Spanton (1743) - Alexander Kalinin (2091)
Spanish Exchange
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7.Nxd4 Nf6 8.f3 Bc5 9.Be3 0-0
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| There are 161 examples of this position in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, but Alexander Alekhine condemned Black's play in annotations he made for Spanish chess prodigy Arturo Pomar |
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10.Nf5!?
10.Nf5!?
Alekhine: "Of course!"
I have had this position four times previously, winning every one, albeit only two of those games were against higher-rated opponents. Nevertheless the situation seems to be not as clearcut as Alekhine's comments suggest.
10...Bb4+
Three of my opponents played the obliging 10...Bxe3?!, after which, as Alekhine pointed out, Black is "without the slightest positional compensation" for having relinquished the bishop-pair.
11.c3 Bd6!?
This move does not appear in Mega24, but I find it hard to believe it has not been played before.
12.Nxd6 cxd6
AK offered a draw.
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| Should I have accepted the offer, and, if not, what should White play? |
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Black's pawn-structure has been improved, but at the cost of ceding the bishop-pair. The main feature in the position now is Black's semi-backward d pawn on a half-open file, which is presumably why Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 give White a slight edge.
13.c4
Other moves are possible, but it seemed to me White's only hope of a meaningful advantage lay in preventing a well-timed ....d5.
13...Re8
Possible is 13...d5!?, but the engines reckon 14.exd5!? cxd5 15.c5 gives White at least a slight edge.
14.Bg5
The engines suggest 14.Kf2, and if 14...d5 then 15.exd5!? cxd5 16.c5, again claiming at least a slight edge for White.
14...d5 15.cxd5 cxd5 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.0-0 dxe4 18.fxe4 Re4 19.Rxf6 Re1+ 20.Rf1 Rxf1+ 21.Kxf1 Bd7
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| Completely equal, according to the engines |
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22.Nc3 Bc6 23.Rd1 Re8 24.g3
I offered a draw.
24...Re5 25.Rd2 Kg7 26.Rf2 f6 27.Re2 Rf5+ 28.Rf2 Re5 29.Re2 Rf5+ 30.Rf2 Re5 ½–½
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