Spanton (1936) - Shriaansh Ganti (2144)
Sicilian Nimzowitsch/...e6/Four Knights
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6!?
This seems to have been first played by Aron Nimzowitsch in 1911.
3.Nc3!?
This is more popular than 3.e5 in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, but scores five percentage points lower.
3...e6!?
The main line in Mega25 runs 3...d5 4.exd5 Nxd5 5.Bb5+ Bd7 6.Ne5!? Nf6!? 7.Qf3!?, with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1.
4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6
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| By an unusual move-order the game has reached the starting position of the Four Knights Variation of the Sicilian |
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6.g3!?
Overwhelmingly most popular is 6.Ndb5.
6...Bb4 7.Bg2 0-0 8.0-0
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| With both players castling early, how would you assess the position? |
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The position occurs 184 times in Mega25, with results almost exactly 50-50, although Black performs better rating-wise.
8...d6 9.Nde2!?
This is, by a small margin, the commonest continuation. The idea, as I understand it, is not so much to avoid doubled c pawns, but to avoid an exchange of knights and to keep maximum pressure on the d5 square.
9...e5!?
Black may have a slight edge after 9...a6, according to the engines.
10.a3
This may be a novelty. Known moves are 10.Bg5 and 10.h3.
10...Bc5 11.b4!? Bd4?!
Almost certainly better is 11...Bc7, when 12.Nb5 Bc7 13.Nxc7 Qxc7 also loses the bishop-pair, but in a better way than in the game. However, the engines show Black can meet 12.Nb5 with 12...Be6!, when 13.Nxd6? fails to 13...Bg4, eg 14.Re1 Nd4 etc, and 13.Qxd6? can be met by 13...Bc4.
12.Nxd4 Nxd4 13.Be3 Nc6 14.Nb5 Ne8 15.c4 a6?!
Probably better is 15...Be6.
16.Nc3 Be6
SG offered a draw.
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| Should I have accepted? |
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When a higher-rated player, particularly a junior, offers a draw to a pensioner, you can be fairly sure that objectively the junior stands worst.
17.c5!? Nd4!?
A pawn sacrifice, presumably in the hope of freeing Black's position and generating activity. The engines prefer 17...Qd7 or 17...a5, but reckon White is well on top.
18.Bxd4 exd4 19.Qxd4 dxc5 20.Qxc5
Also good, according to the engines, is 20.Qxd8 Rxd8 21.bxc5 Rc8 22.Na4.
20...Rc8 21.Qe3 Nd6 22.Rfd1 Nc4!? 23.Rxd8 Nxe3 24.Rxc8
24.Rxf8+?! Kxf8 gives the black king a tempo.
24...Rxc8 25.Nxd5 Bxd5
SG offered a draw in my time.
26.exd5 Nxg2 27.Kxg2
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| How would you assess this rook-and-pawn ending? |
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White's extra pawn is passed but vulnerable. Nevertheless the engines reckon White is winning.
27...Kf8
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| How should White proceed? |
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28.d6!
This seems to be the only winning move. The problem with 28.Rd1 ("rooks belong behind passed pawns") is that after 28...Ke7 Black will blockade the passer with his king, leaving the black rook to generate counterplay.
28...Rd8
If 28...Ke8, then 29.Re1+ is very strong.
29.Rd1 Ke8 30.Re1+ Kf8 31.Re7?
This throws away White's winning chances. Correct is 31.Rd1 Ke8 32.Kf3, eg 32...Kd7 33.Re1! Kxd6 34.Rd1+ Ke7 35.Rxe8 Kxe8 36.Ke4, when material is level, but White's much more-active king seems enough to win.
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| Analysis diagram |
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Best play, according to the engines, runs something like 36...Kc7 37.Kd5 Kb6!? 38.a4 Kc7 39.h3!? Kd7 40.h4 h5!? 41.Kc5 Kc7 42.f3 g6 43.Kd5 Kd7 44.g4 hxg4 45.fxg4 b6 46.h5 etc. There are many other possible lines, but the space advantage enjoyed in all of them by the white king appears decisive.
The game finished:
31...b5 32.Ra7 ½–½
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