Meet Shah (1927) - Spanton (1924)
Catalan
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 Nc6
This is second in popularity to 5...a6 in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database.
6.0-0 Be7
The main move is 6...Rb8!?
7.Qa4 0-0 8.Qxc4 Qd5 9.Qd3 Nb4 10.Qd1 c5 11.Nc3 Qd8
This is the commonest continuation in Mega24, albeit from a very small sample size, but Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 prefer the more-active 11...Qh5 and 11...Qc4!?
12.a3 Nc6
The engines much prefer 12...cxd4 or 12...Nbd5.
13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.Qc2!?
This apparent-novelty is liked by the engines, although they prefer the known 14.b4.
14...Bd7 15.Bg5
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
15...Be7
This is more-or-less forced as White threatened 16.Bxf6 Qxf6?? 17.Ne4, winning a piece.
16.Rfd1 h6 17.Bf4 Rc8 18.Rac1 Qa5 19.Qb3 b6 20.Nb5?
The engines suggest 20.Qa2!?, with b4 to come.
20...e5 21.Bd2 Be6?
Winning, according to the engines, is 21...Qa6, after which White seems to have no answer to the threat of ...Be6, eg 22.Nc3 e4 23.Ne1 Nd4 24.Qa2 Be6 25.Qb1 Rxc3! 26.Rac3 Nxe2+ etc.
22.Qxe6 Qxb5 23.Qf5?
White is better, according to the engines, after 23.Qc4.
23...g6?!
Black should probably grab the b pawn.
24.Qb1
This is best, according to the engines - they reckon 24.Qh3 h5 marginally favours Black.
 |
| What should Black play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
24...Kg7?!
Probably too slow. Best-play, according to the engines, is the sharp line 24...e4!? 25.Bxh6 Rfd8!? 26.Nd2 Ng4 27.Qxe4 Nxh6 28.Rxc6 Rxc6 29.Qxc6 Qxb2 30.Bd5!?, with what they reckon may be a slight edge for White.
25.e3 Rfd8 26.Bc3 Bd6?!
The engines strongly dislike this, preferring 26...Rxd1+ 27.Rxd1 a5.
27.Nd2 Nd5 28.Qe4?!
The engines reckon White has a large advantage after 28.Bf1 or 28.Bh3.
28...Nxc3 29.Rxc3 f5!? 30.Qc2 Ne7 31.Nc4 Bb8 32.Rxd8 Rxd8 33.e4 f4 34.Bf1 Qd7 35.Rd3 Qc7 36.Rxd8 Qxd8 37.gxf4 exf4 38.Qc3+
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| Where should the king go? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
38...Kh7?
Tucking the king away is right 99 times out of 100. This is the 100th.
39.Qf6 Qc7
If the king were on g8, Black would have 39...Qf8.
40.Qf7+ Kh8 41.e5 Qd7?
Unprotecting the bishop and walking into a pin. The engines give 41...Nf5!, the idea being that after 42.Qxg6 Qg7 43.Qxg7+ Kxg7, Black will round up the e pawn. White can improve by keeping queens on with 42.Qe8+!, but this is not as bad for Black as the game.
42.f3? b5?
42...Bxe5! equalises.
43.Qf8+ Kh7 44.Qxb8 Qd4+?
Correct is 44...bxc4, although White has a large advantage after 45.Qd6.
 |
| Where should the king go? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
45.Kh1!
45.Kg2 only draws after 45...bxc4 as if, as in the game, 46.Qc7 (46.Qb7 Qxe5), Black has 46...Qxb2+ and 47...Qxa3, protecting the knight.
45...bxc4 46.Qc7
The knight cannot be saved.
46...Qf2 47.Qxe7+ Kh8 48.Qf8+ Kh7 49.Qf7+ Kh8 50.Qxc4 Qxf3+ 51.Bg2 Qe3 52.Qc3 Qe2 53.h3 (1-0, 68 moves).
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
15/2/24 Central London League B 1916 1951 = 1999
29/2/24 Central London League B 1916 2014 0 1970
5/3/24 Club Championship W 1910 1990 1 2000
2/4/24 Club Championship B 1924 1927 0 1968
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