Spanton (1936) - Nick Shakhlevich (1932)
French Exchange
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.Nc3
This is third in popularity, behind 5.c4 and especially 5.Bd3, scoring just 30% in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.
5...c6 6.Bd3 Bg4 7.0-0 Ne7 8. Re1 Nd7 9.Qe2 f6!?
Apparently a novelty, and not liked by Stockfish17 or Dragon1. Known moves are 9...h6, 9...Bh5!?, 9...Bxf3!? and 9...Qc7. The engines, as well as liking 9...h6, suggest 9...Nf8!?
10.h3 Bh5 11.Nd1 Qc7
Believe it or not, this loses material, which is why the engines suggest 11...Nb6 or 11...Bg6.
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| White to play and win |
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12.Ne3
Missing 12.Bf4!!, when 12...Bxf4?? 13.Qxe7# is obvious, while 12....0-0-0? loses to 13.Bxd6 Qxd6 14.Qxe7. By no means so obvious are 12...Nb6 13.Qxe7+! Qxe7 14.Bxd6 Qxe1+ 15.Nxe1, when White has two pieces for a rook, and also has the bishop-pair, and 12...Nf8 13.Qxe7+! Qxe7 14.Bxd6 Qxe1+ 15.Nxe1, when White again has two pieces for a rook, and the bishop-pair.
12...0-0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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As usual, positions with opposite-side castling are very difficult to judge, but, for what it is worth, the engines reckon chances are equal.
13.c4!?
The engines prefer 13.c3 or 13.a4.
13...dxc4 14.Bxc4 Kb8 15.Bd2 Rhe8!?
Opposite-side castling might suggest rival pawn-storms, but fighting for control of the open centre is probably a better plan.
16.Qd1 Nb6 17.Ba5 Bf4 18.Be2?!
Almost certainly a mistake. The engines give 18.g4!? Bg6 19.Ng2!?, albeit preferring Black.
18...Bxe3 19.fxe3 Ned5 20.e4!? Rxe4 21.Bd3? Rxe1+
Even stronger is 21...Rxd4! as 22.g4? loses to 22...Qg3+ 23.Kh1 Nf4!
22.Qxe1 Bxf3!
The engines agree this is best.
23.gxf3 Nf4 24.Bf1 Rxd4 25.Qf2 Rd5 26.Bd2 Nh5!? 27.f4!? Rf5 28.Bd3 Rd5 29.Be4 Rd8 30.Re1
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| Now the last white piece has got into play, how would you assess this middlegame? |
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Black is two pawns up, has the safer king and has fewer pawn islands. White's only advantage is having the better minor pieces, but they do not change the verdict that Black is winning. However, NS was now down to two minutes, and about to play on the 10-second increment.
30...Nc4 31.Bc1 Qb6?
Getting queens off, but that will make the bishops even stronger, and anyway the move loses a pawn. Best is 31...g6.
32.Bxh7 Qxf2+?!
Now White is better. The engines give 32...Nd2!? 33.Qxb6 axb6 34.Re2 Nf3+ 35.Kf2, although they agree White has enough for a pawn.
33.Kxf2 Rd4?
The h5 knight is in danger of being trapped, but this is not the solution, although 33...Rh8 34.Bg6 is good for White, eg 34...Nd6 (the engines suggest sacrificing a pawn with 34...f5!? 35.Bxf5, so the knight can go to f6, while 34...Rh6? 35.f5 is very good for White) 35.f5, and the knight will eventually fall. However the engines' 33...Nxb2! 34.Bxb2 Rd2+ 35.Re2 Rxe2+ 36.Kxe2 Nxf4+ and 37...Nxh3 gives good drawing chances.
34.b3?!
Almost certainly stronger is 34.Kf3.
34...Nb6 35.Be3 Rd5?
