Vladimir Chubar (1805) - Spanton (1743)
Liberated Bishop/London System
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Bf5 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3 Bd6 5.Bd3!?
This is Komodo14.1's top choice, at least for a while. Stockfish16 prefers 5.Bg3 or 5.Bxd6.
5...Bxf4 6.exf4 Qd6 7.Qxd2!?
The engines prefer 7.Bxf5 exf5, and either 8.0-0 or 8.Nc3.
7...Bxd3 8.Qxd3?!
The engines reckon 8.cxd3!? is necessary, after which Stockfish16 gives Black the upper hand, or at least a slight edge, but Komodo14.1 gives Black at best a slight pull.
 |
| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
8...Nc6
Almost certainly not 8...Qb4+?! 9.Nc3 Qxb2?! 10.0-0, but the pawn-grab 8...Qxf4! is strong as Black threatens ...Qc1+, so White cannot play 9.Qb5+ Nd7 10.Qxb7?? as 10...Rb8 11.Qxa7 Qc1+ 12.Ke2 Qxh1 wins for Black.
9.g3 Nf6 10.Nbd2 0-0 11.c3 Ne7 12.0-0 c5 13.Ne5 c4!?
Pushing on like this is often frowned upon, but here White does not have the counterthrust e4.
14.Qc2 b5 15.a3 a5 16.Ndf3 Ne4 17.Ng5!? Nxg5
The engines reckon Black has at least the better side of equality after 17...Nf6, and they also prefer 17...f6 18.Nxe4 dxe4 19.Ng4 f5.
18.fxg5 f6 19.gxf6 Rxf6?!
Probably better is 19...gxf6 20.Ng4 e5.
 |
| The backward e pawn proves a permanent weakness |
*****
*****
*****
*****
20.Rfe1 Raf8 21.Re2 Nc6 22.Rae1 Re8?!
Passive. Perhaps better is seeking counterplay with 22...Rh6.
23.f4 Ne7
If 23...b4?!, White has 24.Qa4, when the vulnerability of the e8 rook restricts Black's options.
24.Kg2 Qc7?
Better is 24...Ref8.
 |
| What should White play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
25.Nf3
Even stronger is the engines' 25.Ng4 Rg6 26.Rxe6!, the point being 26...Rxg4 can be met by 27.Qe2.
25...Qd7 26.Ng5
 |
| How should Black meet the twin threats of Qxh7+ and Nxe6? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
26...g6?
Correct is 26...Nf5. I rejected it because of 27.g4 Nh4+ 28.Kg3 Ng6 29.f5??, missing the strength of 29...Qd6+. Better is 28.Kh1 g6 29.Qd1 with a slight edge for White, according to the engines.
27.Nxe6 Nf5 28.Nc5 Rxe2+ 29.Qxe2 Qf7 30.Qe5
White's advantage is worth more than a minor piece, according to the engines.
30...Nd6
Marginally better, but still losing, according to the engines, is 30...h6.
The game finished:
31.Nd7 Qxd7 32.Qxf6 Ne4 33.Qe5 Qb7 34.Re2 1-0
No comments:
Post a Comment