Safarullakhan Safin (1824) - Spanton (2009)
Spanish Cozio
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nge7 5.d4
This is fourth-most popular in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, the top choice being 5.0-0.
4...exd4 5.Nxd4 g6 6.c4!?
A rare continuation, setting up a sort of Maróczy Bind, but one in which Black has played ...e5 rather than ...c5.
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| How should Black respond? |
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6...Bg7
There is no dramatic refutation.
7.Be3 0-0 8.0-0 f5!?
Possibly a novelty. Known moves are 8...a6 and 8...d6.
9.exf5 Nxf5 10.Nxf5 Rxf5
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| Now Black has broken the bind, how would you assess the position? |
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The bind is broken, but the c4 pawn gives White a little more freedom in the centre, and White has the safer king. Dragon1 gives White a slight edge, but Stockfish17 calls the position equal.
11.Nc3 d6 12.Qd2 Ne5?!
Playing for threats against c4 and the white kingside, but probably prematurely. Sensible is getting on with development with 12...Be6.
13.Ne2?!
Passive. The engines reckon White has the upper hand after 13.f4!?, and if 13...Ng4 then 14.Bd4. They also like 13.c5.
13...Kh8?
Too slow. Black had two good moves, 13...Qh4 and 13...c6!?, eg 13...Qh4 14.Ng3 Ng4 15.h3 Nxe3 16.Qxe3 Re5 with pressure, or 13...c6!? 14.Ba4 Qh4!? 15.Bb3 a5 with multiple threats.
14.Ng3
Even stronger, according to the engines, is 14.f4.
14...Rf8?!
Almost certainly better is 14...Rf7, so 15.Bg5 can be met by moving the queen to f8 or g8, avoiding an exchange of dark-square bishops.
15.Bg5 Bf6 16.Bxf6
This is good, but even better, according to the engines, is 16.Bh6 Rf7 17.Ne4, eg 17...Bg7 18.Bxg7+ Rxg7 (18...Kxg7?! 19.f4 gives play against the black king), when Black's pieces are less well-coordinated than in the game.
16...Qxf6 17.f4 Ng4 18.h3 Nh6 19.Ne4 Qg7
Not 19...Qf5? 20.Qc3+!? Kg8 21.Rae1 with a strong attack.
20.Rae1 Nf5 21.Kh2 Nd4 22.Ba4
The engines like 22.Rd1!? Nxb5 23.cxb5, eg 23...Be6 24.Rf3 Rae8 25.Ng3!?, claiming a slight edge for White, apparently based on the vulnerability of Black's queenside pawns.
22...Bf5?!
It seems 22...Be6 equalises.
23.Ng5 h6 24.Nf3 Nc6!?
The engines prefer exchanging knights, albeit awarding White the upper hand.
25.Bxc6 bxc6 26.Re3
The engines like other lines, including 26.g4 Bd7 27.b4.
26...Rae8 27.Rfe1 Rxe3 28.Rxe3 c5!?
The engines agree this is best.
29.Qe2
After 29.Qa5 both 29...Qxb2 30.Qxc7 Qf6 31.Qxa7 Be6!? and 29...Qf7 are fine for Black, according to the engines.
29...Bd7 30.Re7 Rf7 31.Rxf7 Qxf7
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| How would you assess this queen-and-minor-piece ending? |
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Black has an extra pawn-island and the more-open king, while White has a knight, which is often said to be the better minor piece for cooperating with a queen. However, the bishop has good diagonals to work on, and the knight does not have a central or advanced outpost. The engines reckon the position is completely equal.
32.Qe4 Qf5?!
Several moves maintain the balance, including the simple 32...Kg7.
33.Qa8+ Kg7 34.Kg3!
The king is safe here, and now ...Qxf4+ is not threatened.
34...g5 35.fxg5 hxg5 36.Qxa7
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| Black to play and (probably) hold |
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36...c6?
Self-pinning the bishop, and meaning it will fall with check if the black queen no longer protects it. Best is 36...g4 37.hxg4 Qxg4+ 38.Kf2 Qxc4, when after 39.Qxc2 Black seems to have enough counterplay, eg 39...Qc2+ 40.Kg3 Qg6+ 41.Kf4!? Qh6+ 42.Ke4 Qe6+! 43.Kd3 Kg6!? However, this is one of those positions where one slip by Black probably hands the win to White, while the worse White can reasonably do is draw.
Self-pinning the bishop, and meaning it will fall with check if the black queen no longer protects it. Best is 36...g4 37.hxg4 Qxg4+ 38.Kf2 Qxc4, when after 39.Qxc2 Black seems to have enough counterplay, eg 39...Qc2+ 40.Kg3 Qg6+ 41.Kf4!? Qh6+ 42.Ke4 Qe6+! 43.Kd3 Kg6!? However, this is one of those positions where one slip by Black probably hands the win to White, while the worse White can reasonably do is draw.
37.Qc7 g4
Too late.
38.hxg4 Qxg4+ 39.Kf2 Qe6 40.a4
The passed a pawn will decide matters.
40...Kf6 41.Qd8+ Qe7 42.Qh8+ Kf7 43.a5 Qf6 44.Qxf6+ Kxf6 45.a6 Bc8 46.a7 Bb7
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| With the bishop tied to preventing the a pawn queening, White is effectively a piece up |
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47.Nd2 Ke5 48.Nb3 Ba8 49.Kg3 d5!? 50.Nxc5 d4 51.Kf2 Kd6 52.Na4 Kc7 53.c5 Kb7 54.Nb6 Kxa7 55.Nxa8 Kxa8 56.Ke2 1-0
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