Spanton (1824) - Neeraj Harish (2231)
Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.c3 Nf6 5.Qe2 Bg7 6.d4 cxd4 7.cxd4 d5 8.e5 Ne4 9.0-0 0-0 10.Nbd2
The mainline in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database runs 10.Nc3!? Nxc3 11.bxc3 Na5, after which White is slightly better, according to Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1.
10...Bf5!?
The engines reckon the obvious 10...Nxd2 11.Bxd2 is equal.
11.Bxc6!?
Giving up the bishop-pair to get a small initiative.
11...bxc6 12.Nh4
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| How should Black respond? |
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12...Rb8?
Erkki Havansi - Heikki Westerinen, Zonal (Halle, East Germany) 1967, went 12...Qb6 13.Nxf5 gxf5 14.Nb3 a5 15.Be3 a4 16.Nc1 a3 17.b3 f6 18.f3?! f4 19.fxe4 fxe3 20.Qxe3 fxe5 with a large advantage for Black, according to the engines (0-1, 39 moves).
They suggest 12...Be6!? 13.Nxe4 dxe4 14.Qxe4 Bd5, claiming Black has full compensation for a pawn.
White seems to have an edge after 12...Nxd2 13.Bxd2, but not as big as after the text.
13.Nxf5 gxf5?!
Probably better is 13...Nxd2 as after the move played ...
14.Nb3
... leaves Black with major difficulties trying to save his knight.
14...h6!?
This is best, according to Stockfish15.1, although Komodo14.1 narrowly prefers 14...a5!?
15.Qh5
Not 15.h4?!, hoping to trap the black knight with a quick f3 as that would allow the forking ...Ng3.
15...f6 16.Bxh6 Qe8!?
Accepting a pawn-down queenless middlegame in return for ensuring White has no mating attack.
17.Qxe8
The engines fluctuate between the text and keeping queens on with 17.Qh3!?
Rfxe8 18.Bxg7 Kxg7
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| How would you assess the position? |
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Black is more active but that is not enough to offset being a pawn down, according to the engines, which reckon White is winning.
19.f3
They prefer 19.Rfc1!?
19...Ng5 20.exf6+ Kxf6 21.Rac1 Rec8 22.Rc2 Ne6 23.Rfc1?!
Black can defend the c pawn well enough, which is why the engines give 23.Re1, with Rce2 to come.
23...Rb6
The engines suggest sacrificing the exchange with 23...Rxb3!? 24.axb3 Nxd4, after which they reckon only 25.Rf2 gives White an edge.
24.Kf2 Ra6
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| How should White proceed? |
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25.Nc5!?
This is Komodo14.1's top choice, at least for a while, but whatever is played it seems the active black queen's rook and knight give decent compensation for a pawn.
25...Nxc5 26.Rxc5 Rxa2 27.Rxc6+ Rxc6 28.Rxc6+ e6 29.Rc2 f4
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| The engines reckon the rook-and-pawn ending is completely equal |
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30.Ke2 Ra4 31.Kd3 Rb4 32.Rd2 a5 33.Kc3 Rc4+ 34.Kb3 Rb4+ 35.Kc3
After 35.Ka3 White will be able to play b3, but as soon as the king heads back to the centre with Kb2, Black has ...a4.
35...Rc4+ 36.Kd3 Rb4 37.g3 fxg3 38.hxg3 Kf5 39.Ke3 Rb3+ 40.Kf2 Rb4 41.Ke3 ½–½
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