The Spanish Exchange Lives!

THE world championship match between Russia's Ian Nepomniachtchi and China's Liren Ding saw the former mainly opening with 1.e4, and even using the unfashionable Exchange Variation of the Spanish in game one.

But rather than entering the variation on move four, he delayed it in a way that creates new issues for both sides.

Nepomniachtchi (2795) - Ding (2788)

Spanish Exchange Delayed

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Bxc6!?

José Capablanca experimented with this delayed capture in simuls, but it is probably fair to say it was not taken seriously until Max Euwe adopted it up in the 1940s, scoring wins against Lodewijk Prins, Haije Kramer, Efim Bogoljubow and Milan Vidmar.

There is no doubt White has lost a tempo by first retreating the bishop and then capturing on c6. But Black cannot defend e5 with the f pawn, as often happens in Exchange lines, which means either the king's knight or king's bishop will have to move again, or the e5 pawn will need to be defended by the queen

6...dxc6

How should White proceed?

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7.Re1!?

The mainline in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database runs 7.d3 Nd7 8.Nbd2!? 0-0 9.Nc4 f6 10.Nh4!? Nc5 11.Nf5!? Bxf5 12.exf5 with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1.

7...Nd7 8.d4 exd4 9.Qxd4

White has achieved the classic Spanish Exchange pawn-structure of a sound 4-3 kingside pawn-majority versus Black's compromised 4-3 queenside majority

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9...0-0 10.Bf4 Nc5 11.Qe3!?

The Spanish Exchange has a dull reputation in some circles, but both players face tricky decisions. White is often happy to swop queens as it brings an ending nearer, but it is usually Black who makes such a swop, eg in the old mainline 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4. The reason is that it is felt the white queen is too powerful to be left in the centre of the board.

11...Bg4!?

This may be a novelty. All seven games to reach the position in Mega23 saw 11...Ne6.

12.Nd4 Qd7 13.Nc3 Rad8 14.Nf5!?

The engines are not keen on this, preferring 14.h3.

14...Ne6

Black equalises with 14...Bxf5 15.exf5 Rfe8, according to the engines.

15.Nxe7+ Qxe7

White still has the superior pawn-structure, but Black no longer has the bishop-pair as compensation

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16.Bg3 Bh5!? 17.f3 f6 18.h3 h6 19.Kh2 Bf7 20.Rad1 b6 21.a3 a5 22.Ne2 Rxd1 23.Rxd1 Rd8!?

Allowing all rooks to come off brings an ending closer, but Black was mildly cramped, and Ding may have been angling for an ending of opposite-coloured bishops.

24.Rd3 c5 25.Qd2 c6?!

This leaves Black with two weak pawns to defend on the queenside (b6 and c6) instead of just one (c7).

26.Rxd8+ Nxd8 27.Qf4 b5 28.Qb8 Kh7 29.Bd6 Qd7

What should White play?

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30.Ng3!?

Komodo14.1 prefers 30.Bxc5, after which 30...Qd2 31.Nd4 Ne6 32.Nxe6 Bxe6 is better for White, but difficult to win. Stockfish15.1 gives 30.Qc7 Qxc7 31.Bxc7 Nb7, again with advantage to White.

30...Ne6 31.f4!?

The engines reckon this is premature, preferring 31.c3.

31...h5

Black completely equalises with 31...Nd4, according to the engines.

32.c3 c4 33.h4 Qd8!? 34.Qb7

Exchanging queens gives White at least a slight edge, according to the engines, eg 34.Qxd8 Nxd8 35.f5!?, a space-gaining manoeuvre made famous by Emanuel Lasker in his St Petersburg 1914 win over Capablanca.

34...Be8 35.Nf5 Qd7 36.Qb8 Qd8 37.Qxd8 Nxd8

White has reached an ending, but it is one Black seemingly should hold

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38.Nd4 Nb7 39.e5 Kg8 40.Kg3 Bd7 41.Bc7 Nc5!? 42.Bxa5 Kf7 43.Bb4 Nd3 44.e6+!? Bxe6 45.Nxc6 Bd7 46.Nd4 Nxb2 47.Kf3 Nd5 48.g3 Nc1 49.Ke3 ½–½

CONCLUSION: Exchange lines of the Spanish remain a viable option. White scores 55% with 6.Bxc6!? in Mega23, two percentage points more than with 4.Bxc6. However, after 4.Bxc6 dxc6 White's score creeps up to 54% with 5.0-0. Then again, 5.a3!? scores 65%!

The Philidor Imbalance

A POPULAR line in modern chess starts 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3, and now, rather than 3...g6 (the Pirc) or 3...c6 (the Pribyl), Black is increasingly playing 3...e5!?

This is sometimes also classified as a Pirc, but should, in my opinion, be regarded as a branch of the Philidor.

One interesting point is that strong engines, for example Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1, regard ...e5 as the best continuation, and I am sure this is one reason why the variation has become popular.

Not so long ago, the idea of allowing White to capture on e5 and then d8, denying Black castling rights, would have been more-or-less dismissed out of hand.

How should White proceed?

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I have had the diagram position seven times with white.

Twice I captured on e5, but the other five times I developed the king's knight to f3.

My choice has not been irrational, at least if praxis is considered.

In ChessBase's 2023 Mega database, the knight development occurs 18,206 times, with White scoring 56%, while capturing on e5 occurs 8,477 times, with White scoring 45%.

The five times I played Nf3, I won twice (both against lower-rated opponents) and lost thrice (all against higher-rated opponents).

My average rating in those games was 1879, but my performance rating was 1780.

Both times I played dxe5 I drew (both opponents were higher-rated). My average rating was 1941, but my performance rating was 2150.

These are small sample sizes, but give food for thought.

The continuation 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8+ is certainly logical, and after 5...Kxd8 White must have a slight edge.

