Benidorm Round Three

AFTER taking a half-point bye in the first of today's two rounds, I was paired against a Spanish Fide master.

Adrián Galiana Fernández (2334) - Spanton (2009)

Double e-Pawn Irregular

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bd3!?

This position occurs 224 times in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database

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The move can be praised for being anti-theoretical, but not for much else. However, White can take more liberties than Black in the opening, and among those who have lost to it are Mikhail Tal, at the 1952 Latvian championship.

3...Nf6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.h3!?

Tal's opponent, Zigfrīds Solmanis, played 5.c3.

5...0-0 6.Re1 Nh5!?

This sets a little trap, but otherwise achieves little as White does not have much to fear from either ...Ng3 or ...Nf4.

How should White respond?

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7.Bf1!?

Certainly not 7.Nxe5? Qh4, and if 8.Ng4 then best is 8...d5!?, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1. They suggest 7.c3, when both 7...Nf4 and 7...Ng3? are handily met by 8.Bc2.

7...d6

The engines recommend sacrificing a pawn with 7...Ng3!? 8.Nxe5 Nxf1!? 9.Nxc6 dxc6 10.Rxf1, claiming Black has good compensation after 10...f5 or 10...Qh4.

8.c3 Re8

The engines reckon 8...Qf6!? leaves White only slightly better.

9.d4 exd4

The engines prefer 9...Bb6.

10.cxd4 Bb4 11.Nc3

11.Ng5!? works well after 11...Bxe1? 12.Qh5, but 11...Nf6 equalises, according to the engines.

11...h6 12.a3 Ba5 13.b4 Bb6 14.Nd5 Nf6 15.Nxb6 axb6 16.b5 Ne7 17.d5!

The engines reckon this committal move is best.

17...Ng6 18.Qd4 Nd7 19.Bb2 f6

How would you assess this middlegame?

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White has the bishop-pair, more space and the slightly safer king, but Black has good squares for the knights, especially c5. However the engines agree White has the upper hand.

20.Bd3 Nc5 21.Bc2 Qd7?!

Played with a specific idea in mind, but the idea is faulty, although it leads to complicated play after ...
22.a4

... but the engines reckon 22.e5! Nxe5 23.Nh4 would have led to a strong attack for White, eg 23...Qxb5 24.a4 Qd7 25.f4 Nf7 26.Nf5 Qd8 27.Nxg7! Rxe1+ 28.Rxe1 Kxg7 29.Re8!! Qxe8 30.Qxf6+ Kf8 31.Qg7+ Ke7 32.Bf6+ Kd7 33.Bf5+ Ne6 (33...Qe6 34.Qxf7#) 34.Bxe6+ Qxe6 35.dxe6+ Kxe6 36.f5+!

22...Nf4

How should White meet Black's threat to capture on g2?

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23.Qe3!?

Maybe a tad stronger is the engines' 23.Ra3.

23...Nxd5?!

The engines give best play as 23...g5 24.Nd4 Qf7 25.Qc3, although they reckon White has a positionally won game.

24.Bb3!? c6

Not 24...Nb3? 25.Qxb3 etc.

25.Nd2?!

The engines show White has two winning moves in 25.Qc3!? and 25.bxc6!?, eg 25.Qc3!? Rxe4 26.Rxe4 Nxe4 27.Qd4 Nc5? 28.bxc6 bxc6 29.Bxd5+, when 29...cxd5? loses to 30.Qxd5+ and 31.Qxa8. Better is 27...Qf5, but 28.Bc2 Nf4 29.Qxe4 (not 29.Bxe4?? Ne2+ etc) Qxe4 30.Bxe4 wins.

25...Kh7 26.Qg3 Nxb3?

Better is 26...Nb4, although the engines reckon White has more than enough for a pawn.

27.Qxb3 Nf4 28.Qg3?!

This gives at least a slight edge, but stronger is 28.Qe3, hitting f4 and b6.

28...Ng6 29.Nc4 Qc7 30.Qxd6 Qxd6 31.Nxd6 Rd8

White has the upper hand after 31...Re6?! 32.Red1, according to the engines.

32.Nc4 cxb5 33.axb5 Be6 34.Nxb6 Rxa1 35.Bxa1 Rd6 36.Na4 Bd7 37.Nc5

White has a slight edge after 37.Rb1 Bxb5! 38.Rxb5 Rd1+ 39.Kh2 Rxa1 40.Nc5, according to Dragon1, although Stockfish17 disagrees.

37...Bxb5 38.Nxb7

How would you assess this ending?

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White is a pawn up, but the engines reckon the position is equal, presumably due to the better coordination of the black pieces.

38...Re6 39.Nc5 Re7 40.Re3 Nf4 41.Kh2 Rc7 42.Nb3 Nd3 43.Kg3 Rc2??

I saw my threat, but not White's.

44.Nd4 1-0

All Quiet On The Western Front

BENIDORM Bay is split into two long and sandy beaches by the rocky promontory of the old town.

Looking from the promontory to the Poniente (West) Beach, undoubtedly the quieter half

Benidorm Round One

FACED an Indian Fide master.

Spanton (2009) - R Ashwath (2333)

Spanish Exchange

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7.Nxd4 Bd7 8.Nc3 0-0-0 9.Be3 Ne7!? 10.0-0-0

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position?

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Black's bishop-pair is more important than White's better pawn-majority, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1, but not by much, although Dragon1 is the keener on Black's position.

10...Ng6 11.f3 Re8!? 12.Bf2!?

This may be a novelty. Known moves are 12.Rhe1 and 12.Nde2.

12...Nf4

What should White play?

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13.Nce2?

The wrong knight. After 13.Nde2 Black cannot play 13...Nxg2? because of 14.Rxd7! Kxd7 15.Rg1. Instead the engines recommend 13...Ng6 or 13...Nxe2+. White could also play 13.g3, meeting 13...Nh3 with 14.Be3, and if 14...f5 then 15.R(either)e1.

