Spanton (1896) - Luis Vicente Martín Martín (2000)
Scandinavian
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 c6 5.Bd2!? Bf5
Probably not 5...Qb6 6.Nf3 Qxb2?! as 7.Rb1 Qa3 leaves White with a lot of compensation for a pawn, especially after the apparent-novelty 7.Ne5!?, which is suggested by Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1.
6.g4!?
This rare continuation is much-liked by the engines.
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| How should Black respond? |
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6...Be6!?
The engines fluctuate between the text and the more common 6...Bg6, coming to prefer the former.
7.Bg2 Qd8!? 8.Be3
The engines prefer gambiting the d pawn with 8.g5!? Qxd4 9.Nf3.
8...Nf6 9.h3 Nd5 10.Nxd5 Bxd5 11.Nf3 Nd7 12.Qe2 Nb6 13.b3 e6 14.a3
The engines prefer 14.c4, meeting 14...Bb4+ with 15.Kf1!?
14...Be7 15.Qd3 0-0 16.0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the game? |
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White has more space in the centre, but the white king's position is a little loose, and the engines reckon Black has a slight edge.
16...Bxf3!? 17.Bxf3 Bg5!?
Ensuring White will not be able to use the bishop-pair to gain an advantage.
18.a4 Nd5 19.Be4 Bxe3 20.fxe3
18.a4 Nd5 19.Be4 Bxe3 20.fxe3
After 20.Bxh7+ Kh8 21.fxe3 Black can choose between three promising continuations: 21...Qh4; 21...f5; and 21...g6 22.Bxg6 fxg6 23.Rxf8+ Qxf8 24.Qxg6 Qg7!? 25.Qxe6 Nf4!
20...Qh4 21.Bg2 h5 22.e4 Nb4!?
Possibly better is 22...Nf6 or 22...Ne7.
23.Qd2 a5
The engines suggest offering a pawn with 23...c5!?, eg 24.dxc5 a5 25.c3 Nc6.
24.c3 Na6 25.Qf2!?
With the knight sidelined, it is probably the black king that is most in danger, in which case White should keep queens on.
25...Qxf2+ 26.Rxf2 hxg4 27.hxg4 e5!? 28.Rf5!? exd4 29.cxd4 Nb4 30.Rd1 Rfd8 31.d5!? cxd5 32.exd5 Rd6
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| Who, if anyone, stands better? |
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The position is completely equal, according to the engines.
33.Re1 b6 34.Rd1!? Rc8 35.Be4
The engines prefer active defence of b3 by 35.Re5!?, eg 35...Rc3 36.Re8+ Kh7 37.Rf1 Rd7 38.Rf8 Rcc7, and not 38...f6? 39.Be4+ etc.
35...Rc3
The engines suggest 35...g6 36.Rf4! (36.Rf3? Re8 37.Bb1 Re5) Kg7, claiming a slight edge for Black.
36.Rf3 Rc7 37.Rf2 Kf8 38.Kg2 Rc3 39.Rf3 Rxf3 40.Kxf3
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| How would you assess this rook-and-minor-piece ending? |
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The passed pawn is firmly blockaded, and under pressure from the well-placed knight in addition to the black rook. The engines agree the position is completely equal.
40...Ke7 41.Kf4 f6 42.Kf5 Kf7
Probably not 42...g5?! 43.Kg6!?
43.Kf4 Ke7 44.Kf5 Kf7 45.Bf3 Nc2 46.Ke4 Nb4 47.Kf5 ½–½
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