Hansuli Remensberger (2068) - Spanton (1928)
QGD Normal Position
1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3!?
There are 4,489 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database.
3...Nf6 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5
 |
| How should Black recapture? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
5...exd5
This is over three times more popular than 5...Nxd5 in Mega24, but Magnus Carlsen has preferred the latter, and the moves are of roughly equal value, according to Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1.
6.d4 Nc6
 |
| This position can arise from many move-orders, the commonest probably being 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c5 5.e3 Nc6 6.cxd5 exd5 |
*****
*****
*****
*****
7.Bb5 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.b3 Bg4 11.Be2!? a6!?
The engines like this, along with 11...Re8.
12.Bb2 Qd6 13.Nd4
 |
| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
13...Bxe2
This may be a novelty. The engines suggest 13...Bxd4!? 14.Bxg4 Be5 15.f4 Nxg4 16.Qxg4 Bf6, claiming equality.
14.Ncxe2 Rfd8?
Capturing on d4 is much better.
 |
| White to play and get a winning advantage |
*****
*****
*****
*****
15.Rc1?
White has an edge after this, but decisive is 15.Nf5, eg 15...Qe6 16.Nxg7! Kxg7 17.Nf4 Qf5 18.g4 and 19.Nh5+ etc.
15...Ba7?
Again, capturing on d4 is better, either immediately or after 15...Ng4 16.Ng3.
16.Nf4?
Nf5 still wins.
16...Rac8? 17.Nf5
At last!
17...Qd7
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
18.Nxg7
Even stronger is the simple 18.Bxf6 Qxf5 (18...gxf6?? 19.Qg4+ mates) 19.Bxd8, and the engines' 18.Nh6+ with Bxf6 to follow.
18...d4!
This keeps the game going, whereas 18...Kxg7? is hopeless in view of 19.Nh5+.
19.Ngh5 Qf5 20.Nxf6+ Qxf6 21.Qg4+ Qg7 22.Qxg7+ Kxg7 23.Ne2 Kg8 24.exd4 Nxd4 25.Ng3
 |
| How big is White's advantage? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Black is not just a pawn down, but also has two isolanis. Black's only compensation is a slight lead in development. The engines reckon White is the equivalent of 1.5 pawns ahead.
25...Ne6?!
Black has better, eg 25...Rxc1!? 26.Rxc1 Nc6, but then the engines reckon 27.Bc3 is winning.
26.Bf6 Re8 27.Nf5 Bc5 28.Rc3 Nf4
28...Bxf2+?? 29.Rxf2 Rxc3 fails because White has the backward-bishop move 30.Bxc3.
29.Rg3+ Ng6 30.Ne3!? Bxe3 31.Rxe3 Rxe3 32.fxe3
 |
| How would you assess this rook-and-minor-piece ending? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White has the better minor piece for cooperating with a rook, and has the better pawn-structure. The engines reckon White's advantage has grown to the equivalent of two pawns.
32...Re8 33.Rd1!?
 |
| Can Black safely capture the e pawn? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
After 33...Rxe3? 34.Rd8+ Nf8 35.Kf2 the knight eventually falls, eg 35...Re4 36.Bb2 b5 37.Bd4 etc.
33...Ne5 34.Rd5 Nc6 35.Kf2 Re6 36.Bc3 Kf8 37.Rd7 b5 38.a3 Ke8 39.Rd5 Rh6 40.h3 Ke7 41.e4 Ke6 42.Kf3 f6?!
Putting a pawn on the same colour complex as the enemy bishop in this type of ending is rarely a good idea, and this is probably not an exception.
43.Rc5 Kd6 44.b4 Ne5+ 45.Bxe5+ fxe5
 |
| How would you assess this rook-and-pawn ending? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White is a sound pawn up in an otherwise largely symmetrical position. The engines reckon White's advantage is worth at least a minor piece.
46.a4?!
The engines do not like this, preferring a slower approach, eg 46.Rc8 Rf6+ 47.Ke2 Rg6 48.g4 Rh6 49.Rc3, followed by slowing advancing White's kingside majority.
46...Rf6+ 47.Ke3 Rg6?!
Probably better is 47...bxa4 48.Ra5 Kd7.
48.axb5 axb5
 |
| What should White play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
49.Rxb5!?
This is Stockfish16.1's top choice, but Dragon1 much prefers 49.Kf3 or 49.Kf2.
49...Rxg2 50.Rb6+ Kc7
Dragon1 at first reckons 50...Kd7 is close to equalising, but comes to agree with Stockfish16.1 that all king moves lose.
51.Rh6 Rb2 52.Rxh7+ Kb6 53.Rh5 Rxb4 54.Rxe5 Rb3+ 55.Kf4 Rxh3
 |
| White to play and win by finding an only-move |
*****
*****
*****
*****
56.Rd5!
The Syzygy endgame tablebase shows this is the only winning move, eg 56.Kf5 Kc6! leaves White unable to make progress, one simple line running 57.Re6+ Kc7 58.e5 Rf3+ 59.Ke4 Kxe6 etc.
56...Kc6 57.Rd1 Rh4+ 58.Kf5 Rh5+ 59.Kg4 Rh2 60.e5 Re2 61.Kf5 Rf2+ 62.Ke6 Kc7 63.Ke7 Re2 64.Rc1+ Kb6 65.e6 Re3 66.Kd7 Rd3+ 67.Ke8 Re3 68.e7 Re2 69.Rc4 Re1 70.Kf7 Rf1+ 71.Ke6 Re1+ 72.Kf6 Kb5 73.Rc8 Rf1+ 74.Kg5 1-0
56...Kc6 57.Rd1 Rh4+ 58.Kf5 Rh5+ 59.Kg4 Rh2 60.e5 Re2 61.Kf5 Rf2+ 62.Ke6 Kc7 63.Ke7 Re2 64.Rc1+ Kb6 65.e6 Re3 66.Kd7 Rd3+ 67.Ke8 Re3 68.e7 Re2 69.Rc4 Re1 70.Kf7 Rf1+ 71.Ke6 Re1+ 72.Kf6 Kb5 73.Rc8 Rf1+ 74.Kg5 1-0
No comments:
Post a Comment