13...Nxg2!

Correctly calculated - White cannot trap the knight.

14.h4

14.R(either)g1 is met by 14...Bh3, with the knight escaping at its leisure.

14...g6 15.h5 Bd6

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 15...Bh6+.

16.Bg3 Ne3 17.Rde1 Nc4 18.Bxd6!?

The engines approve of getting rid of the bishop-pair, even though Black's c pawns are undoubled.

18...cxd6 19.Nc3 g5!?

The engines like this, along with 19...Ne5.

20.h6?!

The white h pawn will prove harder to defend than any of the black kingside pawns.

20...Rhg8 21.Reg1 Ne5 22.Rg3 f6 23.Rhg1?!

This hardly helps matters. The engines suggest playing on the queenside with 23.a4, pushing the b pawn either one square or two.

23...Rg6 24.f4?!

Hastening the end.

The game finished:

24...gxf4 25.Rxg6 hxg6 26.Nde2 Rh8 27.Rh1 f3 28.Ng3 Nf7 29.h7 Ng5 30.Rh6 Rxh7 31.Rxg6 Rh3 0-1

How Much Is 100 Euros Worth?

YOU may recall I won a 100-euro rating prize at the Cap Negret 65+ seniors earlier this month, but commented that a big chunk of it would be eaten up by Spain's withholding tax on prize money. Yesterday my current account was boosted by £61.12.

'Tis The Season To Be Sunny

CHRISTMAS is much more low-key in Alicante than in Britain.

This is about as festive as it gets, at least this early in the season

Getting There (Benidorm)

FLEW on Easyjet's 13:10 from Southend airport, the departure lounge having had an impressive makeover since I last used it.

But there were just two flights from Southend today, which shows things are still not back to normal as, according to a member of staff, there were almost 40 flights a day pre-covid.

From Alicante airport I caught a Beniconnect shuttle, arriving at my hotel at 17:30 Spanish time.

View from my balcony

League Chess

PLAYED on board two (of eight) for Battersea 2 against Hackney 3 in London League Division Four last night.

Spanton (1957) - Chris Gribben (1723)

French Rubinstein

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bd7

This is the start of the For Knox Variation within the Rubinstein complex.

5.Nf3 Bc6!?

This seems to have been first played by José Capablanca in 1902.

6.Bd3 Nd7 7.0-0 Ngf6

There are 5,288 examples of this position in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database

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8.Re1

The mainline in Mega25 runs 8.Ng3 Be7 9.Re1 0-0 10.c3, with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1.

8...Nxe4 9.Bxe4 Bxe4 10.Rxe4 Nf6 11.Re1

The engines like 11.Rh4!?

11...Be7 12.c3 0-0 13.Bg5 c6 14.Ne5 Qc7!?

This may be a novelty. Known moves are 14...h6 and 14...Nd7.

How should White proceed?

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15.Re3?

Building up on the kingside is positionally desirable, but here it is tactically flawed. The engines suggest 15.a4, 15.Bf4 or 15.Qe2.

15...Nd5! 16.Bxe7

There is nothing better, eg 16.Qg4? can be met by 16...Bxg5 17.Bxg5 f6.

16...Nxe3 17.fxe3 Qxe7 18.Qf3 Rad8 19.Rf1 Rc8!? 20.Qg3 Qc7 21.Qh4 Qd8 22.Qg3 Rc7 23.h4 Kh8?!

The engines dislike this, preferring 23...f6 or 23...c5.

24.Qf4 Qe7 25.h5 h6?

The engines reckon 25...Kg8!? and 25...Qd8!? maintain a winning advantage.

26.Ng6+! fxg6 27.Qxf8+

CG offered a draw.

27...Qxf8 28.Rxf8+ Kh7 29.g4

White has a slight edge after 29.Ra8 a6 30.Re8!?, according to the engines.

29...gxh5 30.gxh5 Re7 31.Kf2 g6 32.hxg6+ Kxg6 33.Kg3 e5 34.Rf2 exd4 35.exd4 Re4+ 36.Kf4 Re7

Who, if anyone, stands better?

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The engines reckon the position is completely equal.

37.Rg2+ Kf6 38.Rh2 Rh7!? 39.c4 Ke6 40.b4 a6 41.Rh5 b5!? 42.Re5+ Kd6 43.c5+ Kd7 44.d5 cxd5 45.Rxd5+ Kc7

White has a protected passed pawn, but this is balanced by Black's mobile passed pawn, the position remaining completely equal, according to the engines

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46.Rd6 Kb7 47.Kf5 h5 48.Rd3

White gets nowhere with 48.Kg6 Rh8 49.Kg7 Re8.

48...h4 49.Kg4 Re7!? 50.a3 Re4+ 51.Kf5 Rc4

What should White play?

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52.Kg5?

It was time to think about securing the draw, starting with, for example, 52.Rd7+ or 52.Ke6.

52...a5 53.Rb3?!

Perhaps the best practical chance lay with 53.Rd7+ Kc8 54.Rh7, but the Syzygy endgame tablebase shows the position after 54...axb4 55.axb4 Rxb4 is winning for Black.

53...axb4 54.axb4 Kc6 55.Kf5 Kc7

This does not spoil anything, but the simplest win begins with 55...h3!?

56.Kf5 ½–½

Battersea 2 won the match 5-3..

MY BATTERSEA SEASON 2024-5

DATE.....EVENT...........................COL..RATING..OPP'S RATING..SCORE..SEASON PERF

12/9/24  Central London League   W     1933         1886                   1            2286

26/9/24  Central London League   B      1933         2112                   1            2399

15/10/24 Club Championship        W     1968         1578                   1            2259*

31/10/24 Central London League  B      1968         1867                   0            2061*

19/11/24 London League               W     1957         1991                   1            2127*

21/11/24 Central London League   B      1957         2035                   =           2112*

27/11/24 London League               W     1957         1723                   =           2056*

*My season's performance is slightly better than this, the point being my win against a 1578 counts as a 1978 performance, which lowers my average despite me winning the game.

