Cap Negret Round Four

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FACED an opponent from Tiverton, Devon.

Brian Hewson (2062) - Spanton (1808)

English

1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 d6 4.Nc3 f5!?

Black is effectively playing a Grand Prix Attack with colours reversed, a tempo down and with the king's bishop inside the pawn-chain

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5.d3 Nf6 6.a3 a5 7.Rb1 Be6 8.Bg5!? Be7 9.Bxf6!?

This may be a novelty. The idea is for White to ensconce a piece, rather than a pawn, on d5.

9...Bxf6 10.Nd5 0-0 11.b4 axb4 12.axb4 Qd7 13.b5 Nd8 14.Nf3!?

Black is slightly better, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1, after 14.b6!? c6. However, rather than the text, they prefer 14.Nxf6+ Rxf6 15.Nf3.

14...Bxd5!? 15.cxd5

Now the d5 square becomes something of a dead point for White.

15...e4

The engines prefer 15...b6!?, claiming it is Black, if anyone, who is better.

16.dxe4 fxe4

White has the upper hand after 16...Bc3+ 17.Kf1, according to Stockfish16, although Komodo14.1 calls the position equal.

17.Nd4 e3!? 18.0-0?!

White is at least slightly better after 18.f4, according to the engines.

18...exf2+ 19.Rxf2 Bxd4 20.Qxd4 Rxf2 21.Qxf2 Nf7 22.b6!?

How should Black respond?

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22...c5??

This is the equivalent of giving up more than a piece, according to the engines, who reckon the game is completely equal after 22...Rf8 or 22...Re8. One of the big problems with the text is it allows White to activate the 'dead', or at least sickly, bishop.
23.dxc6 bxc6 24.b7 Rb8 25.Qa7 Qc7 26.Bxc6! Ne5 27.Bd5+ Kh8 28.Qxb8+!?

Not the only way to win, but the most spectacular.

28...Qxb8 29.Ra1 Nd7 30.Ra8 g6 31.Rxb8+ Nxb8

White is 'only' a pawn up, but the ending has all the signs of the player with the knight ending in zugzwang

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32.Kf2 Kg7 33.Ke3 Kf6 34.Kf4 h6 35.h4 Nd7 36.e4 Nb8 37.Bc4 Nc6 38.Bb5 Nb8 39.Bc4 Nc6 40.Bd5 Nb8 41.Ke3 Nd7

Hardly helping is 41...Ke5 as the king will have to go back through f6 to defend the queenside.

42.Kd4 Ke7 43.Bc6 Nb8 44.Kd5 Na6 45.Ba4

Not 45.e4?? Nb4+, although after 46.Ke4 Nxc6 47.exd6+ Kxd6 48.h5 White draws.

45...Nc7+

Or 45...Nb4+ 46.Kc4 Na6 47.Kb5 Nb8 48.Kb6 Kd8 49.Ka7 Kc7 50.Bb8 g5 51.hxg5 hxg5 52.g4, after which Black is in zugzwang.

46.Kc6 1-0