Frank Belke (2163) - Spanton (1886)
QGD 4...c5
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 c5!? 5.cxd5 cxd4 6.Qxd4 Be7 7.e4
This is the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database.
7...exd5!?
The mainline runs 7...Nc6 8.Qd2 and either 8...Nxd5!? or 8...Nxe4!?, eg 8...Nxd5!? 9.exd5 Bxg5 10.f4 Bh4+ 11.g3 exd5!? 12.gxh4 Qxh4+ 13.Qf2 Qe7+ 14.Qe2 Be6 15.Nf3 d4, after which White has a knight for two pawns, and, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1, the upper hand.
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| Position after 7...exd5!? - how should White proceed? |
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8.e5
The engines suggest 8.Bb5+ Nc6 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.e5, claiming a slight edge for White.
8...Nc6 9.Bb5 Ng4?
Black at least equalises with 9...Nd7, according to the engines, eg 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.Nf3 Bb7 13.0-0 c5.
10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.Nf3?
White can win a pawn with 11.Nxd5 as the pin 11...Qd7? can be simply sidestepped with 12.Qc5 (this is also a strong answer to the better 11...Qd8).
11...0-0 12.Bxc6
Or 12.Nxd5 Qxe5+!, and if 12.Qxd5 then 12...Rd8 gives good compensation.
12...bxc6 13.0-0 Rfe8 14.Rfe1 Rb8 15.Qd2 Qb4 16.b3 Be6 17.Rad1
The engines prefer driving away the black knight with 17.h3, and after 17...Nh6 continuing 18.Red1, saving the queen's rook for the c file.
17...Rbd8?!
The engines much prefer 17...f6.
18.Na4!? Qxd2
This may be better than retreating the bishop, but after ...
19.Rxd2
... the engines give White the upper hand.
19...f6 20.exf6 Nxf6 21.Rc1
The engines like 21.Nd4!, the point being not just to attack c6 but to blockade the d pawn.
21...Ne4 22.Rd4
If 22.Rdc2 Black has 22...d4!, giving serious counterplay.
22...Rc8 23.Nc5 Nxc5 24.Rxc5 Bd7 25.h3 Re7 26.Ra4 Rc7 27.Rb4 h6 28.Rb8+ Kf7 29.Nd4 Rd8 30.Rxe8 Bxe8
Not 30...Kxe8? as 31.Nb5! wins the exchange.
31.b4 Ke7 32.g4 g6 33.f4 Kd6 34.Kf2 Re7 35.a3 Re4 36.Ne2 Re7 37.Ra5 Rf7 38.Ke3 Re7+ 39.Kd2
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| What should Black play? |
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39...Rb7?!
The engines dislike this, claiming both 39...h5 and 39...Bd7!? give equality, eg 39...Bd7!? 40.Rxa7 h5 41.gxh5 gxh5 42.h4 Re4 with ...Bg4 to come.
40.Kd3
The engines prefer 40.Ra6 or 40.Nd4.
40...Kc7?!
Again ...h5 is among those moves the engines reckon are preferable to the text.
41.Nd4 Bd7 42.Nf3 Kb6 43.Rc5 Kc7 44.Ne5 h5?!
But now the engines prefer 44...Be8, albeit giving White the upper hand.
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| How should White respond? |
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45.Kd4
This is enough for a pleasant advantage, but best is the engines' 45.Nxg6! hxg4 46.hxg4 Bxg4 47.Ne7, and if 47...Bd7 then 48.Nxd5+!
45...hxg4 46.hxg4 Rb6?
Better is 46...Be8.
47.b5 Rxb5
There is no defence, eg 47...Be8 48.bxc6 Bxc6 49.Nxc6 Rxc6 50.Kxd5 etc.
48.Rxb5 cxb5 49.Nxd7
Swoping off into a won pawn-ending.
49...Kxd7 50.Kxd5 a5
This is best, according to the engines.
51.Kc5 b4 52.axb4 axb4 53.Kxb4 Kd6 54.Kc4 Kc6 55.Kd4 Kd6 56.Ke4 Ke6 57.g5 Kf7 58.Kd5 1-0
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