Jane Scott (1650 ECF/1640 Fide) - Spanton (1976 ECF/1937 Fide)
French Advance
1.e4 c5 2.c3 e6 3.d4 d5 4.e5 Bd7 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Bd3 Bb5!? 7.dxc5!?
The main move in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database is 7.0-0, but the text scores 16 percentage points better, and is preferred by Stockfish17 and Dragon1.
7...Bxc5 8.b4!?
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
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*****
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8...Bxf2+?
The main line in Mega25 runs 8...Bxd3 9.Qxd3 (9.dxc5? Qa6) Bf8!? 10.0-0, when White is slightly better, according to the engines.
9.Ke2
Not 9.Kf1? Bxd3+ 10.Qxd3 Nh6!? 11.Bxh6 gxh6 as the bishop escapes, or Black gets plenty of compensation for it, eg 12.Ke2 Rg8!? 13.g3 a5 14.Rf1 Bxg3 15.hxg3 axb4.
9...Bxd3+ 10.Qxd3 Nc6 11.Rf1 Bh4!?
Four other moves are known, but this apparent-novelty is the engines' top choice, albeit they reckon White is winning.
12.Nxh4 Nxe5 13.Be3 Qc6 14.Qd4 f6 15.Qc5
The engines prefer 15.Kf2 or 15.a4.
15...Qa6+ 16.b5
Forced, as both 16.Kf2?? and 16.Ke1?? allow the knight fork 16...Nd3+.
16...Qa4 17.Nf3 Qc2+
The engines much prefer 17...b6!? 18.Qb4 Qxb4 19.Nc4, claiming White 'only' has the upper hand.
18.Nbd2 Qd3+ 19.Kd1?!
Not 19.Kf2?? Ng4+ etc, but the engines reckon 19.Ke1 is best.
19...Nc4 20.Bg1
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| What should Black play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
20...Qxc3?!
This lets the white king get out of danger, whereas 20...e5! keeps the white king on the back rank and takes the d4 square away from the white queen. The engines reckon 21.Ke1!? then gives White the upper hand, but the position remains tricky.
21.Qd4
The engines reckon 21.Ke2!? is best, but also like 21.Rc1!?
21...Qa3
Stockfish17 gives 21...Qxd4 22.Nxd4 Nxd2 23.Kxd3 Kd7, claiming White has 'only' the upper hand, while Dragon1 suggests 21...Qb4 22.Rb1 Qa4+ 23.Ke2, albeit claiming White is winning.
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
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*****
*****
22.Nxc4!
Opening lines to the white king, albeit while grabbing a pawn and swoping off a dangerous piece, looks strange, but the engines come to agree it is the best move.
22...dxc4 23.Qxc4 Rd8+ 24.Kc2 Ne7
This seems best, even though it allows:
25.Bc5
Objectively Black's best continuation, according to the engines, is 25....Rc8, but after 26.Bxa3 Rxc4+ 27.Kb3 White's extra piece should tell without much difficulty.
25...Qa5!? 26.Bxe7
This is good enough for a win, but even stronger are 26.Rae1 and 26.Qxe6, according to the engines.
26...Kxe7 27.Qc5+ Kf7
27...Rd6!? sets a nice trap, ie 28.Rfd1 Rc8!! 29.Qxc8 Qa4+ gives Black a perpetual. However 28.a4! wins.
28.Ne5+ Ke8 29.Nc4 Qa4+ 30.Kb2
The engines prefer 30.Kc3.
30...Kf7
The engines' 30...Rd5!? probably gives better chances. They reckon White has to find 31.Qc8+ Kf7 32.Qc7+, winning after both 32...Kg6 33.Qg3+ Rg5 34.Qd3+ Kh6 35.Rad1! (the key is that the white king will be safe on a1) and 32...Kg8 33.Rad1!, eg 33...Rxd1 34.Qc8+ Kf7 35.Ne5+ Ke7 36.Qxb7+ Ke8 37.Qc6+ Ke7 38.Qc7+ Ke8 39.Rxd1 Qxd1 40.Qc8+ Ke7 41.Qb7+ Ke8 42.Qa8+ Ke7 43.Qxa7+ Ke8 44.Qb8+ Ke7 45.Qc7+ Ke8 46.Nc6 (Black has no perpetual).
31.Nd6+!? Rxd6!?
The best try.
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| What should White play? |
*****
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*****
32.Qc7+!
Not 32.Qxd6? as Black wins after 32...Qxb5+ 33.Ka3 Qa5+ and 34....Rd8.
32...Kg6 33.Qxd6 Qxb5+ 34.Ka3 Qa5+ 35.Kb3 Rd8
The same idea as in the previous note, but Black is losing as the white queen has a saving check.
36.Qg3+ Kf7 37.Rad1 Qb5+ 38.Ka3 Rc8 39.Qb3 Qa5+ 40.Kb2 Qe5+ 41.Kb1 Qe4+ 42.Rd3!? Rc4
Or 42...Qxg2 43.Rd7+ (43.Re1 is also very strong) Kf8 44.Rfd1 etc.
43.Ka1 Rb4 44.Qc2 Qe5+ 45.Qc3 Qa5 46.Rd7+ 1-0
She Plays To Win Falcons won the match 4-2.
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