It takes place on 10 Wednesday afternoons, the time control being 90 minutes with a 30-second increment.
Spanton (1960 ECF/1937 Fide) - David Howes (1445 ECF/1593 Fide)
QGD Triangle/Semi-Slav
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.e4 dxc4!?
The main line in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database runs 4...dxe4 5.Nxe4 Bb4+ 6.Bd2!? (the Marshall Gambit) Qxd4 7.Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8.Be2, when Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckon White has more than enough for a pawn.
5.Bxc4 g6?!
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| Black has fallen behind in development and allowed White a classical centre, which add up to a positionally won game for White, according to the engines |
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6.Nf3 Bg7 7.0-0 h6?! 8.d5 exd5?
Helping White open the e file is wrong.
9.exd5 Bg4 10.Re1+ Kf8
Not 10...Ne7? 11.d6.
11.b3??
Not only blundering the queen's knight, but allowing the white rooks to be forked too.
11...Bxc3 12.Ba3+ Kg7 13.Re4?
Better is 13.Re3!?, when after 13...Bxa1 14.Qxa1+ f6 15.Qe1! the engines reckon Black has a lot of compensation for a rook, and certainly practical chances. However the less-greedy13...Bf6! leaves Black a knight up, and with the king looking fairly safe.
13...Bf5 14.Rd4 Bxd4!?
The engines agree this is the right rook to capture.
15.Qxd4+ Qf6 16.Ne5 Nd7 17.f4 Kh7
This is Dragon1's second choice, at least for a while, but possibly best is the engines' 17...cxd5!?, although the position remains sharp.
18.Bb2 b5!? 19.Be2 c5 20.Qd2 Nxe5 21.Bxe5 Qe7
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| How should White proceed? |
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22.d6!
22.Bxh8 Kxh8 23.Bxb5 wins the exchange and a pawn, but Black's king is no longer endangered, and Black emerges up knight for pawn. After the text Black remains a rook up, but White's dark-square bishop is better than either black rook, and the passed d pawn is dangerous.
22...Qd7 23.Qd5 Rc8
Black can prevent White's next with 23...Rb8, but 24.Rc1 maintains pressure.
24.Bxb5! Qe6
The only move (24...Qxb5?? 25.Qxf7#), but winning.
25.Qb7 Rf8?!
Almost certainly better is 25...Nf6.
26.Rd1
The engines prefer 26.Qc7 or 26.Qxa7.
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| What should Black play? |
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26...Qc8?
This throws away all of Black's advantage. The engines reckon Black is still winning after 26...Rd8!? or 26...Nf6 (and possibly after 26...h5!?).
27.Qxa7 Qb8 28.Qxc5 f6?!
27.Qxa7 Qb8 28.Qxc5 f6?!
Seemingly better is 28...Rc8, although 29.Bc6 gives White at least a slight edge, according to the engines.
29.Bb2
Best is 29.Bc3!, and if 29...Rc3 White has 30.Qd5, when 30...Rxc3?? loses to 31.Qf7#.
29...h5?
Black should still play 29...Rc8, with equality, according to the engines.
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| White to play and win |
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30.d7! Nh6
The engines suggest 30...Rd8, but 31.Bc3 is winning.
31.d8=Q??
Both 31.Bc4 and 31.h3!? (restricting the knight) win, according to the engines.
31...Rxd8 32.Qe7+ Nf7
Forced, but winning.
33.Qxf7+ Kh6 34.Rxd8
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| Black to play and win ... or lose |
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34...Qxd8??
Winning easily is 34...Rxd8, when White has two pawns and the bishop-pair for the exchange, but the white king is too exposed, eg if, as in the game, 35.Bxf6, then 35...Rd1+ leads to a quick mate.
35.Bxf6
The only winning move, but there is no good answer.
35...Qd1+ 36.Bf1 h4 37.Qg7+ Kh5 38.Qxh8+ 1-0
35...Qd1+ 36.Bf1 h4 37.Qg7+ Kh5 38.Qxh8+ 1-0
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