White is for choice, whatever the statistics say

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My two games with 4.dxe5 illustrate the problems a higher-rated black faces in playing for a win.

Spanton (1908) - Peter Poobalasingam (2243)

Southend Easter 2016

1.d4 d6 2.e4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5!? 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8 6.Nf3

Most popular is 6.Bg5, for which see the next game. Also more popular than the text is 6.Bc4, when the mainline in Mega23 runs 6...Be6!? 7.Bxe6 fxe6 8.f3 Bd6!? 9.Be3 Ke7, after which the engines reckon White is at least slightly better, but Black scores a respectable 47%.

6...Bd6 7.Bc4 Ke7

This probably keeps more play in the position than 7...Be6!?

8.Bg5 c6 9.h3 h6 10.Bh4 Be6 11.Bxe6 Kxe6 12.0-0-0

Now White has castled, how would you assess the position?

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The engines agree any theoretical edge White has has withered away. But with queens off the board, and a more-or-less symmetrical pawn-structure without weaknesses, it is going to be hard for either side to make progress.

12...Bb4 13.Bxf6 Kxf6 14.Ne2 Ke6 15.Ng3 g6 16.Rd3 Na6 17.c3 Bcx5 18.Rd2 Rad8 19.Rhd1 Bb6 20.Rxd8 Bxd8!?

Presumably trying to keep some play in the position.

21.Kc2 Nc5 22.Nd2 Bh4 23.Nh1 f5 24.exf5+ gxf5 25.Nc4 e4 26.g3 Bg5 27.g4?!

The engines prefer 27.Rd6+ Ke7 28.Rd1.

How should Black continue?

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27...e4?!

Creating a 2-1 central majority, but leaving the position completely equal, according to the engines, which reckon 27...fxg4 28.hxg4 Rd8!? 29.Rxd8 Bxd8 30.Ng3 Kd5 31.Nd2 Bh4 32.Nf5 Bxf2 33.Nxh6 e3 gives Black at least the upper hand.

28.b4 Nd7 29.Nd6 Nf6?!

Defending the e pawn, but the engines reckon it is better to let it go, eg 29...Ne5 30.Nxe4 Be7, when the threat of ...h5 gives good compensation.

30.Nxb7 Nd5?

Black had to play 30...h5 or 30...Ke7, albeit conceding a slight edge, according to the engines.

31.Nc5+ Ke5 32.Nd7+?!

Strong, according to the engines, is 32.Rd4.

32...Ke6?!

Seemingly better is 32...Kd6.

33.Nc5+ Ke5 34.Nd7+?! Ke6?! ½–½

Spanton (1975) - Anthony Higgs (2058)

McArthur Cup Semi-Final (Hastings & St Leonards at Horsham) 2020

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d6 3.e4 e5!?

As can be seen, there are several ways to reach the starting position of the first diagram above.

4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8 6.Bg5 Ke8?

The main move in Mega23 is 6...Be6, after which White scores just 41%, although the engines reckon 7.0-0-0+ Nd7 8.f4!? gives White a slight edge.

7.Bxf6 gxf6 8.Nd5 Bd6 9.Nxf6+ Kf8

White has won a pawn, for which the bishop-pair is insufficient compensation, although I failed to convert my advantage

CONCLUSION: the Philidor Imbalance scores well for Black, but a higher-rated player employing it runs a very real risk of being unable to generate winning chances.

Draw! (part two)

FOUR times I have reached the ending of rook, rook's pawn and bishop's pawn (pawns on the same side of the board) versus rook.

The results have been somewhat random, and therefore rather instructive.

Black has just captured on a7 in Dario Cittadini (2064) - Spanton (1982), Swiss Chess Open (Luzern) 2007 - what should the result be?

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Black is winning comfortably.

The game continued:

56.Rg2+ Kf3 57.Rg6 Rh7 58.Kg1 h5 59.Rg8 h4 60.Kf1 Rh5 61.Kg1 h3?

The Syzygy endgame tablebase shows Black has 11 winning moves after 61.Kg1, but the text is not one of them.

62.Rg7?

Blocking the h pawn with 62.Kh2 draws, as does preparing to check from the flank with 62.Ra8 or 62.Rb8.

62...Rh4?

Black wins with 62...h2+, 62...Re5 and 62...Rf5, eg 62...h2+, eg 63.Kh1 Kf2 64.Rg2+ Ke1 (not 64...Kf1? 65.Rf2+! Ke1 66.Rxf4) 65.Ra2 Re5! 66.Ra1+ Kf2 67.Ra2+ Kf1 68.Ra1+ Re1 69.Ra2 f3 (other moves also win) 70.Kxh2 f2 71.Kh3 Re3+ 72.Kh2 Re5 73.Kg3 Rg5+ 74.Kh2 Rd5 75.Kg3 Rd3+ 76.Kh2 Ke1 77.Ra1+ Rd1 etc.

63.Kh2 Kf2 64.Ra7 f3

My notes from 2007 show Fritz9 and Junior10.1 reckoned 64...Rh8 wins, but it does not.

65.Ra2+ Ke3 66.Ra3+ Kf4 67.Ra4+ Kg5 68.Ra5+ Kf6 69.Ra6+ Ke5 70.Ra5+ Ke6 71.Ra6+ Kd5 72.Ra5+ ½–½

White has just captured on a3 in Spanton (1858) - Svante Norlander (1583), Highlands Open (Třebíč, Czechia) 2017 - what should the result be?

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51...Rd1+

This is one of eight moves that draw.

52.Ke3 Rh1 53.Ra4 Ke5 54.h5 Kf6 55.h6 Re1+

Not 55...Rxh6? 56.Ra6+ Kg7 57.Rxh6 Kxh6 as the white king has no trouble reaching e5 (it needs to reach e5, f5 or g5 to convert the pawn ending).

