Heikki Westerinen (2205) - Spanton (1946)
Sicilian Alapin
1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nc6!?
A somewhat unusual continuation, but the game will quite possibly transpose to a main line.
3.d4 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5
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| This position occurs 13,046 times in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database |
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5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Be2 e6
This is second in popularity to 6...cxd4, when the commonest continuation is 7.cxd4 e6 8.Nc3 Qa5 9.0-0 Nf6, with a slight edge for White according to Dragon1, although Stockfish17 reckons the position is equal.
7.0-0 Nf6 8.Be3 cxd4 9.cxd4 Be7 10.h3 Bh5 11.Nc3 Qd7!?
The engines prefer the main move, 11...Qd6.
12.Qb3 Nd5?!
The engines strongly dislike this, preferring 12...Bxf3!? 13.Bxf3 0-0.
13.Ne5 Nxe5 14.Bxh5 Nc6 15.Rac1
The engines suggest 15.Nxd5 exd5 16.Bg4.
15...Na5 16.Qb5 Qxb5 17.Nxb5 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White has the bishop-pair and a slight lead in development, but also an IQP in a queenless middlegame. The engines reckon chances are equal.
18.Nc7 Rad8
18...Nxe3 19.fxe3 Rac8 maintains equality, according to the engines.
19.Nxd5 exd5 20.Rc7!? Bd6 21.Rc2 Nc6 22.a3 f5!? 23.f4!?
The engines reckon both 23.Bf3 and 23.Rd1 give White an edge.
23...Be7 24.Bf3 Rfe8 25.Bf2 Kf8 26.Rd1 g6 27.Kf1 Kf7 28.g3 Kf8!? 29.Rd3 Rd7 30.b4 a6 31.Rb2
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| How should Black proceed? |
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31...b5?
This is seriously weakening. Instead both 31...Na7 and 31...Rc8 keep the position completely equal, according to the engines.
32.Rc2 Nb8?!
Probably better is 32...Nd8, but White has the upper hand, according to the engines, a sample line running 33.h4!? Nf7 34.h5 Red8 35.Re3 Rd6 36.Kg2 Bf6 37.Re1 Kg7 38.Re5!?, with an offer of the exchange that Black should probably reject.
33.Rdc3 Red8 34.Rc7?!
Much better, according to the engines, is 34.g4, slowly increasing the pressure.
34...Rxc7 35.Rxc7 Kf7 36.g4 Ke6?
This lets White swop off into an easily won ending. Instead 36...Rd6 leaves White only slightly better (Stockfish17) or at best with the upper hand (Dragon1).
37.Rxe7+! Kxe7 38.Bh4+ Kd7 39.Bxd8 Kxd8 40.Bxd5
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| White is a pawn up, has the better minor piece and has targets in that every black pawn is on the same colour complex as the bishop |
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40...fxg4 41.hxg4 h5 42.Kf2!?
Unnecessary, but harmless.
42...hxg4 43.Kg3 Nd7 44.Bb7
Not 44.Kxg3?? Nf6+ etc.
44...Nb8
Or 44...Nb6 45.Bxa6 Nc4 46.Bxb5 Nxa3 47.Bd3, trapping the knight.
45.Kxg4 1-0
45.Kxg4 1-0
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