Spanton (2009) - Eloy Mezquita Salas (1852)
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.f3 Ne7 10.Be3 Ng6 11.0-0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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The position is typical of the Exchange Variation of the Spanish, although this exact position only occurs 36 times in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database. As is usual, White has the better pawn-majority, while Black has the bishop-pair. Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckon Black has at least the better part of equality.
11...h5 12.h4 Re8!?
This apparent-novelty is liked by the engines.
13.Bf2 b6 14.Nde2 f6 15.Rhe1
The engines are OK with this, although they agree that after ...
15...Be7
... White's best move is:
16.Rh1!?
White has lost two tempi, but that does not seem to be important, presumably because the opposing pieces are not engaged in hand-to-hand combat.
16...a5 17.Bg3 b5 18.Nf4!?
The engines do not like this, preferring 18.Kb1 (Stockfish17), 18.b3 (again Stockfish17), 18.Rde1!? (Dragon1) or 18.a3 (also Dragon1).
18...Nxf4!?
The engines approve of this capture. On the one hand it brings an ending closer, which could benefit White's superior pawn-majority, but on the other hand the bishop-pair can work better on a less-cluttered board, and there is a specific follow-up, which is played in the game and is liked by the engines.
19.Bxf4 g5!?
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| How should White respond? |
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20.hxg5?!
White gets a protected passed pawn after this, but again the board is becoming less cluttered, which favours the bishops, and Black has chances to create a passed h pawn.
20...fxg5 21.Be3 Be6 22.Kb1 g4 23.f4?!
Now White has a pair of passed pawns, but the move creates rival kingside pawn-majorities, and rival pawn-majorities nearly always help a bishop against a knight, and, by extension, a bishop-pair against a knight and bishop. Admittedly White has two pawns against none, while Black has a 2-1 majority, but Black's pawns are further advanced and better supported.
23...h4 24.Bd4 Rh5 25.f5?!
Another questionable decision, as pawns on e4 and f4 restrict the influence of Black's bishops. However the engines reckon Black in any case already has a positionally won game.
25...Bf7 26.Rdf1?
The rook should defend the e pawn, which is about to come under strong pressure.
26...Bd6 27.Re1!?
There is nothing better, as Black threatened ...b4 followed by ...Rxe4.
27...Bg3 28.Re3
28.Rd2 Bc4 is not an improvement.
28...Bf4 29.Ree1 Bg3 30.Re3 Bf2
Even stronger seems to be the more-or-less forcing line 30...c5!? 31.Bf6 (31.Bxc5? Bf2 etc) b4 32.Nd1 (32.Nd5? Bxd5; 32.Ne2? Bf2) Bf4 33.Ree1 h3 34.gxh3 gxh3.
31.Rd3 Bxd4 32.Rxd4 c5 33.Rdd1 b4 34.Nd5
Even worse is 34.Na5 Rxe4 35.Nxc5 Re5 etc.
34...Bxd5 35.exd5
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| How would you assess this rook-and-pawn ending? |
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Material is temporarily level, but Black is the equivalent of more than a minor piece better, according to the engines.
35...Rf8 36.Rdf1 Rhxf5 37.Rxf5 Rxf5 38.c4!?
Not 38.Rxh4?? Rf1#.
38...Rh5 39.Kc2 h3 40.gxh3 gxh3 41.Rh2 a4 42.Kd3 Kd7 43.Ke4 c6!? 44.dxc6+ Kxc6 45.b3 axb3 46.axb3 Kd6 47.Kf4 Ke6 48.Re2+
Black's win is made even easier after 48.Kg4 Rh8 49.Rxh3? Rxh3 50.Kxh3 Ke5 etc.
48...Kf6 49.Rh2 Rh8 50.Ke4 Rh5 51.Kf4 Rh4+ 52.Kg3 Rd4!? 53.Kxh3 Rd3+ 54.Kg4 Ke5 55.Rh5+ Kd4 56.Rd5+ Kc3 57.Rxc5
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| White momentarily goes a pawn up, but the Syzygy endgame tablebase confirms Black is winning |
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57...Kxb3 58.Kf4 Rd4+ 59.Ke3 Rxc4 60.Rd5 Ka3 61.Kd2 b3 62.Kd3 Rc8 63.Ra5+ Kb2 64.Rb5 Ka2 65.Ra5+ Kb1 66.Rb5 b2 67.Rh5 Rc1 68.Ra5 Rd1+ 69.Ke2 Rd7 70.Rb5 Kc2 71.Rc5+ Kb3 72.Rb5+ Kc3 73.Rc5+ Kb4 74.Rc8 Rb7 0-1
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