Riviera Round One

Spanton (1931 ECF/1980 Fide) - Matthew R Wilson (1850 ECF/1805 Fide)

Petrov

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d3!? Nf6 6.d4 Be7!?

The main continuation, 6...d5, transposes to the Exchange Variation of the French: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5.3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf6 Nf6, albeit with two more pairs of moves played.

After the text, how should White proceed?

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7.c4!?

Carlsen, Kasparov, Kramnik and So are among big names who have preferred 7.Bd3.

7...0-0 8.Bd3 c5!?

Probably a novelty, and possibly not a good one, although Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1 are OK with it.

9.d5 Re8 10.0-0

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

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The most significant feature of the position is White's central space advantage, which confers a slight edge, according to the engines.

10...Bg4 11.h3 Bh5

The engines prefer 11...Bxf3!? 12.Qxf3 Nbd7.

12.Bf4 Bf8 13.Nbd2 Nbd7 14.g4!?

This is liked by the engines', along with 14.Qb3!?

14...Bg6 15.Bxg6 hxg6 16.Re1 Rxe1+ 17.Qxe1 b5!

This is the engines' top choice, although they still give White an edge.

18.b3 Qa5 19.Ne4

The engines suggest 19.Qc1!? or 19.Bh2!?

 Qxe1+ 20.Rxe1 Nxe4 21.Rxe4

How would you assess this ending?

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White has more space and the more-active pieces, but Black has annoying pressure against the white queenside. The engines reckon White has the better side of equality.

21...Nf6?!

But the engines dislike this, presumably because it does not help on the side of the board where Black is better. Instead they give 21...Nb6 22.Nd2 a5 with an initiative, eg 23.cxb5 a4! 24.Nc4 axb3! 25.axb3 Nxd5 26.Bxd6 Nc3 27.Re5 Nxb5 28.Bxf8 Kxf8 29.Rxc5 Nd4, claiming good compensation for a pawn.

22.Re3 Re8

Dragon1 suggests 22...b4, but awards White the upper hand. Stockfish16.1 gives 22...a5!? 23.g5 Nd7 (23...Nh5 24.Bh2), but also reckons White gets the upper hand, after 24.cxb5 or 24.Nd2.
23.Rxe8 Nxe8 24.cxb5!?

Giving up the d5 pawn, and thus leaving Black with a potential protected passer, to create a farside pawn-majority.

24...Nc7 25.a4 Nxd5

Can White sacrifice the bishop to push home a pawn?

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No, as 26.a5?? Nxf4 27.b6 axb6 28.axb6 loses to 28...d5 etc, while 28.a6 loses to 28...Nd5 or 28...Ne6.

26.Be3 Be7

Not 26...Nxe3? as, after 27.fxe3, Black's bad bishop cannot cope with the white knight and queenside pawn-majority.

27.Kf1 Kf8 28.Ke2 Nb4?

This encourages White to play a move that was coming anyway, only now it comes with the gain of two tempi. On 28...Ke8, which is probably best, I planned 29.Bd2 and 30.Kd3, with what seem promising winning chances.

29.Bd2 Nd5

Forced.

30.Kd3 Ke8 31.Ng5 Nf6?!

Black can swop off the bad bishop, but the resulting bishop-v-knight ending seems winning for White. Perhaps best is 31...Nc7!?, although the engines reckon 32.h4!? is very strong, and other moves also leave Black in difficulties.

32.Ne4 d5!?

Other moves also lose.

33.Nc3 d4 34.Ne4 Nd7 35.f4 Nf6 36.Nxf6+ gxf6

Or 36...Bxf6 37.b4.

37.Kc4 Kd7 38.a5 g5 39.f5 Bd6 40.Bc1 Kc7 41.Bd2

It was still possible to go wrong, eg 41.Ba3 Kb7 42.Bxc5?? Bxc5 43.Kxc5 d3 etc.

41...Kd7 42.a6 Be7 43.b6 1-0

Going Downhill

I AM amazed at how far downhill parts of Torquay have gone since a year ago.

Walking across Tor Hill and down Union Street into the centre of town and the harbour, I passed numerous beggars and rough-sleepers.

Someone's had a smashing time

Decay seems the name of the game above this gaming store

In the Fleet Walk shopping gallery I counted more empty premises than occupied ones.

But my favourite Torquay coffee shop seems to be thriving, which is just as well as I have a loyalty card just one stamp short of me getting a free espresso

Good News, Bad News

MY Great Western journey from Waterloo to Torquay for the Riviera Fide open, which starts tomorrow, took more than five hours.

