Spanton (1936) - Christopher Rawlinson (1952)
French Exchange
1.Nf3 e6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.d4 Bg4 5.Bd3 Bd6 6.0-0 h6!?
Not a popular continuation.
7.Re1+ Ne7 8.h3 Bh5 9.g4!? Bg6 10.Bxg6 fxg6 11.Qd3
Stockfish17 and Dragon1 do not like this apparent-novelty, preferring another move not in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, 11.c4!? However the text seems better than the known moves 11.Ne5?! and 11.g5?
11...0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Black's pressure down the half-open f file, where White has a backward pawn, helps give at least a slight edge, according to the engines.
12.Nc3 c6 13.g5!? Qd7!
The queen takes the square that the Black queen's knight probably wants to go to, but the engines agree it is the best move.
14.Ne5 Bxe5 15.Rxe5 Nf5 16.gxh6 gxh6 17.Bd2 Qf7!?
Freeing the d7 square and adding to the pressure down the f file.
18.Rae1 Nd7 19.Re6 Nf6
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
20.Bxh6?!
This comes to be Dragon1's top choice, but Stockfish17 is almost certainly correct in condemning the move.
20...Nxh6 21.Re7 Rae8 22.Rxf7 Rxe1+ 23.Kh2
Dragon1 prefers 23.Kg2?!, missing that after 23...Kxf7 24.Qd2 Ree8 25.Qxh6 Black traps the white queen with 25...g5!
23...Kxf7 24.Qd2 Ree8 25.Qxh6 Ng4+! 26.hxg4 Rh8 27.Rxh7 Rxh6+
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| How would you assess this ending? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White has a pawn for the exchange, but Black is winning comfortably as the rook is so strong.
28.Kg2 Re8 29.Kf1 Kf6 30.f3 b6 31.Kf2 Ke6 32.Ne2 Kd6 33.Nf4 Rg8 34.Kg3 c5 35.Ne2 Re8 36.Kf2 cxd4 37.Nxd4 Kc5
Either the black king or rook will penetrate White's position.
38.Nb3+ Kc4 39.Nc1 Rh8 40.Kg2 Kd4 41.Nd3 Rc8 42.Ne1 Ke3 43.c3 Kd2 44.Kf2 Re8 45.Ng2 g5 46.f4 Kc2 47.f5 Kxb2 48.Ne3 Kxa2 49.Nxd5 Kb3 50.f6 Kc4 51.Ne7 Rf8 52.Ke3 Rxf6 53.Nf5 Kxc3 0-1
Battersea Galacticos won the match 3.5-1.5.
Battersea Galacticos won the match 3.5-1.5.
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