Liam Varnam (2118) - Spanton (1924)
Spanish Berlin/Open
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 a6!?
There are 437 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, but 10,760 of 5...Nd6.
6.Ba4
 |
| The game has transposed from the Berlin Variation of the Spanish to the Open, with 12,915 examples in Mega24 of the continuation 6...b5 |
*****
*****
*****
*****
6...exd4!?
I believe this pawn-grab is better than its reputation, especially if White cannot remember the theory (unfortunately my opponent could).
7.Re1 d5 8.Nxd4 Bd6!?
Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 agree this is best.
9.Nxc6 Bxh2+ 10.Kh1!
Black has a draw by repetition after 10.Kxh2 Qh4+ 11.Kg1 Qxf2+ 12.Kh1 (or 12.Kh2) Qh4+ etc, but can also consider playing on with 12...0-0!?, while 10.Kf1?! Qh4 almost certainly favours Black.
10...Qh4
 |
| White has to find, or more likely recall, two only-moves |
*****
*****
*****
*****
11.Rxe4+! dxe4 12.Qd8+! Qxd8 13.Nxd8+ Kxd8 14.Kxh2
 |
| Now the smoke has cleared, how would you assess the position? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Black has rook and two pawns for bishop and knight - an approximate material balance. But White also has the bishop-pair and the safer king, and there is only one open file for rooks to operate on. Stockfish16 gives White the upper hand; Komodo14.1 reckon White has 'only' a slight edge. Nevertheless a few modern grandmasters have been willing to uphold the black cause.
14...Be6 15.c3!?
Preserving the bishop-pair, and covering the d1 square. The main move in Mega24 is 15.Be3 (narrowly ahead of 15.Nc3), the engines assessing 15...b5 16.Bb3 Bxb3 17.axb3 as increasing White's advantage.
15...Ke7
This is the commonest move in Mega24, but the engines prefer 15...f5!? (or 15...Kc8!?), when Tibor Tolnai (2514) - Zoltán Varga (2530), Budapest 2000, continued 16.Bg5+!? Kc8 17.Nd2 h6 18.Be3 Rg8 19.g3 g5 20.f4?! exf3 21.Nxf3 Bd5, at which point a draw was agreed. The engines reckon White would have been at least slightly better after 20.g4!? f4 21.Bd4.
16.Be3 f5 17.Nd2 h6 18.f3 exf3 19.Nxf3 g5 20.Bc5+ Kf7 21.Nd4!?
The engines reckon this is an improvement over the known 21.Ne5.
21...b5 22.Bc2 Rhd8 23.Re1 Bxa2!?
Desperation, but the engines' 23...Re8!? loses to 24.Nxe6 Rxe6 25.Bb3.
24.Re7+ Kf6 25.Bxf5?
LV said afterwards he realised his mistake as soon as he let go of the bishop.
25...Rxd4! 26.cxd4 Kxf5 27.Rxc7
 |
| How would you assess this ending? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Black's extra pawn and more-active king give the upper hand, according to the engines, but it should be remembered that, in my experience at least, engines can have trouble evaluating positions with opposite-coloured bishops.
27...Re8 28.Re7?!
The engines reckon the position is more difficult for White with rooks off. Instead they suggest 28.b4, restraining Black's queenside majority.
28...Rxe7 29.Bxe7 Kxe4?!
Much better, according to the engines, is getting on with it on the queenside with 29...a5.
30.Bf8?!
The engines prefer 30.b4, which Stockfish16 reckons gives equality, but Komodo14.1 assesses as winning for Black.
30...h5
Black is better after this, according to the engines, but they reckon even stronger is 30...a5!?
31.Be7
The engines still want to prevent ...a5, but this time with 31...Bb4!?
31...g4
Again they prefer pushing the a pawn.
32.Bc5?!
The engines suggest 32.b4 or 32.Bd8.
32...a5 33.Kg3 b4?
Winning, according to the engines, are 33...Kd3, 33...Bd5 and 33...a4.
34.Kh4?
White holds with 34.Bb6.
34...Kf4?
Several moves win, including 34...Bd5 and 34...Kd3.
The game finished:
35.Bb6 a4 36.Ba5 Bd5 37.g3+ Ke4 38.Bxb4 Kxd4 39.Kxh5 Bf3 ½–½
Richmond & Twickenham won the match 7.5-0.5.
Richmond & Twickenham won the match 7.5-0.5.
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
4/4/24 Central London League B 1924 2123 = 1978
16/4/24 London League B 1924 2393 0 1979
18/4/24 Central London League B 1924 2329 0 1976
23/4/24 London League B 1924 2118 = 1984
In the first diagram, you have to recall the spectacular idea of Qd8+. If you remember that, the rest of the line falls into place. It's the third diagram where the game starts.
ReplyDeleteI've known Liam for a number of years. In his youth, he played the Open Spanish himself.
RdC
second diagram for Qd8+
ReplyDeleteRdc
The interesting thing is that even if, as here, White remembers the theory, the resulting position is imbalanced and difficult for both sides, albeit proabably favouring White.
Delete