But it did not really matter as I had all day to get there, and my hotel room - I am staying somewhere I have not stayed before - turns out to be spacious, with a seaview and what seems to be good wifi.

Looking from one on my windows

The good news is the train delay of 1hr 19mins seems to mean I am entitled to a full refund of my fare.

The bad news is my ticket only cost £11.90 ...

Riviera

AM making final preparations for traveling to Torquay tomorrow for the Riviera Fide open, which runs for seven days from Saturday.

There are six 14:30 rounds and a final round at 09:30, with a further four tournaments over five rounds.

The time control for all events is 90 minutes, with a 30-second increment.

There 27 entrants in the Fide open, and a further 67 in the other sections, making 94 in all.

Falling In

MY tournament plans for autumn are more-or-less finalised.

Riviera: seven-round Fide open in Torquay, Devon, Aug 31-Sep 6.

Crete: nine-round 50+ 'world championship' held by the Amateur Chess Organization at the Fodele Beach resort, Oct 2-9.

Mallorca: nine-round open at Colonia de Sant Jordi, Oct 19-27.

Cap Negret: nine-round 65+ near Altea, Costa Blanca, Nov 8-15.

Benidorm: nine-round U2000 at Gran Hotel Bali, Nov 29-Dec 5.

Summing Up Darlington

MY score in the Northumbria Masters U2000 of +3=1-2 (I also took three half-point byes) lost 9.2 ECF elo and 17.8 Fide elo.

Darlington Round Nine

I WAS upfloated.

Jack Erskine-Pereira (2005 ECF/1962 Fide) - Spanton (1931 ECF/1980 Fide)

New London

1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 e6 3.e3 Bd6 4.Bg3 b6!? 5.Nf3

How should Black proceed?

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5...Nd7

Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1 suggest 5...Nf6 or 5...Bb7, but reckon 5...Ba6?! 6.Bxa6 Nxa6 7.c4 gives White at least a slight edge.

6.c4 Bb7 7.cxd5 Bb4+!?

Possibly better is 7...Bxg3 8.hxg3 exd5, although the half-open h file makes short-castling problematic for Black.

8.Nc3 exd5 9.Bd3 Ngf6 10.0-0 0-0

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

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The big difference between the two sides is the respective pawn-structures, with Black's on the queenside being somewhat awkward to play with. The engines give White at least a slight edge.

11.Nb5 c5?

Better is 11...c6, but the position favours White.
12.Nd6 Bc6?!

The bishop proves loose here, so probably better is 12...Bc8.

13.a3 Ba5 14.Rc1 Nb8!?

This seems best, as 14...c4 is well-met by 15.b4.

15.dxc5 bxc5 16.Rxc5 Bb6 17.Rc1

White is a pawn up, is ahead on development and probably has the better pawn-structure

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17...Ne4?

Better is 17...Bc7.

18.Bxe4 dxe4 19.Ne5 Bd7

There is no defence.

The game finished:

20.Qd5 Be6!? 21.Qxa8 Qxd6 22.Ng6 Qd8 23.Nxf8 Bd5 24.Qxb8 1-0

Table Games

THERE was a time, before the rise of snooker and the popularisation of pool, that the main cue sport in Britain was billiards, followed, at some distance, by the pub-game bar billiards.

I was reminded of this on coming across Sloan's Billiard Room, a 1907 purpose-built end-of-terrace playing hall in Grange Road, Darlington

Darlington Round Eight

I TOOK a half-point bye this morning in the first of today's double-round games.

Spanton (1931 ECF/1980 Fide) - John Cawston (1757 ECF/1776 Fide)

French  Exchange

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.c4 dxc4!?

The usual advice in such positions is to wait for White to develop the king's bishop before capturing on c4. However many grandmasters have played the text.

6.Bxc4 

How should Black proceed?

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6...Qe7+

Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1 slightly prefer 6...Nf6, which is the main move in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database.

7.Be3 Nf6 8.0-0 0-0

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

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Clearly the pawn-structure is a major consideration, but for me it is impossible to say with certainty whom this favours. Both sides have developed three pieces, but the key factor here may be that the black queen is awkwardly placed on an open file,

9.Re1 Bg4!?

This sets a little trap, in that 10.Bg5? Bxf3 gives Black at least equality.

10.h3 Bh5 11.Nc3 Nbd7?!

The engines prefer 11...Qd7!?, albeit awarding White at least a slight edge.

12.Bg5 Qd8 13.g4!?

