Spanton (1937) - Carlo Luciani (2122)
Spanish Exchange
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7.Nxd4 Bd7 8.Nc3 0-0-0 9.Be3 Re8!?
This is the top choice of Stockfish17 and Dragon1, along with 9...Ne7, and scores a fabulous 66% in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.
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| How should White respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
10.f3
The engines are happy with this and the much more popular 10.0-0-0.
10...Bb4 11.Nde2 f5 12.a3 Bd6 13.Kf2?
The king is not safe here. Instead 13.0-0-0 gives a position in which the engines reckon White is 'only' slightly worse (engines do not like White's chances in the Exchange Variation of the Spanish, especially in 5.d4 lines).
13...Nf6 14.exf5
Forced, but opening lines for Black's bishop-pair is not what White wants to do.
14...Bxf5 15.Nd4 Bg6 16.Rac1 Rhf8 17.h3
Forced - 17...Ng4+ was a major threat.
17...Nd5!?
The engines reckon this eases White's difficulties. They prefer increasing the pressure with 17...Ng5 or 17...Rf7.
18.Nxd5
Another forced move as 18.Nd1? allows Black to double on the e file with a large advantage.
18...cxd5
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| Black still has the bishop-pair, but White no longer has the superior pawn-structure |
*****
*****
*****
*****
19.c3 c5 20.Nb3 b6 21.Rce1
Not 21.Rcd1? Bc2 22.Rxd5 Bg3+! 23.Kxg3 Bxb3.
21...Kb7 22.Bg5 Kc6 23.Re2?
Black has a winning advantage anyway, according to the engines, but this allows an immediate finish.
23...Bg3+! 0-1
Resignation might seem premature, but Black's advantage is worth more than a rook, according to the engines.
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