56.Kf4 Re8?

Three moves draw: ...Kg6, ...Kf7 and ...Re7, eg 56...Kg6 57.Ra6+ Kf7 58.Kf5 Rb1 59.f4 Rb5+ 60.Kg4 Rb1 61.f5 Rc1 (not 61...Rb4+ 62.Kg5 Rb1 63.Ra7+ Kg8 64.f6, which reaches the same winning set-up as shown in the Sergey Belavenets' study in part one of this series) 62.Kg5 Rg1+, and White cannot make progress.

57.Ra6+ Kf7 58.Kf5 Re1 59.f4

Only 59.Ra8!, trapping the black king on the seventh rank, wins, eg 59...Rh1 60.h7 etc, or 59...Rb1 60.h7 etc.

59...Rh1 60.Ra7+ Kg8 61.Kg6 Rg1+ 62.Kf6 Kh8?

Black draws with 62...Rh1 as long as 63.h7+ is met by 63...Kh8 and not 63...Rxh7?? 64.Ra8#.

63.Rg7?

Winning are f5 and Re7, eg 63.f5 Rh1 64.Kf7 Rxh6 65.Ra8+ Kh7 66.f6 Rh1 67.Ke7 Re1+ 68.Kf8 Rf1 69.f7 Kg6 70.Ra6+ Kh7 71.Ra2 Re1 (or 71...Rh1 72.Re2 etc) 72.Rh2+ Kg6 73.Kg8 etc.

63...Ra1?

Both 63...Rf1 and 63...Rh1 draw.

64.Rg6?

The winning moves are 64.f5 and 64.Re7.

64...Ra6+ 65.Kg5 Ra1 66.Re6 Rg1+ 67.Kf6 Kh7

Also drawing is 67...Rf1.

68.Kf7 Rf1+ 69.Rf6 Rg1 70.f5 Rf1 71.Kf8 Rg1?

Shuffling the rook on the f file draws.

72.Ra6 Rf1 73.f6 Kxh6 74.f7+ Kh7 75.Ra4 Re1 76.Rh4+ Kg6 77.Kg8 1-0

Black has just captured on a3 in Spanton (1923) - Michael Ashworth (2140). Cotswold (Gloucester) 2018 - what should the result be?

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This is rather a trivial example as White has no winning prospects, eg 58.Rb4 can be met by 58...Kd4 with ...Kc3 or ...Kc5 to come.

The game finished quickly:

58.Rc2 Rxa4 59.c5 Ra7 ½–½

Black has just captured on a5 in Rajesh Aadith (1714) - Spanton (1895), Benidorm (Meliá) U2000 - what should the result be?

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The position is drawn although, as usual, Komodo14.1 is convinced otherwise.

49.h4 Ra1?

Drawing is 49...Kf6. The trouble with the text, as has been seen in similar positions I have covered, is White can push the h pawn and get behind it with his rook.

50.h5 Rh1 51.Rh4 Rg1+ 52.Kh2 Rg7 53.Kh3

Also winning is 53.h6.

53...Rh7 54.Kg3

Only 54.h6! wins, eg 54...Kg6 55.Kg4 Rxh6 56.Rxh6+ Kxh6 57.Kf5 etc.

54...Rh6

Black draws with 54...Kf6!, eg 55.f4 Ra7 56.Kg4 Kg7 57.f5 Ra4+ 58.Kg5 Ra1 59.f6+ Kf7 60.h6 Ra5+ etc.

55.Ra4!? Rb6

Or 55...Rxh5 56.Ra5+ Kg6 57.Rxh5 Kxh5 58.Kf4 etc.

56.Ra5+?

The old check temptation strikes again. Both 56.Rg4 and 56.Rh4 win.

56...Kf6 57.Kg4 Rb4+ 58.f4 Rb1 59.Ra6+ Kg7

An only-move.

60.Rg6+ Kf7 61.Kg5 Rg1+

Another only-move.

62.Kf5 Rh1 63.Rf6+ Kg7 64.h6+ Kh7 65.Rd6 Rf1 66.Re6 Rf2 67.Kg5 Rg2+ 68.Kf5 Rf2 69.Ke5 Re2+ 70.Kf6 Rf2 71.f5 Kxh6?

Drawing are 71...Rf1 and 71...Rf3.

72.Ke7+?

White wins with 72.Kf7, eg 72...Kh7 73.f6 Rf1 74.Kf8 Rf2 75.f7 Ra2 76.Ke7 Ra7+ 77.Kf6 etc.

72...Kg7 73.f6+ Kg8?

Correct is 73...Kg6, eg 74.f7+ Kg7 etc.

74.Re5 Rf1 75.Rg5+ Kh7 76.Kf7 Kh6 77.Rg8 Kh7 78.Rg2 Kh6 79.Rh2+ Kg5 80.Kg7 Kf5 81.f7 1-0

Having played over these games, I can well understand why Grigory Levenfish and Vasily Smyslov in Rook Endings call this type of ending "complicated."

Draw!

THE following position was reached in my round-seven game of the Amateur Chess Organization's Super Senior (65+) event in Kos.

Black has just played 51...Ke5-f6

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I suspect many players will know, or instinctively feel, the position is drawn, and that is confirmed by the Syzygy endgame tablebase.

As a matter of fact the same position, but without a black pawn, is also drawn.

Draw!

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But, as grandmaster Spyridon Skembris pointed out, it is one thing knowing a position is drawn, quite another actually drawing it.

From the first diagram, my game with black against Martin Schaefer (1921) continued 52.Rb6+ Kf7 (an only-move, but an obvious one) 53.Rh6.

Six moves draw, but I managed to play one that does not

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53...Rg7?

The drawing moves are ...Ke7, ...Ra8, ...Rb8, ...Rc8, ...Rd8 and ...Re8.