This is always a double-edged move in such positions, but here it seems strong.

13...Bg6 14.Ne5

White's main threat is 15.f4 - how should Black deal with it?

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14...Kh8

This unpins the f7 pawn, but the engines slightly prefer a move such as 14...Bb4!?

15.Nd5

15.f4 was still strong.

15...Bb4??

A ridiculous blunder. but Black has huge problems anyway. Perhaps the best suggestion from the engines runs 15...Nb6 16.Nxb6 axb6 17.f4, with an advantage they reckon is worth about 2.5 pawns.

16.Nxb4 1-0

Gone, But Not Quite Forgotten

IN St Cuthbert's churchyard is a Boer War memorial, dedicated in 1905 by Earl Roberts, a winner of the Victoria Cross, who later led the British army in South Africa, where his son died winning a posthumous VC.

The gun's bayonet is missing - apparently broken off sometime in the 1950s by children swinging on it

THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED BY 5,576 SUBSCRIBERS AS A TRIBUTE

TO THE MEMORY OF THE BRAVE MEN OF DARLINGTON WHO VOLUNTEERED

AND SERVED THE EMPIRE IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR, 1899 - 1902
There are 100 names on the memorial, of whom 11 died on service.

Darlington Round Six

TOOK a half-point bye in the first of today's double-round games.

Vivien Webster (1642 ECF/1731 Fide) - Spanton (1931 ECF/1980 Fide)

King's Pawn Irregular

1.e4 e5 2.d3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.a3!?

There are 130 examples of this position in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, with Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1 reckoning Black is already slightly better

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4...Bc5 5.Be2 d5 6.exd5 Nxd5 7.0-0 0-0 8.Bg5!? f6 9.Bh4?!

It seems the bishop should retreat to d2 or c1.

9...Nf4

Probably even stronger, according to the engines, is 9...g5!?, eg 10.Bg3 g4 11.Nfd2 f5 12.h3? (12.Nb3 is better) f4 13.Bh2 g3!?, after which White loses the dark-square bishop.

10.Nc3 Be6 11.b4 Bb6 12.Na4 Qd7 13.Nxb6 axb6

The engines slightly prefer 13...cxb6!?

14.Bg3 Nxe2+ 15.Qxe2 Bg4 16.Qe4

Not 16.h3? Nd4.

16...Bxf3!? 17.Qxf3 Nd4!? 18.Qxb7

Possibly slightly better is 18.Qd1 - Stockfish16.1 reckons so; Dragon1 fluctuates - but the engines still give Black the upper hand.

18...Nxc2

Even stronger seems to be 18...Rab8!?, the point being 19.Qe4 can be met by 19...f5!? (not 19...Nxc2?? 20.Qc4+ etc) 20.Qxe5 f4!, after which White is in huge trouble, eg 21.Bxf4 Rxf4! or 21.Bh4 f3. If White sees this, and instead plays 19.Qa6, the engines give 19...b5, with ...Rb6 and ...Nc6 to come.

19.Rac1

Not 19.Ra2 Nxb4.

19...Rfb8

This is now the stronger rook move.

20.Qe4 Nxa3

How should White proceed?

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21.d4?

Trying to complicate matters, before White's pawn-deficit and pawn-weaknesses prove fatal, but a much better way to do this is 21.f4!?, activating the bishop and king's rook.

21...Qxd4 22.Qc6!? Qxb4 23.Qe6+ Kh8 24.Rxc7 Re8 25.Qf7 Qf8 26.Qh5!? Re7 27.Rc6 b5 28.f4 e4 29.f5 Nc4 30.Qe2 Qe8 31.Rc7 Rad8 32.Rxe7 Qxe7 33.Re1!? Qc5+ 34.Bf2 Qxf5 0-1

White could play on with 35.Qxe4 Qxe4 36.Rxe4 Rd1+ 37.Be1, but it would take a huge blunder by Black to throw away the win.

Cuthbert

Darlington parish church, dedicated to St Cuthbert, dates back to the early 1100s.

It has been much modified over the centuries, including the addition of a spire in the 1300s (note the hedge-cross in the foreground)

Cuthbert was born in 634 in Dunbar, which was then part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria, but is now part of Scotland.

He may have been a soldier before taking monastic orders, rising to become bishop of Lindisfarne in 684, dying three years later.

He seems to have led a particularly frugal existence, enjoying the life of a hermit or traveling preacher.

A sundial looks a modern addition

The chimney acted as a vent for Victorian boilers installed in church cellars

Darlington Round Four

AFTER taking a half-point bye in the morning's third round, I faced an Irishman.

