Spanton (1982) - Peter Varley (2117)
Caro-Kann Classical
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5
This has almost become a sideline since the rise of 4...Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6.
5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nf3 Bg6 7.h4 h6 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6
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| This tabiya occurs 15,337 times in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database |
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11.Bd2
11.Bf4 has been touted as more accurate, although I have never understood why.
11...Ngf6 12.0-0-0 Be7 13.Ne4!?
Slightly more popular in Mega25 is 13.Kb1.
13...Nxe4 14.Qxe4 Nf6 15.Qe2 Qd5 16.c4 Qe4 17.Qxe4 Nxe4 18.Be3 Nd6!?
The main line in Mega25 runs 18...0-0 19.Ne5 Rfd8 20.g4, when Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckon White has at least a slight edge.
The engines suggest 18...f5!?, when the main line runs 19.Nd2 Nxd2 20.Rxd2, the engines claiming Black is equal.
19.b3 b5!? 20.c5 Nf5 21.g4!? Nxe3 22.fxe3 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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Black has the minor piece that usually cooperates better with rooks, but there is a lot of pawns on the board, restricting the action of long-range pieces. In particular the white pawn-chain e3-c5, although a target for the bishop, for the moment at least blocks the bishop's freedom of play, and c6 is weaker than e3. The engines give White the upper hand.
23.Ne5 Rac8
The engines suggest 23...Rfc8!?, and if 24.Rhf1 then 24...Bf6!?, the point being 25.Nd7?! runs into 25...Bg5, when Black is at least equal, not least because 26.Rde1?? loses to 26...f6, trapping the knight.
24.Rhf1
Possibly stronger is 24.a4!? with queenside play.
24...Bg5 25.Rde1 Rc7 26.Kc2 Bf6 27.Nd3
The engines suggest 27.Nf3 or 27.Rd1.
27...Rd8 28.Rf3 a5 29.a3 Rcd7 30.Ref1 e5!?
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| How should White respond? |
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31.Nxe5
On 31.dxe5 there seem to be several equalising lines, eg 31...Bg5 32.Rd1 Rd5 33.b4 axb4 34.axb4 Ra8 35.Kb3, when the engines reckon Black has full compensation for a pawn.
31...Bxe5 32.dxe5 Rd2+ 33.Kc1 Ra2 34.Rxf7 Rdd2 35.e6 Rac2+ ½–½
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