Spanton (1955) - Peter Finn (2273)
Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.c3 Nf6 5.Qe2 Bg7
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
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
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| The game has transposed to a position occurring 43 times in Mega23 |
*****
*****
*****
*****
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.
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| What should Black play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
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
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| How should White respond to this knight manoeuvre? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
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.
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| How should Black continue? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
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.
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