Santiago Alfonso Abrego (1804) - Spanton (2009)
Spanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 a6!?
Much more popular are 5...Be7 and especially 5...Nd6.
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| How should White respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
6.Bxc6
This keeps the game in independent lines, whereas 6.Ba4 transposes to the Open Defence. Stockfish17 prefers the text, but Dragon1 at first prefers retreating the bishop, although it soon comes to agree capturing is best.
6...dxc6 7.Re1!?
This scores 18 percentage points better in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database than the more popular 7.Qe2, after which the mainline continues 7...Bf5 8.dxe5, when the engines reckon 8...Be7 gives Black at least equality.
7...Bf5?
The knight should be withdrawn, probably to f6.
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| White to play and gain a winning advantage |
*****
*****
*****
*****
8.Nxe5
The engines agree this is good enough for an edge, but White has stronger in 8.g4!? and 8.Qd3!?, eg 8.g4!? Bg6 9.Nxe5 Qf6 10.Qe2, or 8.Qd3!? Nd6 9.Rxe5+ Be6 10.Bg5 Be7 11.Nc3 Bxg5 12.Nxg5 Qf6 13.Rae1.
8...Be7!?
This seems to be a novelty. Known moves are 8...Bd6? (played by, among others, a 2313), 8...Qd5? and 8...f6?
9.Qf3
The engines suggest 9.g4!? Nxf2! 10.Kxf2 Bh4+ 11.Kg2!? Bxe1 12.gxf5, with a messy position they reckon is at least slightly better for White.
9...Nd6 10.Bf4
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| What should Black play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
10...Be6
I rejected 10...0-0!? because of 11.Nxc6!? bxc6 12.Bxd6 and 13.Qxf5. However Stockfish17 reckons Black has decent compensation for a pawn, whichever way Black captures on d6. Dragon1 is less sure.
11.Nd2 0-0 12.c4?!
This weakens the d pawn. The engines suggest 12.Nd3, 12.c3 or 12.a4, with equal chances, presumably believing White's lead in development and better pawn-structure match Black's bishop-pair.
12...Nf5!?
It can be dangerous going after a pawn when behind in development, but here it seems sound.
13.Rad1?!
Probably better is 13.Nb3 Nxd4 14.Nxd4 Qxd4 and either 15.Qg3!? or 15.b3, when the engines agree Black has an edge, but White has threats.
13...Nxd4 14.Qc3
Stockfish17 fluctuates between this and 14.Qg3, but Dragon1 comes to definitely prefer the text. After 14.Qg3 Nf5 15.Qb3 Qc8 Black's position looks suspect, but the engines give Black the upper hand.
14...c5
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
15.Nef3
Not 15.Nb3? Ne2+!, but possibly better is 15.Kh1!?, when 16.Nb3 is a threat.
15...Bg4!?
Black remains well behind in development, but Black moves with already developed pieces are creating concrete threats that have to be met.
16.Kh1?!
This seems less good now. Probably better is 16.Kf1, although the engines reckon 16...Ne6!? leaves Black well on top.
16...Bf6 17.Ne4?
The engines give 17.Qd3 or 17.Qc1, but agree Black is winning.
17...Nxf3!
The only convincing move, but plenty good enough.
18.Rxd8 Bxc3 19.Rxa8 Rxa8 20.Nxc3
Rook moves can be met by 20...Be5.
20...Nxe1
The game finished:
21.Bxc7 Nd3 22.h3 Be6 23.b3 Nf2+ 24.Kg1 Nd3 25.Kf1
Judging by his body language, it was only at this point that SAA realised he was a rook down.
0-1
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