Spanton (1931 ECF/1980 Fide) - Nicholas Webb (1906 ECF/1816 Fide)

Sicilian ..e6/Maróczy Bind

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.Bd3

How should Black proceed?

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8...d5!?

This is second in popularity, albeit way behind 8...e5, in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database.

9.exd5!? Qa5?!

The mainline in Mega24 runs 9...exd5 10.0-0 0-0 and either 11.cxd5 or 11.Bg5, with at best a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1.

10.0-0

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 10.Bd2.

10...0-0?

Better is 10...cxd5.

11.Ne4?

White is winning after 11.dxc6 or 11.Bg5, according to the engines.

11...Nxe4 12.Bxe4 cxd5 13.cxd5 Bb7 14.Be3 Rfd8 15.a3 Bf8 16.b4 Qb5 17.Qc2 Rac8?!

Probably 17...f5!? is better.

18.Bxh7+ Kh8

How should White proceed?

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19.Bd3??

This loses, whereas 19.Qd3 gives White at least the upper hand, according to the engines.

19...Qxd5 20.Be4 Rxc2 21.Bxd5 Rxd5 22.Bxa7 g6 23.Rfd1 Bg7 24.Rab1 Ra2 25.h3 Rxa3 (0-1, 39 moves)

Darlington Venue

THE tournaments are being held at the town's modern Dolphin leisure centre.

Inside Central Hall, whose use has apparently been donated free of charge by Darlington Borough Council

Darlington Round Two

FACED a Belgian in the second of yesterday's double-round games.

Spanton (1931 ECF/1980 Fide) - Gert de Block (1667 ECF/1738 Fide)

French Exchange

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 Bg4 6.h3 Bh5 7.0-0 Be7 8.Re1 0-0

I reached the same position in round six at Olomouc earlier this month.

How should White proceed?

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9.Bg5

The most popular move in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, which I played in the earlier game, is 9.Bf4, but, as I mentioned in my notes, grandmasters have preferred the text or 9.Nbd2.

9...Re8 10.Nbd2 Nbd7 11.Nf1 c5!? 12.Ng3 Bg6 13.c3 Qb6 14.Re2

This may be a novelty; known is 14.Bxg6 hxg6 15.Qb3, with complete equality, according to the engines.

14...Ne4!? 15.Nxe4 dxe4 16.Bxe4 Bxe4 17.Rxe4 Nxf6?

Correct is 17...Bxg5, eg 18.Nxg5 h6 19.Rxe8+ Rxe8 20.Nf3 Qxb2.

18.Re2 Rad8?!

This almost certainly makes matters worse, whereas after 18...cxd4 19.Nxd4 Bc5 Black has some activity for the pawn.

19.Qa4 Kf8

Or 19...cxd4 20.Nxd4 Kf8 21.Rae1 Bc5 22.Rxe8+ Rxe8 23.Rxe8+ Nxe8 24.Be3, which the engines reckons gives White an advantage worth at least 2.5 pawns.

20.Rae1 a6?!

The engines prefer 20...cxd4.

21.Bxf6 Qxf6 22.dxc5 Rd5 23.Ne5 Red8

There is no defence, eg 23...Qf5 runs into 24.c6 bxc6 25.Nxc6 etc.

24.Ng4 1-0

Steady Does It

ONE of the victims of the Titanic disaster in 1912 was journalist William Stead, who, according to Wikipedia, "paved the way for the modern tabloid."

Among his campaigns while Editor of the Pall Mall Gazette was one against child prostitution.

The campaign saw him jailed, but led to the age of consent being raised from 13.

Earlier, aged 22, he became Editor of the Darlington-based Northern Echo, which is why the town's central-Wetherspoons is called The William Stead.

Pub tribute

Darlington Round One

FACED a Scot.

Christopher Nield (1831 ECF/1773 Fide) - Spanton (1931 ECF/1980 Fide)

Vienna Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Qf3!?

This is third in popularity behind 5.d3 and especially 5.Nf3.

How should Black respond?

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5...f5

The text and 5...Nc6!? are the top choices of Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1, but most popular in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database is 5...Nxc3.

6.exf6!?

This seems to help Black more than White. The mainline in Mega24 runs 6.d3 Nxc3 7.bxc3 d4!?, with an equal game, according to the engines.

6...Nxf6 7.h3?

Slow and weakening. The engines suggest 7.d4, meeting 7...Bg4 with 8.Qe3+, and if 8...Be7, then 9.h3 with tempo.

