English 65+ Round Six

Carving at Ferry Meadows

Spanton (1944 ECF/2035 Fide) - Alan Hall (1689 ECF/1765 Fide)

Petrov Defence

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.c4!?

This is less popular than d3, Qe2, Nc3 and especially d4, but scores a better percentage than all of them in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.

5...Be7 6.d4 0-0 7.Bd3

How should Black proceed?

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7...Nf6

This is most common in Mega26, but 7...d5, supporting the knight in traditional Petrov-style, has also been played. However, after 8.0-0, reaching a position occurring 996 times in the database, the best continuation is 8...Nf6!?, according to Stockfish19 and Dragon1.

8.0-0

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the game?

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White's extra space gives a slight edge, according to the engines.

8...Nc6 9.Nc3 Bg4 10.Be3 Re8 11.h3 Bh5 12.g4!?

This apparent-novelty is liked by the engines, but they also like the known 12.Re1.

12...Bg6 13.Bxg6 hxg6 14.Qd3

The engines prefer 14.Bg5 or 14.Re1.

14...Qd7

How should White meet Black's threat to capture on g4?

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15.Nh2?!

Probably too passive, especially when there are simple remedies such as 15.Bf4 and 15.d5.

15...d5!?

The thematic ...d5 thrust in the Petrov, and here it gives Black the upper hand, according to the engines.

16.c5 Bf8?!

Almost certainly too slow, whereas the immediate 16...b6, a typical reaction when White pushes on with c5, seems strong. Note, however, that 16...Bxc5!? 17.dxc5 d4 can be met by 18.R(either)d1, after which Black has at best a slight edge, according to the engines.

17.Bf4 b6 18.cxb6 axb6 19.Rfe1?

White should probably play 19.a3, to take control of the b4 square.

19...Bd6?!

Black has an edge after this, but much stronger is 19...Nb4, when the engines reckon best-play runs 20.Qf1!? Ne4 (20...Nc2 21.Rxe8 Qxe8!? 22.Rd1 c5 is also good), with a lot of pressure for Black, eg 21.Red1 c5 22.dxc5 Bxc5 23.Nxe4 Rxe4, after which storm clouds are gathering around White's king.

20.Bg3?

White should probably play 20.Bxd6 Qxd6 21.Nf3, with what the engines reckon is a slight edge for Black.

20...Bxg3 21.fxg3 Rxe1+

Both 21...Nb4 and 21...Qd6 are even stronger, according to the engines.

22.Rxe1 Re8?!

But this throws away most of the rest of Black's advantage, whereas both ...Qd6 and ...Nb4 are still very good for Black, according to the engines.

23.Rxe8+ Qxe8!? 24.Nf3

Probably not 24.g5?! Ne4 25.Nxd5?! Nxg5.

24...Qd7

AH offered a draw.

How would you assess the position?

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The white king is less safe than its black counterpart, but I thought this should not prove critical with somewhat reduced material, and I hoped to pose problems for Black by creating a queenside passed pawn. However, the engines agree the game is completely equal.

25.Kg2 Kf8 26.Ne5 Qe6 27.Nxc6 Qxc6 28.Qb5 Qxb5

The engines prefer keeping queens on the board with 28...Qe6 or 28...Qd6.

29.Nxb5

How would you assess this knight-and-pawn ending?

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It is equal, according to the engines, but not simple.

[Indeed, after inputting more moves, and then returning to the diagram position, the engines change their evaluation to White being slightly better.]

29...c6

The engines agree this is best, although Stockfish19 evaluates 29...c5!? as only slightly worse for Black. Dragon1, however, reckons ...c5 loses, or at least gives White the upper hand. Black could also play 29...Ne8?!, but that is probably too passive.

30.Na7 c5 31.Nc8 Nd7

Not 31...cxd4? 32.Kf3!, eg 32...Nd7 33.Ke2 Ke8 34.Kd3 Kd8 35.Nd6 Ke7 36.Nb5, with a winning advantage for White, according to the engines.

32.dxc5

The engines prefer centralising the king with 32.Kf3!?

32...bxc5 33.Kf2 Kf8 34.Ke3 Kd8 35.Nd6 Ke7 36.Nb7 Ke6 37.a4

How should Black proceed?

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37...Ke5?

The engines reckon the diagram-position is one where centralising the king is not correct. They give 37...d4+ and 37...f6 as equal.

38.a5 d4+ 39.Kd3

39.Kd2! is much preferred by the engines.

