4NCL - Day Two

PLAYED on board two (of six) for Wessex B against FCPL-UK* in Division Four of the Four Nations Chess League today.

Francis Sagyaman (2098 ECF/1995 Fide) - Spanton (1889 ECF/1941 Fide)

French Advance

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Bd7 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Be2 Bb5!?

This is the point of Black's move-order - to exchange light-square bishops.

7.0-0 Bxe2 8.Qxe2 Qa6!?

This is the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database. The problem with the almost-as-popular 8...Nc6?! is that, after 9.dxc5!? Bxc5 10.b4, Black's dark-square bishop is kicked back to f8 or to the square the king's knight wants to use, e7.

9.Qe3

The main move is 9.Qd1, but the text has also been played by grandmasters.

How should Black proceed?

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9...cxd4

This comes to be Stockfish17.1's top choice, at least for a while. Both Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 also like 9...Nh6, and if 10.dxc5 then simply 10...Nf5 followed by 11...Bxc5. The engines strongly dislike 9...c4?!, presumably because it takes pressure off the centre, leaving White with more-or-less a free hand on the kingside, which is where the black king should probably go.

10.cxd4 Nc6 11.Nc3 Nge7

11...Nb4 can be comfortably met by 11...Rb1 or the engines' 11...Qd2!?

12.Rd1 Nf5 13.Qf4 h5?

Missing a simple tactical point. The engines suggest 13...Qc4 or 13...Nce7!?

14.Nxd5! exd5?!

Probably better is 14...0-0-0.

15.Qxf5

How big is White's advantage?

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White is a pawn up, is better developed and has much the safer king, adding up to the equivalent of being about a minor piece ahead, according to the engines.

15...Ne7!?

Retrograde, but the engines reckon it is the best move available.

16.Qb1!? Rc8 17.Bg5 Qg6 18.Rd3!

The engines like this - with Black having problems completing development and getting the king to safety, it makes sense to keep queens on.
18...f6!?

Risky, but perhaps worth it to create complications to try to change the course of the game.

19.Bf4 Qg4 20.exf6 gxf6 21.Bg3 Bh6 22.Rc3 Kf7

Perhaps 22...0-0 is better.

23.h3 Qe4 24.Qf1!?

Not 24.Qxe4? as after 24...dxe4 Black is at least equal, according to the engines.

24...Rxc3 25.bxc3 Rc8?

Active, but it ignores the weakness of Black's queenside. The engines suggest 25...Qe6, 25...Qc2 or 25...a6.

26.Re1 Qc2 27.Qb5

The engines reckon White's advantage is now worth more than a rook

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27...Qxc3 28.Qxb7 Bf8 29.Bd6 Re8 30.Bxe7 Rxe7 31.Qxd5+ Kg7 32.Rxe7+ Bxe7 33.Qe6 Qc7 34.g3 Bd6 35.Nh4!? Qc1+

Not 35...Bxg3? 36.Nf5+ etc.

36.Kg2 Ba3 37.Qd7+ Kh6 38.Qe8 Qb1 39.Qh8+ Qh7 40.Qxf6+ 1-0

FCPL-UK won the match 5-1.
*FCPL apparently stands for Filipino Chess Players League.