7...Bd6 8.d4?!

Not 8.Nxd5?? Nxd5 9.Qxd5?? Bg3+ etc. However the engines much prefer giving check with the queen, eg 8.Qe2+, and if 8...Kf7!?, then 9.Qf2 Re8+ 10.Kd1, although they agree Black is winning.

8...0-0 9.Bg5 Qe8+ 10.Qe3?

Much better, according to the engines, is putting a piece on e2, whether it be queen, bishop or king's knight.

How should Black proceed?

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10...Bg3+?

This deprives White of castling rights, but throws away almost all of Black's considerable advantage, whereas the simple 10...h6 wins a piece. The problem with the text is that after ...

11.Kd2

... Black is more-or-less obliged to swop queens, after which White's king is safe.

11...Qxe3+

Not 11...Ne4+? 12.Nxe4 Qxe4 13.Qxg3 Qxd4 as Black does not get enough compensation after 14.Bd3.

12.Bxe3 Bf5 13.Bd3 Bxd3 14.cxd3!?

The engines marginally prefer the conventional 14.Kxd3.

14...c6 15.Nge2 Bd6 16.Rhf1 Nbd7

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

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The engines give Black a slight edge, presumably based on the pawn-structure and, perhaps, Black having the marginally better bishop.

17.Nf4 Rf7 18.Rf3 Re8 19.Raf1 Rfe7 20.g4!? h6 21.a3 a5 22.Ng6 Rf7 23.g5!? hxg5 24.Bxg5 Kh7 25.Nh4 Bf8 26.Nf5 b5 27.Bf4 b4!?

This seems fine, if followed up correctly.

28.axb4 axb4 29.Na4?!

White probably should have played 29.Nd1, holding.

How should Black proceed?

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29...b3?

This makes the pawn weak. Instead the engines give 29...Ra8 30.b3 Ne4+!, taking advantage of the hanging knight on f5. After 31.dxe4 dxe4 White seems to have nothing better than 32.Nh6 gxh6 33. R3f2, ceding a pawn, as 33.Re3?! apparently loses to 33...Nb6!, eg 34.Nxb6 Ra2+ 35.Ke1 Ra1+ 36.Ke2 Rxf1 37.Rxf1 Rxf4+, when White is even worse off than in the first line.

30.Nd6 Bxd6 31.Bxd6 Re6 32.Bg3 Rf8 33.Nc3?

Black does not have a decent answer to 33.Kc3.

33...Rfe8 34.Ra1 Nh5 35.Bh4 Rg6 36.Ra7 Rg2+ 37.Rf2 Rxf2 38.Bxf2 Rf8 39.Ke3 c5!? 40.Rxd7 cxd4+ 41.Kxd4 Rxf2 42.Rxd5

CN offered a draw.

The game finished:

42...Nf6 43.Rb5 Rxb2 44.Kc4 Rh2 45.Rxb3 Rxh3 46.Ne4 Rh4 47.Kd4 Kg6 48.Rb5 Kh6 49.Ke3 Ng4+ 50.Kf3 g6 51.Kg3 Rh5 52.Rxh5+ gxh5 53.Kh4 Ne5 ½–½

What Has Darlington Ever Done For Us?

THE town of Darlington is best known for trains and Quakers.

In 1825 the Stockton & Darlington Railway opened to carry goods and passengers from the coal mines around Shildon, County Durham, via Darlington to the port of Stockton.

Passenger wagons were at first pulled by horse, but coal wagons were hauled by steam locomotives from the start, which is why the S&DR is cited as being the world's first public railway using such locomotives.

The influence of local Quaker families was such that the railway was nicknamed the Quaker Line.

Statue of railway pioneer Joseph Pease, who became the first Quaker to sit as an MP and who paid for the town's prominent clock tower

View of the clock tower from my hotel room

Mastering Chess

AM making final preparations for traveling to Darlington tomorrow for Tim Wall's Northumbria Masters.

I have entered the U2000, where I am the top seed of 43 entries from eight countries spread over three continents.

There are nine rounds over five days, and I have decided to take the maximum-allowed three half-point byes on the morning rounds of days two, three and four.

'Paignton' Is Back

MANY UK players fondly remember the Paignton congress held at the Devon town's Oldway Mansion.

That event is no more, but last year a five-round ersatz Paignton was held in nearby Torquay under the name Riviera Congress.

I played in it and thoroughly enjoyed myself, not least because my Fide rating at the time was 1852, but I turned in a 1992 performance.

