Spanton (1946) - Markus Balduan (2247)
Sicilian Accelerated Dragon
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bg7 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Nxc6!? bxc6 7.Bc4 d6
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| There are 535 examples of this position in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, with Black scoring a fabulous 58% |
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8.0-0 Qc7 9.Re1 Nf6 10.Bf4
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| How should Black proceed? |
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10...Nd7
Stockfish17 and Dragon1 agree something has to be done about White's threat to push the e pawn, eg they reckon 10...0-0?! 11.e5 gives White at least a slight edge.
11.Qd2 0-0!? 12.Bh6 Rb8 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.Rad1!? Qb6
11.Qd2 0-0!? 12.Bh6 Rb8 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.Rad1!? Qb6
Black loses the exchange, albeit for a pawn, after 14...Rxb2? 15.Bb3 etc.
15.Bb3 Ba6 16.Na4 Qc7 17.Re3
The engines suggest 17.c4!?
17...Nf6
The engines prefer 17...Rfd8 or 17...f6.
18.Qc3
Preparing e5, but it could have been played immediately as a sacrifice.
18...e5 19.Bc4 Bb7 20.f3 Rbc8
Possible is 20...d5 as 21.Bxd5?? loses to 21...Qd6.
21.Bb3 c5 22.Bc4!? Bc6 23.b3 Bxa4 24.bxa4
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| How would you assess this middlegame? |
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White's queenside structure is smashed, but it is not easy for Black to get at the weak pawns. Meanwhile Black has a backward d pawn, and White has a powerful bishop. The engines give White the better part of equality.
24...Rb8 25.a3 Rfd8 26.Red3 Kf8?!
Risky. The engines suggest 26...h5!?, 26...Ne8 or 26...Qe7.
27.Qd2 Ke7?
27.Qd2 Ke7?
The engines reckon 27...Rb2 keeps Black's disadvantage to a minimum.
28.Qh6
Probably even stronger is 28.Qg5!?
28...Qc6!?
The engines agree this is best.
29.Bb5 Qb6 30.Bc4
Black threatened ...c4+.
30...Rd7?!
Objectively best is allowing a repetition with 30...Qc6.
31.Qg7
Stronger are 31.Qg5 and especially 31.f4.
31...Rf8 32.Rb3 Qa5
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| How should White proceed? |
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33.g4?!
Much stronger is opening lines to Black's king with 33.f4. Note that the sharp try 33.Rb8?! is also suboptimal as after 33...Rxb8 34.Qxf7+ Kd8 35.Qxf6+ Kc7 the black king has escaped.
33...h5 34.g5?
Now the white queen is imprisoned. The engines reckon best is 34.Qh6, although in the slightly changed circumstances they also like 34.Rb8!?
34...Ne8
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| The position is completely equal, according to the engines |
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35.Qh7 Nc7 36.Qg7 Ne8 37.Qh7 Rc7 38.Bb5 c4 39.Rb4??
This lets the black queen into White's position, where White has numerous unprotected pawns and a hanging rook. Correct is 39.Re3.
39...Qb6+ 40.Kg2
There is no defence.
40...Qe3 41.Rbb1
Or 41.Bxc4 Rxc4! 42.Rxc4 Qe2+ etc.
41...Qxg5+ 42.Kf1 Nf6 43.Qg7 Rg8 44.h4 Qf4 0-1
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