Spanton (1916 ECF/1766 Fide) - Ian Reynolds (1882 ECF/1951 Fide)
Nimzo-Indian
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd2!? 0-0 5.Nf3 d5 6.e3 b6 7.Rc1 Bb7 8.Bd3 Nbd7 9.cxd5 exd5 10.0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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It occurs 243 times in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database. Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 reckon the position is equal.
10...Rc8
The main move in Mega24 is 10...a6, but the engines prefer 10...Be7!?
11.Nb5 Bxd2 12.Qxd2 a6?!
The engines prefer 12...c5, one point being 13.Nxa7 is met by 13...Ra8 14.Nb5 Rxa2,
13.Na7 Ra8 14.Nc6 Qe8
The engines fluctuate between preferring the text and 14...Bxc6.
15.Qb4?!
White has the upper hand after, for example, 15.b4, according to the engines.
15...Bxc6 16.Rxc6 Nc5 17.Rxc5 bxc5 18.Qxc5 Qd7
IR offered a draw in my time, explaining he was tired after a double-round day, and anyway was the exchange up.
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| Should I have accepted the draw? |
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The engines reckon White's active pieces, combined with Black's queenside weaknesses, mean White is slightly better, despite being down rook for bishop and pawn.
19.Rc1 a5 20.Bb5 Qd6!? 21.Qc2
Black has the upper hand after 21.Qxd6? cxd6, according to the engines, but they prefer 21.Bc6!?
21...g6!? 22.Ne5 Rab8 23.Ba4
The engines like 23.a4!?
23...c5!? 24.Nc6 c4
The engines are fine with giving back the exchange, but reckon a better way of doing it is 24...cxd4!? 25.Nxb8 Rxb8 26.exd4 Rb4 27.Bb3 Rxd4.
25.Nxb8 Rxb8 26.b3 Qa3 27.h3 Kg7!?
As will be seen, it can important in some lines that the black rook is not captured with check.
28.f3!? Rc8 29.Bb5 Rb8 30.Ba4 Rc8 31.Qd2?!
Probably better is 31.Qb1, or the engines' 31.Ra1!?
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| Can you find an interesting combination for Black? |
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31...cxb3!
The engines agree this is Black's best chance for an advantage.
The engines agree this is Black's best chance for an advantage.
32.Rxc8 bxa2 33.Rc1 a1=Q 34.Rxa1 Qxa1+ 35.Qd1
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| Should Black keep queens on? |
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35...Qxd1+
The engines marginally prefer keeping queens on, but agree the position is anyway equal.
36.Bxd1 Nd7 37.Kf2 Nb6 38.Ke2 Kf6
The passed pawn cannot be successfully pushed, eg 38...a4 39.Kd3 a3 40.Bb3, after which progress is impossible.
39.Kd3 Ke6 40.e4 f6 41.Bb3 Kd6 42.Kc3 g5 43.Ba2 h6 44.Kd3 Ke6
IR offered a draw (more-or-less correctly).
45.g4 Kd6 46.Bb3 Ke6 47.exd5+!?
It might seem as if Black has walked into a trap, but the position remains equal.
47...Kd6
Not 47...Nxd5?? 48.Ke4 etc.
48.Ke4 a4 49.Ba2 a3
Over a drink after the game, IR suggested the engines' evaluation of the game may not have risen above +1.00 for either side at any point. Basically he was right ... until my next move.
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| How should White proceed? |
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50.Kf5?
This is losing. Instead White should mark time with 50.Bb3, eg 50...Nf4!? 51.Kf5 Nc3 52.Kf6 Nxd5+, but not 52...a2? 53.Bxa2 Nxa2 54.Kg6, after which the white pawns win. Alternatively 50.f4 also draws, eg 50...gxf4 51.Kxf4 Nxd5+ 52.Kf5 Nc3 53.Bb3 Ne2 etc.
50...Nxd5 51.Bb3 Nf4 52.Kxf6
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| Black to play and win |
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52...Nxh3
The engines show the winning plan starts with 52...Ne2!, eg 53.Kg6 Nd4 54.Ba2 Nxf3 55.Kxh6 Ke5 56.Kg6 Kf4 etc.
53.Kg6 Ng1 54.Kxh6 Nxf3 55.Ba2 Nxd4 56.Kxg5 Ke7 57.Kg6 Kf8 58.Kf6 Nc3 59.Bb1 Nb4 60.g5
I offered a draw.
60...a2 61.Bxa2 Nxa2 62.g6 Nb4 ½–½
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