Benidorm U2000 Round Six

FACED a Spain-registered player.

Spanton (1743) - Benjamin Bote Kobolo (1935)

Nimzowitsch Defence

1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bg4 5.Be2 e5 6.Be3 Be7 7.h3 Bd7 8.d5!?

When to play this thrust, if to play it all, is often a key decision in this type of position; here it seems well-timed.

8...Nb8 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0

Castling long is an obvious alternative, while Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 like 10.g4!?

10...h6 11.Rad1 Nxe4?!

The engines strongly dislike this.

12.Nxe4 f5

How should White proceed?

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13.Nc3

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 13.Nxe5!? dxe5 14.d6!? cxd6 15.Qd5+ Kh7 16.Nxd6.

13...f4 14.Bd4 exd4 15.Nxd4 f3?!

Another sacrifice, and this time not a temporary one.
16.Bxf3 Bg5 17.Qd3 Qf6 18.Ne6!?

How should Black respond to a white knight landing on e6?

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18...Rf7

The engines prefer 18...Bxe6 19.dxe6 Nc6, but reckon White is positionally winning.

19.Ne4 Qxb2 20.N6xg5

The simple 20.Nxc7 may be even more powerful.

20...hxg5 21.Nxg5 Rf5 22.Ne6 Bxe6?!

Almost certainly better is the engines' idea of giving up the exchange with 22...Rxf3 23.Qxf3 Na6.

23.dxe6 Re5 24.Rb1 Qxa2 25.Bxb7 Qxe6 26.Bxa8 Nd7

Black is a rook down, but carries on.

27.f4 Rc5 28.Rfe1 Qf7 29.Qe4 Nb6 30.Bc6 d5 31.Qe8+ Qxe8 32.Bxe8 Kh7 33.Re2 Rc4 34.f5 Kh6 35.Ra1 Kg5 36.Bg6 Na4 37.g4 a5 38.Be8 Nc3 39.Re7 Kh4 40.Bd7 Ne4 41.Rxg7 Rxc2 42.Re1 Kg3 43.Re3+ Kf4 44.Rxe4+!?

Giving up the exchange to simplify matters.

44...dxe4

White is now up a bishop rather than a rook

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45.f6 Kg3 46.Bb5 c6!? 47.f7 Rg2+ 48.Kh1 Rh2+ 49.Kg1 Rf2

If 49...Rg2+ White wins after 50.Kf1 Rf2+ 51.Ke1 cxb5 52.g5, eg 52...Rf5 53.g6 a4 54.Rg8.

50.Bxc6 e3 51.f8=Q?

Winning is 51.Bb5.

51...Rxf8 52.Re7 Kxh3 53.Rxe3+ Kxg4 54.Re5 Rf6 55.Bd7+ Kf4 56.Rxa5 Ke3

BBK offered a draw in my time.

57.Ra4 Rd6 58.Bg4?

Extinguishing any hopes of winning.

58...Rd4 ½–½