Onwards And Upwards

AM making final preparations for flying to Alicante tomorrow for the annual chess festival at Benidorm's Gran Hotel Bali.

I originally entered the B tournament, but because my Fide rating has passed 2000, I have been moved up to the open.

There are nine rounds over seven days, so I have booked half-point byes in the morning rounds of the two double-round days.

The time limit is 90 minutes, with a 30-second increment throughout.

I am seeded 137th of 207 entries, which include six from England, and there are 10 more England-registered players in the B event.

Lessons From Altea VIII: A Touch Of The Tartakowers

SAVEILLY Tartakower is possibly better known for his chess witticisms than for his games, an observation that is meant as a compliment to his sense of humour, rather than an insult to his abilities over the board.

One of his better-known aphorisms is one he liked to give while on a lecture tour of Europe after World War Two.

He regaled audiences with stories behind the tournaments he had won, the great players he had beaten, and the opening innovations he had devised.

Just when it seemed Tartakower was somewhat over-egging his boasts, he would add words to the effect: "My one regret in chess is that I never managed to defeat a fully healthy opponent."*

I was reminded of the story after my round-nine loss at the Cap Negret 65+ seniors.

I was winning for much of the game, eventually reaching the following position.

How should White proceed?

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During the game I had, for the first time in the tournament, felt tired enough to eat an energy bar while play was going on.

I should explain I like to have energy bars handy for just such a situation, especially when rounds start at the awkward-for-eating time of 16:30.

The fact that this was the first occasion in the tournament I had resorted to such an energy boost suggests I had been in reasonable physical shape.

But by round nine my exertions were clearly catching up with me, which is my only explanation for uncorking the horrific blunder 35.Nxh7??

Having played the move, I even got up from the table and went to see how a rival for a rating prize was doing on top board.

After sitting back down, I still did not realise anything was amiss, until my opponent, probably as stunned as I was about to be, played 35...Rxh7, prompting my resignation.

LESSON: you cannot expect to play your best chess when, for whatever reason, you are under the weather.

*I cannot recall where I first came across this account of Tartakower's lecture tour, and a search of the internet has not helped, except to show that the witticism has also been attributed to other players.

Lessons From Altea VII: The Great Equaliser

YOU may think the Giuoco Piano and the Sicilian have little in common, apart from both arising after 1.e4, and of course in many ways that is correct.

But my round-eight game at the Cap Negret 65+ seniors illustrates what I believe is a strong connection, at least from a conceptual view.

The game began 1...e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 a6!? 6.Nbd2 0-0 7.0-0.

How should Black proceed?

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In the Sicilian it is often remarked that if Black can successfully play ...d5, Black's game will be at least equal, and may well be better.

But Black had better get it right - a premature ...d5 often leaves Black's game in great difficulties.

The same applies, I believe, in the Giuoco Piano, which is why in the diagrammed position I was keen to be able to play 7...d5!?

Although the move has been played by grandmasters, it is not liked by Stockfish17 or Dragon1, and after it White scores an excellent 66% in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.

Black is by no means lost, but Black's game is tricky to play, as the continuation of 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Re1 f6? 10.d4 Bb6 11.dxe5 showed, my position being in ruins, or at least badly compromised.

LESSON: in the Giuoco Piano, as in the Sicilian, ...d5 is a powerful weapon, but it must be timed correctly.

Lessons From Altea VI: That Old Familiar Feeling

In round seven of the Cap Negret 65+ seniors, against Belgian Fide master Johan Goormachtigh (2173), I played a new opening - new to me, that is - over the board for the first time.

The game began 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bb4, the starting point of the Ragozin Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined.

Previously I had mostly played 4...Be7 and especially 4...c5, but decided to try something new after picking up an old ChessBase DVD on the Ragozin as a "material" prize at a tournament - cannot recall which one - earlier this year.

In preparing for the game I had seen that Goormachtigh usually meets the Ragozin with the main reply, 5.Bg5, although he also once played 5.Qa4+.

Against me he chose 5.cxd5, which is second-most popular in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, and has been the main weapon of Garry Kasparov (you may not be surprised to learn Magnus Carlsen has played all three moves, and 5.e3 and 5.Qb3).

I replied 5...exd5, and the game continued 6.Bf4!?, which is the top choice of Dragon1, marginally ahead of the commoner 6.Bg5. Stockfish17 fluctuates between the two moves, and also likes 6.Qa4+.

After the further 6...0-0 7.e3 the game reached an instructive point.

How should Black proceed?

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Drawing on my experience of the Exchange Variation of the QGD, especially from the black side, I played 7...c6.

The move appears 26 times in Mega25, is perfectly reasonable and has been played by grandmasters.

The resulting pawn-structure is immediately reminiscent of the QGD Exchange, and indeed can arise from that variation, as is shown by the fact that the position after 7...c6 occurs, thanks to transpositions, 37 times in Mega25.

However, I discovered after the game that the most popular move in the diagrammed position is 7...c5!?, which I immediately recognised as a typical idea in the Ragozin.

During the game I was put off 7...c5!? by the reply 8.dxc5, which turns out to be the mainline in Mega25.

But the engines continue 8...Qa5 9.Be5 Nfd7!?, claiming equality, one line running 10.Bd6 Rd8 11.Rc1 Nxc5 12.Be7 Nd3+!? 13.Bxd3 Bxe7 14.h3 Nc6 15.0-0 Rb8!?

Summing up, then, my understanding post-game is that 7...c5!? is possible, and indeed may be the best move in the position, because White is not exerting as much pressure on the black centre as would be the case, for example, if the white dark-square bishop were on g5.

