Pierre Christen (2008) - Spanton (1946)
English/Réti
1.c4 e6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.Nf3 d4!?
A rare continuation - more-popular choices being 4...c5, 4...c6, 4...dxc4 and especially 4...Be7. But the text has the highest score percentagewise in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.
5.d3
ChessBase classifies the opening as an English, but I am sure a lot of people would regard it as a Réti, and indeed the first appearance of the position after 4...d4!? in Mega25 is in the game Richard Réti - Henri Weenik, Match (game seven) Amsterdam 1928. That saw 5.0-0 c5 6.e3 Nc6 7.exd4 Nxd4!? (7...cxd4 is more usual today) 8.Nxd4 Qxd4!? (Alexei Shirov has also played this, but it is disliked by Stockfish17 and Dragon1) 9.d3 Be7 10.Nc3 0-0 11.Be3, with the upper hand for White, according to the engines (1-0, 20 moves).
5...c5
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
6.0-0
Slightly more common in Mega25, and preferred by the engines, is 6.e4!? After 6...fxe3 the engines' idea is 7.Bxe3!?, which scores 68% in Mega25, albeit from just 11 games, while 6...Nc6 can be met by 7.e5!?
6...Nc6 7.e4?!
6...Nc6 7.e4?!
Too late, at least to gain any sort of advantage. White should probably play the normal Réti move 7.e3.
7...e5 8.Ne1!? Bg4!?
This seems to be a novelty. Vera Menchik - Paulino Frydman, Poděbrady (Czechoslovakia) 1936, went 8...Bd6 9.f4 Qc7 10.Na3 a6 11.f5, when Black had at least a slight edge, according to the engines (but 1-0, 50 moves).
9.f3 Bh5 10.Qb3 Qd7 11.f4 exf4 12.Bxf4 Bd6!?
 |
| What should White play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
13.e5!?
This is best, according to Stockfish17, although Dragon1 marginally prefers 13.Nd2. Instead, White can grab a pawn by 13.Bxd6 Qxd6 14.Qxb7, but Black seems to get good compensation after 14...0-0 or 14...Rb8.
13...Nxe5
Not 13...Bxe5?? 14.Bxc6 etc.
14.Bxe5 Bxe5 15.Qxb7 Rb8 16.Qxd7+ Nxd7
 |
| How should White continue? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
17.Bc6?!
This leads to sharp play that appears to favour Black. The engines prefer 17.b3, but reckon Black's bishop-pair and space advantage give a slight edge.
17...Rxb2 18.Bxd7+?
White hopes to capitalise on Black's hanging bishops, but a better try, according to the engines, is 18.Rf5 Re2 19.Nd2!? (19.Kf1 can be met as in the game) Bg6 20.Rf2 Rxf2 21.Kxf2, although Black is clearly better.
18...Kxd7 19.Rf5 Re2 20.Kf1 Bg6 21.Rxf7+ Bxf7 22.Kxe2
 |
| White has got the pawn back, but Black's bishop-pair and lead in development give a large advantage |
*****
*****
*****
*****
22...Re8!?
Black has several good continuations, including 22...Bxc4!?
23.Kf2
White can do nothing to prevent ...
23...Bxc4!
... after which Black is up the equivalent of more than a minor piece, according to the engines.
24.dxc4 d3 25.Nxd3
After 25.Nc3 Bxc3 26.Rd1 Black can swop off into a pawn-ending that looks promising, but is far from clear, or, perhaps more practically, play 26...Re2+ with a large advantage, eg 27.Kf1 Kc6 28.Nxd3 Rxh2 29.a3 Ra2.
25...Bxa1 26.Nxc5
 |
| How would you assess this ending? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White has a pawn for the exchange, but Black's two long-range pieces are much stronger than White's pair of knights.
26...Kd6 27.Nb3 Bf6 28.N1d2 Rc8 29.Kf3 Rc6 30.a4 Kc7!
This is best, according to the engines, the idea being to keep away from forks.
31.c5 Ra6 32.a5 Bc3 33.Nc4 Kc6
The engines prefer 33...Re6, cutting off white's king from the queenside, or 33...Rh6.
34.Ke4 Kb5?!
Black is still winning after this, according to Dragon1, but Stockfish17 is less sure. The engines suggest a move such as 34...Kd7, the point being there is no rush to convert Black's advantage - White's passed pawn is not dangerous.
35.Kd5 Kb4?
This lets White equalise, whereas after 35...Rg6 Black is winning (Dragon1) or at least has the upper hand (Stockfish17).
 |
| White to play and draw by finding an only-move |
*****
*****
*****
*****
36.Nb6
The engines show everything loses except 36.Nc1!, when both 37.Na2+ and 37.c6 are winning threats. Black can play 36...Kb5 (other moves are no better), but White draws easily, eg 37.Nd3 (also drawing are 37.Nd6+ and 37.Ne2) Bxa5 38.Nd6+ Ka4 39.c6 (threatens 40.Nc5+) Bb6 40.Nc5+ (anyway) Bxc5 41.Kxc5 Ra5+ 42.Kc4 Ra6 etc.
Insufficient is 36.c6 as Black has 36...Rxc6! 37.Kxc6 Kxc4 and 38...Bxa5, while 36.Nd4 Bxd4 37.Kxd4 Rh6 is also hopeless for White.
The game finished:
36...Kxb3 37.c6 Rxa5+ 38.Kd6 axb6 0-1
No comments:
Post a Comment