Spanton (1876) - August Brattgjerd (1689)
French Exchange
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.c4 c6 6.Nc3 Ne7 7.Bd3 0-0 8.0-0
The Greek Gift Sacrifice does not work here as after 8.Bxh7+?? Kxh7 9.Ng5+ Kg8 10.Qh5 Black has 10...Bf5. But note that 9...Kg6? 10.h4 seems to win for White, eg 10...f5 (this is best, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1) 11.h5+ Kf6 12.Qf3 Re8 13.Kf1!? Ng8 14.Nh7+ Kf7 15.h6 with what appears to be a winning attack.
8...dxc4 9.Bxc4 Bg4 10.Re1 Qc7 11.h3 Bh5 12.Qe2
The engines like 12.Bg5, and 12.g4!? Bg6 13.h4!?, eg 13...h6 14.h5 Bh7 15.g5!?
12...Nd7 13.Ne4 Bb4 14.Rd1 Rae8 15.Bd2 Bxd2 16.Rxd2??
Much better is 16.Nexd2, although the engines give Black at least the better side of equality.
16...Nd5 17.Qd3 Nf4 18.Qe3
Or 18.Qc2 Bg6 19.Ne5 (19.Re1?! Rxe4! 20.Rxe4 Nf6) Nxe5 20.dxe5 Qxe5. But not 18...Nxh3+?! 19.gxh3 Bxf3?? as White wins a piece with 20.Ng5. Similarly 18...Bxf3?! 19.Ng5 is only slightly better for Black, according to the engines.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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18...Bg6?
There are much stronger moves, including 18...Nb6, eg 19.Bb3 Nbd5 20.Bxd5 Nxd5! 21.Qd3 Nf4 22.Qc2 f5 23.Ng3 (23.Neg5 h6 24.Qb3+ Kh8) Bxf3 24.gxf3 Qe7!?, with a winning attack, according to the engines.
19.Ne5 Nxe5 20.Qxf4 Nf3+ 21.Qxf3 Bxe4
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| Now the smoke has cleared, who stands better? |
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White has an IQP, but Stockfish16 calls the position completely equal, and Komodo14.1 is close to agreeing.
22.Qb3 Red8 23.Rad1 Bd5 24.Re2 Rfe8?
This loses a pawn and is clearly a mistake but ...
25.Rxe8+ Rxe8 26.Bxd5 cxd5 27.Qxd5
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| How big is White's advantage? |
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Komodo14.1 gives White a slight edge, but Stockfish16 reckons Black's activity gives complete equality.
27...Qc2 28.Qb3 Qxb3 29.axb3 Rd8?!
As usual in rook-and-pawn endings, passivity is probably wrong. After 29...Re2 30.Rc1 (threatening back-rank mate) g6 31.Rc7 b6 32.Rxa7 Rxa2 the game is completely equal, according to the engines.
After the text the engines reckon White has at best a slight edge, but there is a lot of play left.
30.Kf1 Kf8 31.Ke2 Rd5 32.Ke3?!
Probably better is 32.Kd3, so the king can easily defend b3.
32...Ke7?!
32...Rb5 gives the rook more activity.
33.Rc1 Kd7 34.f4 Rb5
AB offered a draw.
35.Rc3 f5 36.Kd3 Rb6 37.g4 g6?!
Almost certainly better is 37...Rh6.
38.Kd2?!
White has an edge after 38.gxf5 gxf5 39.Kc4.
38...Rb4 39.Rd3
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| The white rook is behind the passed pawn, but the pawn is not going anywhere, so the rook is essentially passive |
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39...Rb6 40.gxf5 gxf5 41.Rg3 Rh6 42.Kd3 Kd6 43.Kx4 a6 44.d5 Rh4 45.Rf3 b6?
Black is completely equal after 45...b5+ or 45...a5, according to the engines.
46.b4 b5+!?
White is winning after this, but there does not seem to be a defence.
47.Kd4 h6
AB pressed the clock and offered a draw.
48.b3 h5
Or 48...Rh5 49.Rc3 Rh4 50.Rc6+ Ke7 51.Ke5 etc.
49.Ke3 Kxd5 50.Kd3 Kc6
After 50...Kd6 51.Kd4 the black king must give way, but the text also loses.
51.Kc3 Kd5 52.Kd3 ½–½
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| Can you see the win I missed? |
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After 52...Kc6 (or 52...Ke6 for that matter) White wins with 53.Ke2 Kd5 54.Ke3! Ke6 55.Kf2 Kd5 56.Kg3 Ke4 57.Rf1, picking up the black rook.
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