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
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| 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!?
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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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!?
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| 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.
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
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| 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
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| 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
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