4NCL Daventry Game Three

Spanton (1959 ECF/1824 Fide) - Tom Brown (1989 ECF/1944 Fide)

English Nimzowitsch

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e4

Aron Nimzowitsch pioneered this setup. Mikhail Botvinnik refined it by first playing e4 (...e5 with black) and then developing the king's knight to e2 (e7).

4...Bc5

Marginally more common in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database is 4...Bb4, after which the mainline runs 5.d3 d6 6.a3 (Nimzowitsch preferred 6.g3) Bc5 7.b4 Bb6, when Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1 reckon the position is equal, although the former comes close to giving White an edge.

5.Nxe5!?

Capturing the e pawn in circumstances like these is usually thought of as an equalising manoeuvre, but here White is playing it in the hope of gaining an advantage.

5...Nxe5

Almost certainly not 5...Bxf2+?! 6.Kxf2 Nxe5 7.d4.

6.d4 Bb4 7.dxe5 Nxe4 8.Qd4

Nimzowitsch preferred 8.Qc2.

8...Nxc3 9.bxc3 Be7

How should White proceed?

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10.Bf4!?

The main move in Mega23 is 10.Qg4, after which 10...g6 and 10...Kf8!? are almost equally popular, and the position is roughly balanced, according to the engines.

10...b6!?

This apparent-novelty is liked by the engines, along with the known move 10...0-0.

11.Bd3 Bb7 12.Be4

Not 12.0-0?? Bc5.

12...Bxe4 13.Qxe4 0-0 14.0-0 Qc8!? 15.Rfd1 Rd8 16.Rd3 d6 17.Rad1

17.exd6 Bxd6 18.Bxd6 Rxd6 19.Rxd6 cxd6 is completely equal, according to the engines.

17...Qe6 18.Qc6 dxe5 19.Qxe6 fxe6 20.Bxe5 Rxd3 21.Rxd3 Rd8 22.Rd4 c5 23.Rxd8+ Bxd8

How would you assess this bishop-and-pawn ending?

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White's queenside pawn-structure is wrecked, but the white bishop is active and all Black's queenside pawns are on dark squares, making them targets for the white bishop. Stockfish15.1 gives White a slight edge, but Komodo14.1 calls the position equal.

24.f4!?

Sticking a pawn on a dark square, but gaining space and restricting the ability of the e pawn to advance.

24...Kf7 25.Kf2 Bf6 26.Bb8

Also equal is 26.Bxf6, according to the engines.

26...a6 27.Ba7 Bd8 28.Bb8 Bf6 29.Ba7 Bd8 30.Bb8 Bf6 ½–½