Spanton (1946) - Thomas Krueger (1669)
Scandinavian
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nb6 5.Nc3 Bf5!?
Much more popular in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database are 5...Bg4 and especially 5...g6.
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| How should White proceed? |
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6.Nc3
This is the main move, but a somewhat surprising alternative, quite liked by Stockfish17 and Dragon1, is 6.c5!? Their idea, after 6...Nd5, is the aggressive 7.Qb3, when known is 7...b6, but the engines marginally prefer an apparent novelty in 7...Nc6!? If then 8.Qxb7, Black has 8...Ndb4 9.Bb5 Be4 10.Ne5 Rb8, although 11.Bxc6+ Nxc6 12.Nxc6 Rxb7 13.Nxd8 Kxd8 leaves White a pawn up. Ture, Black has the bishop-pair and a lead in development, but the engines award White the upper hand.
6...e6 7.Bd3 Bxd3
The engines marginally prefer the loss of time involved in 7...Bg4!?, although the highest-rated player to have tried it in Mega25 is a 1739, who used it in a win over a 1999.
8.Qxd3 N8d7 9.0-0 Be7 10.Bf4 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White has more space in the centre-queenside, and a lead in development. The engines give White the upper hand.
11.Nb5
Possibly a novelty. The engines prefer the known 11.Rad1 and also 11.Rfe1.
11...c6
11...c6
The engines agree this is better than 11...Nc5?! 12.Qe2 Na6.
12.Nd6
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| How should Black deal with the advanced white knight? |
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12...Bxd6
Possibly slightly better is the sharp 12...Qc7 13.c5 Nc8, although 14.Be5!? promises White at least an edge, eg 14...f6 15.Nxc8 Qxc8 16.Bg3, but Black must avoid 14...Nxd6? 15.cxd6 Bxd6? 16.Ng5 g6 17.Qh3 h5 18.Nxe6!
13.Bxd6 Re8 14.Rad1 Nf6 15.Be5 Nbd7 16.Qb3 b6 17.Qa4 Qc8
Probably not 17...Rc8?! 18.Qxa7 Ra8 19.Qb7, eg 19...Rxa2 20.Bxf6! Nxf6 21.Ne5.
18.b4
The engines are not keen on this, reckoning other moves, eg 18.Rfe1, preserve an advantage.
18...a6
This is one of several moves that equalise, according to Stockfish17, but after the text Dragon1 reckons White still has at least the better part of equality, but would not after 18...Qb7 or 18...b5!? One point about the latter being 19.cxb5 can be met by 19...Nb6!, when holding on to the extra pawn with 20.Qa5 Nc4 21.Qa6 cxb5 22.Qxb5 gives Black enough counterplay, according to the engines, after 22...a6 23.Qc5 Ne4 24.Qxc8 Rexc8.
19.Rc1!? Qb7 20.Qb3 Nxe5!? 21.dxe5 Nd7
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| How would you assess the position after the change of pawn-structure? |
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White has more space in the centre, but the engines agree this does not give an advantage.
22.Qd3 Rad8
Dragon1 is happier with 22...Qc7, but Stockfish17 reckons the text is fine.
23.Ng5
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| How should Black meet the threat of White capturing on h7? |
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23...Nf8
Not 23...g6? 24.Qh3 h5 25.Ne4 (White's initiative seems to peter out after 25.g4?! Nxe5 26.gxh5 Qe7 27.f4 Nd3) Rf8 26.Qe3, when White's attack continues. However a tad better may be 23...f5!? 24.exf6 Nxf6, although the e pawn is weak.
24.Qe3 h6?!
This drives the white knight to a better square. Instead the engines reckon 24...Qc7 25.f4 c5 keeps White's advantage to a minimum.
25.Ne4 Re7 26.Qg3?!
The obvious 26.Nd6 is probably better.
26...Nf6
The engines prefer 26...c5.
27.h4 Qc7 28.f4 Kh8?
The engines reckon 28...Red7 equalises.
29.h5 Nf8 30.Nd6 c5 31.a3 Nh7 32.Rcd1 f6 33.Qg6
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| How should Black defend? |
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33...Nf8?
The engines reckon both 33...Rf8 and 33...Kg8 keep White's advantage to 'only' having the upper hand.
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| White to play and win |
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34.Nf7+! Kg8
Or 34...Rxf7 35.Rxd8, and if 35...Kg8 then simply 36.Qd3.
35.Nxh6+ Kh8 36.Rxd8 Qxd8 37.Nf7+ 1-0
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