Spanton (1941) - Vjačeslavs Verņuks (1794)
King's Indian Sämisch
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.d4 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Bg5!? c5 7.d5 Qa5!?
An uncommon continuation, but it has been played by Shirov, Gelfand and other strong grandmasters.
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| How should White respond? |
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8.Qd2
This is easily the main move in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, but Stockfish17 and Dragon1 prefer András Adorján's 8.a4!?
8...b5?!
A dubious positional pawn sacrifice that appears to be a novelty. Normal is 8...a6.
9.Nxb5 Qxd2+ 10.Bxd2 a6 11.Nc3
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| For a pawn Black has the half-open b file, a slight lead in development ... and not much else |
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11...e6
The engines suggest 11...a5!?
12.Rb1?!
Prophylaxis, but of a feeble kind. Best may be 12.0-0-0!?
12...exd5 13.Nxd5?
This throws away all of White's advantage by helping Black attack the extended white centre.
13...Nxd5 14.cxd5 Nd7
Probably best is 14...f5.
15.Bc3
The engines prefer developing the knight, to either h3 or e2.
15...f5
The engines like 15...Ne5 or 15...Rb8.
16.Bxg7
Better is 16.exf5!? Rxf5 17.Bd3!, but I missed that 17...Rxd5?? loses to 18.Bc4.
16...Kxg7 17.Be2
Black is better after this, according to the engines. They suggest giving the pawn back by 17.exf5!? Rxf5 18.Ne2 Rxd5 19.Nc3, claiming complete equality.
17....Rb8 18.Nh3
The engines reckon 18.b3 a5 (18...fxe4 19.fxe4 lets the white knight develop smoothly at f3) 19.exf5 Rxf5 20.Nh3 Nf6!? 21.Nf2 keeps White's disadvantage to a minimum.
18...fxe4 19.fxe4 Rb4?
Black gains at least the upper hand after 19...Nf6, according to the engines, eg 20.Nf2 Re8 (also strong is 20...Nxe4!? 21.Nxe4 Bf5 etc) 21.Bf3 Bf5.
20.Nf2 Ne5 21.0-0 a5 22.b3 Bd7 23.Rbc1 Ra8
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| Black's pressure is reminiscent of the Benko Gambit |
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24.Bc4 a4 25.Rc2
25.Rc3 may be better.
25...Bb5!? 26.Bxb5
Not 26.a3?? axb3! (this is even stronger than 26....Bxc4) 27.axb4 bxc2 (27...Bxc4 also wins) 28.Bxb5 cxb4, after which Black's queenside pawns triumph.
26...Rxb5
The engines reckon White's task is slightly more difficult after 26...axb3!? 27.axb3 Rxb5.
27.bxa4 Rxa4 28.Re1
The engines advise giving back the pawn with 28.Nh3!? Rxe4 29.Ng5 and 30.Ne6+, claiming equality.
28...Rbb4 29.h3 h5 30.Kh2 Ra3 31.Ree2?! Nc4?!
Black gets at least the upper hand after 31...Rb1, according to the engines, eg 32.Rcd2 Ra1 33.Nd1 h4 34.Nf2 (White has run out of useful moves) Kf6 35.Rc2 Kg5!? 36.Rcd2 Kf4 37.Nd1 c4 38.Rf2+!? Kg5!? 39.Rfe2 c3 40.Rd4 Kh5! (40...R1xa2? 41.Nxc3), after which White is in zugzwang, and probably has nothing better than 41.Rc2 R1xa2 42.Rxc3 Rxc3 43.Nxc3 Rc2, when moving the knight loses to 44...Nf3+. This is a long variation, but in any event White's position is very difficult.
32.Nd1 Ne5 33.Rc3 Rba4 34.Rxa3 Rxa3 35.Rc2 Nd3?
The engines are OK with this at first, but the knight-and-pawn ending is lost for Black, although Dragon1 takes some convincing.
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| Stockfish17 comes to see the position as winning for White, but Dragon1 insists it is completely equal |
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36.Rc3 Rxc3 37.Nxc3 Kf6 38.Kg3 Ke5 39.Kf3
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| Only now does Dragon1 realise Black is lost |
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39...c4
Dragon1 originally reckoned 39...Nb2!? draws, but White wins with 40.h4! eg 40...Nc4 41.Nb1!! (a study-like only-move) Kd4 42.a4, which is not so very different from the way the game unfolds (except the game does not have the same brilliance, as the text makes White's task less demanding).
40.Ke3 h4 41.a4 Nc5 42.a5 g5 43.Nb5!?
It turns out the white knight is not tied to the defence of e4.
43...Na6
Or 43...Nxe4 44.a6 Nf6 45.Nc3 Ne8 46.a7 Nc7 47.Kf3! Na8 (47...Kd4 48.Nb5+!) 48.Kg4 Kf6 49.Nb1!? (not the only winning move) Kg6 50.Kf3 Kf5 51.Na3 c3 52.Nb5!? etc.
44.Nd4 c3 45.Nf3+ Kf6 46.Nd4 Nc5
Or 46...Ke5 47.Nf3+ Kf6 48.Kd3 Nc5+ 49.Kxc3 Nxe4+ 50.Kc4 etc.
47.Nc3 Ke5 48.Nb4 1-0
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