White to play and win

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54.Kh5
Winning is 54.Rh8! The point is the black rook cannot sensibly move, and 54...Kf6 runs into 55.Ra8 (other moves also win), eg 55...Ke5 56.Ra6 Rg8 57.f6 Rg6 58.f7!

54...Rg8

Another only-move, but not difficult to find.

55.Rb6 Rh8+

Also drawing is 55...Ke7.

56.Kg4 Rh4+ 57.Kg3 Rf4 ½–½

The ending of rook, bishop's pawn and rook's pawn (pawns on the same wing) versus rook is widely covered in endgame books

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Among such books is Rook Endings by Grigory Levenfish and Vasily Smyslov.

I have the 1989 Batsford algebraic edition, but the original Russian edition is much older (Levenfish died in 1961).

The authors wrote: "When Marshall drew such an ending at San Sebastian 1911 against Rubinstein, theoreticians set about a detailed analysis of it.

"Spielmann, Rabinovich, Belavenets, Maizelis, Zek, Keres and finally Botvinnik together with Ragozin and Flohr discovered many interesting ideas.

"All the same, far from everything is clear in the assessment of this ending."

Nowadays six-piece tablebases can tell us which positions are drawn, and which are won, but more important for the practical player is the how of such positions.

This position occurs twice in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database

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In the Mega23 games it is White to move, but the position is winning for White even with Black to play, analysis being credited to Sergey Belavenets, a Soviet master killed in World War Two.

White threatens to win by pushing either pawn, eg 2.h7+ Kh8 3.f7 Rg1+ 4.Kh4 Rh1+ 5.Kg3 Kg7 6.Rb8 etc.

Black can delay this with 1...Rg1+, but to no avail in the long run, eg 2.Kf5 Rf1+ 3.Ke6 Re1+ 4.Kd6 (not 4.Kd7 Kf7 as that is a tablebase draw) Rd1+ (or 4...Rh1 5.h7+ Kf8 6.h8=Q+ etc) 5.Ke7 Re1+ 6.Kd8 Rd1+ 7.Rd7 Rf1 8.h7+ Kh8 9.Rd6 Kxh7 10.Ke8 Kg8 11.Re6 Rf2 12.Ke7 Rf1 13.Re2 Rf3 14.Rg2+ etc.

According to Rook Endings, Black's problem in the Belavenets position is having the king confined to the back rank.

Black therefore needs to keep the king active, and in particular to avoid the position reached in the last diagram above.

White has just captured on h4 in Igor Bondarevsky - Paul Keres, Leningrad & Moscow 1939

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Komodo14.1 at first reckons White is winning, but later fluctuates between "winning" and giving White the upper hand. Stockfish15.1 calls the position drawn, which Syzygy confirms.

58...Rg1 59.Kf3 Ra1

Levenfish & Smyslov quote Mikhail Botvinnik as stating the black rook is best placed on a1, "but sometimes it has to be placed on f1 or h6."

60.Rg4 Ra3+ 61.Kg2 Rb3 62.f3 Rb2+ 63.Kg3 Rb1

But not ...Rb3? or ...Ra2? as Syzygy shows both moves lose to pushing the h pawn, eg 63...Ra2? 64.h4 Ra1 65.h5 Rh1 66.Rh4 Rg1+ 67.Kf2 Ra1 68.h6 Ra8 69.h7 Rh8 70.f4 Kg6 71.Kf3 Rxh7 72.Rxh7 Kxh7 73.Ke4 (an only-move - the white king needs to reach e6, f6 or g6 to win) Kg6 74.Ke5 Kg7 75.Kf5 etc.

64.h4 Rg1+ 65.Kh3 Rb1

Not 65...Rh1+? as after 66.Kg2 the black rook has to move, and again the h pawn can be pushed to victory.

66.Kg2 Rb2+?

The temptation of checking! Keres had five drawing moves: ...Rb6, ...Rb7, ...Rb8, ...Kf6 and ...Ke6!?

67.Kg3 Rb1 68.h5 Rb6

If 68...Rh1 then 69.Rh4 etc.

69.Rh4 Rh6 70.Ra4 Rb6

White to play and win

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71.Ra5+?

The check temptation again. Both Rh4 and Rg4 win, eg 71.Rh4 Rh6 72.Rf4+ Kg5 73.Rg4+ Kf5 74.Kh4 Ra6 75.Rg5+ Kf4 76.Rg8 Kf5 77.Rf8+ Ke6 78.Kg4 Ra4+ 79.Rf4 Ra1 80.h6 Rh1 81.Kg5 Rg1+ 82.Rg4 Rh1 83.f4 Ke7 84.f5 Kf7 85.f6 Rh2 86.Rg1 Rh3 87.Ra1 Rg3+ 88.Kh4 Rg2 89.h7! (the only winning move) Rh2+ 90.Kg5 Rxh7+ (or 90...Rg2+ 91.Kf4 Rf2+ 92.Kg3 etc) 91.Ra7+ Kg8 92.Rxh7 Kxh7 93.Kf5 (93.Kh5 also wins) Kg8 94.Kg6 Kf8 95.f7 etc.

71...Kf6 72.Kg4 Rb1 73.Ra6+ Kg7

An only-move, but from now on Black's drawing moves are much easier to find.

74.f4 Rg1+ 75.Kf5 Rh1 76.h6+ Kh7 77.Re6 Rb1 78.Ke5 Rb5+ 79.Ke4 Rb1 80.f5 Rg1 81.Kf4 Rg2 82.Ke5 Ra2

Bondarevsky played on for another 15 moves before the game eventually ended in stalemate.

If such strong players as Keres and Bondarevsky can get it wrong, the danger signals are certainly there for the rest of us.

The game Paul Keres - Alexey Sokolsky, Chigorin Memorial (Moscow) 1947, is another warning of what can go wrong.