Speaking to fellow competitors, the one main complaint people had was that the tournament, called the PM Open, was five rounds, rather than the seven associated with Paington.

Talking to other players at the recent British championships in Hull, I was surprised at how many did not know 'Paignton' was back, or knew it was back but did not realise this year's edition has a Fide tournament with the traditional format of seven rounds over seven days.

However, that is indeed the case, and entries, after a slow start, are starting to pick up pace.

There are 90 over the various tournaments, including 26 in the Fide Open, which is headed by British 50+ champion Keith Arkell.

One reason for my fondness for Paignton goes back to the fact it was one of the first tournaments I entered.

I had learnt the rules of chess aged six or seven in Libya, when the game was something my father taught me (with the aid of a book - he did not know the rules) to give me something to do during the short rainy season.

My first congress tournament was the Scunthorpe Minor, some 17 or so years later, followed by the Portsmouth Minor in another two years' time.

It was only after I moved up to London in 1988 that I got into playing chess regularly, my third congress being a Westminster Rapidplay in 1989.

Since then I have been playing with a devotion bordering on mania, including, in 1990, the Paington Challengers.

Here is my round-one game from that event.

R Bradley (162 BCF) - Spanton (147 BCF)

Spanish Berlin

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6

I am quite shocked to discover I was playing this variation so long ago.

4.d3 Bc5 5.Be3!?

This logical-looking continuation goes back to at least 1883, but is not popular.

How should Black respond?

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5...Bxe3!?

This gives White a half-open f file, but is the choice of Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1. Magnus Carlsen, on reaching the diagram position, preferred 5...Qe7!?
6.fxe3 d6 7.0-0 a6 8.Ba4 b5 9.Bb3 Na5 10.Nbd2 Nxb3 11.axb3 0-0

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

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White has two half-open files, but Black's pawn-structure is more flexible, and Black has the only long-range minor piece. The engines give Black a slight edge.

12.Qe2 Qe7 13.Qf2 Ng4 14.Qe2 f5!? 15.exf5 Rxf5 16.h3 Nh6

Not 16...Nf6?? 17.g4.

17.Nh2 Bb7 18.e4 Rg5!?

This may be a tad over-ambitious.

19.Rf2 Rf8 20.Raf1 Rxf2 21.Rxf2 Bc8 22.Kh1 Nf7 23.Ndf1 Nh8?!

The engines prefer 23...Rg6.

24.Ng3 Ng6?!

Consistent, but dubious. The engines suggest 24...Qd8!? or 24...Rg6, but give White a slight edge.

25.Nd5 Qd8 26.Qf3 Be6

How should White proceed?

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27.Ne3

The engines give 27.Nxc7!? Qxc7 28.h4 Rxg2+ 29.Rxg2 Nf4, claiming White is slightly better after 30.Rd2 or 30.Rf2.

27...Nf4?!

Better is 27...Nh4, with equality, according to the engines.

28.c4??

A hard-to-fathom blunder. The engines give White at least the upper hand after 18.h4, exploiting the lack of squares available to the black rook and knight.

28...Nxd3 29.Rd2 Nf4?

29...Nc5 is winning, according to the engines.

30.c5?!

Again h4 embarrasses Black.

30...Rg6 31.Nhg4?!

This looks reasonable, but the engines much prefer 21.Qd1!?

31...Bxg4 32.Nxg4 Qh4 33.Qd1??

But now Qd1 is a blunder. Possibly best is 33.Kg2, although Black remains a pawn up.

How should Black proceed?

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33...Nxh3

Even stronger is 33...Rxg4!?, the point being that after 34.Qxg4 Qe1+ 35.Kh2 Qxd2 36.Qc8+ there is no perpetual, although that is not easy to see in the diagram position.

34.gxh3 Qxh3+

Winning is 34...Rxg4!, again the point being Qxg4 is met by ...Qe1+ etc.

White to play and keep the game going

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35.Rh2??

After 35.Nh2 the engines reckon Black's three pawns outweigh White's knight, no doubt helped by the exposed white king, but the result is still up for debate (at least at club level).

The game finished:

35...Qxg4 36.Qd5+ Kf8 37.Rf2+ Rf6 38.Rxf6+ gxf6 39.cxd6 cxd6 40.Qxd6? Kg7 41.Qe7+ Kg6 42.Qe8+ Kh6 43.Qf8+ Kh5 44.Qe8+ Kh4 45.Qc6 Qd1+ 46.Kh2 Qe2+ 47.Kh1 Kg3 0-1

Summing Up Olomouc

MY score in the Czech 65+ open championship of +5=3-1 gained 34.2 Fide elo.

