Peter Dittmar (2128) - Spanton (1946)
QGD Exchange
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 c6 6.e3 Be7 7.Bd3 h6 8.Bh4 0-0 9.Qc2 Nbd7 10.Nf3 Re8 11.0-0
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| This position occurs 3,916 times in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, but who stands better? |
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The main features of the position are that White leads in development, and there is an imbalancing Carlsbad pawn-structure. Stockfish17 and Dragon1 prefer White, but not by much.
11...Nf8 12.Rae1
Most popular is 12.Rab1, planning a Minority Attack with b4 etc.
12...Ne4 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Bxe4!? dxe4 15.Nd2 f5
Not 15...Bf5? 16.f3 etc.
16.f3 exf3 17.Nxf3 Be6 18.e4 Qd7!?
The engines suggest 18...fxe4, claiming equality.
19.d5!
This seems to be a novelty, improving on the known 19.e5, when the engines reckon several moves are fine for Black, including 19...Rad8 and 19...Ng6.
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| How should Black respond? |
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19...cxd5?!
The engines prefer 19...Bf7, and if 20.dxc6 Qxc6 21.exf5, then 21...Qc5+ 22.Kh1 Nd7 (not 22...Bxa2?? 23.Rxe8 Rxe8 24.b4 etc), when Black has good compensation for a pawn. A sample continuation runs 23.a3 Nf6 24.Rxe8+ Rxe8 25.Qf2!? Qxf2 (25...Qxf2 26.Qxa7) 26.Rxf2 Nd5 27.Nxd5 Bxd5 28.h3 Re3, when the engines reckon Black's activity, and better minor piece for working with a rook, give full compensation.
20.exd5 Bf7
Not 20...Bxd5?? 21.Rxe8 Rxe8 22.Rd1.
21.Ne5 Qc7 22.Nxf7 Qxf7 23.Rxe8 Rxe8 24.Qxf5
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| White has won a good pawn |
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24...Qe7 25.Qf2!?
Threatening both 26.Qxa7 and 26.d6!?
25...Qe3?!
Nevertheless it was probably better to play 25...a6, or 25...b6, meeting 26.d6!? with 26...Qe6.
26.Qxe3 Rxe3 27.Rd1
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| The passed pawn is a powerful endgame weapon |
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27...Nd7 28.Kf2 Re5 29.Rd4!?
A strong move, allowing the rook active play against the black queenside. Also good is 29.Re1!?, either getting rooks off or allowing, after 29...Rf5+, the white king to gain access to the centre with 30.Ke3.
29...Kf8!? 30.Rc4 Nb6 31.Rc5 g6?!
Probably better is 31...Ke8.
32.a4 Re7 33.a5 Nd7 34.Rc8+ Kf7 35.Rc7
The engines prefer 35.b4 or 35.d6!?
35...Nf6?
The more-active 35...Ne5 is better, although the engines reckon 36.Rxe7+ Kxe7 37.Ke2 gives White a winning knight-and-pawn ending.
36.Rc4?!
White is still winning after this, but much better, according to the engines, is 36.Rxe7+ Kxe7 37.Ke3.
36...Rd7 37.Rb4
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| How should Black proceed? |
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37...Nxd5?
The rook-and-pawn ending is a simple win, so Black should try something else, perhaps my other main thought of 37...b6!?
38.Nxd5 Rxd5 39.Rxb7+ Kf6 40.b4
Black gets drawing chances after 40.Rxa7? as the b pawn falls.
40...Kf5 41.a6 Rd2+ 42.Ke3!?
This is best, according to the engines.
42...Rxg2 43.Rxa7 Rxh2 44.Rb7 Ra2 45.Rb5+ 1-0
After 46.Ra5 the a6 pawn will queen.
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