British 65+ Round Three

Spanton (1919 ECF/1928 Fide) - Jim Burnett (2108 ECF/2039 Fide)

French Exchange

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 Be7!?

This is a popular alternative to the mainline 5...Bd6.

6.0-0 Bg4 7.Bf4!?

More popular are h3, Bg5 and especially Re1.

7...0-0

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position?

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The position occurs 287 times in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database. Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1 reckon the game is equal, but with White for choice - presumably because it is White to move.

8.Nbd2 Nbd7 9.h3 Bh5 10.Re1 Re8 11.Nf1 Bg6!? 12.Bxg6!?

This may be a novelty. Known moves are 12.Ng3 and 12.Ne5.

12...hxg6 13.Ng3 Nf8 14.Qd3!?

How should Black proceed?

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14...c6

The engines are fine with this, and also like 14...Bd6, but note that 14...Ne6?! allows a strong-looking exchange sacrifice with 15.Rxe6! fxe6 16.Qxg6. Best play, according to the engines, continues 16...Rf8 17.Bh6 Ne8 18.Nh5, after which Black should probably give back the exchange with 18...Rxf3!? 19.gxf3 Bf6, but the engines reckon White is winning.

15.Re2 Bd6 16.Rxe8 Nxe8 17.Be5 f6 18.Bxd6 Nxd6 19.Re1 Qd7 20.Nh4 Kf7!? 21.b3!?

This is Stockfish16.1's top choice; Dragon1 marginally prefers 21.a4.

21...Re8 22.Re3 Rxe3 23.Qxe3 Qe6 24.a4 Qxe3 25.fxe3

How would you assess this knight-and-pawn ending?

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Black has doubled g pawns, but White has a backward e pawn. Given enough time, the engines come to agree Black is slightly better.

25...Ke6

The engines suggest 25..b5!?, when 26.axb5 cxb5 gives Black hopes of creating a passed a pawn. The engines reckon 26.a5 is preferable, but Black's pieces are better-placed for queenside play.

26.Nf3 g5

Now 26...b5 27.a5 is completely equal, according to the engines.

27.Kf2 Ng6 28.Nh5 Kf7 29.g4 Ne4+ 30.Kg2?!

Probably better is 30.Ke2 or 30.Ke1.

30...Ne7

The engines like 30...Nh4+!?, the point being White is forced to reply 31.Nxh4, after which 31...gxh4 gains space and fixes h3 as a weakness.

31.Ng3 Nxg3 32.Kxg3 Nc8 33.Nd2 Nd6 34.Kf3 Ke6 35.c4!? b6

The game is also equal after 35...dxc4 36.bxc4.

36.c5!? Nc8

Black has to be careful, eg 36...bxc5 37.dxc5 Nb7 38.b4 a5?! 39.Nb3 axb4? loses to 40.a5 etc.

37.cxb6 Nxb6 38.a5 Na8!? 39.b4 Nc7 40.Nb3 Kd6

Also completely equal is 40...Na6 41.Nc5+ etc.

41.Nc5 Nb5 42.Nb7+ Ke7 43.Nc5 Nc3 44.Nd3 Kd6 ½–½