County Chess

PLAYED on board eight (of 16) for Kent against Surrey in the U2050 section of the Southern Counties Chess Union's championships yesterday.

Spanton (1916) - David Jones (1863)

Sicilian Bb5(+)

This game ended a streak of five blacks in a row (and seven blacks in my last eight games).

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.c3 Bg7 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4 d5?

The main move in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database is 6...Qb6!?

7.exd5 Qxd5 8.Nc3 Qd8

Black is in big trouble, but perhaps best is 8...Qd6, when Spanton (1858) - Jiří Groh (2004), Czech 65+ Championship (Olomouc) 2023, continued 9.d5 a6 10.Ba4 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 b5 12.dxc6 bxa5 13.Qxa4, after which White has at least the upper hand, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 (1-0, 74 moves).

9.d5 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Qa5

How should White proceed?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

11.Qa4!?

Offering a pawn and a rook. Other moves also win, eg 11.Ba4 (Stockfish16) and 11.Rb1 (Komodo14.1).

11...Qxc3+ 12.Ke2

The key follow-up that justifies 11.Qa4!?

12...Bd7

Neuris Delgado Ramírez (2615) - Virginia Lagrange Reis (1927), Barreirinhas (Brazil) 2015, went 12...Qxa113.dxc6 bxc6 14.Bxc6+ Bd7 15.Bxd7+ Kd8 16.Bd2 Qb2 17.Rb1 1-0.

13.Bd2 Qc5 14.dxc6 bxc6 15.Bd3 f5?!

Probably objectively better is 15...Nf6, but even then the engines reckon Black is the equivalent of at least a minor piece down.

16.Rac1 Qd6 17.Rhe1 Nf6 18.Bf4 Qe6+?! 19.Kf1 Qf7 20.Ne5 1-0

The match was drawn 8-8.