39...Kd5 40.b3 Nb8 41.g5 Nc6!?

This may be a mistake, although the engines' evaluations fluctuate, with Dragon1 at one point reckoning the move loses, while at the same time Stockfish19 calls the game equal. The former settles on awarding White the upper hand, while Stockfish19 changes to giving White a slight edge, but finally calls the position completely equal. Nevertheless, the engines agree 41...Kc6 and 41...f6 give complete equality.

42.h4 Nb4+!?

This is an only-move, according to the engines.

43.Kd2

Black to play and be only slightly worse (Stockfish19), or at any rate to cede no more than the upper hand (Dragon1)

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43...f6

It seems Black had to play 43...Kc6!, when 44.Nd8+ Kb5 45.Nxf7 Nc6!? 46.g4 Kxa5 47.h5 gxh5 48.gxh5 Ne7! holds, according to the engines. Everything else loses fairly trivially, eg 43...Na6 44.Nd8 f6 45.gxf6 gxf6 46.g4, which is similar to the game.

44.gxh6 gxh6 45.g4 Na6 46.h5 gxh5 47.gxh5 Ke6

White to play and win

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48.Nxc5+?

Sacrificing the knight is the right idea, but this is the wrong way to go about it. Instead, 48.Nd6!? leaves Black helpless, eg 48...f5 49.h6 Kf6 50.Nxf5!, or 48...Ke7 49.h6 Kf8 50.Ne8! Kg8 51,Nxf6+. But other moves also win, including 48.Kd3 and 48.h6.

48...Nxc5 49.b4

Black to play and draw

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49...Ne4+?

Black holds with 49...Na6 50.b5 Nc7 51.b6 Na6.

50.Kd3 Nd6 51.Kxd4 f5 52.h6 Nf7?

There is more resistance in 52...Kf6 53.Kd5 f4 54.a6! Kg6 55.Kxd6 f3 56.a7 f2 57a8=Q f1=Q, when the queen-and-pawn ending is won for White, but practice does not always follow theory.
53.a6 1-0

English 65+ Round Five

Orton Mere

Philip Bonafont (2122 ECF/1956 Fide) - Spanton (1944 ECF/2035 Fide)

Spanish Berlin

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Be7!?

A relatively rare continuation, lagging in popularity behind ...Ne7, ...Bd7, ...h6 and especially ...Ke8.

How should White respond?

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10.g4!?

The main move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database is 10.h3, which is liked by both Stockfish19 and Dragon1, along with 10.Rd1+ (Stockfish19) and 10.a4 (Dragon1).

10...Nh4 11.Nxh4 Bxh4 12.h3 h5 13.f3 Bg3?

Apparently a novelty, and not a good one as the e5 pawn cannot be safely won. The engines suggest 13...Ke7, 13...Be6 or 13...b6!?

14.Bg5+ Ke8 15.Rad1?

Correct is 15.Kg2 Bxe5 (15...h4?! is even worse, according to the engines, eg 16.f4 Be6 17.Rad1, when Black's pieces have very little play) 16.Rae1 f6 17.Bf4, one line running 17...Kf7 18.Bxe5 fxe5 19.Rxe5 Be6 20.Rfe1 Rae8 21.Kg3, with an advantage for White that the engines reckon is worth more than two pawns.

15...Be6 16.f4 hxg4 17.hxg4 Bxg4

How should White proceed?

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18.Rd3?

White has enough compensation for a pawn after several moves, according to the engines, but not the text. Perhaps best is 18.Rd2, when the game's 18...Bh4?? is a blunder, thanks to 19.Rh2, so Black should perhaps play 18...Bf5, when 19.Rg2 f6!? 20.exf6 gxf6 21.Bxf6 Rh3 seems equal.

18...Bh4 19.Bxh4 Rxh4 20.f5 Rd8??

This turns a winning position into a losing one. After 20...Rh5, White has nothing better than 21.f6, when 21...g6 solidifies the black kingside, leaving Black with an advantage worth about a piece, according to the engines.

21.Rf4 Rxd3 22.cxd3 g5 23.fxg6 fxg6 24.Ne4

The bishop cannot be saved.

24...Ke7 25.Nf2 g5 26.Rxg4 Rxg4+ 27.Nxg4 Ke6 28.Kf2 Kf5 29.d4!? Ke6 30.Ke3 b6 1-0

English 65+ Round Four

Rolling stock at Overton station on the Nene Valley Railway

Spanton (1944 ECF/2035 Fide) - Roy Hughes (2112 ECF/2020 Fide)

Scandinavian

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6!?

