Geoffrey Stern (1970) - Spanton (1896)
Jobava-Prié
1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 c5!?
Not a common move, but it has been played by Magnus Carlsen, and it scores 52% in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.
3.Bf4!?
Most popular in Mega26 is 3.e4, making the opening an Albin with colours reversed and White having the extra tempo Nc3. Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 rate the two moves almost identically.
3...Nc6 4.e3 a6
Preventing 5.Nb5.
5.Nf3 e6 6.dxc5!?
Played so Bd3 cannot be met by ...c4. The engines prefer the more popular 6.Be2.
6...Bxc5 7.Bd3 Nf6 8.0-0 0-0
 |
| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White is slightly ahead on development, and Black has a problem-bishop at c8, but Black has more space in the centre and a 2-1 majority on the central two files. The engines reckon the game is equal.
9.e4 dxe4 10.Nxe4 Nxe4 11.Bxe4
 |
| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
11...Qxd1?!
This has been tried by at least one 2400+ player, but is probably a mistake. The engines like 11...Qf6 or 11...f6!?
12.Rfxd1 Re8!?
This apparent-novelty comes to be Stockfish17.1's top choice, although Dragon1 prefers another move not in Mega26, 12...Ba7!? However, both engines fluctuate between moves, with 12...f6 and 12...Nb4 among other suggestions.
13.Ne5!? Nxe5 14.Bxe5 f6 15.Bd6 Bxd6 16.Rxd6 f5 17.Bf3 e5?!
Probably better is 17...Kf7 or 17...Rb8, although the engines give White at least the upper hand.
18.Bd5+ Kf8 19.Rd1 Rb8
Perhaps 19...Ke7 is better, but 20.Rb6 comes anyway.
20.Rb6 e4
 |
| What should White play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
21.c4!?
This is Dragon1's top choice for quite some time, but it eventually prefers Stockfish17.1's 21.h4, although the latter engine fluctuates between pushing the h pawn and playing 21.Bc6. It seems Black is so tied down that White can take time to play almost anything.
21...f4?
The engines much prefer giving up the b7 pawn with 21...Bd7!?, whereas the text loses material without freeing Black's queenside.
22.Re1 e3?
Better is 22...Bf5.
23.fxe3 Rxe3
Black gets mated, or loses a catastrophic amount of material, after 23...fxe3?? 24.Rf1+, eg 24...Ke7 25.Rf7+ Kd8 26.Rd6+ Bd7 27.Rdxd7+ Kc8 28.Rc7+ Kd8 29.Rfd7#'
24.Rf1 g5 25.h4 Bg4!? 26.hxg5 f3!? 27.Bxf3 Bxf3 28.Rxf3+ Rxf3 29.fxf3 Rc8 1-0
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