Sean Gordon (2091) - Spanton (1852)
Réti/Reversed Grünfeld
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 c5 4.0-0 Nc6 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 e5!? 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.c4 Be6
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| The opening is effectively a Reversed Grünfeld with White taking on the mantle of Black, but with an extra tempo |
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9.Nc3 h6
Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 like 9...Qd7!? and 9...Rc8!? After the former the mainline in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database runs 10.Qa4 Rc8 11.cxd5 cxd5 12.Qxd7+ Kxd7!? 13.Rd1 Bc5!? 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.Bxd5 Bxd5 16.Rxd5 Ke6, when Stockfish16 reckons Black's activity gives full compensation for a pawn, but Komodo14.1 is less sure. After 9...Rc8!? the mainline in Mega23 runs 10.cxd5 cxd5 11.Qa4+ Qd7, which is a direct transposition.
10.Qa4 Bd7
The main move in Mega23 is 10...Qd7, but clearly that is an inferior version of the line given in the previous note as ...Rc8 is a lot more useful than ...h6.
11.cxd5 cxd5 12.Qa6!
The move that gives White an advantage.
12...Bc8
Black has tried sacrificing the exchange with 12...d4?!, but 13.Bxa8 (13.Nb5!? may be even better) Qxa8 14.Nb5 was convincing enough in both games in Mega23.
13.Qd3 Be6?!
Better, according to the engines, is 13...e4, when they reckon 14.Qc2 and 14.Qd4 leave White slightly better.
14.Rd1 e4 15.Qd4?!
Stronger seems to be the engines' 15.Qb5+, meeting 15...Bd7 with 16.Qb7.
15...Qb6?!
White is at best only slightly better after 15...Qd7 or 15...Qa5, according to the engines.
16.Be3 Rb8?
Grabbing the b pawn is even worse, eg 16...Qxb2? 17.Rab1 Qa3 18.Nb5 Qa5 19.Rdc1 with a huge attack for White. But the engines' 16...Qa5 and 16...Bb4!? give better chances.
17.Qa4+ Bd7 18.Bxb6 Bxa4 19.Bxa7 Rb7 20.Nxa4 Rxa7
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| Materially White is 'only' a pawn up, and opposite-coloured bishops give Black a little hope, but the connected queenside passers are very strong |
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21.b3?!
Probably better is immediately putting pressure on d5 with 21.Nc3 or 21.Nb6.
21...Rd7?!
Probably better is 21...Ba3, although the engines give White the upper hand.
22.Rac1 Rd8
More-or-less forced as otherwise 22...Rc8+ is very strong.
23.Nc3 Ba3 24.Rb1 0-0 25.Nb5 Ra8 26.Nc7 Ra5 27.b4 Ra4 28.b5 Rd8 29.b6 Rb4 30.Na6 Rxb1 31.Rxb1 Nd7 32.Bh3 Nb8 33.Nxb8 Rxb8 34.b7 Kf8 35.Rb3 Bc5 36.a4 Ke7 37.a5 Kd6 38.a6 Ba7
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| White's advantage is worth about a rook, according to the engines |
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39.Rc3 g6 40.e3 f5 41.Bf1 d4 42.exd4 Bxd4 43.Rc8 Ba7 44.Bb5 Kd5 45.Kf1 g5 46.Rc6 f4 47.gxf4 gxf4 48.Ke2 f3+ 49.Kf1 Ke5 50.Rc8 Kf4 51.Ke1 h5 52.Bd7 h4. 53.h3 Ke5 54.Bg4 Kf4 55.Rc6
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| White has made a meal of converting his advantage, but now I miscalculate and speed the process |
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55...Rd8!?
However, if 55...Ke5 then 56.Bc8 in effect wins the exchange as the black rook is tied down by the white bishop.
56.Rc8 Bxf2+!? 57.Kxf2 e3+ 58.Ke1
Not 58.Kf1?? Rd1#.
58...f2+ 59.Kf1 1-0
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