.Ke3 Kc5 is no improvement.
41...Kc5 42.Kc3 b5 43.h4 f6 44.g3?!
Hoping to set up a blockade, but 44.cxb5 is almost certainly better, although losing.
44...bxc4 45.Bc2 a5 46.Bb1 Ba4 47.Ba2 Bb3! 48.Bxb3
White will end up in zugzwang after 48.Bb1.
48...cxb3 49.Kxb3 Kd4
The game finished:
50.Ka4 c5 51.Kxa5 c4 52.Kb6 c3 53.a4 c2 54.a5 c1=Q 0-1
Battersea 2 won the match 5.5-2.5.
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