True, I should have been able to work this out over the board, and so not dismiss 7...c5!? so lightly.

But I am sure a greater familiarity with the ideas of the Ragozin would have made 7...c5!? much easier to find or, rather, having found it, to actually play it.

LESSON: contrary to the old proverb, in chess at least familiarity breeds contentment.

Lessons From Altea V: Follow Through

HERE is a position from my round-six game at the Cap Negret 65+ seniors.

Black has just played 18...Ra8-c8, the idea obviously being to seek counterplay down the c file before White's kingside attack hits home

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The game continued 19.Bb1! g6 20.Rf6 Kg7?! (Stockfish17 and Dragon1 much prefer 20...c5!?) 21.Rc1 Ng8 (the engines fluctuate between this and 21...c5!?, but come to marginally prefer the latter) 22.Rcf1!? Nxf6 23.Rxf6? (23.exf6+ wins, according to the engines) Rg8? (Black probably has a slight edge after 32...c5, according to the engines) 24.Qf2 (missing 24.Nxg6!) Kh7 (Dragon1 prefers 24...c5, but Stockfish17 rates the two moves equally) 25.Qf4 Rg7 26.Nf3?! Rh8?! (the engines reckon 26...c5 gives at least the upper hand) 27.Nh4?! Qe8 (27...c5!? gives the upper hand, according to the engines) 28.g4?! Kg8 (Dragon1 prefers 28...c5!?, but Stockfish17 disagrees) 29.Qf3 b6 (29...c5!? is much preferred by the engines, and also 29...Qc8) 30.h3 Qe7 (again ...c5 is preferred).

Position after 30...Qe7

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From move 20 to move 30 the engines reckon Black'had up to nine chances to play ...c5 with good effect, but not one of those opportunities was taken even though the move is a logical follow-up to Black's 18th (..Rac8 makes no sense without ...c5 to come).

White is slightly better after 30...Qe7, despite being the exchange down, according to the engines, and went on to win, although only after mutual errors.

LESSON: chess is largely a logical game, and sometimes if A is played, then B had better follow.

League Chess

PLAYED on board one (of five) for Battersea 3 against top-of-the-table Wanstead in Central London League Division Three last night.

Spanton (1957) - John Hodgson (2035)

Sicilian ...e6/Maróczy Bind

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bb4

This position occurs 3,499 times in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database

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7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.Bd3 e5!?

This is the commonest move in Mega25, although it does not appear before 1937.

9.0-0 Bxc3!?

This is the critical alternative to the mainline, which runs 9...0-0 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 Bc5!?, with a position Stockfish17 and Dragon1 find hard to judge, their evaluation fluctuating between equality and a slight edge for Black.

10.bxc3 c5!?

Most popular in Mega25 is 10...d6, while the engines suggest castling or 10...Qe7.

11.f4 d6 12.fxe5 dxe5 13.Bg5 Rb8!?

This apparent-novelty - the known move is 13...Qd6 - is the engines' top choice.

14.Qa4+ Qd7 15.Bc2

JH in the postmortem suggested 15.Qa5, when the engines reckon Black should coolly castle.

15...0-0

The engines give Black a slight edge after 15...Qxa4+ 16.Bxa4 Ke7!?

16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Rxf6 Qxa4 18.Bxa4 Be6

White has won a pawn, at least temporarily, but the engines agree Black has full compensation

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19.Rd1 Bxc4

I thought 19...Kg7 is better, and the engines confirm this, but there is not as much in it as I believed.

20.Rc6 Rfc8 21.Rxc8+ Rxc8 22.Bb3 Bxb3 ½–½

Battersea 3 defaulted on board 4, losing the match 1.5-3.5.

MY BATTERSEA SEASON 2024-5

DATE.....EVENT...........................COL..RATING..OPP'S RATING..SCORE..SEASON PERF

12/9/24  Central London League   W     1933         1886                   1            2286

26/9/24  Central London League   B      1933         2112                   1            2399

15/10/24 Club Championship        W     1968         1578                   1            2259*

31/10/24 Central London League  B      1968         1867                   0            2061*

19/11/24 London League               W     1957         1991                   1            2127*

21/11/24 Central London League   B      1957         2035                   =           2112*

*My season's performance is really slightly better than this, the point being my win against the 1578 counts as a 1978 performance, which lowers my average despite me winning the game.

Lessons From Altea IV: No Going Back

THE following position was reached in my round-five game at the Cap Negret 65+ seniors.

Black has just castled

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Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckon the position is equal.

But it was equal no longer after White played 12.c4?!, which was met by 12...Nf5, winning a pawn.

White would be OK if 13.c3 were playable, but of course pawns cannot move backwards.

Indeed every pawn move is an example of an irreversible move, another well-known one being castling.

LESSON: be extra careful with irreversible moves, especially in sharp middlegame positions.

My Mega Details

NOW I have the latest version of ChessBase's Mega database up and running, I discover I have 1,175 games in the database.

According to ChessBase, I score "badly" with white, "below average" with black.

But it is not just about me - there are 11.15million games in the database, the latest being from the Slovakian rapid championship on October 5.

HELP!

IT is about this time every year I buy the upgraded annual edition of ChessBase's Mega database.

I used to get it from Chess & Bridge in London, but more recently I have been buying it direct from Germany when the company runs a one-day 25%-off sale.

The DVD takes a few days to arrive, and postage is extra, but I have been happy with that.

This year I bought Mega from Germany as usual, but instead of receiving a DVD I got a piece of paper with an activation code on it.

Apparently ChessBase is no longer offering a DVD option. If I had known, I would not have bothered paying postage.

But worse - much worse - was to follow.

I have installed the database on my computer, but there are no instructions for how to get it to appear in either of my versions of ChessBase.

