PLAYED on board two (of five) for Battersea against Hammersmith 2 in Central London League Division Two last night.
Spanton (1986) - Luke Barron (1998)
Philidor
1.Nf3 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nbd7 4.e4 e5
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| By a slightly unusual move-order the game has reached a mainline position from the Philidor that occurs 33,000 times in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database |
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5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0
The sharp line 6.Ng5 0-0 7.Bxf7+!? Rxf7 8.Ne6 Qe8 9.Nxc7 Qd8 10.Nxa8 slightly favours Black after 10...b5!?, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1.
6...c6 7.a4 Qc7 8.Qe2
The main line in Mega25 runs 8.Re1 h6 9.h3 Nf8!? 10.Be3, with a slight edge for White, according to the engines.
8...a5
Commonest in Mega25 is 8...h6, while the engines suggest 8...0-0 or 8...exd4.
9.Bb3!? h6 10.Nh4?
Known moves are 10.Rd1, 10.Qc4 and 10.dxe5.
10...exd4 11.Qc4!?
Retreating the knight is probably objectively better.
11...dxc3 12.Qxf7+ Kd8 13.Ng6 Ne5 14.Nxe5 dxe5 15.Rd1+?
The engines prefer 15.Qxg7 Rh7 16.Rd1+ Bd7 17.Qg6, reaching the same position as in the game but giving Black fewer options.
15...Bd7
Blocking the check by developing a piece looks natural, but the engines recommend 15...Bd6!, obliging the white queen to retreat.
16.Qxg7 Rh7
This is the only move for an advantage, according to the engines, but it is a winning advantage.
17.Qg6 Kc8!?
17.Qg6 Kc8!?
The engines agree this is also best.
18.Be3
Perhaps 18...Bxh6 is better.
18...Qd8!?
Entering a pin looks suspicious, but the engines are OK with it, although preferring 18...Kb8 and 18...c5!?
19.Be6 Qh8?
Black is still winning after 19...cxb2 or `19...Bf8, according to the engines.
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| How should White proceed? |
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20.Rxd7?
Better is 20.Qf5, when 20...Bd8 gives a murky position, but Black has at least a slight edge, according to the engines.
20...Nxd7 21.Rd1 Bg5 22.Bb6?!
The bishop is loose here, but there is no satisfactory continuation, eg 22.Qf5 Bxe3 23.fxe3 Kc7 leaves Black a rook-for-pawn up as both 24.Bxd7 Rd8 and 24.Rxd7+ Rxd7 25.Bxd7 cxb2 are hopeless for White.
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| What should Black play? |
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22...Bd2?
There are several winning moves, including 22...Ra6 and 22...cxb2.
23.bxc3?
The engines agree 23.Bf5 gives complete equality.
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| Black to play and win |
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23...Bxc3??
This turns a winning position into a losing one. Both 23...Kb8 and 23...Ra6 win.
24.Qf5 Bd4?!
Relatively best seems to be 24...Ra6, but 25.Bxd7+ Kb8 26.Be3 gives White a winning advantage, according to the engines, despite White being the exchange down for a pawn.
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| White to play and win |
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25.Rxd4! exd4 26.Qf4 Qd8
Forced.
27.Bxd8 Kxd8 28.Bxd7+ 1-0
The match was drawn 2.5-2.5.
MY BATTERSEA SEASON 2024-5
MY BATTERSEA SEASON 2024-5
DATE.....EVENT...........................COL..RATING..OPP'S RATING..SCORE..SEASON PERF
12/9/24..Central London League....W......1933..........1886................1............2286
26/9/24..Central London League....B.......1933..........2112................1............2399
15/10/24.Club Championship.........W......1968..........1578................1............2259*
31/10/24.Central London League...B.......1968..........1867.................0...........2061*
19/11/24.London League...............W.......1957..........1991................1............2127*
21/11/24.Central London League....B.......1957..........2035................=...........2112*
27/11/24.London League...............W.......1957..........1723................=...........2056*
12/12/24.Central London League....B.......1965..........2153................0...........2018*
7/1/25.....Club Championship.........B.......1958..........1785................1...........2037*
9/1/25.....Central London League....B.......1958..........1851................0...........1978
14/1/25....Eastman Cup.................B........1958..........2052................1............2021*
28/1/25....London League..............B........1958..........1766................1............2033*
4/2/25......London League..............B........1980..........1757................1............2043*
6/2/25......Central London League..W.......1980..........1932................0............2006*
11/2/25....Central London League..B........1986..........2178................=............2018*
13/2/25....Central London League.W........1986..........1998................1............2042*
*My season's performance is slightly better than this as my win against a 1578 is a 1978 performance, lowering my average despite me winning.
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