Adrián Galiana Fernández (2334) - Spanton (2009)
Double e-Pawn Irregular
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bd3!?
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| 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.
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.
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| How should White respond? |
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7.Bf1!?
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
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| 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
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
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| 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
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| 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
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