Spanton (1936) - Charles Sturt (1797)
Caro-Kann Tartakower
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.Be3!?
This is fourth in popularity, behind 6.Bc4, 6.Nf3 and especially 6.c3. One idea is to get in c4 without spending a tempo on c3.
6...Bd6 7.Bd3 Qc7 8.Ne2 0-0
Not 8...Bxh2?? 9.g3 etc.
9.h3 Re8 10.0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White has the only pawn on the two central files, but the main difference between the two sides is probably White's superior pawn-structure - superior, that is, for an ending. In the middlegame Black's kingside pawn-mass makes the black king very safe and could be used as part of a kingside attack. Nevertheless Stockfish17 and Dragon1 give White a slight edge.
10...Nd7 11.Re1
This may be a novelty. Known moves are 11.c4 and 11.Qd2.
11...Nf8 12.c4 Be6
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| How should White proceed? |
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13.Rc1
The engines suggest 13.c5!?, pushing Black's dark-square bishop off the b8-h2 diagonal, but ceding the d5 square.
13...Qd7 14.Nf4 Bf5 15.Qc2 Bxd3 16.Qxd3 Rad8
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| Both sides have centralised their rooks, and the position is equal, according to the engines |
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17.Red1 Ne6 18.Nxe6 fxe6
CS spent quite a long time considering 18...Qxe6!?, but rejected it because of 19.Re1. The engines marginally prefer the text.
19.Qb3 Rb8 20.Rc3 Qc7 21.g3 Qb6 22.Qc2 Qa5!? 23.Kg2 Rd7
Not 23...Qxa2?? as 24.Ra3 traps the black queen.
24.Rd3 Red8 25.Ra3 Qc7 26.Qe4 Qd6 27.Rad3
Almost certainly not 27.Bf4?! e5.
27...f5!? 28.Qh4 Re8 29.Bf4 Qe7 30.Qxe7 Rdxe7 31.Bxb8 Rxb8
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| How would you assess this double-rook-and-pawn ending? |
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Black has a backward e pawn, but White's d pawn is also weak in that it cannot be protected by a friendly pawn. The engines reckon the position is equal.
32.f4 h6 33.h4 g5!?
Neither engine likes this at first, but Stockfish17 comes to be fine with it.
34.hxg5 hxg5 35.fxg5 Kg7?!
The engines prefer 35...Rg7, eg 36.Re1 Kf7 37.Rde3 Rg6, with equality, according to Stockfish17, although Drgaon1 gives White a slight edge.
36.Kf3 Kg6
The engines suggest 36...b5 or 36...Rd8.
37.Re1?!
I rejected 37.Kf4 because of 37...Rh8, but the engines give White at least a slight edge after, for example, 38.a4 Rh2 39.R1d2 Rh1!? 40.Re2 Rc1 41.Rde3.
37...Kg5 38.Rde3 Rd8 39.Rxe6 Rxe6 40.Rxe6 Rxd4
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| Who, if anyone, has an edge in this endgame? |
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The position is completely equal, according to the engines, but it is arguable Black's position is easier to play, thanks to the king and kingside pawn being more advanced, and the rook already hitting an unprotected pawn.
41.Re7 Rd3+ 42.Ke2
Losing is 42.Kg2? Rd2+ 43.Kf3 Rxb2. Dragon1 for quite some time reckons 42.Kf2!? also loses, but comes to agree with Stockfish17 that 42...Rd2+ 43.Re2 Rxe2+ 44.Kxe2 Kg4 45.Kf2 holds.
42...Rxg3 43.Rxb7 Kf4 44.Rxa7 Rg2+ 45.Kf1 Rxb2 46.c5!?
This comes to be liked by Stockfish17, along with moves such as 46.Rc7 and 46.a4, but Dragon1 strongly disapproves.
46...Rc2
Dragon1's idea is 46...Ke3, when I intended 47.Ra3+. After the further 47...Kd4 48.Ra4+ Kd5!? (this is the engines' choice) 49.Rf4, White seems OK. If 48...Kxc5 the Syzygy endgame tablebase shows White has a draw with both 49.a3!? and 49.Ke1!?, but 49.Ra5+? loses to 49...Kb6! 50.Rxf5?! (50.Ra8 seems to put up more resistance) Rxa2.
47.a4 Kf3
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| Which way should the white king go? |
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48.Ke1
Going to the 'short side' with 48.Kg1? is quickly fatal, eg 48...Rc1+ 49.Kh2 f4 50.a5 Rxc5 51.a6 Rh5+!? 52.Kg1 Ra5 53.Ra8 Ra1+ 54.Kh2 Kf2 55.a7 f3, reaching a position that occurs in the game, except that in the game the white king is on d2 rather than h2, and so well-placed to intercept the c pawn.
48...Rxc5 49.a5 f4 50.a6 Ra5 51.Ra8 Ra1+ 52.Kd2 Kf2 53.a7 f3 54.Kc3 c5
The c pawn is doomed anyway.
55.Kc4 Ra5 56.Kd5 Kf1 57.Rf8 Rxa7 58.Rxf3+ Ke2 59.Rc3 Ra5 ½–½
Battersea 3 won the match 3-2.
My Battersea Season 2025-6
Date Event Colour Rating Opp's Rating Score Season's Perf
16/9/25 CLL W 1936 1952 0 1552
18/9/25 CLL W 1936 1797 = 1675
CLL: Central London League
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