Stockfish19 and Dragon1 prefer this over the slightly more popular, at least in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, 5...a6. The engines also like 5...g6!?

6.g3!?

The main move is 6.Ne5!?

6...Bg4 7.Bg2 e6 8.Bf4

Where should Black's queen go?

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8...Qd8

This is the engines' top choice, but 8...Qb4!? is also playable, although the engines reckon White gets more than enough compensation if Black grabs the b pawn, eg 9.0-0!? Qxb2 10.Qb1!? Ba3!? (10...Qxb1?! 11.Rfxb1 b6 12.Ne5) 11.Ne5 0-0 12.Qe1!? Bb4 13.Rb1 Qxc3 14.Rxb4 Qxe1 15.Rxe1, when, for a pawn, White has a lead in development and the bishop-pair. The engines reckon Black, instead of grabbing the pawn, should instead carry on developing with 9...Nbd7 or 9...Be7.

9.h3 Bxf3!?

This is Stockfish19's top choice; Dragon1 rates the text and 9...Bh5 as of similar value.

10.Qxf3!?

How should Black proceed?

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10...Be7

This seems to be a novelty. Eduardas Rozentalis (2588) - Vladislav Nevednichy (2570), Greek Team Championship 2009, went 10...Qxd4 11.0-0 Nbd7 12.Nb5!? cxb5 (forced) 13.Qxb7 Rd8 14.Bc7 Be7 15.Rad1!?, at which point a draw was agreed. The engines reckon best-play runs 15...Qxb2 16.Bxd8 Bxd8 17.Bc6 0-0 18.Bxd7 Bb6, with equal chances.

11.0-0-0 Nbd7 12.g4!? Qa5 13.Kb1 Nb6

How should White proceed?

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14.Bf1

The engines reckon 14.Bc1!? gives White a positionally won game.
14...Nbd5 15.Bd2 Nxc3+ 16.Bxc3 Bb4

The engines prefer 16...Qd5.

17.Bxb4 Qxb4

White no longer has the bishop-pair, but Black has fallen behind in development

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18.c4!? Qe7 19.g5 Nd7 20.d5 exd5

Not 20...Ne5? 21.Qe3.

21.cxd5 0-0!

The engines strongly approve of what is effectively a pawn sacrifice.

22.dxc6 bxc6

If 22...Ne5 23.Qe4 bxc6, holding on to the pawn, White has 24.Bd3 Ng6 25.h4, with the upper hand, according to the engines.

Should White grab the c pawn?

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23.Bg2

If 23.Qxc6, then 23...Nc5 gives decent compensation, according to the engines, although they are not sure if it is enough.

23...Nb6 24.h4 Nd5 25.Qf5 Rab8!? 26.Bxd5 cxd5 27.Rxd5

The engines prefer 27.Qxd5.

How would you assess this heavy-piece middlegame?

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White is a pawn up, but the relative exposure of the white king, and the vulnerability of White's kingside pawns, give full compensation, according to the engines.

27...Qb4 28.b3!? g6 29.Qd3 a5 30.Ra4 Qa3 31.Qc3 Rfc8 32.Qb2 Qc5 33.Rhd1

There are constant tricks for White to avoid, eg here 33.Rc4?? loses to 33...Qf5+! (33...Qxc4 is also strong) 34.Rc2 a4, eg 35.Re1 axb3 36.axb3 Rxc2! 37.Qxc2 Rxb3+.

33...Qf5+ 34.Ka1 Qf3?

This is Dragon19's top choice, for a short while, but it comes to agree with Stockfish19 that Black needs to play 34...a4!, meeting 35.Rxa4 with 35...Rc2.

White to play and gain what the engines reckon is a winning advantage

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35.Qd2

The engines point out the strength of 35.a4!, giving the white king breathing room, and stopping Black attacking White's queenside pawns with ...a4. One point is that Black cannot capture on b3 as White wins with 36.Rd8+, thanks to the weakness of Black's back rank.

35...a4?

Too late. Better is 35...Ra8, but White has the upper hand after 36.Rf4 or 36.Qe3, according to the engines.

36.Rxa4 Re8 37.Rf4 Qc6 38.Rf6 Qe4 39.Qd5!? Qe7

Dragon1 suggests going into a rook-and-pawn ending with 39...Qxd5, but Stockfish19 is unimpressed.