I use ChessBase 9 on a day-to-day basis - the screen is far less-cluttered than later versions - and ChessBase 16 very occasionally.

I have repeatedly emailed the company asking for help, but have not even received an acknowledgement, never mind advice.

So I have two questions for blog readers.

1. Any idea on how I can get the database working in my versions of ChessBase?

2. Alternatively, is there a rival system with similar features I could use?

Battle Of The Fallen

PLAYED on board six (of eight) for Battersea against Athenaeum last night in London League Division Two, both teams having been relegated last season.

Spanton (1957) - Carl Hetherington (1991)

French Exchange

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 Bd6 6.0-0 0-0 7.Bg5 Bg4 8.Nbd2 Nbd7

This symmetrical position occurs 1,225 times in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database

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9.Re1

The mainline in Mega24 runs 9.c3 c6 10.Qc2 Qc7 11.Rfe1 Rfe8, with an equal position, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1.

9...c6 10.c3 Qc7 11.h3 Bh5 12.Qc2 Rae8 13.Nh4

How should Black proceed?

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13...Qb6!?

This seems to be a novelty. Gerard Oskham - Akiba Rubinstein, Ostend 1906, went 13...Bg6!? 14.Nxg6 hxg6 15.Bxf6 Nxf6, with equality, according to the engines (but 0-1, 63 moves). Equally popular in Mega24, although from a small sample size, is 13...Bf4, but the engines reckon 14.Bxf4 Qxf4 15.g3!? gives White an edge.

14.Qb3

The engines reckon 14.c4 Bb8 15.c5 leaves White with the upper hand, and if 15...Qc7 then 16.g3!?

14...h6?

This move, which is almost automatic for some players in such positions, is here a mistake.

15.Be3?!

White is quite a bit better after this, but stronger is 15.Bxf6 Nxf6 16.g4, when 16...Bg6 simply loses a pawn. Black can try 16...g5!?, but 17.Nf5 is good, and 16...Bf4 17.Qc2 still leaves Black with the problem of what to do about the h5 bishop. One suggestion by the engines is 17...Nxg4!? 18.hxg4 Bxg4, which looks a little intimidating, considering White's exposed king, but White should not have too many problems.

15...Ne4 16.Nxe4?!

Probably better is 16.Bxe4!? dxe4 17.Nc4 Qc7, after which the engines give 18.g4!? Be7 19.Ng2! (19.Nf5 Bg6 20.Nxe7+ Rxe7 gives Black the upper hand, according to the engines) b5!? 20.Bf4!? bxc4 21.Bxc7 cxb3 22.gxh5, claiming a winning advantage for White, albeit in a messy position.

16...dxe4 17.Bc4 Kh7

The engines suggest 17...Qc7, meeting 18.g4?! with 18...Be7.

18.g4 Bg6 19.Nxg6

How should Black recapture?

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19...Kxg6

The engines prefer 19...fxg6.

20.Qc2 f5?

Possibly even worse is 20...Nf6? 21.f3. The engines give 20...Kh7, and if 21.f3 then 21...f5, eg 22.gxf5 exf3!? 23.f6+ g6 24.f7, awarding White a slight edge.

White to play and gain a winning advantage

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21.gxf5+?

Missing 21.Be6! Rxe6 22.d5 etc.

21...Rxf5 22.Be2 Nf6 23.f3 Rh5??

Best is 23...Qd8!, according to the engines, eg 24.fxe4 Nxe4 25.Bd3 Qh4, with counterplay,but 23...Bg3 is also better than the text.

24.fxe4 Rxh3 25.e5+ Kf7 26.Bc4+ Kf8 27.Qg6 Qc7

There is nothing better.

28.exd6

Not 28.exf6?? Rg3+.

28...Qd7

Black's one hope is White's exposed king, but the king is a lot safer than it may at first seem

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29.Bf4 Rxe1+?! 30.Rxe1 Rh4 31.Be6 Qe8 32.Qxe8+ Kxe8

With queens off the board, the game is as good as over

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33.Be5 Nh5 34.Rf1 g5 35.d7+ Ke7 36.Bd6+!? Kxd6 37.d8=Q+ Kxe6 38.Qe8+ Kd5 39.Rf5+ Kc4 40.Qe2#

Athenaeum won the match 4.5-3.5.

MY BATTERSEA SEASON 2024-5

DATE.....EVENT...........................COL..RATING..OPP'S RATING..SCORE..SEASON PERF

12/9/24  Central London League   W     1933         1886                   1            2286

26/9/24  Central London League   B      1933         2112                   1            2399

15/10/24 Club Championship        W     1968         1578                   1            2259*

31/10/24 Central London League  B      1968         1867                   0            2061*

19/11/24 London League               W     1957         1991                   1            2127*

*My season's performance is really slightly better than this, the point being my win against the 1578 counts as a 1978 performance, which lowers my average despite me winning the game.

Lessons From Altea III: Ratingitis

AFTER taking a half-point bye in round three of the Cap Negret 65+ seniors, the following position was reached in my round-four game:

Black has just played 29...Bf6-e7!?

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US Fide master James Schuyler wrote the thought-provoking book, Your Opponent Is Overrated (Everyman, 2016).

Part of his thesis was that it is wrong to show too much respect for the player sitting opposite.

"We have a fallible opponent. He is messing up every game," Schuyler explained in the book's introduction.

"Even when he stumbles upon the right moves, it's often for the wrong reasons. I'd even go so far as to say he's overrated."

But there are two sides to this coin, and it is just as easy to fail to show your opponent enough respect.

In my round-four game Black had been under the cosh for much of the game, with Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckoning White has a winning advantage in the diagram.

Furthermore, my ratings, Fide and ECF, were a fair bit higher than my opponent's, so I had few qualms about snaffling the e5 pawn with 30.Rxe5?! Rxe5 31.Nxe5, when White has won a pawn and threatens a devastating capture on f7.

