Chris Sherwood (1977) - Spanton (1913)
Spanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.0-0 Nd4 6.Nxd4 Bxd4 7.c3 Bb6 8.Bg5!?
This type of pin is generally considered less effective when Black has not castled. However in this position it is the top choice of Komodo14.1 and has been played by grandmasters.
8...h6 9.Bh4 c6 10.Ba4 d6
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| How should White proceed? |
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11.Nd2?!
This is the top choice in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, and again has been played by grandmasters, but is probably a mistake. Komodo14.1 and Stockfish16 suggest 11.Bxf6!?, albeit preferring Black.
11...g5 12.Bg3 Bg4
Even stronger, according to the engines, is 12...h5. eg 13.h3?! h4 14.Bh2 g4 or 13.h4 Bg4, in both cases with at least the upper hand for Black.
13.Nf3!?
This may be a novelty. The engines prefer 13.Qe1 or 13.Qc2.
13...Nh5
Again the engines reckon ...h5 is even stronger.
14.d4 Nxg3 15.fxg3!
The engines agree this is much the better recapture.
15...Qe7 16.Qd2 0-0-0
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| Who stands better in this middlegame with opposite-side castling? |
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Black has the bishop-pair, and the black kingside attack looks further advanced than White's play on the queenside. White has doubled g pawns, which give Black a hook for the kingside attack, but Black has a backward f pawn. The engines reckon Black has the upper hand (Komodo14.1) or is at least slightly better (Stockfish16).
17.Bc2
This does not only protect the e pawn, but also clears a path for the a pawn.
17...f5!?
The engines give 17...Bxf3!? 18.Rxf3 exd4, and if 19.cxd4 then 19...d5, when 20.exd5 Rxd5 is good for Black.
18.Kh1?!
Almost certainly better is 18.exf5, and if 18...e4?! then 19.f6!? Qe6 20.Rae1. However the engines reckon 18...Rhf8 gives Black a slight edge.
18...f4?!
Black wins a pawn with 18...fxe4 19.Bxe4 exd4.
19.gxf4 gxf4 20.a4 a6 21.b4 h5 22.b5 cxb5 23.axb5 a5 24.c4 h4
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| What should White play? |
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25.Rxa5!?
This exchange sacrifice is the engines' second choice, behind 25.h3. After the latter they reckon 25...Bxf3 leaves Black with the upper hand.
25...Bxa5 26.Qxa5 h3 27.Qa8+?!
This starts a sequence in which White wins a second pawn, but the queens come off, and since exchange sacrifices are usually a middlegame weapon, not an endgame one, that probably overall helps Black. Instead 27.g3 gives a position the engines agree is better for Black, but they cannot agree how to continue.
27...Kd7 28.Qxa7+ Ke8 29.Qxe7+
White could keep queens on with 29.Qc6+, but 29...Bd7 30.Qd5 hxg2+ 31.Kxg2 is winning for Black, according to the engines.
29...Kxe7 30.Rf2 hxg2+ 31.Kxg2 Rdg8 32.dxe5 Bxf3 33.Kxf3 Rh3+ 34.Ke2
Or 34.Kxf4?! Rf8+ 35.Kg4 Rxf2 36.exd6+ Kxd6 37.Rxh3 Rxc2 etc.
34...dxe5
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| White has two pawns for the exchange, but the bishop is bad, the white rook cannot move without losing material, and the queenside pawns are weak |
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35.b6
Desperation, but white is completely lost.
The game finished:
35...Rb8 36.c5 Rc3 37.Kd2 Rxc5 38.Rg2 Rxb6 0-1
Cavendish won the match 5-3.
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
25/4/24 Central London League W 1924 1997 0 1964
30/4/24 Club Championship W 1924 1731 1 1972
2/5/24 Central London League W 1913 2074 0 1956
16/5/24 London League B 1913 1915 0 1939
21/5/24 Club Championship B 1913 1862 0 1919
23/5/24 London League B 1913 1977 1 1938
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