World Senior Teams Round One

Matthias Kierzek (Germany - 2165) - Spanton (England 2 - 1850)

Board Four

QGD Semi-Tarrasch

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 cxd4!? 6.Qxd4 exd5 7.e4!?

This is probably the critical continuation, all-but-guaranteeing White a slmall but long-lasting edge in a queenless middlegame.

7...dxe4!?

Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 marginally prefer this over the more-popular 7...Nc6 8.Bb5, when the mainline in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database continues 8...dxe4 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8 10.Ng5 Be6 and either 11.0-0 or 11.Nxe6, in both cases with probably a slight edge for White.

8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Ng5 Ke7!?

This may be a novelty. The engines prefer 9...Be6 10.Nxe6+ fxe6 and either 11.Bg5 or 11.Bc4, reckoning White has the better side of equality.

10.Bc4 Be6

How should White proceed?

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11.Bxe6!?

The engines much prefer this to keeping the bishop-pair with 11.Nxe6.

11...fxe6 12.0-0 h6 13.Ngxe4 Nxe4 14.Nxe4 Kf7 15.Rd1 Be7 16.Bf4 Rc8 17.Nd6+ Bxd6 18.Rxd6

What should Black play?

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18...Rc4?

Black's back rank is too weak for this. The engines give 18...Re8, eg 19.Rad1 Nc6 20.Be3, awarding White a slight edge.

19.g3 g5 20.Be3 Rc8 21.Rad1 Ke7 22.h4 Rg8?!

The engines prefer 22...Kf6 or 22...gxh4, but White is on top.

23.hxg5 hxg5 24.Rd8!

There is no satisfactory answer to this, eg 24...Rxd8?! loses to 25.Bxg5+ Kxf7 26.Rxd8.

24...Nc6 25.Bxg5+ Kf7 26.R1d7+ Kg6 27.Rxg8+ Rxg8 28.Be3 Rg7!?

The passive 28...Rb8 is also deeply unpleasant.

29.Rxg7+ Kxg7

White is 'only' a pawn up, but easily winning

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30.Kf1 Kf6 31.Ke2 Kf5 32.f3 Ke5 33.Kd3 Kd5 34.g4 a6 35.f4 e5?!

Trying for counterplay in the hope of creating tactical chances, but the white connected passed pawns are too strong.

36.f5 e4+ 37.Kc3 b5 38.f6 Ne5 39.g5

Not 39.Bd4?? b4+ etc.

39...Ng6 40.b4 Nf8 41.Bc5 Ng6 42.f7 1-0
Full Team Result (England 2 had white on odd boards)

1. John M Quinn (2077) ½–½ Arndt Miltner (FM 2253)

2. Geoffrey H James (2082) ½–½ Clemens Werner (FM 2237)

3. Brian Valentine (1907) 0-1 Hans-Joachim Vatter (FM 2215)

4. Tim Spanton (1850) 0-1 Matthias Kierzek (2165)

Germany won 3-1.