Bad Wörishofen Round Nine

Helmut Kessler (1924) - Spanton (1876)

English

1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.e3 Nge7 6.Nge2

How should Black respond to White's threat to advance in the centre?

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6...Nf5!?

The mainline in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database runs 6...0-0 7.0-0 d6, and if 8.d4 (8.d3 is more popular) then 8...exd4 9.exd4 Nf5 10.d5 Ne5 11.b3, with maybe a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1

7.Rb1 a5 8.a4?!

This seems to be a novelty, and probably not a good one. Normally in this type of position White plays a3 in order to get in b4.

8...d6 9.d3 Rb8!?

Protecting b7 so the queen's knight and bishop are free to move.

10.Nd5 Nb4 11.Qb3

The engines suggest 11.e4!? or 11.Qd2.

11...Nxd5

And here the engines like 11...Na6!?

12.cxd5!?

The engines agree this is the best way to recapture, even though it restricts the white king's bishop.

12...Bd7 13.Nc3 0-0 14.Bd2 h5 15.h4 Bf6 16.Ne4 Bg7 17.Nc3

If 17.Bxa5 then 17...Ra8, eg 18.Bd2 Bxa4 19.Qc4 (19.Qxb7 Bc2) b5!? 20.Qc3 b4!? 21.Qxb4 Bc2 22.Rc1 Bxd3, reaching what the engines reckon is complete equality.

17...c6 18.Qd1!?

How should Black proceed?

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18...Ne7!?

Planning to play in the centre, but the engines do not like this. Komodo14.1 suggests 18...Qb6, stopping 19.b4, while Stockfish16 prefers 18...Nh6 19.b4 axb4 20.Rxb4 c5.

19.b4 axb4 20.Rxb4 cxd5

Stockfish16 agrees with this, but now Komodo14.1 likes 20...c5.

21.Nxd5 Nxd5 22.Bxd5 Bc6?!

Missing a chance to get rid of the weak b pawn with 22...b5.

23.Qb3 Qd7?!

It was probably better to keep the queen in touch with the queen's rook, eg 23...Qc7, or to put pressure on the a file with 23...Ra8.

24.0-0

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 24.Bxc6 Qxf6 25.0-0.

24...Ra8 25.a5?

White has at least the upper hand after 25.Bxc6 bxc6 26.Rb7, according to the engines.

25...Ra6?

Black equalises with 25...Rxa5!, more-or-less forcing 26.Bxc6, when 26...bxc6 is solid as 27.Rb7 can be met by 27...Ra3! Note that 26.Rxb7?? loses to 26...Qxb7. Also better than the text is 25...Bf6, although White is definitely for choice after, say, 26.Ra1.

26.Rb1 Rfa8 27.Bxc6 bxc6 28.Rb7

Black to play and lose immediately

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28...Qg4?? 1-0