Spanton (1954) - Alfred Schattmann (1798)
Sicilian Scheveningen
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Nf3!?
Partly to keep Black guessing whether a Morra or a normal Open Sicilian is intended.
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| How should Black respond? |
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3...d6
Howard Staunton seems to have been the first to face this position with black, against John Cochrane in an 1842 'casual' game. He played 3...e5!?, which is Stockfish17's top choice, one point being 4.Nxe5?? (there are 20 games with this continuation in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database) loses to 4...Qa5+ and ...Qxe5. Cochrane preferred 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.Ng5!?, only to be hit by 5...d5! 6.exd5 h6 7.Nf3 Bg4, giving Black a slight edge, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1 (0-1, 24 moves).
4.Bc4 !?
Keeping the game in independent lines, while still retaining the option of switching to a Morra Gambit.
4...e6
This is second in popularity to 4...Nf6.
5.0-0 Be7 6.Nxd4
Finally committing to a non-Morra setup.
6...Nf6 7.Nc3
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| By an unusual move-order the game has reached a fairly heavyweight theoretical position, occurring 799 times in Mega25 |
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7...0-0 8.Bb3!?
7...0-0 8.Bb3!?
This is the commonest continuation, but the engines do not see a need for it, preferring 8.a4, 8.Qe2 or 8.Be2!?
8...b6!?
This lets Black put quick pressure on e4, but the engines' suggestions of 8...a6 and 8...Nbd7!? seem more in keeping with what is usually played in such positions. However, easily the commonest move in Mega25 is 8...Na6!?, when the main line continues 9.f4 Nc5 10.Qf3 a6, with an equal position, according to the engines.
9.f4 Bb7 10.Qf3!?
Self-pinning is rarely wise, and this is probably not an exception.
10...Nbd7!?
The knight is headed for c5, from where it will attack both b3 and e4.
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| What should White play? |
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11.Bd2
11.Bd2
After 11.Bxe6?! fxe6 12.Nxe6 Qc8 13.Nxf8 Kxf8!? the engines reckon Black is winning.
11...Nc5 12.Rae1 Nxb3
There is no need to hurry this capture as the bishop is not going anywhere, but the engines anyway agree that after ...
13.axb3 Rc8
... Black has at least a slight edge.
14.f5?!
The engines strongly dislike this.
14...e5 15.Nde2 Rc5?
This move is pointless in itself as the rook is easily driven away with tempo, but it also misses the classic response to a flank attack, namely 15...d5, after which the engines reckon Black is positionally winning.
16.Be3 Rc8 17.Rd1 Ba6?
This costs Black the bishop-pair, and moreover means he has to give up what is very much the better of the two bishops.
18.Ra1 Bxe2 19.Qxe2
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| The position is suddenly critical for Black, who has just one decent move, according to the engines |
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19...Qd7?!
The engines reckon Black has to sacrifice the a pawn by 19...d5! 20.Nxd5 Nxd5 21.exd5 Qxd5 22.Rxa7, claiming that after 22...Bc5 Black's better coordination gives enough compensation (Stockfish17), or at least leaves White only slightly better (Dragon1).
Also superior to the text seems to be saving the pawn with 19...a5, although the engines give White at least the upper hand.
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| After 19...Qd7?! it is White to play and gain a winning advantage |
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20.Bg5!
Placing either rook on the d file is also good, but the text is much stronger.
20...Qb7
Or 20...Ne8 21.Bxe7 Qxe7 22.Nd5, when Black can save the a pawn with 22...Qd7, but 23.f6 wins.
After the engines' suggested 20...a5!? comes 21.Bxf6 Bxf6 22.Nd5, with a great position for White, although there is no immediate win.
21.Bxf6 Bxf6 22.Nd5 Bd8
Perhaps 22...Kh8!? is better, but after 23.Rf3 (23.b4!?, intending 24.Ra3, may be even stronger) the engines reckon Black's best is 23...Bd8 anyway.
23.f6 g6?!
This makes the win simpler than need be, but Black is lost whatever he plays, eg 23...gxf6 24.Rxf6! (24.Nxf6+ is also winning) Kh8 25.Qf2 Qd7 26.Rf1 with an overwhelming attack, or 23...Kh8 24.fxg7+ Kxg7 25.Qg4+ Kh8 26.Rxa7!? Qxa7 27.Qxc8 b5+ 28.Kh1, when White is a pawn up and has the safer king, more-active pieces and a continuing attack.
24.Qd2 Kh8 25.Qh6 Rg8 26.Rf3 Bxf6 27.Nxf6 Rg7 28.Rh3 1-0
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