Bad Bertrich Round Four

Spanton (1946) - Wolfgang Polster (2128)

St George Defence

1.e4 e6 2.d4 a6!?

ChessBase classifies this as "C01: French: Exchange Variation"

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3.c4 d5 4.Nc3

After 4.cxd5 exd5 5.exd5 Black can play 5...Nf6, or 5...Ne7!?, rather than immediately recapturing with the queen.

4...dxe4 5.Nxe4 Bb4+

How should White respond?

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6.Bd2!?

This contemplates a double-pawn sacrifice. Much more popular in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database is 6.Nc3.

6...Qxd4 7.Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8.Be2 Nc6!?

Developing a piece with tempo, and with pressure on the centre. Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckon this is better than grabbing a second pawn with 8...Qxg2, when after 9.Bf3 Qg5 10.Ne2 (10.Nh3? Qe5+) they agree White has full compensation for two pawns, whether Black continues 10...Ne7 or 10...Qf6.

9.Bc3

Andrew Tang (2523) - Magnus Carlsen (2835), Chess.com Blitz 2023, went 9.Ba3!? e5 10.Nf3 Bf5 (the engines much prefer 10...Bd7) 11.0-0 Nge7 12.Re1, when White had good compensation for a pawn, according to the engines (1-0, 45 moves).

9...e5!?

This may be a novelty. Andrew Hong (2542) - Bojan Maksimović (2497), Chess.Com Blitz 2024, saw 9...Nf6 10.Nf3 e5 11.0-0 Bg4 12.Re1 0-0 13.Nxe5!? Nxe5 14.Bxg4 Qxg4 15.Bxe5 Qxd1 (the engines prefer 15...Qxc4) 16.Raxd1, when White's lead in development and better minor piece gave at least a slight edge (1-0,  33 moves).

10.Nf3 Bg4

How should White proceed?

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11.0-0!?

Planning a piece sacrifice. Note that 11.Qd5?, hoping for 11...Qxd5? 12.cxd5, is a mistake as Black has 11...Bxf3 12.gxf3 Qf4 with ...Rd8 and/or ...Nf6 to come.

11...Rd8 12.Qa4!

White preserves the bishop with 12.Qe1, but after 12...Nge7 Black is ready to castle, and White does not seem to have enough for a pawn.

How should Black respond?

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12...b5?!

The bishop cannot be taken as 12...Qxe2? can be met by 13.Nxe5! (this is even better than either rook to e1, but note that 13.Bxe5? loses to, for example, 13...Nge7 14.Rfe1 Qd3 15.Bxg7 Bxf3! 16.Bxh8 Qg6 17.g3 Rd3!) , when the engines reckon Black's best is 13...Ne7 14.Rfe1 0-0!? 15.Rxe2 Bxe2 16.Re1 Nxe5 17.Bxe5 Bg4, but White is clearly on top. However almost certainly better than the text is 12...Nf6, after which White has more than enough for a pawn, according to the engines, but the position remains sharp.

13.Qxa6 b4!?

This is best, according to the engines, but White has a strong reply.

What should White play?

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14.Ng5

Again offering the king's bishop, while leaving the queen's bishop en prise. The text is Stockfish17's choice, but Dragon1 prefers 14.Nxe5!?, although both engines fluctuate to an extent.

14...Qxe2?

The offer should again have been declined. The engines give 14...Qg6 15.Bxg4 Nge7, and now best may be 16.Bxb4!? (16.Bxe5 also looks good) Nxb4 17.Qxg6 Nxg6 18.Rfd1 Ke7! 19.g3!?, with White emerging a sound pawn up.

15.Qxc6+ Bd7 16.Qd5 Be7 17.Qb5+ Bd7 18.Qxb4

Black is only a pawn down materially, but the king trapped in the centre is doomed

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18...f6 19.Bxe5!?

Another bishop sacrifice, but other moves also win, eg 19.R(either)e1.

19...Qg4

Or 19...fxe5 20.Rfe1 Qh5 21.Rxe5+, with forced mate, while 19...Ne7 loses to, for example, 20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.Rfe1 etc.

20.Rfe1 1-0