Spanish Bird
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4!?
Bird's Variation is named after English master Henry Bird, although the earliest games in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database were played by Howard Staunton.
4.Nxd4 exd4 5.0-0 Bc5 6.d3 c6 7.Bc4 d5 8.exd5 cxd5 9.Re1+ Be6!?
Normal is 9...Ne7, although Swedish grandmaster Jonny Hector has played the text.
10.Bb5+ Kf8 11.Ba4!?
The bishop is vulnerable on b5.
11...Qh4 12.Qf3
Threatening 13.Rxe6.
12...Nf6 13.Qg3!?
Peder Madsen (2260) - Hector (2515), Vejle (Denmark) 1994, went 13.Bf4 Nh5?! 14.Bg3 Qg5?! 15.h4 Qg4 16.Qxg4 Bxg4 17.Bh2, with at least the upper hand for White, according to Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1 (but 0-1, 41 moves).
13...Qxg3 14.hxg3
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| Now queens are off the board, how would you assess the middlegame? |
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Black has more space, and there is little danger of a direct attack against the awkwardly placed black king. But the white king is also no longer in danger, and Black's pair of isolanis could prove weak if an ending is reached. The engines give White a slight edge.
14...h5 15.Nd2 h4!?
Opening the h file for Black's rooks, but allowing White to get rid of doubled pawns.
16.gxh4 Rxh4 17.Nf3 Rh5 18.Re5!? Ke7!?
The engines strongly dislike this, preferring 18...Rxe5 or 18...Rh8.
19.Rxh5 Nxh5 20.Bd2
This maintains a slight edge, but strong seems to be the engines' 20.b4!?. eg 20...Bxb4 21.Rb1 a5 22.a3 Bc5 23.Rxb7+, or 20...Bb6 21.Bb2 Nf4 22.Re1 a5 23.b5 Kd7 24.g3 Ng6 25.Nxd4.
20...a6
The engines suggest 20...f6.
21.b4!?
This leaves the c pawn backward on a half-open file, but it is not easy for Black to get at the pawn.
21...Bb6 22.Re1 Kd6 23.Bc1 a5 24.b5 Bc5 25.a3 Bg4 26.Ne5 Be6 27.Bb2 Nf6
The engines reckon 27...g5!? and 27...Nf4 give complete equality, eg 27...g5!? 28.Nf3 g4 29.Nxd4 g3!? 30.fxg3 Nxg3 31.Re3 Rg8 32.Kf2 Nh5, claiming full compensation for a pawn.
28.Nf3 Rh8 29.Bb3!? Ng4 30.Nxd4 Bd7 31.a4 Rh4 32.c3 Ne5?
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| White to play and win |
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33.Bc2
Only after moving did I see 33.Rxe5!
33...Rg4
Maybe better is 33...Bg4, although the engines give White the upper hand.
34.Kf1 Ng6 35.Bd1
Stronger is untangling with 35.Nb3!, the point being 35...Rxa4 runs into 36.Nxc5 Ra2 37.Nxb7+ Kc7 38.Rb1!, and if 38...Kxb7 then 39.Bb3.
35...Rh4 36.Kg1 Nf4 37.Be2?
This gives away most of White's advantage, which is preserved by 37.Bc2.
37...Nxe2+ 38.Rxe2
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| How should Black proceed? |
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38...Rg4
The engines strongly dislike 38...Bxd4, claiming that after 39.cxd4 White has at least the upper hand, despite opposite-coloured bishops. However they reckon the rook is well-placed where it is, and prefer 38...b6 or 38...Kc7.
39.Re3 g6
The engines prefer preventing 40.Rh3 by playing 39...Rg6.
40.f3
Stronger is 40.Rh3, according to the engines.
40...Rh4 41.g3 Rh7 42.Kg2 Bh3+ 43.Kg1 Bd7
The engines reckon Black has equalised after 43...f6.
44.Bc1 f6 45.Re2 Bf5 46.Re3 Bd7 47.Bd2 g5 48.Be1 b6 49.g4
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| White threatens 50.Bg3# |
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49...f5?
The engines reckon 49...Kc7!? keeps any White advantage to a minimum.
50.gxf5?
Much better is 50.Nxf5+ Bxf5 51.d4 etc, eg 51...Bxd4 52.cxd4 Bb1 (52...Bc2 53.Bg3+ Kd7 54.Rc3) 53.Rc3 Kd7 54.Bd2 Rg7 55.Kf2 with excellent winning chances.
50...Bxd4 51.cxd4 Bxf5 52.Bg3+ Kd7 53.Re5
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| What should Black play? |
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53...Be6?
Passive defence is no defence, at least in this case. The engines reckon 53...Bxd3 54.Rxd5+ Kc8! draws, eg 55.Rxg5 Bc2 56.Kf2 Bxa4 57.Ke3 Re7+ 58.Kd3 Bd1, when the black passer seems to give enough counterplay.
54.Rxg5 Rf7 55.Kf2 Bf5 56.Ke3 Ke6 57.Be5 Rh7 58.Rg8 Rb7
More passivity, but by now it does not matter - Black is lost anyway.
The game finished:
59.Rc8 Kd7 60.Rc6 Be6 61.Kf4 Bg8 62.Kg5 Bh7 63.f4 Bxd3 64.f5 Ke7 65.Rh6 1-0
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