Davos Round One

FACED a Singaporean.

Spanton (1942) - Hui Kwang Ng (1434)

Sicilian (Bb5+)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Qc7!?

This is seventh-most popular in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, but there are 1,657 examples of the move and it has been played by grandmasters.

How should White respond?

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4.Nc3

This is second in popularity to 4.0-0.

4...e6 5.Bxc6!?

Again, castling is more popular. The idea of the text is to capture on c6 before Black is in position to recapture with the king's knight.

How should Black recapture?

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5...bxc6!?

This is almost as popular as 5...Qxc6, and is preferred by Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1. After 5...Qxc6 the mainline in Mega24 runs 6.d4 cxd4 7.Nxd4, when the engines reckon White's lead in development gives the upper hand.

6.e5!?

Preventing 6...e5, which would allow Black to open the c8-h3 diagonal for the light-square bishop, but more popular are 6.0-0 and 6.d3. The engines also like 6.b3!?, which does not appear in Mega24.

6...h6?!

This seems to be a novelty, and probably not a good one. The engines give 6...f6, claiming at least equal chances.

7.d3 d6!?

The engines are OK with this, but after ...

8.exd6

... Black is saddled with doubled pawns, and they are weak, or at least the front one is, even though they are not on a half-open file.

8...Bxd6 9.Ne4 Bb7?!

The engines suggest 9...Be7!?, the idea being to meet 10.Be3 Nf6 11.Nxc5 with 11...Nd5, when at least some lines have been opened for the bishops.

10.Be3 Qe7

Again the engines suggest ...Be7!?, one point being 11.Bxc5?? loses to 11...Bxc5 12.Nxc5 Qa5+ etc.

11.Qd2

Sealing the fate of the c5 pawn.

11...Nf6 12.Nxd6+ Qxd6 13.Qc3 c4!?

The engines are happy enough with this as there is no way to save the pawn (without giving up the g7 pawn after 13...Nd7).

14.Qxc4

Black is a pawn down, and has the weaker pawn-structure

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14...Nd7 15.0-0 0-0 16.Rfe1 c5 17.Qg4 Nf6

The engines' 17...f5!? seems to give better chances.

18.Qg3 Qxg3 19.hxg3 Rac8 20.a4!? a6 21.Ne5 Rfd8 22.Ra3 Rd5 23.Nc4 Nd7 24.Rb3 Bc6 25.Nb6 Nxb6 26.Rxb6 Bxa4 27.b3 Rc6??

A blunder, but the engines reckon Black was already lost.

28.Rb8+ (1-0, 36 moves).

Remarkably, all 26 games in round one went to form.