Spanton (2009) - Bernard Logie (1845)
Caro-Kann Panov-Botvinnik
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Qb3!? Bxf3 9.gxf3
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| This is one of the main tabiyas of the Panov-Botvinnik, occurring 3,179 times in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database |
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9...e6 10.Qxb7 Nxd4 11.Bb5+ Nxb5 12.Qc6+ Ke7 13.Qxb5 Qd7 14.Nxd5+ Qxd5 15.Qxd5 exd5
9...e6 10.Qxb7 Nxd4 11.Bb5+ Nxb5 12.Qc6+ Ke7 13.Qxb5 Qd7 14.Nxd5+ Qxd5 15.Qxd5 exd5
BL offered a draw.
16.Be3 Ke6 17.0-0-0
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| The game is still very much in theory, this position occurring 209 times in Mega24 |
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17...Rc8+ 18.Kb1 Bc5 19.Rhe1 Bxe3!?
Possibly slightly better is 19...Kd6.
20.Rxe3+
This seems better than improving White's kingside pawn-structure.
20...Kd6 21.Ra3 Rc7 22.Ra5 Rhc8 23.Raxd5+
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| How would you assess the position now White has won a pawn? |
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The key is: how much compensation does White's mangled kingside give Black? Stockfish17 reckons the game is equal, but Dragon1 gives White a slight edge.
23...Ke6 24.R5d3 h5 25.Rd6+ Ke7 26.a3 g6 27.R6d4 Kf6 28.h4 Rc4 29.a4 R8c7 30.a5 Rc2 31.R1d2 Rxd2 32.Rxd2 Rc4 33.Rd7 Rxh4 34.Rxa7
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| White remains a pawn up, but the engines agree the position is completely equal |
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34...Rd4 35.a6 h4 36.Ra8 g5 37.a7 Ra4 38.b3 Ra6 39.Kb2 h3 40.b4 Kg7 41.Rc8 Rxa7 42.Rc1 Kf6 43.Kb3?
There is not time for this. Several other moves draw, including the simple 43.Rh1.
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| Black to play and gain a winning advantage |
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43...Ra8!
Rooks belong behind passed pawns, especially ones that would otherwise be lost.
44.Rh1 Rh8 45.Kc4 Ke6?
The winning plan consists of going after the white kingside pawns, and at the same time supporting the black pawns, so 45..Kf5 or 45...Ke5.
46.b5 f5 47.b6 g4 48.Kc5!? Ke5 49.fxg4 fxg4 50.b7 Kf4 51.Kb6 Kf3
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| White to play and draw |
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52.Rc1?
The engines show 52.Rh2!? draws, eg 52...Ke2 53.f4+ Kf1 54.f5 Kg1 55.Rc2 h2 56.f6 h1=Q 57.Rc1+ Kh2 58.Rxh1+ Kxh1 59.Ka7 Rh7 60.Ka8 Rh8+ 61.b8=Q Rxb8+ 62.Kxb8 g3, and both sides queen.
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| Black to play and win |
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52...Kg2?
52...Kg2?
Both 52...h2 and 52...Rb8!? win.
53.Rc8
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| Black to play and draw |
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53...Rh6+?
Drawing is 53...Rxc8!? 54.bxc8=Q h2 55.Qxg4+ Kf2, after which there is no win without Black blundering, eg 56.Qh6 Kg1 57.Qg3+ Kh1.
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| White to play and win |
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54.Kc5?
The engines show that the other two king retreats, ie 54.Ka5 and 54.Kb5, win because they do not block the white rook on the c file.
54...h2 55.b8=Q h1=Q
BL offered a draw in my time.
Note that if the white king were on a5 or b5, White would now win with 56.Qg3+ Kf1 57.Rc1+ etc.
56.Qb7+
Thanks to the white king's unfortunate placement, 56.Qg3+ is only good enough for a draw, eg 56...Kf1 57.Kd4 Re6.
56...Kxf2
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| How should White proceed? |
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57.Rf8+?
Drawing is 57.Qb2+ as the black king cannot escape checks, eg 57...Kg3 58.Qe5+ Kh4 59.Qe7+ etc.
57...Kg3 58.Qc7+ Kh3
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| White has run out of checks, and now the white king is extremely vulnerable, while Black has a supported pawn three squares from queening |
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59.Qf4 Rh5+ 60.Rf5
This is best, but still losing.
60...Qg1+
But not 60...Rxf5+? as 61.Qxf5 leaves White with a tablebase draw.
61.Kd5 Qg2+ 62.Kd4 Qb2+ 63.Ke3 Qc1+ 64.Kf2 Qxf4+ 65.Rxf4 Ra5 66.Rb4 Ra2+ 67.Kg1
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| Black to play and win |
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67...g3?
Winning is 67...Ra1+ 68.Kf2, after which many moves win, but simplest is 68...g3+ etc.
68.Rb1 Rg2+ 69.Kh1 Rh2+ 70.Kg1 Rg2+ ½–½
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