What I missed is that after 31...Qf6 Black has protected f7 and is attacking both the undefended h4 pawn and the undefended knight.

True, I maintained an advantage with 32.Rd5!, but the advantage was much less than it would have been had I played the engines' suggestions of 30.Kg2 or 30.R1d3.

There can be little doubt that against a stronger opponent I would not have been so quick to dismiss 29...Be7!? as a mistake.

LESSON: arrogance in chess is as much a sin as undue deference.

Lessons From Altea II: Logical Thinking

THE following simple endgame position was reached in my round-two game at the Cap Negret 65+ seniors.

Black to play and win

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The game saw 67...g3?, which threatens mate on the move, but that is easily thwarted by 68.Rb1, after which there is no way for Black to make progress.

Returning to the diagrammed position, it should be obvious there are two plausible ways for Black to win.

One is by checkmate, based on the white king's restricted location on the back rank; the second is by promoting the pawn.

Since the first method cannot be realistically realised, Black must go for the alternative.

Once that has been settled, it becomes a matter of how the second way is to be attempted.

Clearly the white king has to be evicted from the queening square, and when Black has understood that, the correct move screams out from the position.

After 67...Ra1+, White's reply, 68.Kf2, is forced. Then Black's most obvious continuation, 68...g3+, can quickly be recognised as very strong.

It is not necessary to see Black has checkmate in a little over 20 moves (21, according to Stockfish17; 22, according to Dragon1!).

LESSON: at a simple level this is an example of how logical planning leads to finding the winning move, whereas moving does not necessarily lead to finding the winning plan.

Lessons From Altea: Double Trouble

MY round-one game at the Cap Negret 65+ seniors reached the following position after 13 moves.

Black has just played 13...Nf6-h5!?

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My opponent decided (rightly) that 14...Nf4 is not much of a threat, and so played 14.exd5?

What he missed is that Black has the exchange-winning 14...Ng3!

In other words, 13...Nh5 contained two threats, and, as Lev Psakhis is quoted as saying by Jonathan Rowson in Chess For Zebras (Gambit, 2005): "Good moves usually have at least two ideas."

LESSON: don't stop looking for danger just because you have spotted, and correctly discounted, a threat posed by the opponent's last move - the move may contain more than one threat.

Summing Up Cap Negret

MY score in the 65+ seniors of +3=4-1 (I also took a half-point bye) gained 2.6 Fide elo.

I won the third prize for those rated 1901-2100, which means I should receive 100 euros, minus Spain's withholding tax, which I understand is not insignificant.

Cap Negret Round Nine

Spanton (2009) - Cesar Camisón Zornoza (1895)

1.Nc3/Liberated Bishop

1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 Bf5!?

A Liberated Bishop approach has much more going for it when White cannot react with queenside pressure by playing c4, Nc3 and Qb3. The text scores an excellent 52% in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database.

3.f3!? e6

The mainline in Mega24 runs 3...Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.Nxd5!? Nxd5 6.e4 h6!? 7.Bh4 Ne3?! 8.Qd3 Nxf1 9.exf5 Nxh2?! 10.Rxh2, with the upper hand for White, according to Stcokfish17 and Dragon1, but they are unimpressed with many of the moves in this sequence.

4.e4 dxe4 5.fxe4 Bg6

Not 5...Qh4+?? 6.g3 etc.

6.Nf3 Bb4 7.Bd3 Nc6

This is the main continuation in Mega24. The engines fluctuate between the text, 7...Ne7, 7...Nd7, 7...c5 and 7...Nf6.

8.a3 Bxc3+

The engines prefer 8...Ba5.

9.bxc3 Nge7

The pawn-formation somewhat resembles a French Winawer, and with the black light-square bishop outside of the pawn-chain, but Black has no pawn-pressure on the white centre

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10.0-0 a6?!

This seems to be a novelty, and probably not a good one. The known move is castling.

11.a4 Qd7 12.Ba3 f6!?

The engines are OK with this, albeit they reckon White is positionally winning.

13.Qe2 Bf7 14.Rab1 Nd8 15.Ra1

The engines suggest getting on with it on the kingside with e5, Nh4 or Qf2.

15...0-0 16.c4 Re8 17.c3

Stronger is 17.e5 f5 and now 18.c3, according to the engines.

17...Ng6 18.g3 Qxa4?!

The engines reckon a better way to grab the pawn is 18...e5 19.d5 Qxa4.

19.e5 Qd7

Possibly slightly better is 19...f5, but 20.h4 is good.

20.exf6 gxf6 21.Nd2 f5 22.Nf3 Nc6 23.Ng5 Rad8!?

Not just developing, but also setting up a possible sacrifice on d4.

24.Qh5 Nf8 25.Qh6 Bg6 26.Rae1

How should Black proceed?

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26...Ne7

Dragon1 agrees with this, but Stockfish17 prefers 26...Nxd4!?, continuing 17.Bxf8!? Rxf8 18.Re3, when Black is two pawns up, but both engines reckon White is winning.

27.d5!?

Trying to open kingside lines with 27.g4!? may be better.

27...exd5 28.cxd5?

The engines reckon 28.h4 gives a large advantage.

28...Qxd5?

The wrong capture. Instead 28...Nxd5 29.Bc4 c6 equalises (Dragon1) or leaves White with only a slight edge (Stockfish17).

How should White proceed?

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29.Rd1?

White has a winning advantage after the engines' 29.Nxh7! (29.Rxe7!? probably transposes) Bxh7 30.Rxe7 Rxe7 31.Bxe7 Qxd3 32.Qg5+ Bg6 33.Bxd8, when Black has a pawn for the exchange, but the black king is much weaker.

29...Qb3

Best may be 29...c5!?, although the engines reckon White has at least full compensation for being two pawns down.

