FACED a Dutchman.
Spanton (1946) - Stef van Kesteren (1892)
Spanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 d6!?
This is second in popularity in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, but a long way behind castling.
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| How should White respond? |
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6.Be3
Stockfish17 and Dragon1 are not keen on this, preferring the common 6.0-0 and the somewhat unusual 6.d4!? After the latter they reckon best-play continues 6...exd4 7.cxd4 Bb4+ 8.Bd2 0-0!? 9.Bxc6 Bxd2+ 10.Nbxd2 bxc6 11.0-0, when they give White at least the better part of equality.
6...Bb6 7.Nbd2 Ng4!? 8.Nc4!? Nxe3 9.fxe3 0-0 10.0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White is ahead in development and has a half-open f file, but Black has the bishop-pair (at least temporarily) and no weaknesses. The engines call the game equal.
10...f5 11.Nxb6 axb6
The bishop-pair has gone, but Black has a half-open a file, which means at some point White will probably have to use a tempo safeguarding the a pawn.
12.Bc4+ Kh8 13.exf5 d5?!
Black should probably have been satisfied with 13...Bxf5.
14.Bb5!?
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| How should Black proceed? |
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14...e4?!
Best seems to be 14...Bxf5, when 15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.Nxe5 Qe7 17.d4 c5 gives Black some activity for the pawn, although White has the upper hand, according to the engines.
15.dxe4 dxe4 16.Qxd8 Nxd8 17.Ng5!?
The engines much prefer 17.Nd4!? or 17.Nh4. eg 17.Nd4 c5 18.Ne2 Rxf5 19.Nf4, when Black has regained the pawn but the engines reckon White has a won game, one line running 19...g5!? 20.Rfd1!? Nf7 21.Nd5 with Nxb6 to come.
17...Bxf5??
The engines give 17...h6 18.Nxe4 Rxf5, albeit awarding White at least the upper hand.
18.Bd7?
Much better is the immediate 18.g4, and if 18...Ne6 then 19.Rxf5! Rxf5 20.Nxe6, the point being 20...Rxb5 is met by 21.Nxc7 Rba5 22.Rxa8, when after 22...Rxa8 there is a rook-and-pawn ending in which White is 'only' one pawn up, but has the superior pawn-structure and, thanks to the threat of back-rank mate, can take the open d file with 23.Rd1, giving an advantage the engines evaluate as being worth much more than a minor piece.
18...g6 19.g4?
Stronger, according to the engines, are 19.Bxf5!? with Nxe4 to come, or immediately 19.Nxe4!?
19...Bxd7?
Correct is 19...Nf7!, when 20.Nxf7+ Rxf7 is equal, according to the engines.
20.Rxf8+ Kg7 21.Rf4
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| After the flurry of (missed) tactics, how would you assess the position? |
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Black has no compensation for the exchange - indeed Black is the equivalent of being at least a piece and a pawn down, according to the engines.
21...Bc6 22.a3?
But this throws away almost all of White's advantage, which could be maintained with, for example, 22.Rd1.
22...h6 23.Nh3 Ne6?
Both 23...Nf7!? and 23...g5 keep White's edge to a minimum, eg 23...Nf7!? 24.Raf1 Ne5 25.g5!? (the only move to keep any sort of advantage, according to the engines) Nf3+ 26.R1xf3!? exf3 27.Kf2 Ra5, after which the engines reckon White is at most slightly better.
24.Rf2 g5 25.Raf1 Be8 26.Rf6 Nc5 27.Rf8 Ne6 28.R8f5 Ra5!?
It is usually a bad idea to swop rooks when down the exchange, although here the engines do not mind it much as they cannot find anything significantly better.
29.Rxa5 bxa5 30.Rf5 b6 31.Re5 Kf6
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| How should White proceed? |
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32.Rxe4?
Preparing to give up the exchange in return for a pawn-up ending, but White should keep the rook with 32.Rf5+ or 32.Rd5.
32...Bc6 33.Rxe6+?
The rook cannot be saved, but this was not the way to give it up. Instead both 33.Nf2 and 33.Rc4 leave the game completely equal, according to the engines.
33..Kxe6
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| White is a pawn up, but Black has the better minor piece and the more-active king - advantages that the engines reckon give Black a slight edge |
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34.Kf2?
Now Black is winning. Correct is 34.Nf2, defending g4 and preventing the black king from occupying e4.
34...Ke5?
Winning is 34...Kd5, eg 35.Ke2 Bb5+ 36.Kd2 Ke4 etc, or 35.b3 a4!, or 35.Ng1 Kc4 36.Nf3 Be8 (36...Kb3?? 37.Nc4+) 37.Nd2+ Kd3 etc.
35.Ng1?
Possibly holding is 35.Ke2, meeting 35...Bb5+ with 36.Kf3, and 35...Ke4 with 36.Ne2+. At any rate 35.Ke2 is the only move that does not definitely lose.
35...Ke4 36.Nf3 Bd7
Not 36...Kd3?? 37.Ne5+.
37.h3 c5?
The engines reckon several moves win, including 37...a4, 37...Be8 and 37...Bc8.
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| White to play and draw |
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38.b4
White had to play 38.b3!, after which Black apparently cannot make progress, one point being 38...Be6 is a sham threat as White simply plays 39.Ke2, when 39...Bxb3?? loses to 40.Nd2+.
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| Black to play and win |
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38...axb4?
Liquidation saves White's bacon, whereas 38...Bb5 and 38...Ba4 certainly win, and other moves may win.
39.axb4 Be8
No better is 39...cxb4 40.cxb4 Kd5, eg 41.Ke2 Bb5+ (41...Kc4?? 42.Ne5+) 42.Kd2 Kc4 43.e4 Kxb4 44.h4 gxh4 45.Nxh4 etc.
The game finished:
40.bxc5 bxc5 41.h4 gxh4 42.Nxh4 Kd3 43.Nf5 Kxc3 44.Nxh6 Kd3 45.Nf5 c4 46.Kf3 Bd7 47.Nd4 Bxg4+!? 48.Kxg4 Kxe3 ½–½
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