PLAYED on board two (of five) for Battersea against Streatham in Central London League Division Two last night.
John Carlin (2286) - Spanton (1984)
Sicilian Closed
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.Bg5!?
An unusual continuation that has been played by Nigel Short and Stuart Conquest, and was a favourite of Oleg Romanishin.
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| How should Black respond? |
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6...Nf6
This was Magnus Carlsen's choice in a 2004 draw with Short. Dragon1 suggests 6...h6, the point being 7.Be3 Nf6 8.Qd2?! (trying to stop Black castling kingside) can be met by 8...Ng4. Stockfish17 likes the most popular move, 6...Rb8.
7.Nge2 h6
Short (2687) - Carlsen (2581), Hoogeveen Essent Crown (Netherlands) 2004, went 7...Rb8 8.0-0 b5 9.a3 Bd7 10.h3 0-0, with an equal game, according to the engines (½–½, 41 moves).
8.Be3 Ne5?!
I picked up the knight intending to play 8...Nd4?
9.f4 Nc6
After 9...Neg4?! the knight is awkwardly placed, eg the engines give 10.Bg1!? Nd7!? 11.d4, awarding White the upper hand.
10.h3!?
This is the engines' top choice.
10...h5!?
The engines prefer queenside play, eg 10...Rb8, 10...Nd7!?, or 10...0-0 followed by ...Nd7.
11.d4 cxd4 12.Nxd4 Bd7 13.0-0 Qc8!?
The engines like this.
14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.f5!?
Not 15.Kh2?! h4 16.g4 Bxg4!
15...gxf5 16.exf5 Rb8
Not 16...Bxf5? 17.Rxf5 Qxf5 18.Bxc6+ Kf8 19.Bxa8 Qxh3 20.Bg2!? (20.Qf3 Ng4) Qxg3 as after 21.Qf3 Black does not have enough for a bishop.
17.Qd2?
Better is 17.Qd3, protecting f5.
17...Rxb2?!
Probably stronger is 17...Bxf5, meeting 18.Bxc6+?! with 18...Kf8!?
18.Rae1?!
Again Qd3 is probably much better.
18...Bxf5 19.Bd4
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| How should Black proceed? |
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19...Bh6??
This turns a possibly winning position into a definitely losing one.
After 19...Rxc2?! 20.Qg5 the position is messy, but seems to favour Black. However the engines reckon 19...Rg8!? is winning, although given plenty of time they become less certain, but are still confident it is best.
20.Qf2!?
Also strong is 20.Qe2.
20...Rxc2 21.Rxe7+??
20...Rxc2 21.Rxe7+??
A blunder, whereas the straightforward 21.Qxf5 Qxf5 22.Rxf5 leaves White the equivalent of more than a piece ahead, according to the engines.
21...Kxe7 22.Bxf6+ Kxf6 23.Qxc2
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| Black is two pawns up, but under a strong attack |
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23...Re8??
White has no good answer to 23...d5, depriving White use of the e4 square.
24.g4!?
Dragon1 reckons 24.Be4 is even stronger, but Stockfish17 disagrees.
24...hxg4 25.hxg4 Be3+ 26.Kh2 Re5
Black achieves nothing with 26...Rh8+ as the white king is perfectly safe after 27.Kg3.
27.Rxf5+ Rxf5 28.Qxf5+?
Stronger is 28.gxf5, when 28...Qh8+?! 29.Kg3 Qg7+ 30.Kf3 leaves White winning, but 28...Qxf5 29.Qxf5+ Kxf5 30.Bxc6 is also very good for White.
28...Qxf5 29.gxf5 d5
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| How would you assess this minor-piece ending? |
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The engines reckon Black's two pawns and more-central king compensate for being a knight down.
30.Bh3
30.Bh3
Not 30.Bxd5?? Bf4+ 31.Kg2 cxd5 32.Nxd5+ Kxf5.
30...Ke5 31.Kg2 f6?!
Probably better is getting on with it on the centre-queenside with 31...Bd4 or 31...c5.
32.Kf3 Bd2 33.Na4 Kd4 34.Ke2 Bc1 35.Kd1 Bf4 36.Kc2 c5?
This lets White target d5. Better is keeping the bishop on the b8-h2 diagonal with, for example, 36...Bd6.
37.Nc3 Ke5 38.Nb5 a6 39.Nc7
The engines like 39.Nc3!?, eg 39...d4?! 40.Na4, when 40...Kd6 is met by 41.Kd3 etc. The engines suggest 39...c4!? but reckon 40.Bg2!? is winning.
39...a5?!
The engines point out 39...Kd6!, the idea being 40.Nxa6? Kc6 draws. However 40.Ne6 leaves White with an edge.
40.Ne6
Possibly stronger is the engines' 40.Bg2!?
40...Be3 41.a4 Bf2?
The engines reckon 41...c4 leaves White with at best a slight edge.
42.Nd8?!
White should be targeting the d5 pawn with Bg2 and Nc7 (in either order).
42...c4!? 43.Nc6+ Kf4?
Drawing is 43...Kd6 44.Nxa5 Kc7.
44.Nxa5 Kg3 45.Bf1 Kg4 46.Bg2 Bb6 47.Nc6 d4 48.a5 d3+ 49.Kc3 Be3 50.a6 d2 51.Kc2 Kxf5 52.a7 Bxa7 53.Nxa7 c3 54.Nb5 Kf4 55.Kxc3 Kg3 56.Be4 Kf4 57.Kxd2 f5 58.Bc6 Ke5 59.Ke3 Kd6 60.Bg2 Ke5 61.Nd5 (Scoresheet ends, but JC had no trouble converting the bishop-and-knight ending) 1-0
Streatham won the match 3.5-1.5.
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*
27/2/25....Central London League..B........1986..........1996................0............2015*
13/3/25....Central London League..B........1984..........2286................0............2008*
*My season's performance is slightly better than this as my win against a 1578 was a 1978 performance, lowering my average despite me winning.
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