30.Bxe7 Rxe7 31.Bc4+ Qxc4 32.Rxd8 Qc5+ 33.Kg2

Possibly better is 33.Rf2!? Re1+ 34.Kg2.

33...Qc6+?

The engines reckon White is at best only slightly better after 33...Re2+ 34.Kh3 Qe7.

34.Kh3?

White has a won game after 34.Nf3, according to the engines.

34...Qf6?!

Almost certainly better is 34...Re8.

What should White play?

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35.Nxh7??

Both 35.Nf3 and 35.Rb8 give the upper hand, according to the engines.

35...Rxh7 0-1

Port Of Call

THE Alicante tram system includes a line running just over 55 miles from the city of Alicante to the port of Dénia.
There is a stop at Cap Negret, which makes a trip to the port very manageable before the normal tournament start time of 14:30.

Unfortunately there is currently a bus-replacement service for part of the journey, but it is still worth the effort.

Sardine(?) with innards made from junk hauled out of Dénia harbour 

Cap Negret Round Eight

I WAS upfloated for the second time in the tournament, landing on top board against the top seed, a Dane, who was a point ahead of me, and me with a second black in a row!

Mogens Thuesen (2174) - Spanton (2009)

Giuoco Piano

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 a6!?

This is a popular alternative to the mainline in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, which runs 5...d6 6.0-0 0-0 7.Bb3!? a6!? 8.Nbd2 Ba7!? 9.h3 h6, with an equal position, according to Stockfish17, although Dragon1 gives White an edge.

6.Nbd2 0-0 7.0-0

Both sides having castled, how would you assess the position?

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Neither side has any weaknesses, and the engines reckon the game is equal.

7...d5!?

Normal is 7...d6. If Black can get away with playing the text, Black should be at least equal, but the move is loosening.

8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Re1

This is Stockfish17's choice. Dragon1 prefers 9.Ne4.

9...f6?

Apparently a novelty, and not a good one. The engines suggest 9...Nf6, or 9...b5 10.Bb3 Nf6.

10.d4 Bb6 11.dxe5 fxe5?

Better is 11...Nxe5 12.Nxe5 fxe5, but the engines reckon White has at least the upper hand after both 13.Ne4 and 13.Rxe5!?, eg 13.Rxe5!? Bxf2+ 14.Kh1 c6 15.Ne4 Bh4 16.Be3 with an initiative.

12.Ne4

Not 13.Nxe5?? Bxf2+ etc.

12...Ne7

Even worse is 12...Be6? as White wins by moving either knight to g5.

13.Bg5 c6 14.Bxe7

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 14.Nxe5.

14...Qxe7 15.Bxd5+ cxd5 16.Qxd5 Kh8 17.Neg5?

White has the upper hand after this, according to the engines, but there are much better moves, including the simple 17.Qxe5.

17...Bxf2+! 18.Kxf2 Qxg5

Black has got the pawn back, at least temporarily, but e5 is weak

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19.Rxe5?!

This might be enough for an edge, but the engines reckon White should get the king to safety first with 19.Kg1, picking up the pawn next move, eg 19...Qf6 20.Nxe5, one point being 20...Qb6+ seems well met by 21.Qd4!?, when 21...Qxb2?! looks to be asking for trouble, one line running 22.Nc4!? Qb5 23.Nd6 Qh5 24.Re7 with strong pressure.

19...Qg6 20.Kg1 Bg4 21.Nd4!

The engines agree this is best, even though it takes a piece away from defence of the king.

21...Qf6?!

Almost certainly better is the engines' manoeuvre 21...Qb6!? 22.b3 Qf6, when 23.h3 (this is the best move, according to them, as also is the case in the game) Rac8! comes very close to equalising, since 24.hxg4 allows a perpetual with 24...Qf2+ 25.Kh2 Qh4+ etc.

22.h3!?

Black equalises after 22.Ree1?! Qf2+ 23.Kh1 Qxb2, according to the engines.

22...Qf2+ 23.Kh1

The engines prefer 23.Kh2!? Qxb2 24.Rae1!?, claiming at least the upper hand for White.

23...Rad8!

The engines agree getting the last piece into play is more important than grabbing the b2 pawn, after which 24.Rae1 looks strong.

24.Qe4

White can  take a second pawn with 24.Qxb7!?, according to the engines, when 24...Rb8? 25.Qe4 leaves White well on top, but  24...Bc8 is not so clear.

24...Qxb2 25.Qe1

The engines reckon the text, 25.Rb1 and 25.Re1 all give complete equality.

25...Bc8

White has two isolated pawns, but the knight is strong, and the black king is probably no safer than the white one

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26.a4 Qb6 27.Qg3!? Qd6 28.Rae1 Bd7 29.Qh4 Qf6 30.Qg3 Qf4 31.Qxf4 Rxf4 32.Rd5 Rff8 33.Re7!? Bxa4 34.Rg5 Rd7 35.Rgxg7 Rxe7 36.Rxe7

How would you assess this rook-and-minor-piece ending?

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Black has a protected passed pawn that is on the farside from the kings, and has what is usually the better minor piece for cooperating with a rook. But White's rook is much more active, and the knight is well-placed. The engines reckon the position is equal.

36...Rc8 37.Rxb7 Rxc3 38.Ne6 h3

Possible is 38...Rxh3+!? as 39.gxh3 loses to 39...Bc6, but White has 39.Kg1!, eg 39...Rg3 40.Rb8+ Rg8 41.Rb6 Bb5 42.Nc7 etc.

39.Ra7 Bb5 40.Nc7 Rc6 41.Kh2!?

A draw is all but inevitable after 41.Nxb5.

41...Bc4 42.g4 a5!? 43.Ne8?!

Other moves are probably better, including activating the king with 43.Kg3.

