Spanton (1979) - Paul Williamson (1935)
Scandinavian
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Bd2!?
This is third-most popular in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, behind 5.Bc4 and especially 5.Nf3.
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| How should Black respond? |
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5...c6
Black can win a pawn with 5...Qb6 6.Nf3 Qxb2?, but after 7.Rb1 Qa3 8.Nb5 etc White is winning comfortably.
6.Bc4 Qc7 7.Nf3 Bg4 8.h3 Bxf3!? 9.Qxf3 e6
6.Bc4 Qc7 7.Nf3 Bg4 8.h3 Bxf3!? 9.Qxf3 e6
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| Black has given up the bishop-pair, has less space in the centre and is behind on development, but has no weaknesses |
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Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckon White has the upper hand.
10.0-0-0 Nbd7 11.Rhe1 0-0-0 12.Kb1?!
Despite White's advantages, the position is more critical for White than might appear at first glance, the point being White has two hangers on the fourth rank, ie two unprotected units. Better is 12.Bb3.
12...Nb6 13.Bf4
The engines suggest sacrificing the d pawn with 13.Bb3!? Rxd4, followed by either 14.Ne2 or 14.g4.
13...Bd6 14.Bxd6 Rxd6 15.Bb3 Nbd5!?
Probably a novelty. All four games to reach the position in Mega25 saw 15...Rhd8.
16.Nxd5
The engines suggest 16.Ne2 or 16.Na4.
16...cxd5!?
Setting up the possibility of a queenside minority attack.
17.Qg3 Rg8
After 17...g6?! 18.Qe5 Qe7 White gains at least a slight advantage with 19.c4, according to the engines.
18.f3 b5!? 19.Re3 Rc6 20.Qxc7+
Keeping queens on may be better. After the text White has the usually superior team of rook(s) and bishop versus rook(s) and knight. But there are 14 pawns on the board, which generally favours the knight. And with queens still present, the black king's situation would look a little draughty.
20...Kxc7 21.g4!? g6 22.Rdd3 Nd7 23.Rc3 Nb6 24.Rxc6+ Kxc6 25.c3 Kd6 26.Re2 h5 27.Rf2
The engines prefer 27.g4, meeting 27...f6!? with 28.f4.
27...Ke7 28.Kc2?
It seems it was necessary to stop Black's rook coming down the h file, and therefore the engines again like g4.
28...Rh8?!
Black is winning after 28...hxg4, according to the engines, eg 29.fxg4 Rh8 30.Rf3 f5 31.gxf5 exf5, when Black's 2-1 kingside majority is strong, or 29.hxg4 Rh8 30.Kd3 Rh1 31.Re2 Ra1 32.a3 a4 33.Bc2 Nc4+ etc.
29.Kd3?
29.g5 was an absolute must.
29...hxg4 30.hxg4 Rh3?!
Much better is 30...Rh1, eg 31.Ke2 Rb1 32.Kd3 a5 33.a3 Kf6 34.Kc2 Rh1 35.Kd3 a4 36.Bc2 Ra1 etc.
31.Ke3?!
The engines suggest 31.Bd1, but 31...Rh1 32.Be2 Nc4 33.b3 Na3 looks promising, although White is holding on for the moment.
31...g5?!
The engines agree 31...Rh1 is winning.
32.Ke2 Rh1 33.Rf1 Rh2+
The engines reckon Black should keep rooks on and start playing on the queenside with ...a5.
34.Rf2 Rh1 35.Rf1 ½–½
Essex won the match 9.5-6.5.
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