Olomouc Round Nine

FACED an international master on top board.

Zdeněk Beil (2185) - Spanton (1980)

Catalan

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Qc2!?

Much more popular is 6.Bg2, but the lines often transpose.

6...0-0 7.Bg2 Nbd7 8.0-0 c6 9.a4!?

The main move in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database is 9.Bf4, returning the tempo Black lost by playing the king's bishop to b4 and then to e7. The text was chosen by Magnus Carlsen when he reached this position, for the only time in Mega24, in 2016. Grandmaster Mihail Marin called it "a highly original and virtually unexplored plan, typical for Carlsen." He added: "The structure resulting after Black's natural answer is supposed to be completely inoffensive, but Magnus had his own views about it."

What should Black play?

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9...b6

Marin was referring to 9...a5, which is the top choice of Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1, but they are OK with the text, which is their second choice.

10.Rc1

This was Carlsen's reply to 9...a5.

10...Ba6 11.b3 dxc4 12.bxc4 c5 13.a5 Bb7 14.e3 Qc7 15.Nc3 Rfc8?!

This leaves Black's light-square bishop dangerously short of squares.

16.Qb3

Missing a chance to seemingly put Black in big trouble after 16.a6 Bc6 (16...Bxf3 is even worse, according to the engines, eg 17.Bxf3 Rab8?! 18.Nb5 Qd8 19.Nxa7) 17.d5! exd5 18.cxd5 Nxd5 19.Nd4. The same position is also reached by 16.d5! cxd5 17.a6 Bc6 18.cxd5 Nxd5 (or 18...Bxd5 19.Nxd5 Nxd5 20.e4 N5f6 21.e5!? Nxe5 22.Nxe5 Qxe5 23.Re1 Qc7 24.Rad1 with a huge initiative) 19.Nd4. The lines are sharp, but strongly favour White, according to the engines.

16...Qd8

The engines suggest 16...bxa5!?, but prefer White.

17.d5

Even stronger is 17.a6 Bc6 18.Rd1!?, according to the engines.

17...exd5 18.Nxd5!?

Perhaps 18.cxd5 is better.

18...Nxd5 19.a6!?

Black has at least a slight edge after 19.cxd5 Nf6.

19...Bxa6 20.Rxa6

The engines prefer 20.cxd5!?

20...Nc7?

Definitely better is 20...Nb4, and then 21...a5.

21.Ra2 a5

After the dust has somewhat settled, how would you assess the position?

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Black is a pawn up, but White has the bishop-pair and strong pressure against the black queenside. The engines give White the upper hand.

22.Bc3 Bf6 23.Rd1 Bxc3?!

After 23...Qe7 24.Rad2 Nf8 Black seems to be holding on.

24.Qxc3 Qf6?!

Again the engines prefer ...Qe7.

25.Qxf6 Nxf6 26.Ne5

Black does not seem to have a defence to White's threats

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26...Rd8 27.Rb1!? Ra6!? 28.Bb7 Rda8!? 29.Rab2!? a4!?

White to play and win

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30.Rxb6??

This turns a winning position into a losing one. Capturing either rook is strong, eg 30.Bxa8 Nxa8 31.Ra2 Nc7 32.Rba1 b5 33.cxb5 Nxb5 34.Rxa4 etc.

30...Rxb6 31.Rxb6 a3 32.Bxa8

Or 32.Rb1 Rb8 etc.

32...a2 33.Rb8+ Nce8 34.Nd7 a1=Q+ 35.Kg2 g6??

Missing that after 35...Nxd7 36.Rxe8+ Black has 36...Nf8.

36.Nf6+ Qxf6 37.Rxe8+ Kg7

How would you assess this ending?

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White has rook, bishop and pawn for a queen, with no weaknesses and a safe king. Dragon1 calls the game completely equal, but Stockfish16.1 gives White a slight edge, and it is certainly easier for White to play.

38.Bd5 Qd6

An only-move - otherwise White plays Rb8 and wins the f7 pawn.

39.e4 g5 40.e5 Qc7 41.e6 fxe6 42.Rxe6 h6 43.Re4

Perhaps 43.Be4!? is trickier to meet, eg 43...h5?, tyring to set a trap, rebounds after 44.Rg6+ Kf8 45.Rxg5 Qe7 46.Rf5+ etc. Instead 43...Qf7 apparently holds.

