Pat O'Hanlon (1794) - Spanton (1896)
London System
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 e6 3.e3 Bd6 4.Nf3 Bxf4
This is the most popular continuation in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.
5.exf4 Qd6 6.Qd2 Nf6 7.Nc3 Bd7!?
This apparent-novelty is Stockfish17.1's top choice at first, although after a while it comes to view the text and 7...0-0 as of roughly equal value. Dragon1 starts by approving of castling, but comes to prefer the text, although later it switches back to castling and to 7...a6.
8.Bd3
The engines suggest 8.0-0-0!?
8...0-0 9.0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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The half-open e file and control of e5 are White's compensation for having doubled f pawns. The engines reckon the game is equal.
9...c5 10.dxc5 Qxc5 11.Ne5!?
By transposition we have reached the game Nicolas Eliet (2422) - Alexei Barsov (2531), Bogny-sur-Meuse (France) 2003, which continued 11...Rd8 12.Rfe1 Nc6 13.Rad1 Be8!? 14.Ne2 Nd7 (14...Ne4!? is suggested by the engines) 15.g3 g6 16.h4, at which point a draw was agreed, although the engines reckon White is at least slightly better.
11...Nc6 12.a3 d4!?
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| How should White respond to this pawn thrust? |
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13.Nxd7
This, by a small margin, is the engines' top choice, but they are also happy with other moves of the knight, including 13.Ne4 and 13.Na4.
13...Nxd7 14.Ne4 Qe7 15.Rfe1 Nf6 16.Nxf6+
White probably has a slight edge after 16.f5, according to the engines, eg 16...e5 17.Qe2 Nxe4 18.Bxe4, although Stockfish17.1 is less sure than Dragon1.
16...Qxf6 17.Be4 Rac8 18.Rad1 Rfd8 19.g3 g6 20.Qe2 Rc7 21.Bd3 Rdc8 22.h4 h5 23.Qe4 a6!? 24.Rd2 Kg7 25.Kg2 Re7 26.Rde2 Na5 27.b3!? Nc6 28.Qf3 Rec7 29.Qe4 Qe7 30.b4
The engines suggest 30.a4!?, although this gives up the b4 square.
30...Qd6 31.Qf3
Here they suggest 31.Rd2 or 31.b5!?
31...Ne7 32.Re5 Nd5
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| After much manoeuvring by both sides, how should White proceed? |
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33.g4?!
A sharp try, but it may be a mistake.
33.f5!? is possibly best-met by 33...gxf5, when both 34.Qxh5 and 24.Rxd5!? lead to sharp play that seems roughly balanced.
33.Rg5 Nf6 34.f5!? exf5 35.Qxf5 also gives equal chances, according to the engines.
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| How should Black respond? |
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33...f6
Best may be 33...hxg4 34.Qxg4 Rxc2! 35.Bxc2 Rxc2 36.f5 Ne3+! 37.R5xe3 dxe3 38.f6+!? Kxf6! 39.Rxe3, after which Black emerges a pawn up, but the line is very sharp and certainly hard to envisage from the diagram.
34.R5e4
Not 34.Rxe6?? Nxf4+ etc, but Stockfish17.1 suggests 34.Rxd5!?, claiming 34...Qxd5 35.Qxd5 exd5 36.f5!? gxf5 37.Bxf5 gives White full compensation for the exchange, although Dragon1 is not wholly convinced.
34...hxg4 35.Qg3
Not 35.Qxg4?? f5 36.Rxe6 Qxe6! (this is even stronger than 36...Nxf4+, as after 37.Kf1 Nxe6 White has 38.Bxf5 Nf4 39.Bxc8) 37.Rxe6 fxg4 38.Rxg6+ Kf7 39.Rxg4 Rg8.
35...f5
Possibly 35...Qc6 is stronger.
36.Re5?
