The swisses are slightly unusual in that each of the 13 rounds is played on a specific date, meaning availability is an important factor for those hoping to be champions.
The Barrow, the higher-rated of the two swisses, came down to a battle between Çağlar Meriç and Domenico Amabile.
Unfortunately, due to a mix-up, Amabile was mispaired in one round, and it was decided he should be given another game.
This was important, at least to him and Meriç, as a draw or better in the extra game would give the former the championship.
The game was played last night.
Spanton (1919) - Amabile (1696)
Scandinavian
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8!?
This somewhat-passive retreat is undergoing a bit of a revival at club level, and has been played at the top by the likes of Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura.
4.d4 c6 5.Nf3 Bf5 6.Bd3 Bxd3 7.Qxd3 Nf6 8.Bg5 e6 9.0-0-0 Nbd7
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| Black has achieved a little simplification, but has fallen behind in development and space |
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10.Rhe1
Garry Kasparov (2825) - Gregory Serper (2540), ICC Internet Blitz 1998, went 10.Ne5 Nxe5 11.dxe5 Qxd3 12.Rxd3 Nd5 13.Ne4, with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 (1-0, 47 moves).
10...Be7 11.Ne5 Nxe5 12.dxe5 Qxd3 13.Rxd3 Nd5 14.Bxe7 Kxe7
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| Now that Black has achieved much more simplification, how would you assess the position? |
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White still has more space and a lead in development, which give a slight edge, according to the engines.
15.Ne4 Rad8
The engines suggest 15...b6 or 15...b5!?
16.Red1
Stronger, according to the engines, is attacking Black's pawns with 16.Ra3 or 16.Rg3.
16...Nf4 17.Rxd8 Rxd8 18.Rxd8 Kxd8
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| How would you assess this knight-and-pawn ending? |
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White has a juicy-looking outpost at d6, as well as a little more space, but first has to deal with the threat to g2. Komodo14.1 gives White a slight edge, but Stockfish16 calls the game equal.
19.g3
The engines agree this is marginally better than 19.Nd6.
19...Ng6 20.f4 Ke7 21.Kd2 f6!? 22.exf6+ gxf6
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| The white outpost has gone, but Black has an extra pawn-island - the position equal, according to the engines |
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23.Ke3 h6 24.c4 b6 25.b4 f5!?
DA offered a draw in my time (just).
The text leaves a hole at e5, but gains space and is the engines' top choice.
26.Nd2 Kd7?!
The engines reckon 26...Kd6 gives complete equality.
27.Nf3?!
White has at least the upper hand, according to the engines, after 27.Kd4, eg 27...Kd6 28.c5+ bxc5+ 29.bxc5+, which leaves Black with four weak pawns (everyone except f5) and less space.
27...Kd6 28.h3 h5 29.Nd4 Ne7 30.Kd3 Ng8!?
The engines like this move, although they reckon it is not the only one to give complete equality.
31.b5 Ne7 32.Nxc6 Nxc6 33.bxc6 Kxc6
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| How would you assess this pawn-ending? |
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Completely equal, according to the engines, but there is still play in the position.
34.Kd4 Kd6 35.a3 a6 36.a4 a5 37.h4
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| Black to play and draw |
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37...Kc6?
The draw is achieved by a little trick: 37...e5+! 38.fxe5+ Ke6 etc.
38.Ke5 Kc5 39.Kxe6 Kxc4 40.Kxf5 b5 41.axb5 Kxb5
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| White to play and win |
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42.Ke4?
The king needs to be positioned to support the f pawn in case the black king tries to intercept it, so winning are 42.Kg5 and 42.Kg6.
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| Black to play and draw |
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42...Kc4?
The Syzygy endgame tablebase shows three moves draw: 42...a4, 42...Kc5 and 42...Kc6. The point about the latter two moves is they put the black king inside the queening square of the f pawn.
43.f5 a4 44.f6 a3 45.f7 a2 46.f8=Q a1=Q
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| Now we have a queen-and-pawn ending, and it is winning for White |
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47.Qc8+ Kb3
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| White has two moves that preserve the win |
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48.Qb7+?
Only 48.Qe6+ and 48.Qg8+ win, eg 48.Qe6+ Kb4 49.Qb6+ Kb5 50.Qe5+ etc.
48...Kc2!?
Syzygy shows White can still force mate after this, but it would take more than 100 moves, and so fall foul of the 50-move rule.
49.Qc6+ Kd1 50.Qd5+ Ke1 51.Qxh5
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| White is two pawns up, but cannot escape perpetual check |
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51...Qa4+ 52.Kf5
I went to play 52.Kf3??, but spotted 53...Qd1+ before releasing my hold on the king.
52...Qd7+ 53.Kf4 Qd2+ 54.Kg4 Qd1+ 55.Kg5
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| Black to play and maintain the draw |
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55...Qd5+?
Five moves draw: ...Qb3, ...Qc1+, ...Qd2+, ...Qd3 and ...Qd8+.
56.Kh6!?
The only winning move, but fairly obviously the only sensible try.
56...Qc6+ 57.Qg6 Qc1+ 58.Kh5
White had four possible moves, and, according to Syzygy, they all won.
58...Qd1+
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| White to play and maintain the win |
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59.g4?
Both 59.Qg4 and 59.Kh6!? win. After the latter, if Black repeats with 59...Qc1+, then among other wins is 60.Kh5 Qd1+ 61.Qg4.
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| Black to play and draw |
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59...Qd5+
Black had to find 59...Kf2! The game would go on, but it is a tablebase draw,
60.Qf5 Qd4 61.g5 Qh8+ 62.Kg4 Qd4+ 63.Qf4 Qd7+ 64.Kg3 Qd3+ 65.Qf3 Qd6+ 66.Kg2 Qd2+ 67.Kh1 Qd4 68.Qg3+ Ke2 69.g6 Qg7 70.Qg5 Kf3 71.h5 Qa1+ 72.Qg1 Qg7 73.Qg2+ Kf4
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| White to play and find an only-move to win |
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74.h6?
Syzygy shows only 74.Kh2! wins.
74...Qe7?
Black has a simple draw - once you have seen it - with 74...Qxh6+ 75.Qh2+ Kg5.
75.h7 Qe1+ 76.Kh2 Qh4+ 77.Kg1 Ke3 78.g7 Qe1+ 79.Kh2 1-0
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