4NCL

PLAYED on board two (of six) for Wessex B against Crowthorne B in Division Four of the Four Nations Chess League this afternoon.

Spanton (1889 ECF/1941 Fide) - Timothy Chapman (1648 ECF/1728 Fide)

Veresov

1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.Bg5 Nbd7 4.f3!?

In many ways this is the quintessential Veresov move, but it is not liked by Stockfish17.1 or Dragon1, and is much less popular than 4.Nf3 in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, and the latter scores two percentage points higher.

How should Black respond?

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4...h6

Slightly more common in Mega25 is 4...c6, while also popular are 4...c5!? and 4...e6.

5.Bh4 e6

The engines' top choice is 5...c5!?

6.e4 Be7 7.e5

Probably not 7.Bd3?! as Black has 7...Nxe4!? (the engines reckon 7...dxe4!? is also strong) 8.Bxe7 Nxc3 9.Bxd8 Nxd1 10.Bxc7 Nxb2, winning a pawn.

7...Nh7 8.Bf2

The engines reckon 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.f4 is even stronger.

8...c6!?

This seems new. Known moves are 8...c5, 8...0-0 and 8...a6.

9.Bd3 b6 10.f4 g6!?

The engines prefer queenside play, eg 10...c5, or castling.

11.Nf3 Bb7 12.g4 Qc7 13.f5 gxf5 14.gxf5 0-0-0!?

Now Black has castled, how would you assess the position?

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Black has connected rooks, but White's extra space makes for easier coordination. The engines agree White is positionally winning.

15.f6 Bb4 16.Qd2!?

The engines do not like this because it gives the black king's knight a chance to get into the game. They suggest 16.h4 or 16.Bxh7!? Rxh7 17.Rg1.

How should Black proceed?

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16...Bxc3

This looks tempting, but much better, according to the engines, is 16...Ng5!? 17.Nxg5 hxg5 18.Qxg5 Rdg8 19.Qf4 c5.

17.bxc3 Ng5!?

The same sacrificial idea, and again it is the engines' top choice, but they agree it is a lot less effective than on the previous move.

18.Nxg5 hxg5 19.Qxg5 Rdg8 20.Qf4 b5

Where should White's king go?

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21.Ke2!?

This is Stockfish17.1's top choice; Dragon1 prefers 21.Kd2!? Both engines also like 21.h4.

21...Nb6

Possibly better is 21...Qa5, when the engines suggest 22.Rag1!?, eg 22...Qxc3 23.Rg7!? Rf8 24.h4, after which the engines reckon White will decide matters on the kingside before Black can get at the white king.

22.Rag1

Now c3 can be defended by Be1, without disconnecting White's rooks.

22...Qd8

The engines suggest 22...Rf8!?, but White can start pushing the h pawn.

23.Rg7!? Qf8

Again the engines suggest ...Rf8.

24.Rhg1 Na4

Nothing appears to save Black, eg the engines' 24...Qe8!? can be met by 25.Rxg8 Rxg8 26.Rxg8 Qxg8 27.Qh6 Qg4+ (otherwise 28.Qg7, followed by Bh6-g8 and/or pushing the h pawn, wins easily) 28.Ke1 Nd7 29.Qg7 Qh5 30.Be2 etc.

25.Qg4!? Rxg7 26.fxg7 Nxc3+ 27.Kf1 1-0

Wessex B won the match 5-1.