Metiejus Gudenas (2078) - Spanton (1944)
Spanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.0-0 Nd4 6.Bc4!?
The mainline in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database runs 6.Nxd4 Bxd4 7.c3 Bb6 with an equal position, according to Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1.
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| How should Black respond? |
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6...Nxf3+!?
This looks strange, certainly at first glance, as Black moves the queen's knight for the third time in six moves, and helps develop the white queen. However the queen can prove somewhat awkwardly placed in front of the f2 pawn.
7.Qxf3 d6 8.Bg5 h6!? 9.Bxf6
Not 9.Bh4?? g5 etc.
9...Qxf6 10.Qxf6 gxf6
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| How would you assess the position? |
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Black's kingside is smashed, but there is little chance of a white mating attack. Meanwhile Black has the bishop-pair. Stockfish15.1 gives Black a slight edge; Komodo14.1 calls the game equal.
11.Kh1 Be6!?
Offering up the bishop-pair in return for covering the important d5 and f5 light squares.
12.Bxe6 fxe6 13.f4 exf4 14.Rxf4 Ke7 15.Nc3 Rhg8
Also playable is 15...Bd4 16.Ne2 Bxb2!? 17.Rb1 Ba3 18.Rxb7 Rab8! as 19.Rxc7+? runs into 19...Kd8 with ...Rb1+ to follow, eg 20.Rc4 Rb1+ 21.Ng1 Bc5 22.d4 e5 23.Rxf6 with a sharp position that the engines reckon is much better for Black after both 23...exd4 and 23...Bxd4!?
16.Raf1 Rg6 17.g3 Rag8 18.Kg2 c6 19.Ne2 Bb6 20.R4f3 h5 21.h4 Bc7 22.d4?!
The engines reckon White has a slight edge after 22.c4.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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22...R8g7?
I rejected the correct 22...d5 because of 23.e5 fxe5 (24...f5? 25.Nf4 is good for White) 24.Rf7+ Kd8 25.Rh7?, missing the simple 25...R6g7, eg 26.Rxh5 exd4 27.Rf3 e5, after which Black is a pawn up and has an initiative. The engines reckon 25.dxe5 is an improvement, but still prefer Black after 25...Bxe5.
23.Nf4 Rh6 24.d5 cxd5?!
Better, according to the engines, is 24...exd5 25.exd5 Rg8, but they still reckon White is winning.
25.exd5 exd5 26.Nxd5+ Kd8 27.Rxf6 Rh8 28.Rf8+ Rxf8 29.Rxf8+ Kd7 30.Nxc7!? Kxc7 31.Rh8 Re7 32.Rxh5 Re2+ 33.Kf3 Rxc2 34.Rb5 a6 35.Rb3
There is no good response to the threat of Rc3+.
1-0
HMC won the match 3-2.
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