43...Qd6 44.h4!? gxh4 45.Rxh4 Qf6 46.Re4 Qb2 47.Re6 Qc3 48.Rc6 Qd4 49.Ra6 Qd1 50.Ra2 Qd4 51.Ra8 Qc3 52.f3!?

A last try.

52...Qc2+ 53.Kh3 Qf5+ 54.g4 Qb1 55.Kg3 Qg1+ 56.Kf4 Qd4+ ½–½

Roman Origins

LEGEND has it Olomouc was founded by Julius Caesar.

Caesar's statue in front of the town hall and its clock tower

Remains of a legionaries' camp have been found, but it almost certainly had no connection with the famous Roman general.

The area does have quite a history, however, with continuous occupation since at least the seventh century AD.

Olomouc Round Eight

Faced a Fide master.

Spanton (1980) - Vlastimil Sejkora (2112)

Modern

1.e4 g6 2.d4 c6!?

This move occurs 4,903 times in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database.

3.f4 d5 4.e5 h5!?

Securing the f5 square.

5.Nf3 Bf5 6.Nh4!? e6 7.Nxf5 gxf5

How would you assess this somewhat unusual opening position?

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White has the bishop-pair, but that is unlikely to be significant in a game with a locked centre. However White also has more space in the centre. Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1 reckon White has a slight edge.
8.Qf3!?

It is probably a little early to decide the queen is well-placed here.

8...Be7 9.Bd2 Nd7 10.Qb3 Qb6 11.Qxb6!?

The engines are OK with this.

11...axb6 12.a4 h4!? 13.Bd2 Kd8!?

The king is headed for a (relative) safe haven on c7.

14.Nc3 Nh6 15.Rg1 Rg8 16.Kf2 Kc7

Now both sides have connected rooks, who has an advantage in the coming middlegame?

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The engines reckon White is slightly better, especially after 17.h3!?

17.Nd1 Ng4+ 18.Bxg4 Rxg4

The engines slightly prefer 18...fxg4.

19.Kf3 Rgg8 20.Nf2 c5 21.Bc3 Nb8!?

The engines agree this is best.

22.b3 Nc6 23.Rad1 b5!? 24.axb5 Na7

How should White proceed?

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25.b6+?!

Initiating a sequence designed to swop off White's bad bishop, but the engines much prefer 25.dxc5.

25...Kxb6 26.dxc5+ Bxc5 27.Bd4 Bxd4 28.Rxd4 Nc6

How would you assess this late-middlegame?

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Black's activity gives a positionally won game, according to the engines.

29.Rd2 Ra2 30.Rgd1 Rc8 31.Nh3?

The knight is out-of-play on the kingside. The engines give 31.c4 Rxd2 32.Rxd2, albeit claiming an edge for Black.

31...Nb4 32.c4 Ra3 33.cxd5 Rxb3+ 34.Kf2 Nxd5 35.Ng5 Rc7 36.Nf3!?

How should Black respond?

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36...Rc4!?

The engines reckon this is much better than allowing 36...Nxf4 37.Nxh4.

37.g3 hxg3+ 38.hxg3 Nc3 39.Rd6+ Kc5 40.R1d3 Ne4+ 41.Ke3 Rb2 42.Rd7 b5 43.Rxf7 Nxg3?

The engines reckon 43...Kb4 keeps a large advantage.

44.Nd4??
This loses a piece, whereas 44.Ng5 and 44.Nd2 give complete equality, according to the engines.

44...Nf1+ 45.Kf3 Rxd4 46.Rc7+ Kb6 47.Rxd4 Kc7 48.Rd6 Rb3+ 49.Kf2 Nh2 50.Kg2 Ng4 51.Rxe6

How would you assess this ending?

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Black is a knight up, but has to be wary of White getting down to a pawnless ending of rook and knight versus rook.

51...Re3 52.Re7+ Kc6 53.Rf7 Kd5  54.Rxf5 Ke4 55.Rxf8 Nxe5?

Swopping off into a completely equal ending, according to the engines. They reckon that without the text Black is the equivalent of being about a rook ahead, and so should win easily on the queenside.

56.fxe5 Kxe5

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

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It is completely equal, according to the engines.

57.Kf2 Rc3 58.Rb8 Rb3 59.Ke2 Kd4 60.Kd2 Kc4 61.Kc2 Rh3 62.Rc8+ Kb4 63.Rg8 Rh2+ 64.Kb1 Ka4 65.Rg4+ Kb4 66.Rg3 Rf2 67.Rh3 b3 68.Rh8 ½–½