Spanton (1959) - John M Bennett (2112)
Pirc
1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.f4 Nf6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Bc4!?
Provocative. The mainline in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database runs 6.Bd3 Nc6 (6...Na6!? is almost as popular) 7.0-0 Bg4 8.Be3 e5 with an equal position, according to Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1.
6...Nxe4!?
The engines like this, even though Black has spent a tempo on ...d6.
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| How should White respond? |
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7.Nxe4
The engines prefer 7.Bxf7+!? Rxf7 8.Nxe4 with what they reckon is an equal position.
7...d5 8.Bd3 dxe4 9.Bxe4 Nd7
The engines reckon Black has a slight edge after 9...c5!?
10.c3 Nf6 11.Bd3 b6!?
This may be a novelty. Known moves are 11...c5!? and 11...Qd6!?
12.0-0 Bb7 13.Qe2 c5!?
Black is willing to accept split queenside pawns in return for chipping away at White's pawn centre and getting a half-open b file.
14.dxc5 bxc5 15.f5!? Nd5?!
The engines give 15...c4!?, claiming 16.Bxc4 gxf5 gives Black a slight edge (Stockfish15.1) or at least equality (Komodo14.1).
16.fxg6 hxg6
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| How should White proceed? |
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17.Bxg6!?
The engines reckon 17.Ng5 gives White at least a slight edge.
17...Qd6?
17...Qd6?
Black completely equalises with 17...fxg6 18.Qe6+ Kh8, according to the engines, when White has a perpetual with 19.Qh3+ etc or can try for more with 19.Ng5. After the latter one line runs 19...Rxf1+ 20.Kxf1 Qf8+ 21.Kg1 Qf6 22.Qh3+ Kg8 23.Qh7+ Kf8 24.Bd2 Ba6 25.Re1, when White has a pawn and an attack for a bishop, giving complete equality, according to the engines.
Also better than the text is 17...Nxc3!?, although the engines prefer White.
18.Bd3 Rad8 19.Rd1?!
Probably better is 19.Ng5.
19...Nf4 20.Bxf4 Qxf4 21.Rf1!?
Not 21.Qxe7? Bxf3 22.gxf3 Rfe8 23.Qxc5 Qxf3, and probably no better is the complicated 22.Bh7+!? Kxh7 23.Rxd8 Be5! 24,gxf3 (only move) Qxh2+ 25.Kf1 Bg3!? 26.Qe4+ Kg7, after which the engines reckon Black is winning.
21...e6 22.Rad1
The engines prefer 22.Rf2 or 22.Rae1.
22...Rd5
Black equalises (Stockfish15.1) or is only slightly worse (Komodo14.1) after 22...c4.
23.Nd2 Qh4 24.Nf3 Qg4
If repeating with 24...Qf4, then both 25.Rde1 and 25.g3 give the upper hand, according to the engines.
25.h3 Qg3?
Black has nothing better than 25...Qf4, according to the engines.
26.Be4?
Even stronger is 26.Qe4, eg 26...Rb8 27.Qh7+ Kf8 28.Nh4 Rg5 29.Rf2 with a continuing attack.
26...Rxd1 27.Rxd1 Bxe4 28.Qxe4 Rb8 29.Qe2
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| How would you assess this late-middlegame? |
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White is a pawn up and Black has two isolanis, but White is a little passive and Black has pressure against the white queenside. The engines reckon White has the upper hand (Komodo14.1) or a slight edge (Stockfish15.1).
29...Qf4 30.Qd2 Qf6 31.Qe2 Qf4 32.Qd2 Qf6 33.Qf2 Qf5 34.Qg3?!
White is much better after 34.Rd2 or 34.Qh4, according to the engines.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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34...e5?
The engines reckon Black has to plunge in and grab the b pawn with 34...Rxb2! It looks scary after 35.Rd8+ Kh7 36.Ng5+ Kh6 37.Qh4+, but 37...Kg6 leaves White without a convincing continuation, and the position is completely equal, according to the engines.
Also better than the text, according to the engines, is the passive 34...Rf8?!, but Black's compensation for a pawn has vanished.
35.Nh4 Qf4
Not 35...Qc2? 36.Rf1 (or 36.Qg4).
36.Qxf4 exf4 37.Rd2 Bf6 38.Nf3 Kg7 39.Kf2 a5 40.a4!? Re8 41.Re2 Rb8 42.Ne1?!
This comes to be Stockfish15.1's top choice, after it is shown the move, but almost certainly a better practical choice is 42.Ke1. I rejected it because of 42...Rxb2?? 43.Rxb2 Bxc3+, missing 44.Rd2.
42...Bh4+ 43.Kf1?
Correct is 43.Kf3 Bxe1 44.Rxe1 Rxb2 45.Re4 with a winning rook-and-pawn ending, according to the engines, but there is some way to go before the full point can be harvested.
43...Rd8
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| What should White play? |
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44.g3!?
Giving back the pawn is the only way not to lose, according to the engines, which reckon 44.Re4 Rd1 45.Re2 c4 46.Re4 f5 47.Re2 Kf6 48.Re8 Bg3 leaves Black with an advantage worth more than a rook. But no matter how many more moves are inputted, White can keep shuffling the rook on the e file and Black cannot seem to make progress.
44...Bxg3
Not 44...fxg3? 45.Nf3.
45.Kg2 Rd1 46.Nf3 f6 47.b4!? cxb4 48.cxb4 axb4 49.Rb2 Rc1 50.Nd4
There seems nothing wrong with 50.Rxb4, eg 50...Rc2+ 51.Kg1 is fine for White.
50...Be1 51.Kf3?
Simple and good is 51.Ne6+ followed by 52.Nxf4.
51...Bc3 52.Rg2+
Not much better is 52.Rc2 Rf1+ 53.Ke4 Re1+ 54.Re2 Ra1 55.Ne6+ Kf7 56.Nxf4 b3 etc.
52...Kf7 53.Ne2?!
The engines give 53.Nb3 Rb1 54.Nd2 Ra1 55.Kxf4 Rxa4, but reckon Black is winning.
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| How should Black continue? |
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53...Rc2?!
This may be good enough, but easier is 53...Rf1+ 54.Rf2 (54.Ke4 f3) Rxf2+ 55.Kxf2 Bd2, after which the b pawn wins for Black.
54.Rg1 b3?
But this definitely throws away the win. The engines give 54...Bd2 55.Rb1 Ra2 56.Nxf4 Rxa4 57.Nd3 Bc3, after which Black is obviously better but White's pieces are actively placed.
55.Rb1 b2 56.Nxc3 Rxc3+ 57.Kxf4 Rb3 58.a5 Rb4+ 59.Kf5 Rb5+ 60.Kf4 Rxa5 61.Rxb2
I offered a draw.
61...Ra3+ 62.Kf5 ½–½
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