Correct is 36.Rxe6!, when 36...Nxf4+?? fails to 37.Kf1. However Black has 36...Ne3+! 37.R1xe3 Qd5+, eg 38.Kg1 dxe3, although after 39.Qxe3 White has enough compensation for the exchange, according to the engines. Dragon1 slightly prefers 38.R3e4?, but Stockfish17.1 shows this is wrong, thanks to the long line 38...fxe4 39.Re5 (39.Rxe4 Re8) exd3+! 40.Rxd5 dxc2 41.f5 c1=Q 42.Qe5+ Kh6, and only now does Dragon1 realise White does not have a draw as 43.fxg6 can be met by 43...Qc6, eg 44.Kg3 d3! 45.Qg5+ Kh7 46.h5 Re8 47.h6+ Kg8 48.Qf5 Rce7, after which the Black king is safe enough, and Black is up a rook for at most two pawns.
36...Rc3
Even stronger, according to the engines, are 36...Re7 and 36...Rxc2!? 37.Bxc2 Rc3, when 38.Bd3 runs into 38...Rxd3! 39.Qxd3 Nf4+ and 40...Nxd3.
37.Kg1
The engines more-or-less come to agree this is the best try, as after 37.Rxe6 Ne3+! 38.R1xe3 Qd5+ 39.Kh2 dxe3 40.Qxe3 they reckon White does not have enough for the exchange, especially if Black finds 40...Rh8!
37...Rxa3?
Probably best is 37...Re8.
38.Rxe6 Qxf4
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| White to play and equalise |
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39.Qg2
The engines give 39.Rd6! Qxg3+ 40.fxg3 Nxb4 41.Ree6 Rc7 42.Rxg6+ Kf8 43.Bxf5 Rxg3+ 44.Kh2 Rh3+ 45.Kg1 Rxh4, when Black is three pawns up, but White seems to have enough for a draw, eg 46.Rd8+ Ke7 47.Rxd4 Nc6 48.Rf4 Rh8 49.Re6+ Kd8 50.Rd6+ Ke8 51.Rxg4, after which White has won back two pawns and remains very active. Black could instead try 40...Ne3, but 41.Rxd4 Nxc2 42.Rd7+ Kh6. However 43.Ree7 Rh8 (only move) 44.Kh2 Nxb4 45.Bxf5! gxf5 46.Rd6+ Kh5 47.Rg7 forces Black to take a draw by repetition by 47...Ra2+ 48.Kg1 Ra1+ etc. Naturally there are many alternatives in these lines, but 39.Rd6! seems to hold up in all of them.
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| After 39.Qg2, it is Black to play and win |
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39...Qf3?
Winning is 39...g3, eg 40.Qxg3 Qxg3+ 41.fxg3 Nxb4, when Black is two pawns to the good, and the black king does not face serious threats. Trickier is 40.fxg3 as Black is losing unless he finds 40...Rxc2! 41.gxf4 Rxg2+ 42.Kxg2 Nxf4+ and 43...Nxe6.
40.Qh2?
After 40.Qxf3 gxf3 41.Rd6 Nf4 42.Kh2 White is two pawns down, but seems to have enough activity to hold, eg 42...Rc7 43.Re5 Kf7 44.Rxd4 Nh5 45.Rd6. But the position is far from easy to play, for example winning back a pawn by 42.Rxd4? (instead of playing 42.Kh2) can be met by 42...Rxd3!, when 43.cxd3? fails to 43...Ne2+ etc, and 43.Rxd3 Nxd3 44.cxd3 gives a rook-and-pawn ending in which White is 'only' a pawn down, but every white pawn is isolated, and Black's advantage is equivalent to being about a rook up, according to the engines.
40...Nf4 41.Re7+ Kh6 42.h5 Nh3+ 43.Kf1 Rxd3!
This is strongest.
44.cxd3 Rc2
Other moves also win.
45.R7e2 Qxd3 46.hxg6 f4 0-1
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