Winning Chess

IRISH Fide master Andrew Smith won the 'British' 65+ championship, despite being seeded 13th.

He won his first five games before losing to Scottish international master Craig Pritchett in round six.

Going into the last round, they were tied at the top on five points, a half-point ahead of three other players.

In round seven Pritchett drew with black, which meant Smith would take the title if he beat No1 seed, Fide master Terry Chapman.

Smith (2037) - Chapman (2287)

Caro-Kann Advance

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5

The Advance Variation is probably currently the most popular within the Caro-Kann.

3...Bf5 4.c4!?

This sideline occurs 2,303 times in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, but has been tried by Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana. Commoner moves include  4.g4, 4.Nc3 and especially 4.Nf3.

4...e6 5.Nc3 Bb4!?

The mainline in Mega24 runs 5...Ne7 6.a3!? dxc4 7.Bxc4 Ne7, with a slight edge for White, according to Dragon1, although Stockfish16.1 is not so sure.

6.Ne2!?

The engines are not keen on this, preferring 6.cxd5 cxd5 7.h4!? with g4 to come.

6...dxc4 7.Ng3

How should Black proceed?

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7...Qd5!?

This may be a novelty, and it comes to be the engines' top choice, at least for a while. A previous game of Smith's, at the 2019 London Classic, went 7...b5!? 8.Nxf5 exf5 9.Be2 Ne7 10.0-0 Nd7, with equal chances, according to the engines, although Black (Polish Fide master Michał Paterek, 2317) went on to win.

8.Nh5!? Kf8?!

Losing castling rights. The engines suggest 8...Bg6!?, and if 9.Nxg7+ then 9...Kf8 10.Nh5 c5!?, claiming Black has the upper hand.

9.Be2!?

Sharp play, but the engines do not like it, preferring 9.Nf4 Qe4+ and either 10.Be2 or 10.Be3.

What should Black play?

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9...Ne7?!

The engines strongly dislike this, wanting Black to dive in with 9...Qxg2, or at least up the pressure on White's centre with 9...c5.

10.0-0 Qa5 11.Bd2 Qd8!? 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bh4 b5?!

Black is close to equality after 13...g6 or 13...g5, according to the engines.

14.a4

The engines like going for an immediate kingside attack with 14.g4 or 14.f4.

14...Bxc3?!

The engines reckon White is only slightly better after 14...g5.

15.bxc3 a5?!

15...g5 is more-or-less forced, according to the engines.

16.f4

Now ...g5 is prevented, and the engines reckon White has a positionally won game.

16...Qe8 17.g4 Bh7 18.axb5 cxb5 19.Bf3 Ra7 20.d5 Nxd5 21.f5!?

The engines prefer this over the obvious 21.Bxd5.

21...Rd7 22.Qd4

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 22.Bxd5 Rxd5 23.Qf3.

22...Kg8!?

The engines agree this is best.

23.Qc5 Rc7 24.Qf2!? Nc6 25.Bxd5 exd5

How should White proceed?

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26.Bf6!

There is no good answer to this.

26...g6 27.Qf4!? gxh5?

This makes matters worse, but Black is lost anyway.

28.Qxh6 Qf8 29.Qg5+ Bg6 30.Bxh8 Kxh8 31.fxg6 Qc5+ 32.Kh1 fxg6 33.Qh6+ Kg8 34.Qxg6+ Rg7 35.Qe8+ Kh7 36.Qxh5+ Kg8 37.Qe8+ Kh7 38.Rf8 1-0