White has just captured on h4

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Once again Stockfish15.1 recognises the position as drawn, but Komodo14.1 is convinced White is winning.

60...Kf5 61.Rg4 Rh8+ 62.Kg3 Ra8 63.h4 Ra1?

Rook Endings quotes Botvinnik as recommending 63...Rh8, and only after 64.Rg5+ Kf6 65.Kg4 Ra8 66.h5 "going onto the defensive with 66...Ra1, as White is unable to get his rook behind the h pawn."

Syzygy shows 63...Kf6 and 63...Ke6!? also draw.

64.h5

The same idea as could have occurred in Bondarevsky - Keres. The white rook can get behind the h pawn and so the game is won.

(to be continued)

Tight At The Top

HERE is the final table from division one of the Central London League.

HMC have won the title by the narrowest possible margin - one game-point difference - over Rangers.

At the bottom Kings Head are relegated thanks to having a worse game-point difference than Battersea and Athenaeum.

Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Def. matches	Def. games	Penalty pts	Bonus pts	Game pt diff	Points
HMC 1	14	9	2	3	0	2	0	0	19	20
Rangers	14	9	2	3	0	0	0	0	18	20
Pimlico Bishops	14	8	1	5	0	0	0	0	9	17
Pimlico Knights	14	7	1	6	0	0	0	0	-6	15
HMC 2	14	6	1	7	0	2	0	0	0	13
Athenaeum	14	4	1	9	0	2	0	0	-5	9
Battersea 1	14	4	1	9	0	2	0	0	-13	9
Kings Head	14	4	1	9	0	0	0	0	-22	9

London League

PLAYED on board three (of eight) for Battersea against Cavendish in division one of the London League last night.

Spanton (1955) - Peter Finn (2273)

Sicilian Bb5(+)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.c3 Nf6 5.Qe2 Bg7

How should White proceed?

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6.d4!?

The main move in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database is 6.0-0, and if, as in the game, 6...d5, White can play 7.e5 without Black being able to play ...Ne4 as the knight would be lost to d3. So Black usually replies 6...0-0, when 7.d4 d5 8.e5 Ne4 transposes to the game, but Komodo14.1 prefers avoiding this with 8.exd5!? Qxd5 9.Bc4!?, claiming a tiny pull, although Stockfish15.1 disagrees.

6...d5!?

The main move in Mega23 is 6...cxd4, after which White scores 56%. There are just five examples of the text, but White's score drops dramatically to 20%.

7.e5

Again Komodo14.1, but not Stockfish15.1, prefers capturing on d5.

7...Ne4 8.0-0 0-0

The game has transposed to a position occurring 43 times in Mega23

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9.Nbd2

This is the commonest move, but Peter Svidler, who has had the position three times, prefers 9.Be3!? The engines suggest 9.Rd1!?, which has also been played by grandmasters.

9...Nxd2 10.Bxd2 cxd4 11.cxd4 Bg4 12.Bc3

The engines reckon 12.Bxc6 followed by 13.h3 or 13.Bb4 may give White a slight edge.

12...Qb6 13.Bd3?!

Probably a novelty and probably bad. Almost certainly better is the known 13.Bxc6.

What should Black play?

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13...e6

After 13...Bxg4 14.Qxf3 Nxd4 White has 15.Qxd5, keeping Black's edge to a minimum.

14.Qe3 Bxf3

White seems fine after 14...f6 15.exf6, whether Black recaptures with rook or bishop.

15.gxf3 Rfc8 16.Kg2!?

The engines like this.

16...Qd8!?

Threatening to switch to kingside play.

17.f4 a6 18.a4 Na5

How should White respond to this knight manoeuvre?

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19.Bxa5?!

Stockfish15.1 suggests 19.h4!?, while Komodo14.1 likes 19.Qg3 or 19.Qe1. The problem with the text is not per se that it gives up the bishop-pair - after all, the dark-square bishop is bad - but that it weakens the queenside dark squares.

19...Qxa5 20.Rfc1?!

Playing to Black's agenda. Perhaps 20.h4 with kingside play is better, although Komodo14.1 disagrees.

20...Qb4 21.b3?!

The engines do not like this, but cannot come up with a completely convincing improvement.

21...Bh6?

The simple 21...Rxc1 22.Rxc1 Qxb3 leaves White a pawn down with no compensation, a situation that would be made worse, according to the engines, by 23.Rb1?! Qxa4 24.Rxb7 a5.

22.Be2 Qe7 23.Qg3?!

This gives Black time to play on the open c file. The engines give 23.h4!, one point being 23...Qxh4? runs into 24.Rh1 etc.

23...Rc7 24.Rxc7 Qxc7 25.Qe3

Black also has the upper hand after 25.f5!? exf5 26.Bf3 Qd7, according to the engines.

25...Rc8 26.Rd1 Qc2 27.Rd2?!

Probably better are 27.Rd3 and 27.Kg3, but White remains in trouble.

27...Qf5 28.Kg3

White does not seem to have a defence.

How should Black continue?

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28...Rc3! 29.Qxc3

Black wins a second pawn, or gets a winning pawn-ending, after both 29.Rd3 Bxf4+ 30.Qxf4 Rxd3 31.Bxd3 Qxd3+ and 29.Bd3 Rxd3! 30.Rxd3 Bxf4+ 31.Qxf4 Qxd3+.

29...Bxf4+ 30.Kg2 Qg5+ 31.Kh1??

Better, but still losing, according to the engines, is 31.Kf1 Bxd2 32.Qg3 Qe7, although there is a lot of play left, and opposite-coloured bishops may pose difficulties for Black.

31...Qh4 32.h3

Hardly an improvement is 32.Kg2!? Qxh2+ 33.Kf3 Qh3+, followed by winning the white queen.

