Daniel Schröder (1975) - Spanton (2013)
Amateur Chess Organization 50+ World Championship Group C
Réti/Reversed Grünfeld
Réti/Reversed Grünfeld
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c5 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.d4
 |
| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
4...Bg4!?
This has been tried by many grandmasters, but Greek GM Spyridon Skembris, who is one of the ACO's resident GMs and kindly offered to go over my game, said Black should play 4...e6 or 4...Nf6. Stockfish17 and Dragon1 basically agree, while also being happy with 4...cxd4. All three moves are more popular than the text in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database.
 |
| How should White respond to the bishop's development? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
5.c3!?
This is somewhat passive, but is second in popularity behind Skembris's suggested 5.Ne5, and if then 5...Nxe5, White has 6.dxe5, with c4 to come, enhancing the influence of the white light-square bishop.
5...e6 6.0-0 Qb6!?
Normal is 6...Nf6.
7.e3!? Nf6
 |
| As Skembris pointed out, Black has a type of position more usually associated with White, and vice versa |
*****
*****
*****
*****
8.Nbd2 Be7 9.Qb3 c4 10.Qxb6
The engines prefer 10.Qa4!?
10...a6 11.Re1 Bf5!?
The engines agree that stopping an immediate e4 is Black's best plan.
12.h3!?
The engines strongly dislike this, suggesting 13.Ng5!? with 14.e4 to come.
12...0-0 13.Nh2 b5 14.g4!?
The engines like 14.e4, eg 14...Nxe4 15.Nxe4 Bxe4 16.Bxe4 dxe4 17.Rxe4, reaching the same position as is reached in the game, but with the white g pawn on g3 instead of g4.
14...Bd3 15.e4
 |
| What should Black play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
15...dxe4
Skembris wanted Black to undertake immediate queenside play, first suggesting 15...b4!? and later 15...Na5? The latter is a mistake, however, as White has 16.exd5, when Black cannot recapture as the bishop at e7 will hang. The engines like 15...b4!? and 15...h6!?
16.Nxe4 Nxe4 17.Bxe4 Bxe4 18.Rxe4 b4
 |
| White has opened the position to the benefit of White's bishop and king's rook, but Black has a queenside initiative |
*****
*****
*****
*****
19.Re2
Perhaps it was better to start bringing the white knight back into play with 19.Nf1!?
19...Ra4 20.Bf4?!
The engines' 20.Nf3 is probably better.
20...Rfa8 21.Rae1!? bxc3
As Chelmsford's Edgar Wilson, who was watching the analysis, pointed out, 21...Rxa2!? may be stronger, the engines showing that if 22.d5 then 22...exd5!? 23.Rxe7 Nxe7 24.Rxe7 Rxb2 leaves Black winning thanks to the preponderance of black queenside pawns.
22.bxc3 Rxa2 23.Rxa2 Rxa2 24.Rb1
 |
| Now that White suddenly has strong counterplay, how should Black continue? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
24...g5!
The engines agree this is best, but Skembris's 24...Na5 also seems reasonable.
25.Bc7!?
This may give the best practical chances as, after 25.Be3, Black has 25...Nd8, with the black rook remaining active and the b pawn not falling.
 |
| How should Black reply? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
25...Rc2
25...Rc2
Even stronger seems to be the engines' 25...Nxd4!?, eg 26.cxd4 c3 and 27...c2, or 26.Rxb7 Ne2+ and 27...f6.
26.Rxb7 Rxc3 27.Rb6
 |
| Black to play and maintain a winning advantage |
*****
*****
*****
*****
27...Nb4!
This proved very difficult to find, as was illustrated by the number of people who could not find it during the post-game analysis.
While playing I thought Black has a draw with 27...Nxd4!? 28.Bxe5 Rb3?? 29.Bxd4 Rxb6 30.Bxb6 c3 31.Be3? Ba3 32.Nf3 c2 33.Nxg5 c1=Q+ 34.Bxc1 Bxc1, but the engines point out that winning for White is the simple 31.Bd4 c2 32.Bb2 as White retains an extra piece. However 27...Nxd4!? does win as 28.Be5 can be met by the engines' 28...Bd8!, eg 29.Rb8 Rc1+ 30.Kg2 Nc6.
28.Rb8+
Or 28.Be5 f6 29.Bxf6 (29.Rxe6? Kf7) Bxf6 30.Rxb4 Bxd4, when, as Skembris pointed out, White's kingside is horribly weak.
28...Kg7 29.Ba5
This pin is easily dealt with, but White is lost anyway.
29...Rc1+ 30.Kg2 Nc6 31.Rb5?!
Objectively better is 31.Bd2.
31...Nxd4
This is plenty good enough, but, as Skembris noted, even stronger is 31...c3!?
32.Rb7 Bf6 33.Nf3 Ne2 34.Rc7?
Better, but still losing, is 34.Bd2.
34...c3 35.Rc5 h6 36.h4!? gxh4 37.Kh3 c2 38.Bd2 Rh1+ 39.Kg2 c1=Q 40.Bxc1 Rxc1 0-1
The first diagram is a reverse of the position that arises after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc5 d5 4. Bg5.
ReplyDeleteI think it was discovered by Svidler that the apparent blunder 4. .. Bg7 was OK because after 5 Bxf6 Bxf6 and either capture on d5, it is possible to regain the material by winning the pawn on d4. Similar ideas were possible in your game, but the suggested Ne5 looks right, to former Gruenfeld players at least. In the Gruenfeld proper, the sequence can run 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Ne4 5. Bh4 as played by Taimanov in the 1970 Rest of the World match against Uhlmann.
Interesting. I faced the same line in round two today, but although my opening play improved, the game-outcome deteriorated!
Delete