English 65+ Round Seven

I WAS downfloated.

Norman Hutchinson (1954 ECF/1952 Fide) - Spanton (1913 ECF/1902 Fide)

Spanish Berlin

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 d5!? 6.Qe2

The mainline in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database runs 6.exd5 Qxd5 7.Bc4 Qd6, with at least the better side of equality for White, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1.

6...0-0 7.0-0 Re8 8.Bg5 dxe4 9.dxe4 h6 10.Bh4 Qe7 11.Nbd2 Bd7

Who stands better for the coming middlegame?

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White is perhaps a little more active, but really neither side can point to anything major. Stockfish16 calls the position equal, but Komodo14.1 gives White a slight edge.

12.b4 Bd6 13.Nc4!?

Stockfish16 (Komodo14.1 is not so sure) reckons this is an improvement on Rodrigo Rafael Vásquez Schroder (2459) - Vahap Şanal (2563), Lichess Blitz 2021, which went 13.a3 g5!? 14.Bg3 Nh5 15.Rfe1 (15.Nxe5?? Nxg3)  a6 16.Bc4 Nf4 with what the engines reckon is an equal position (Black went on to win, but possibly on time as the final position in Mega24 is roughly even).

13...Nd4?

This combination does not work. Better is 13...a6, eg 14.Ba4 b5 15.Nxd6 cxd6, with equality, according to the engines.

14.Nxd4!

14.cxd4 Bxb5 gives White at best equality.

14...exd4 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Nxd6 Qxd6 17.Bxd7 Qxd7 18.Rad1

White is a pawn up and has the better structure, along with the safer king

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18...Re5?!

The engines strongly dislike this, preferring 18...Qc6, eg 19.Rxd4 f5 (better than 19...Qxc3 20.Qg4+, according to the engines) 20.e5 Qxc3 21.Rfd1, when White is no longer a pawn up but still has his other advantages, along with an initiative. Note that if 19.Qg4+, the engines reckon 19...Kh7 is safe enough, albeit the position favours White.

19.Rxd4 Qe7?!

The engines reckon ...Qc6 is still better.

20.Qg4+ Rg5 21.Qf4 Qe5 22.Qxe5?!

White should probably keep queens on.

22...fxe5

Improving the pawn-structure seemed my best chance, but the engines much prefer 22...Rxe5!? The problem with the text is that the black king's rook is shut out of play in the centre.

23.Rd7 Rc8 24.Rfd1 Kf8 25.Rd5!?

The engines reckon this may be even better than 25.Rd8+ Rxd8 26.Rxd8+ Ke7 27.Rb8.

25...Ke7

If 25...f6, then 26.Rd8+ is strong.

26.h4 Rh5!?

The rook gets trapped after this, but 26...Rg6 27.Rxe5+ is not much of an improvement, if at all.

27.g3 Ke6 28.f4 f5!?

Desperation.

29.Rxe5+ Kf6 30.Ra5 1-0