Central London League

PLAYED last night on board four (of five) for Battersea against Athenaeum.

Alvin Kissoon (1960) - Spanton (1916)

Chigorin

1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nc6 3.c4 Bg4 4.e3!?

The text and 4.Nc3 are popular alternatives to the main continuation, 4.cxd5.

4...e5!?

Fighting for the initiative. More solid is 4...e6.

How should White respond?

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5.dxe5

This is the commonest move in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, but Black is fine. More challenging is Stockfish16's choice, 5.Qb3!?, when the mainline runs 5...Bxf3 6.gxf3 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Bxd2+ 8.Nxd2 exd4 9.cxd5 dxe3 10.fxe3, after which White has the upper hand, according to the engine. Komodo14.1 likes 5.cxd5 Qxd5 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.Be2 exd4 8.0-0!?, claiming a slight edge for White.

5...dxc4 6.Qxd8+ Rxd8 7.Bxc4 Nxe5!? 8.Be2

Not 8.Nxe5?? Rd1#, Mikhail Pesotskiy (2245) - Anatoly Borodavkin (2091), Chess.com Blitz 2020.

8...Nd3+

Winning the bishop-pair, rather than damaging White's kingside pawn-structure with 8...Bxf3.

9.Bxd3 Rxd3 10.Ke2!? Rd8 11.Nc3 Bb4 12.h3!?

This may be a novelty. Known is 12.Bd2.

12...Bh5 13.Rd1 Rxd1 14.Nxd1 Nf6 15.g4 Bg6 16.Bd2 Bxd2

Black can preserve the bishop-pair, but the position would be equal, according to the engines.

17.Nxd2 Ne4 18.Nxe4 Bxe4 19.Nc3

AK offered a draw.

How would you assess this rook-and-minor-piece ending?

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Black has the better minor piece for cooperating with a rook, especially with rival pawn-majorities, but White's slight lead in development - it will take Black three moves to develop the black rook - means this will likely be nullified. Black also has a farside pawn-majority, but White's pawn-majority has already started advancing. The engines reckon the position is equal.

19...Bc6

After 19...Bg2!? the bishop is in danger of getting trapped.

20.Rd1 Ke7 21.Nd5+ Bxd5 22.Rxd5 c6 23.Rd3 Rc8 24.f4 c5 25.Kd2 Rc6 26.a4 Rd6 27.Rxd6 Kxd6 28.Kd3 b6

White wins, according to the engines, after 28...a6? 29.a5.

29.e4 a6 30.h4 b5 31.axb5 axb5 32.b3 Ke6 33.Ke3 f6 34.Kd3 g5!? 35.hxg5 fxg5 36.f5+

White has a protected passed pawn, but the position remains drawn

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36...Ke5 37.Ke3 h6 38.Kd3 Kf6 39.Kd3 h5??

Wildly optimistic.

40.gxh5 c4 41.bxc4 bxc4 42.h6 g4 43.e5+ Kf7 44.e6+ Kg8 45.e7 1-0

The match was drawn 2.5-2.5.

MY BATTERSEA SEASON 2023-4

DATE.....EVENT...........................COL..RATING..OPP'S RATING..SCORE..SEASON PERF

24/10/23 London League               B      1870         2102                   =            2102

26/10/23 Central London League  W     1870         2118                    =            2110

21/11/23 Eastman Cup                  W     1882         2118                    =            2113

14/12/23 Central London League  B      1882         2152                    0            2023

10/1/24   London League               B      1884         2130                    0           1964

11/1/24   Central London League   B      1884        2278                    1            2083

25/1/24   Central London League  W      1884        2205                    =            2100

30/1/24   Club Championship         B      1884        1809                    1            2114

1/2/24     Central London League  W      1916        2072                    0            2065

7/2/24     London League               B       1916        2298                    0            2048

8/2/24     Central London League  B       1916        1960                    0            2004