Alan Palmer (1817) - Spanton (1891)
Sicilian Hyper-Accelerated Dragon
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Qa4 d6 7.Bd3
The main line in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database runs 7.e5!? dxe5 8.Nxe5 Bd7 9.Nxd7 Qxd7 10.Be3, when White has the bishop-pair and, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1, a slight edge.
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| How should Black meet 7.Bd3, which occurs three times in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database? |
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7...Bg7
Although the position has only been reached three times in Mega26, three moves have been played: the text, 7...Nd7!? and 7...Bd7.
8.Nd5!?
A delayed e5 has been played, but the engines like the reply 8...Nd7!?
8...0-0
Again the engines like 8...Nd7!?
9.Nxf6 Bxf6 10.c3 d5
The engines suggest 10...Bg4, one point being 11.Nd4?! runs into 11...Nxd4 12.cxd4 Bd7!, eg 13.Qb4 a5!? 14.Qxb7 Bxd4, when Black has a positionally won game, according to the engines.
11.0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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The main difference between the two sides may be that Black has an extra pawn on the two centre files, which could be why the engines for quite some time give Black the better part of equality. However, while Dragon1 sticks to this, Stockfish17.1 gradually comes to give Black a slight edge, but then flips to almost dead-eye equality.
11...e5?!
However the engines agree this is wrong, preferring 11...d4!? After 12.Nxd4 Nxd4 13.cxd4 Qxd4 14.Qxd4 Bxd4, Black's central majority has gone, but Black has a little pressure against the white queenside.
12.Bh6 Re8 13.h3
13.exd5 Qxd5 14.Be4 gives White an initiative.
13...d4 14.cxd4 exd4 15.Rfe1 Bd7 16.a3!? Qb6 17.b4!? Ne5 18.Qd1 Nxd3 19.Qxd3
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| How would you assess this middlegame? |
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Black has the bishop-pair and an isolated, but passed, centre pawn. White has a kingside pawn-majority that could give middlegame attacking chances against Black's king. The engines agree the position offers equal chances.
19...Bb5 20.Qd2 d3
The engines suggest 20...Bc6, pressurising the e pawn, or 20...Bh8!?, making sure e5 does not come with tempo.
21.Be3
21.e5 gives White a slight edge, according to the engines.
21...Qa6!?
Not just overprotecting d3, but putting pressure on a3.
22.Bd4 Bxd4 23.Nxd4 Rac8
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| White to play and lose |
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24.f3??
'Consolidation', but it sets up a fatal pin. The engines give 24.Nxb5 or 24.a4!?, in each case claiming equality.
24...Qb6 25.Qf2 Ba4!?
From a4 the bishop eyes the passed pawn's queening square, prevents the retreat Nb3 and, also importantly, as will be seen later, protects e8.
26.Rac1 Rcd8?!
Black is still winning after this, but much better is 26...Red8.
27.Rc5
Possibly better is 27.Rc4, although Dragon1 is a lot less sure about this than Stcokfsih17.1. A sample continuation: 27...Rd7 28.e5!? Rd5!? 29.Re4 Rdxe5, after which White has saved the knight but not, according to the engines, the game.
27...Qf6?
Much stronger is 27...Rxd4! 28.Qxd4 Rd8 etc, or 27...Rd7 with ...Red8 to come.
28.e5 Qe7
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| How should White proceed? |
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29.e6?
Best is 29.Re4, eg 29...f5 30.exf6 Qxf6 31.Rxe8+ Rxe8 32.f4, after which the knight has a retreat square, and Black only retains a slight edge, according to the engines.
29...fxe6 30.Rf1?!
This passivity does not help, but either recapture on e6 can be met by ...d2.
30...b6 31.Re5 Qd6 32.Re4 e5 33.Qa2+ Kg7 34.Rfe1
Or 34.Nb3 Qd5 35.Rb1 Bxb3, with pushing the d pawn to come.
34...exd4 35.Rxe8 Rxe8 0-1
My Battersea Season 2025-6
Date Event Colour Rating Opp's Rating Score Season's Perf
16/9/25 CLL W 1936 1952 0 1552
18/9/25 CLL W 1936 1797 = 1675
16/10/25 CLL W 1889 2047 0 1665
23/10/25 CLL B 1889 1823 1 1805
18/11/25 LL W 1891 1980 = 1840
20/11/25 CLL W 1891 1866 1 1911
25/11/25 BCC B 1891 1817 1 1955
CLL: Central London League
LL: London League
BCC - Battersea club championship
There's a typo on White's 25th move.
ReplyDeleteCorrected - thanks
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