Better is 35...Rb4, maintaining the threat to f4 and preparing to meet 36.Kf3? with 36...Nd5. Best play may be 36.Bg6!? Nxf4 37.Bc5!? a5!? (37...Rb5? 38.Bd6+ etc) 38.Re8+ Ka7 39.Bxb4 axb4 40.Bf5, with at least a slight edge for White, according to the engines.
36.Rg1?
Much stronger is 36.Bg6 as the h5 knight cannot be saved.
36...g5?!
Probably better is 36...Nc8!? or 36...Ra5, although White is definitely for choice.
37.fxg5 fxg5 38.Rxg5
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| Now pawns are level, but White retains the bishops and has a dangerous passer on the h file |
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38...Nf6 39.Bf4+ Kc8 40.Rg7?!
It was probably better to preserve the bishop-pair with 40.Bf5+, or swop rooks, eg 40.Rxd5 Nbxd5 41.Bf5+ Kd8 42.Kf3, and if 42...Nxf4 43.Kxf4 White has the more-active king, the better minor piece and the only passed pawn.
40...Rh5?!
Black probably had better drawing chances with 40...Nxh7 41.Rxh7 Rf5 42.Kg3 Nd5.
41.Rc7+?
Best is 41.Bg6 as 41...Rxh3?? loses to 42.Bf5+ etc.
41...Kd8 42.Bg6 Rxh3
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| With pawns on only one side of the board, the position is rather drawish |
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43.Rxb7 Nbd5 44.Rb8+ Ke7 45.Bg5 Ke6!?
Black is equal after this, but simpler is 45...Rh2+ and 46...Rxa2.
46.Kg2 Rc3
The only safe square available to the rook, but it is good enough.
47.Rb7 Ne3+ 48.Bxe3 Rxe3 49.Rxa7 Ne4 50.Bxe4 Rxe4
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| How would you assess this rook-and-pawn ending? |
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The engines reckon the position is completely equal, and the Syzygy endgame tablebase confirms the position is a draw. However it is clearly worth playing out, at least at club level.
51.Kf3 Rb4
NS offered a draw in my time.
52.Ke3 Kd5 53.Ra5+ c5 54.Kd3 Rh4 55.Kc3 Rh3+ 56.Kb2 Rh2+ 57.Ka3 Rh4 58.Ra4 Rh3 59.Rg4 Rh8 60.Rc4 Rh3 61.Kb2 Rh2+ 62.Rc2 Rh8 63.a4 Rb8 64.Kc3 Rb4 65.Rd2+ Kc6 66.Rh2 Rg4 67.Rd2 Kc7 68.Kb2 Kc6 69.Rc2 Kb6 70.Rc4 Rg2+ 71.Ka3 Rg7 72.Rh4 Ka5 73.Rh5 Kb6 74.Rh6+ Ka5 75.Rc6 Rg5 76.Kb2 Kb4?
Black had five drawing moves: 76...Rg2+, and any rook move along the fifth rank.
77.Rb6+ Ka5 78.Rb5+ Ka6 79.Kc3 Rg3+ 80.Kc4 Rg4+ 81.Kd5
This does not throw away the win, but there is nothing wrong with the straightforward 81.Kxc5.
81...Rg5+ 82.Ke4 Rh5 83.Kf4?
The only winning move is 83.Kd3.
83...Rh3 84.Ke5
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| Black to play and draw |
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84...Rh5+?
Cutting off the white king from the queenside with 84...Rd3 draws, and so does 84...c4!? as 85.bxc4 brings about an example of the famous drawn ending of rook against rook with pawns on the bishop and rook files.
85.Kd6 Rh6+ 86.Kxc5 Rh5+ 87.Kb4 Rxb5+?!
Black is lost anyway, but keeping rooks on the board gives more chances of, for example, pulling off a stalemate swindle.
88.axb5+ Kb6 89.Kc4 Kb7 90.Kc5 Kc7 91.b6+ Kb7 92.Kb5 Kc8 93.Ka6 Kb8 94.b7 1-0
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