32...Qxf2 33.Bxa6 Bxd2 34.Qc8+ Kg7 35.Qxb7 Bf4 0-1

The result of the match has yet to be published by the league.

Addendum 27/5/03: Cavendish won the match 6-2.

How Not To Lose By Phone

BEFORE the first round of the Amateur Chess Organization's Super Senior (65+) event in Kos, players were strongly admonished not to have phones on their persons and to ensure any phones in the tournament room were turned off.

About 30 minutes later a phone rang, probably giving three rings, but there was no arbiter present and games carried on.

A further hour or so passed and the same ringtone went off, this time for what seemed the best part of a minute.

Again there was no arbiter in the room, and I did not see the upshot, but I was later told the phone-culprit's opponent claimed the game.

I play quite a bit of chess, but I have avoided such a loss, although I have been lucky on a couple of occasions.

To try to ensure I keep a clean sheet I have come up with a routine before every game.

First, while usually still in my hotel room, or at least outside the playing area, I put my phone on mute, and only then turn it off.

There are two points to putting a phone on mute.

The first is to reduce the chance of a loss should the phone somehow get turned on, or if I fail to turn it off properly.

The second point is that some phones have a feature that enables them, even when turned off, to activate and give a low-battery warning.

In addition to these precautions, and even when I am not playing chess, I keep my pen in the same pocket as my phone.

That way it is almost impossible for me to fill out a scoresheet without realising I have failed to put my phone away.

So far, my system has worked.

Who Was Right?

MY round-four game at the Amateur Chess Organization's Super Senior (65+) event on the Greek isle of Kos could have reached the following position.

Analysis position after Black's 29...Ke6-e5

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I noted that Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1 claim a slight edge for Black.

But I added: "I find this very difficult to believe as White has the much-superior pawn-majority, and can put the white queenside pawns on a dark-square V formation (a3, b2, c3), where they cannot be attacked by the bishop and where they prevent Black creating a passed pawn. I would be disappointed if I did not win such a position with white over the board."

I intend putting this to the test by playing out the position against the engines.

When they disagree on Black's best move, I will flip a coin to decide.

30.g3

Also tempting is getting the knight back into play with 30.Ng3, but White has to be careful of the bishop targeting the g pawn.

30...Ke4 31.Kd2 Kf3 32.Nf4 c6

Black can go after the h2 pawn, eg 32...Kf2 33.a3 Kg1, but 34.h3 Kh2 35.g4 Bd7 36.Ke3 Kg3 37.Ke4 seems to hold.

33.a3 b6 34.c3 a5 35.Kd1 Kf2 36.Kd2 c4 37.Kd1 Be4 38.Kd2 Bd5 39.Kd1 Bf7 40.Kd2 Kg1

The engines finally go for the white h pawn

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41.Ke2 Kxh2 42.Kf2 b5 43.Ne2 Kh3 44.Nd4 Bd5 45.Nf5 Kg4 46.Nd6

Not 46.Nxh6+?? as 46...Kg5 traps the knight.

46...a4 47.Ne8 Kf5 48.Nd6+ Ke6 49.Nb7 Ke5

The black king cannot catch the knight, eg 49...Kd7 50.Ke3 Kc7 51.Nc5 Kd6 52.Nb7+ etc.

50.Ke3 Kf5 51.Nd6+ Kg4 52.Kg2

Black cannot make progress, but clearly the engines' assessment of the position in the first diagram was more accurate than my assessment

ACO World Amateur Game Nine

Spanton (1804) - Florian Völlinger (1869)

Scandinavian

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 a6

This is easily the main move in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database. It prevents Nb5, while leaving the c6 square free for the queen's knight.

6.g3!?

And this is easily the main reply. It may seem slow in that a diagonal has already been opened for the king's bishop, but it allows the queen's bishop to be developed to f4 with tempo. Anatoly Karpov (2705) preferred 6.Be3 in a 1979 win over Anatoly Lutikov (2515).

6...Bg4 7.Bg2 Nc6

How should White continue?

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8.Bf4!?

Castling is most popular, but the text seems fine, and contains a mini-trap.

8..Qd7

Not 8...Qb4!? 9.0-0 Qxb2? as 10.Qd2 is strong. However 9...0-0-0 is much less clear.

9.0-0 e6 10.Be5!?

This may be a novelty. The main line in Mega23 runs 10.h3 Bxf3!? 11.Qxf3 with a sharp position that Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1 reckon is much better for White. Even worse for Black, according to the engines, is 10...Bh5?! 11.g4 Bg6 12.Ne5 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Nd5 14.Nxd5 exd5 15.c4!?

10...Be7 11.Re1 0-0!?

Black often castles long in similar positions in the Scandinavian.

12.h3 Bh5 13.Ne2!? Rfd8 14.c3 Rab8 15.Nf4 Bg6!?

The engines dislike this, preferring 15...Nxe5, eg 16.dxe5 Qxd1 17.Raxd1 Bxf3 18.Rxd8+ Bxd8! 19.Bxf3 Nd7 with what they reckon is an equal game.

16.Nxg6 hxg6 17.Qd2 Nd5 18.Rad1 b5

How should White respond to this pawn thrust?

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19.b3?!

The engines reckon White should more-or-less ignore it, preferring, for example, 19.h4, meeting ...b4, if it comes, with c4.

19...Qc8

Here 19...b4 is good since the forced 20.c4 can be met by 20...Nc3 with what the engines reckon is at least equality.

20.Qc1!? Nxe5?

This capture has been available for 10 moves, but here it is tactically flawed. The engines still like ...b4, although they reckon 21.c4 Nc3 22.Rd3 is good for White, eg 22...Nxa2 23.Qd2 Nc3 24.d5 with a strong initiative.

21.Nxe5

Can Black prevent the white knight landing on c6 with deadly effect?

