Antonio Mehmedov (1780) - Spanton (1941)
French Advance
1.e4 e6 2.d5 d5 3.e5!?
This move has an iffy reputation in some quarters, but it is liked by Stockfish17 and Dragon1, although they come to marginally prefer 3.Nc3.
3...c5 4.c3 Bd7!?
This could be a harmless transposition to main lines, but can also have independent significance.
5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Bd3 Bb5!?
Seeking to swop bad bishop for good.
 |
| How should White respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
7.0-0
This is the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, and it is Dragon1's top choice, but Stockfish17 suggests 7.dxc5!? Bxc4 8.b4, and Dragon1 comes to agree. Best play, according to the engines, runs 8...Bxd3 9.Qxd3 Bf8!? 10.0-0, when they claim a slight edge for White.
7...Bxd3 8.Qxd3 Nc6 9.Nbd2
The engines like 9.dxc5!?, when 9...Bxc5 10.b4 Bf8 reaches the same position as in the previous note, if Black had there continued 10...Nc6.
9...cxd4 10.cxd4 Nge7 11.Nb3 a5 12.a4!?
This may be a novelty, and is slightly preferred by the engines over the known 12.Be3.
12...Nb4 13.Qd1 Rc8
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
14.Bd2?
The engines suggest 14.Rb1!? or 14.Ne1. Dragon1 comes to quite like 14.Nc5, but prefers Black after 14...Nf5, when threats include ...Nxd4.
14...Nc2 15.Bxa5?
White should acquiesce to the loss of a pawn after 15.Rc1 Qxb3 16.Bc3 Qxa4 17.Ne1, or give up the exchange for a pawn by 15.Nxa5 Nxa1 16.Qxa1.
15...Qxb3 16.Rc1 Qxa4
Even stronger is 16...Qxb2, according to the engines.
17.Bc3 b5
The c2 knight can be rescued, or at least given up along with the b pawn for the white bishop.
18.Qxc2 Qxc2 19.Rxc2 b4 20.Ra1 bxc3 21.bxc3 Ng6 22.Ra7 Be7 23.Kf1 0-0 24.Ke2 Ra8 25.Rb7 Rfb8 26.Rd7?
The rook gets trapped after this, but exchanging on b8 leaves White in a more-or-less hopeless position, down a bishop for a pawn.
26...Kf8 27.g3 Ke8 0-1
The opening idea of .. Qb6 combined with .. Bd7-b5 was sometimes attributed to the late Bob Wade who first played it in the 1950s. His opponents seemed to prefer to play 6. Be2 or 6. a3, perhaps not wishing to debate Milner-Barry Gambit positions that could arise after 6. Bd3 Nc6.
ReplyDeleteRdC
The Milner-Barry has undergone a revival, thanks to a new idea for White, which I suspect my young opponent was hoping to play. I wrote a series on it during the covid lockdown: https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2020/12/new-improved-milner-barry-gambit.html
Delete