Spanton (1910) - Peter Jaszkiwskyi (1965)
French Exchange
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.c4 c6 6.Nc3 Ne7!?
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| The idea of this popular continuation is two-fold: to avoid a pin by Bg5 (it can be met by ...f6!?) and to prepare to swop light-square bishops if White's is developed to the active d3 square |
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7.c5!?
Stockfish16 prefers the commoner 7.Bd3, but Komodo14.1 likes the text.
7...Bc7 8.Bd3 Bf5 9.0-0 0-0 10.Re1 Bxd3 11.Qxd3 Ng6 12.Bg5 f6!?
The engines prefer 12...Qc8 or 12...Qd7.
13.Bd2 Nd7
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| How should White proceed? |
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14.Qf5!?
This seems to be a novelty. Mátyás Palczert (2290) - Alexei Terzi (2272), Chess.com Blitz 2022, went 14.h4 Re8 15.h5 Ngf8 16.Nh4 b6?! 17.b4 a5? 18.b5 bxc5 19.bxc6 c4, with a winning advantage for White, according to the engines, although in the game the blunder 20.cxd7?? was met by 20...Rxe1+ 21.Rxe1 cxd3, and Black went on to win in 102 moves, albeit apparently on time in an ending of bare rook against bare bishop.
14...Re8 15.b4
I looked at, but did not believe, 15.Nxd5!? cxd5 16.Qxd5+. However the engines reckon it gives White a large advantage.
15...a6 16.a4
The engines still want to sac on d5.
16...Ndf8 17.Rxe8 Qxe8 18.Re1 Qd7 19.Qxd7 Nxd7 20.b5 axb5 21.axb5 Kf7 22.g3 Ra3 23.b6 Bb8
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| How would you assess this late-middlegame? |
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White has more space, and the black bishop is immobilised, but the black rook is active and the white bishop is bad. However, perhaps the main reason the engines reckon the game is equal is that it proves very difficult for White to break into the Black position.
24.Kg2 h6 25.Re3
Threatening 26.Nxd5!
25...Ra1 26.h4 f5 27.Re1 Ra3 28.Ng1
I feared 28.h5!? would leave the white h pawn vulnerable. However Stockfish16 reckons the move gives White the upper hand, although Komodo14.1 rates the position as at best slightly better for White.
28...Nf6 29.Nge2 Ne4 30.Nxe4 fxe4 31.Bc3 Ra2 32.Kf1 Kf6 33.Ra1 Rxa1+ 34.Bxa1 Kf5 35.Kg2 Kg4 36.Bc3 Nf8
Not 36...Ne7? as, after 37.Nc1, the black knight cannot protect b7 in time, and the continuation 37...Nf5 38.Nb3 e3? loses to 39.f3+ Kh5 40.g4+.
37.Bd2 Ne6 38.Be3 Nd8 39.Nc1 Ne6 40.Nb3 Nd8 41.Na5 g5 42.hxg5 hxg5 43.Bd2
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| Black to play and draw |
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43...Kh5
But not 43...Kf5? as White penetrates the black position after 44.Kh3.
44.f3 exf3+ 45.Kxf3 g4+ 46.Kf2
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| Black can only move the king, but that is enough to hold the draw |
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46...Kg6 47.Be1 Kf5 48.Ke3 Kg6 49.Bf2 Kf5 50.Kd3 Ke6 51.Nb3
A last try, but of course this frees the black knight.
51...Kf5 52.Nd2 Ne6 53.Nf1 Kg5 54.Be3+ Kf5 55.Bh6 Kg6 56.Be3 Ng7 57.Bf2 Nf5 58.Ne3 Nxe3
Or 58...Nxg3 59.Bxg3 Bxg3 60.Nxg4, also with complete equality, according to the engines. But not 58...Bxg3? 59.Bxg3 Nxg3 60.Nxg4, eg 60...Kf5 61.Nf5 and 62.Nxc6!
59.Kxe3 Kf5 60.Be1 Kg6 61.Kf2 Kf5 62.Ke3 Kg6 63.Bf2 ½–½
Essex won the match 11-5.
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