43...Ra6 44.Rc7

The minor-piece ending after 44.Rxa6? is almost certainly winning for Black.

How should Black proceed?

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44...Bb5

Best, according to the engines, is 44...Bg8!?, after which they reckon Black is at least slightly better.

45.Rc8 Bxe8

Not 45...Kh7 46.Rc7+ Kg6?? 47.Rg7#.

46.Rxe8+ Kg7 47.Re3 a4 48.Ra3 Kf6 49.Kg3 Ke5 50.Kh4 Kd4 51.Kh5 Kc4 52.h4 Kb4 53.Ra1 Kb3 54.g5 hxg5

Not 54...Kb2?? 55.Rxa4 Rax4 56.g6, which wins for White.

55.hxg5 Kb2 56.Rax4 Rxa4 57.g6 Kc3 58.g7 Ra8 ½–½

One Street In Old Altea

Cap Negret Round Seven

FACED a Belgian Fide master.

Johan Goormachtigh (2173) - Spanton (2009)

QGD Ragozin

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.cxd5

This is second in popularity to 5.Bg5.

5...exd5 6.Bf4!?

The mainline in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database runs 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 g5!? 8.Bg3 Ne4 9.Nd2!? Nxg3 10.hxg3 c6, with a slight edge for White, according to Dragon1, although Stockfish17 is less sure. Note that 9...Nxc3 10.bxc3 Bxc3 11.Rc1 seems to give White good compensation for a pawn.

6...0-0 7.e3 c6

This may be a little passive. Most popular in Mega24 is 7...c5!?

The position looks like a mainline Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined, but with the black dark-square bishop on b4 instead of e7, and the white dark-square bishop on f4 instead of g5 

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It is difficult to say whom the changes benefit. The engines reckon White is slightly better in the diagrammed position, but they also reckon White is slightly better in the analogous position from the Exchange Variation.

8.Bd3 Nbd7 9.0-0 Re8 10.Qc2 Nf8 11.h3 Ne6 12.Bg3!?

This may be a novelty. The known move is 12.Bh2.

12...g6!?

A familiar idea from the Exchange Variation. One possible follow-up is ...Ng7 and ...Bf5 to swop light-square bishops.

13.a3

Where should the attacked bishop go?

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13...Be7

The engines prefer 13...Bd6 or 13...Bf8.

14.b4 a6 15.Na4 Ng7 16.Nc5 Nfh5 17.Bh2 Bd6 18.Ne5 Qe7 19.a4 f6?!

The engines reckon White is only slightly better after 19...Nf6.

20.Nf3 Bxh2+ 21.Kxh2 Ne6 22.b5 Nxc5 23.Qxc5 Qxc5 24.dxc5 axb5 25.axb5 Bd7

After a flurry of exchanges, White's Minority Attack has made progress, but how should White proceed?

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26.Nd4

This is Dragon1's top choice, whereas Stockfish17 prefers 26.b6.

26...Ng7 27.Rfb1

But here the engines agree 27.b6 is best.
27...Ne6

The engines like 27...Rxa1!? 28.Rxa1 cxb5!?, claiming White at best has a slight edge.

28.Rxa8

The engines reckon 28.Nxe6 Bxe6 29.b6 gives at least a slight edge.

28...Rxa8 29.bxc6 bxc6 30.Nxe6 Bxe6 31.Rb6 Bd7 32.Ba6 Bc8?!

Probably better is 32...Kf7, and if 33.Bb7, then 33...Rb8.

33.Bxc8 Rxc8

How would you assess this rook-and-pawn ending?

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White has an active rook versus a passive one. Dragon1 reckons that gives the upper hand, but Stockfish17 calls the position completely equal.

34.Rb7 h5 35.Kg3 Re8!?

The rook will be less passive on e6.

36.Rc7 Re6 37.Kf4 Re4+ 38.Kf3 Re6 39.Ke2!?

The only way to try to make progress.

39...d4 40.e4!? f5!?

Dragon1 strongly dislikes this, but Stockfish17 is fine with it.

41.Kd3 fxe4+ 42.Kxd4

How should Black continue?

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42...Rf6?!

Both 42...h4 and 42...g5 give complete equality, according to Stockfish17, although Dragon1 reckons White in each case is slightly better.

What should White play?

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43.Kxe4

Stockfish17 reckons 43.g4!? is winning, eg 43...Rxf2 44.Rxc6 Kf7 45.g5!? Rf3 46.Kxe4 Rxh3 47.Rf6+ Kg7 48.c6. For much of the line, Dragon1 reckons the position is equal, but it comes to give White the upper hand.

43...Rxf2 44.Rxc6 Rxg2 45.Rf6 Kg7 46.Rf3 Rc2 47.Kd5 g5 48.c6 Kg6 49.Rf8 Rc3 50.Kd6 Rxh3 51.c7 Rc3 52.c8=Q Rxc8 53.Rxc8

How would you assess this rook-versus-pawns ending?

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Endgame tablebases show the position is drawn, but Black has to start with three only-moves.

53...Kf5!

The white king has to be shouldered away.

54.Kd5 h4!

Other moves lose, eg advancing the king now fails, one line running 54...Kf4 55.Rc4+! Kf3 56.Ke5 h4 57.Kf5 h3 58.Rc3+! Kg2 59.Kg4! h2 60.Rc2+ Kg1 61.Kg3 h1=N+ (the only hope - but White has a winning reply) 62.Kf3! g4+ 63.Kxg4 Nf2+ 64.Kf3 Nd3 65.Rd2 Ne5+ 66.Kf4! Nc4 67.Rd4 (other moves also win) Nb2 68.Kf3 Kf1 69.Rd2 etc.

55.Rf8+ Kg4

The third only-move on the trot, but this one is obvious.

56.Ke4 h3 57.Rh8 Kg3 58.Kf5 g4 59.Kg5 h2 ½–½