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No, eg 21...Rb6 runs into 22.c4 Nf6 (22...bxc4 23.bxc4 Nb4?! 24.a3 is no improvement) 23.c5 Rb7?! (23...Rb8 is better, according to the engines, but then 24.Nc6 forks the black rooks) 24.Nc6 Rd7 25.d5! Bf8 28.dxe6 fxe6 29.Rxd7 Nxd7 30.Rxe6 Nf6 31.Ne5 when White is a pawn up and has an overwhelming attack.

The game continued:

21...c5 22.c4 bxc4 23.bxc4 Nf6 24.Nc6 Qc7 25.Nxb8 Rxb8 26.d5 e5 27.Qa3 a5 28.Qc3 Bd6 29.Rb1 Nh5!?

Objectively Black should probably avoid a rook-exchange, but Black's only realistic hope of saving the game is to somehow get at the white king, hence the text.

30.Rxb8+ Qxb8 31.Qxa5 f5 32.Qb5 Qc7 33.Rb1 e4 34.Qc6 Bxg3!?

This, temporarily, wins a pawn but leaves Black hopeless.

The game finished:

35.Qxc7 Bxc7 36.Rb5 Bd6 37.Rb6 Bf8 38.Rxg6 1-0

ACO World Amateur Game Eight

Spanton (1804) - John A Wood (no Fide)

Caro-Kann Tartakower

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6

Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1 prefer this recapture over 5...gxf6.

6.c3 Bd6 7.Nf3 0-0 8.Be2 Re8 9.0-0 Bg4 10.Re1 Nd7 11.h3 Bh5 12.Nh4

How should Black proceed?

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12...Qa5!?

This probable novelty is quite liked by Komodo14.1, although both engines prefer capturing on e2.

13.Bxh5 Qxh5 14.Nf3 f5 15.Bd2 Nf6 16.Ne5 Qh4 17.Qb3 Bxe5 18.Rxe5 Ne4 19.Be1 Rxe5 20.dxe5 Nc5 21.Qa3 Nd3 22.Rd1 Nxe5

How would you assess this position?

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Black has won a pawn, but the extra black pawn is doubled, and White's pieces are better coordinated. Stockfish15.1 reckons the game is equal, but Komodo14.1 gives Black a slight edge.

23.Qd6 Re8 24.Kh1?!

I can recall hoping to get in f4 to attack the knight while also attacking the queen (but somehow missing that Black could reply ...Qxf4).

24...Qe4 25.f3 Qe2

Unclear is 25...Nxf3!? 26.gxf3+ Qxf3+. Stockfish15.1 reckons it gives Black the upper hand, but Komodo14.1 calls it completely equal.

26.Bg3 Nc4 27.Qd7 Nb6 28.Qd4?

The game is equal after 28.Qd6, the point being 28...Qxb2? loses to 29.Qe7!

28...Qxb2 29.Qe5 Rf8 30.Qxf5 Qxa2 31.Bd6 Re8 32.Bc5 Qe2 33.Ra1 Re5 34.Qf4 Nd5 35.Qg4 h6 36.h4 Nf6 37.Qc8+ Kh7 38.Bd4 Qb2 39.Rf1 Re2 40.Qf5+ Kg8 41.Rb1 Qc2?

Black is still much better after 41...Qd2.

42.Qxc2 Rxc2 43.Rxb7 Nd5 44.Rxa7 Nxc3 45.Rc7?!

Probably better is swopping off into a rook-and-pawn ending, even though this goes against the fact that bishop and rook usually make a better combination than knight and rook.

45...Ne2 46.Be5 Rc5?

Better is 46...Rc4.

47.Bd6 Rc4 48.g3?

The engines much prefer 48.h5, one point being 48...Rh4+ 49.Bh2 Rxh5 50.Rxc6 gives White good drawing chances.

48...Nd4 49.f4 Rc2 50.Kg1 Ne2+ 51.Kf2 Nxf4+ 52.Ke3??

White is losing anyway, but this blunder seals the loss.

52...Nd5+ 53.Kd4

Or 53.Kd3 Rc3+ 54.Kd4 Nxc7 55.Kxc3 Nb5+ etc.

53...Nxc7 0-1

ACO World Amateur Game Seven

David Monnerat (1994) - Spanton (1804)

Réti

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 d4!?

Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1 approve of this space grab. A theoretical objection is that Black will often want to follow up at some point with ...e5, having already spent a tempo on e6.

5.e3!?

The engines prefer this over castling, which is the main move in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database.

5...Nc6!?

And they prefer this over the main Mega23 move of 5...c5.

6.exd4 Nxd4 7.Nxd4!?

Tamás Bánusz (2608) - Jan Krejčí (2538), Slovakian Team Championship 2018, went 7.0-0 Bc5 8.Nxd4!? Bxd4 9.Na3!? with a completely equal position, according to the engines, and a draw was agreed four moves later.

7...Qxd4

What should White do about the attack on c4?

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8.0-0!?

An interesting positional pawn sacrifice.

Josef Ager (2223) - Udo Goy (2232), European Seniors Team Championship 2010, saw 8.d3 Bb4+ 9.Bd2?!, when 9...Qxb2 is good for Black. Instead the engines give 9.Nd2, one point being 9...Qxd3?? loses to 10.Qa4+ etc. Black can instead reply 9...0-0, when 10.a3 Bxd2+ 11.Qxd2 is equal, according to the engines.

8...Qxc4

Naturally this is the critical test of the sacrifice, although the only game in Mega23 to reach the position after 8.0-0!? saw 8...Bc5, when the engines want White to sac a rook with 9.b4!? Qxa1, claiming the upper hand. A sample line runs 10.Nc3 Bd4 11.Qc2 0-0 (or 11...Bxc3 12.dxc3 etc) 12.Bb2 Qxf1+ 13.Kxf1, when White has a queen and a slight lead in development for two rooks.

