Summer Club: Round 10

AM playing in a summer daytime tournament organised by Surrey's Coulsdon Chess Fellowship. It takes place on 10 Wednesday afternoons, the time control being 90 minutes with a 30-second increment. This was the final round ( I was away for last week's ninth round).

Garry Wimble (1041 ECF/1471 Fide) - Spanton (1945 ECF/1946 Fide)

Colle

1.d4 e6!?

Offering a French (2.e4).

2.Nf3 c5!?

Offering a Sicilian (3.e4).

3.e3

But now we are surely in Colle territory, although after ...

3...Nc6 4.Bd2!?

... ChessBase labels the opening "A43: Schmid Benoni."

4...Qb6 5.Bc3!? Nf6

Perhaps surprisingly, all this has been played before

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6.Nbd2!?

But this is new, whereas Mirjam Peglau (1055) - Hannes Hetzner (1361), German U10 Championship (Willingen) 2015, saw 6.Bc4!? d5 7.Bd3!?, when 7...c4 would have given Black the upper hand, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1 (0-1, 30 moves).

6...d5 7.Ne5!?

The engines suggest 7.a3, 7.Be2 or 7.dxc5.

7...cxd4 8.exd4 Nxd4?!

The engines reckon 8...Bb4 gives Black an edge.

How can White gain an edge, or at least avoid being considerably worse?

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9.Nb3?

Correct is 9.Ndc4!

9...Nxb3 10.axb3 Bc5 11.Qf3 0-0 12.Ba5?

Better is continuing development with 12.Bd3.

12...Bb4+ 13.Bxb4 Qxb4+ 14.Qc3 Qe4+ 15.Kd2

White does not have a good continuation, eg 15.Qe3 loses a second pawn to 15...Qxc2.

15...d4 16.Qc5

Better is 16.Qg3!, meeting 16...Nh5 with 17.Bd3!, and if 17...Nxg3, then 18.hxg3!, although I am not sure many humans would find this line for White. Black does not have to go down this line (16...Qd5 is probably an improvement, and anyway after 18...Qxd3+ Black emerges a pawn up.

16...Qf4+ 17.Ke1 Ne4?

Black has a large advantage after 17...b6 or 17...Nd7.

18.Qxd4 f6

White to play and lose

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19.Nd3??
Instead 19.f3, and possibly 19.Nc4, give White a slight edge, according to the engines.

19...Qd2#