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.
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| 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
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