9.b3 Qd3 10.Nc3 Be7 11.Re1 0-0 12.Re3 Qd8 13.d4 Nd5

How should White proceed?

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14.Nxd5

The engines suggest 14.Bxd5!? exd5 15.Nxd5 Qxd5 16.Rxe7, albeit preferring Black.
14...exd5 15.Qh5

Not 15.Bxd5? Bf6, eg 16.Qf3 c6 17.Be4 Bxd4 18.Rd3 Qf6.

15...Be6 16.f4 Bf6 17.Bb2 Qd7 18.Rae1 c6 19.Qe2

Black threatened 19...Bg4. After the game DM said he would have been fine if he had here sacrificed the exchange and followed up with Bh3, but the engines are not impressed.

19...Bg4 20.Qf1!? c5!? 21.Qd3 Bf5 22.Qd2 Rac8 23.dxc5!?

This is Komodo14.1's top choice, although Stockfish15.1 prefers 23.Bf3.

23...d4 24.Re5!?

The engines quite like this exchange sacrifice, although preferring 24.R3e2. Either way, Black is on top.

24...Bxe5 25.Rxe5 Rfe8 26.Rd5 Qe6 27.Re5 Qg6 28.Bxd4 Rxe5 29.Bxe5

White has a pawn and the bishop-pair for an exchange, which is often sufficient compensation, at least when another pair of rooks is on the board

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29...h5 30.Qe3 b6?! 31.c6

How should Black proceed?

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31...f6

Komodo14.1 likes returning the exchange with 31...Rxc6!? 32.Bxc6 Qxc6, after which the white king is  more vulnerable than its black counterpart. I rejected the line because I feared the opposite-coloured bishops and general openness of the position would make it hard to avoid a draw. Nevertheless, after the text the c pawn gives White counterplay.

32.Bc3 Re8 33.Qd2 Be4 34.c7 Bxg2 35.Kxg2 Qe4+ 36.Kf2

White threatens Qd7, which would be enough for a draw, according to the engines

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36...h4!?

How should White respond?

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37.Qd8??

This loses in short order, as now does 37.Qd7?, eg 37...Qe2+ 38.Kg1 h3 39.Qxh3 Qe3+ etc. However 37.gxh4 keeps the game going, although after 37...Qe7 38.Qd5+ Kf8 Black is winning, eg 39.Qc4 b5! 40.Qb4!? Rc8 (40...Qxb4? 41.Bxb4+ Kf7 42.Kf3 gives drawing chances) 41.Qxe7+ Kxe7 42.Ba5 Kd7, when the exchange should tell.

37...h3 38.Qd2 Qg2#

ACO World Amateur Game Six

Henry Oelmann (1956) - Spanton (1804)

Réti

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.b3 Nf6 4.g3 c5 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.e3!?

How should Black proceed?

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6...dxc4 7.bxc4 Qd3!?

All eight games in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database to reach the position after 7.bxc4 continued in this way, but Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1 are unimpressed, preferring White.

8.Na3 Be7 9.Qb3 Nb4

Exchanging on b3 is too cooperative, so instead the engines suggest retreating the queen to d7 or d8.

10.Ne5!? Qxb3

This is Komodo14.1's top choice, but Stockfish15.1 still prefers retreating the queen, this time to f5 or d8.

11.axb3 Bd6!?

What should White play?

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12.f4!?

This and 12.d4!? are liked by the engines.

12...Bxe5?!

It was probably better to castle, although the engines give White the upper hand.

13.fxe5 Nd3+ 14.Ke2 Nxe5 15.Nb5

White is temporarily a pawn down but has the bishop-pair and a strong queenside initiative

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15...0-0 16.Rxa7!

The engines reckon this is even stronger than 16.Ba3 in Colin McNab (2379) - John Richardson (2293), 4NCL Team Championship (West Bromwich) 2013. That game continued 16...Nfd7 17.d4 Nc6 18.dxc5 with a winning advantage for White, according to the engines (1-0, 35 moves).

16...Rxa7 17.Nxa7 Bd7?!

The engines fluctuate between 17...Ng6, 17...Re8, 17...h6, 17...Rd8 and 17...b6, but agree White is winning.

18.Bb2 Ra8 19.Ra1 Nc6

A tad better may be 19...Ng6.

20.Nxc6 Rxa1 21.Ne7+ Kf8 22.Bxa1 Kxe7 23.Bxb7 Kd6 24.d4 Ne8 25.Bb2 Bc6!?

The engines do not like this, but at least White is deprived of the bishop-pair.

26.Bxc6 Kxc6 27.Ba3 cxd4 28.exd4 Nf6 29.b4 Ne4 30.b5+ Kb6 31.Bb4 f5 32.Ke3 g5 33.Be7 g4 34.Bd8+ Kb7 35.Kf4 Nd6 36.c5?

White wins easily after 36.Ke5 Nxc4+ 37.Kxe6.

36...Nxb5 37.Ke5 Kc6 38.Ba5 Kd7 39.d5 exd5 40.Kxd5

Komodo14.1 is convinced White is still winning, but Stockfish15.1 gives White only a slight edge

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40...Na7 41.Bd2 Nc6 42.Be3 h5?!

The engines agree 42...Na5 is better, but differ as to whether White is winning (Komodo14.1) or merely has a slight edge (Stockfish15.1).

43.Bg1 Nb4+ 44.Ke5 Nc6?

Black loses tamely after this, but gets practical chances with 44...Nd3+ 45.Kxf5 Ne1, after which White seems to have only one winning plan.

Can you find White's winning plan?

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The 'natural' 46.Bf2 Nf3 draws, but 46.Kg5! (46.Kg6 comes to the same thing) Nf3+ 47.Kxh5 Nxg1 48.Kxg4 is a tablebase win, according to Syzygy.

The game finished:

45.Kxf5 1-0