Spanton (1824) - Stanislav Slacky (2100)
Alekhine
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.exd6 exd6
This is slightly less popular and scores marginally worse than 5...cxd6 in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database.
6.Nc3 Nc6
The mainline runs 6...Be7 7.Bd3 Nc6 8.Nge2 Bg4 and either 9.Be3 or 9.f3, with White enjoying an advantage in either case, according to Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1.
7.d5!?
Gaining space, but this move is only fourth-most popular in Mega23, behind 7.Nf3, 7.h3 and especially 7.Be3.
7...Qe7+!?
The engines prefer the more-common 7...Ne5.
8.Be3
The engines prefer 8.Be2 Ne5 9.f4 (Stockfish15.1 also likes 9.a4) Ng4 10.Qd4 c5!? 11.Qe4 Qxe4 12.Nxe4 with what they reckon is at least a slight edge.
8...Ne5 9.Be2 Bd7
Not 9...Nexc4?? 10.Bxc4 Nxc4 11.Qa4+ and Qxc4.
10.b3 g6
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
11.a4
The e5 knight has no squares it can go to, but there seems no way to exploit this, eg 11.f4?! leaves the white dark-square bishop unprotected, so Black can reply 11...Ng4 or 11...Nf3+.
If 11,Bd4?! then 11...Bg7 is fine as 12.f4 can be met by 12...c5 13.dxc6 Bxc6, when g2 is vulnerable.
If 11.Qd4?! then again 11...Bg7 as 12.f4?? loses to 12...Nf3+ etc.
Vladimir Akopian (2675) - Parham Maghsoodloo (2576), Sharjah Masters (United Arab Emirates) 2017, saw 11.Nf3 Bg7 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.Qd2 0-0 14.0-0 with White having the upper hand, according to the engines (but ½–½, 56 moves).
11...Bg7 12.Rc1 a5 13.Nf3
Not 13.Bxb6?! cxb6 14.Qd4?? Nf3+ etc.
13...Nxf3+ 14.Bxf3 0-0 15.0-0 f5?!
This does Black's light-square bishop no favours, and weakens e6.
16.Qd2 Be8?!
Probably better is 16...Rfe8, although that is not consistent with Black's previous move.
17.Rfe1 Qd8 18.Ne2
The knight heads for e6.
18...Nd7 19.Nd4 f4!?
This is the engines' top choice.
20.Bxf4 Bxd4 21.Qxd4 Nc5
The engines suggest 21...Qf6 22.Qxf6 Rxf6 but reckon White is winning.
22.Rc3 Bd7 23.Qd2 Qf6 24.Bg5 Qf7?
The engines reckon 24...Qh8!? or 24...Qg7!? is better, but losing.
25.Re7 Qf5 26.Qd4?
White is still on top after this, but as SS pointed out after the game, 26.g4 wins the black queen.
26...Rf7 27.Rxf7 Kxf7 28.Qf4?!
Acquiescing in an exchange of queens makes little sense when Black has much the weaker king. The engines give 28.Qh4 Kg8 29.h3.
28...Re8 29.Kf1 Qxf4 30.Bxf4 Bf5 31.Be3 b6 32.Bxc5?!
Probably better is the engines' 32.g4!?
32...bxc5 33.Bd1 Re5 34.Rf3 Kg7 35.Re3?!
As SS remarked afterwards, I swopped off the wrong pieces.
35...Rxe3 36.fxe3 Kf6 37.Kf2 g5
SS offered a draw.
38.Ke1 Be4 39.g3 Ke5 40.Kd2 h6
SS offered a draw.
41.Be2 Bf5 42.g4 Bd7 43.Bf3 Be8 44.Be2 Bd7 ½–½
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