Vlastimil Sejkora (2139) - Spanton (1858)
Spanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Qe2!?
This is much less popular than the recently fashionable 5.Re1 and than the main move 5.d4, but has been played by leading grandmasters.
5...Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.Qxe5+
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| ChessBase's 2023 Mega database has 291 games with this position - how should Black proceed? |
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7...Qe7
This is easily the commonest reply, and is the choice of Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1, but 7...Be6 and 7...Be7!? have also been played.
8.Qa5 Qd8!? 9.Re1+ Be7 10.d3 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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The engines reckon White's lead in development is balanced by Black's bishop-pair.
11.Bf4
This may be a novelty. Zoltán Varga (2518) - József Pintér (2581), Hungarian Championship (Lillafüred) 1999, went 11.Bg5!? Bxg5 12.Qxg5 Qxg5 13.Nxg5 Nf5 14.Nf3 Be6, after which Black no longer had the bishop-pair but had caught up in development. The position is equal (but 1-0, 60 moves).11...b6 12.Qd2 Bb7 13.Nc3 c5 14.Ne5!?
The engines prefer 14.Ne4, although they accept the position is equal after, say, 14...Nxe4 15.dxe4 Qxd2 16.Nxd2 Rad8 17.Nc4 Rd4.
14...g5!?
The engines reckon Black is at least slightly better after 14...Nf5.
15.Bg3 f6 16.Ng4 f5
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| How should White respond to Black's pawn-storm? |
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17.Qe2!
Black is better after 17.Bxd6.
17...fxg4 18.Qxe7 Re8
White is better after 18...Qxe7?! 19.Rxe7.
19.Qxd8 Rxd8 20.Bxd6!?
The engines like this, either immediately or preceded by an exchange of rooks.
20...cxd6 21.Nb5 Rxe1+
The engines point out also possible is 21...Bc6!? as 22.Nxa7 runs into 22...Bd7, when they reckon best play goes 23.a4 Bxa4!? with a slight edge for Black.
22.Rxe1 a6 23.Re7
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| How should Black meet White's invasion of the seventh? |
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23...Bc6?
The engines give two lines as maintaining equality: 23...axb5 24.Rxb7 Ra7 25.a3 b4 and 23...Bxg2 24.Nxd6 Rxd6 25.Kxg2 a5.
24.Nc7
Stronger, according to the engines, is 24.Nc3!?, a sample line running 24...h5 25.Rc7 Ba8 26.Ra7 a5 27.Nd1!? d5 28.Ne3, when they claim White has the upper hand.
24...Rd7?
The engines reckon Black holds with quiet pawn moves, eg 24...g6 and 24...a5.
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| White to play and gain a winning advantage |
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25.Rxd7
This is good, but even stronger, as I saw just as VS moved, is 25.Nd5!, when Black has nothing better than 25...Kf8 (25...Rxe7?? 26.Nxe7+ wins the bishop) 26.Rxd7 Bxd7, after which 27.Nxb6 wins a sound pawn, and Black has the better remaining pawn-structure.
25...Bxd7 26.Nd5?
It was much better to take the a6 pawn as the knight cannot be trapped.
26...Be6 27.Nxb6 Bxa2 28.c3 Bb1 29.d4 cxd4 30.cxd4 Kf7 31.Nc4 Ke6 32.Ne3 h5 33.Kf1 Bd3+ 34.Ke1 Kd7 35.Kd2 Be4
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| What gives White the best chance of an advantage? |
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36.d5!?
This looks counterintuitive in that the pawn becomes a target for the bishop, but the gain of space seems more important. Even so the engines reckon White has only a tiny edge.
36...Kc7 37.Kc3 Kd7 38.Kd4 Bg6 39.Nc4 Kc7 40.Nd2 Kb6 41.f3!?
Another slightly counterintuitive move in that it lets Black get rid of doubled pawns, but it gives White more space to operate in, and again is liked by the engines.
41...gxf3 42.Nxf3
Stockfish16 now gives White a slight edge, although Komodo14.1 disagrees.
42...g4 43.Nd2 Bh7 44.g3 Bg6 45.Nc4+ Kc7 46.Ke3 Be8 47.Kd4
Not 47.Kf4 Bf7 48.Ne3? Kb6 etc.
47...Bg6 48.Ne3 Kb6 49.Kc4 Be4 50.Kb4 Bd3 51.Kc3 Bg6 52.Kd4 Kc7 53.Ng2 Bf7 54.Nf4 Kb6 55.Kc4 Kc7 56.Nd3 Be8 57.Nb4 Kb6 58.Kd4 Bd7 59.Na2 Be8 60.Nc1 Bg6 61.Nb3 Kb5 62.Nd2 Kb6
Not 62...Kb4? 63.Nc4 Kb3 64.Nxd6 Kxb2, after which the white passed pawn is too strong, despite Black having what is normally the better minor piece for dealing with rival passers.
63.Nc4+ Kc7 64.b4 Be8 65.Ne3 Bg6 66.Kc4 Kb6 67.Kd4 Kc7 68.Ng2 Kb6 ½–½
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