Spanton (1858 Fide/1919 ECF) - Owen Crawford (no Fide/1740 ECF)
Veresov
1.Nc3 Nf6 2.d4 d5 3.Bg5 g6!?
This is only the seventh commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database, which is slightly surprising when one considers how popular kingside fianchetto systems are against 1.d4.
4.Qd2 Bg7 5.Bh6 Bxh6 6.Qxh6 c5 7.dxc5!? Qa5 8.0-0-0!? Qxc5 9.e3
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| How should Black proceed? |
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9...a6!?
This apparent novelty - known moves are 9...Nc6 and 9...Bg4 - is the top choice of Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1.
10.Nf3 Bg4 11.Be2 Nbd7 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Bxf3 Rc8?
Over optimistic. The obvious 13...e6 is better, as is 13...Nb6,
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| How should White continue? |
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14.Rd2?
Naturally not 14.Nxd5?? Qxc2#, but 14.Bxd5 safely wins a pawn. I rejected it because of 14...b5, missing that 15.Rd2, among other moves, is fine as 15...b4?! can be met by either 16.Ne4 or 16.Na4.
14...Qa5 15.Kb1 Ne5
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| What should White play? |
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16.Rhd1?
This would have been the best reply to 15...Nc5?, but here it is disastrous. The engines reckon the game is equal after both 16.Rd4 and 16.Rxd5!?
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| How can Black punish White's error? |
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16...Rxc3!
16...Rxc3!
This is winning, according to the engines.
17.Rxd5!
The best try. After 17.Bxd5 Rc8 Black is piece-for-pawn up.
17...Nxd5?
The simple 17...Rc5 is much better. White can keep the game going with either 18.Rd8+!? Qxd8 19.Rxd8+ Kxd8 20.Bxb7, or 18.Rxc5 Qxc5 19.Bxb7, but in both cases Black's material advantage should tell.
18.Bxd5?
After 18.Qg7 Rf8 19.Qxe5 Rc8 20.Rxd5 White is the exchange down, but has a pawn and superior coordination.
18...Rd3!?
This may be better - the engines disagree - than the simple 18...Rc5.
19.cxd3 Qxd5
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| Black has emerged from the complications up a knight for a pawn, and White is doomed once the black rook gets into play |
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20.Qg7 Rf8 21.e4
No improvement is 21.Qxh7 Qxg2.
21...Qb5 22.f4 Nc6 23.Qc3 Qa4 24.Rc1 Kd7 25.Qg7 Rc8!
White has found a way to quickly get the rook into play.
26.Qxf7
This sets up a beautiful finish, but White was lost anyway.
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| Black to play and finish in style |
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26...Nb4! 27.Rxc8 Qd1+ 28.Rc1 Qd3+ 29.Ka1 Nc2+ 0-1
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