Spanish Exchange
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7,Nxd4 c5 8.Ne2 Ne7!?
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| This rare continuation has been tried, according to ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, by three players rated over 2400, scoring +1=2-0 |
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9.Bf4 c6 10.Bd6 Ng6!?
Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 agree this is Black's best move.
11.Bxf8 Rxf8
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| Black no longer has the bishop-pair as compensation for an inferior pawn-structure, but the engines reckon White is at best slightly better |
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12.Nbc3 b5 13.0-0-0 Bd7 14.h4 0-0-0
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| Both sides have castled - who stands better? |
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White has the better pawn-structure, but Black has the only piece that can operate long-range on diagonals, which seems to be enough for the engines to call the position completely equal.
15.h5 Ne5 16.f3 g5!?
Counter-intuitive, but the engines are OK with it.
17.hxg6 hxg6 18.Nf4 Rh8!?
A clever way to discourage Nd3.
19.Rde1!?
After 19.Nd3 Nxd3+ 20.cxd3 White gets a backward pawn on a half-open file.
19...Kc7 20.Nfe2 Be6 21.Nf4 Bc8 22.Nd1 a5 23.Rxh8!? Rxh8 24.Ne3 Rh4
PS offered a draw.
25.Ne2 Be6 26.a3
Not 26.Ng3? Bxa2 27.b3 c4 28.Kb2 as 28...cxb3 saves the bishop, thanks to 29.cxb3? losing to 29...Nd3+ etc.
26...a4 27.Ng3 Nc4 28.Nxc4 Bxc4
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| Black has reached an ending of rook-and-bishop versus rook-and-knight, but still has the inferior pawn-structure - completely equal, according to the engines |
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29.Kd2 Rh2 30.Rg1 Kd6 31.Ke3 f6 32.Kf2 Ke5 33.Ke3 g5 34.Nh1 Be6 35.Nf2 c4 36.c3 f5 37.exf5 Bxf5 38.Nh1
The engines reckon 38.g4!? gives a slight edge.
38...Rh8 39.Ng3 Bc2 40.Kd2 Bd3 41.Ke3 Rh2 42.Kf2 Rh6 43.Re1+ Kd5 44.Re8 Rf6!?
Continuing to play actively.
45.Rg8 Bg6 46.Ne2 Ke5 47.g3 Rd6 48.Nd4 c5 49.Ne2 Rb6?!
The engines reckon 49...Kf6 maintains equality.
50.Rc8
White is better after 50.f4+!?, according to the engines.
50...Kd6 51.f4 gxf4 52.Nxf4 Bc2 53.Rd8+ Kc7?
White only has a slight edge after 53...Kc6, according to the engines.
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| White to play and win |
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54.Nd5+??
This turns a win into a loss. Correct is 54.Rd2. I rejected it because of 54...Be3, but the engines continue 55.Ke3 Ba8 56.Rd5, which wins a pawn and kills Black's counterplay down the b file as 56...Kc6 is met by 57.Rd8, eg 57...Bb7 58.Nd5 Ra6 59.Kf4, after which Black is in a sorry mess on the queenside, while the f pawn prepares to march on.
54...Kxd8 55.Nxb6 Be4
This is what I missed. There is no saving the knight.
This is what I missed. There is no saving the knight.
The game finished:
56.Ke3 Bg2 57.g4 Kc7 58.Nxa4 bxa4 59.Kf4 Kd6 60.Kf5 Bh3 61.Kf4 Ke6 62.g5 Bf4 0-1
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