40.Rd6 Qe2 41.Rf6 Rf8!? 42.Qd3 Qe5+ 43.Qd4 Qe2 44.Rd6?

White is winning comfortably after, for example, 44.Qd2 Qe5+ 45.Kb1 Qe4+ 46.Kb2 Qxh4, when Black has won a pawn back, but White's queenside passers should eventually decide matters.

Black to play and equalise

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44...Rxb3! 45.Rd8

Or 45.axb3 Ra8+ 46.Qa4 (not 46.Kb1? Qa2+ 47.Kc1 Rc8+ 48.Qc4 Rxc4+ 49.bxc4 Qxc4+ and 50...Qxh4) Rxa4+ 47.bxa4, when the engines reckon the position is completely equal.

45...Rb8 46.Rxf8+ Rxf8

White is a pawn up, but seemingly can make nothing of it while queens remain on the board

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47.a4!?

A double-edged try.

47...Qc2 48.Rb1 Ra8 49.Rb4

An only-move, which shows how precarious White's position is.

49...Re8 50.Qb2 Qd1+ 51.Qb1 Qd2 52.Qb2 Qd1+ 53.Ka2!? Qd5+

Not 53...Re2?? 54.Rb8+

54.Ka3 Qd3+ 55.Rb3 Qd6+ 56.Ka2 Qd5 57.Qc3 Ra8 58.Ka3 Qd7 59.Rb4 Rc8 60.Qb3 Qd2 61.Rb8 Qd6+ 62.Rb4 ½–½

English 65+ Round Three

River Nene

Kevin Winter (1691 ECF/1718 Fide) - Spanton (1944 ECF/2035 Fide)

Sicilian Bb5(+)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.0-0 Bg7 5.Nc3!?

There are 1,279 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but more popular are 5.Bxc6!? and especially both 5.Re1 and 5.c3.

How should Black respond?

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5...Nd4

Stockfish19 and Dragon1 marginally prefer the slightly more commong 5...e5!?

6.Bc4!?

This repositioning of White's light-square bishop after the black queen's knight hops into d4 is a common idea in lines of the Grand Prix Attack.

6...d6

Slightly more common in Mega26 is 6...e6!?, although that allows 7.Nxd4 cxd4 8.Nb5, which the engines reckon gives White an edge.

7.Nxd4 cxd4 8.Qf3 e6 9.Nb5?!

The engines are not too critical of this, but almost certainly better is Ne2, either immediately or after 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.Bxd7+ Qxd7.

9...a6 10.Qa3?

White should play 10.Na3. albeit with a slight edge for Black, according to the engines.

10...axb5 11.Qxa8

Even worse is 11.Bxb5+? Bd7 12.Bxd7+ Kxd7.

11...bxc4 12.Qa4+

This apparent-novelty is a slight improvement on the known move 12.d3.

12...Bd7 13.Qxc4

After the flurry of tactics, how would you assess the position?

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White has pawn and rook for bishop and knight, which is rarely enough, except in some endings. In addition, Black has the bishop-pair, and it will not be particularly easy for White to open files for the rooks. The engines reckon Black's advantage is worth about a minor piece.

13...Ne7 14.d3 0-0 15.Bg5 h6 16.Bd2!? d5 17.exd5 Nxd5 18.Rae1 Bc6 19.g3!?

The engines are not especially critical of this move, although it weakens the light squares around White's king.

19...Qb6 20.Qb3 Qc5 21.a3 Ra8!? 22.Rc1!? Nf6 23.c4 Bf3 24.Qb5

This saves White from mating threats, but after ...

24...Qxb5 25.cxb5 Be2 26.Rfe1 Bxd3

... the number of pawns aside is level, although White's rooks do at last have files to work on.

27.Rc7 Rb8 28.a4 Nd5 29.Rcc1

Or 29.Rd7 Nb6 30.Re7, after which the a pawn hangs, and, perhaps even better for Black than taking the pawn, is 30...g5!? 31.b3 Bf8 32.Rc7 Bd6, when 33.Rcc1 is forced.

29...Ra8 30.b3 Bf8 31.Red1 Bf5 32.Kg2 Kg7 33.h3 e5 34.h4 Ba3!?

How should White proceed?

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35.Ra1

Possible is 35.Rc4!?, as 35...Bd3!? lets White win a pawn with 36.Bxh6+ Kxh6 37.Rxd3, but Black still has a large advantage.

35...Bb2 36.Ra2 Nc3!? 37.Bxc3 dxc3 38.Re1 b6 39.b4?!

This does not help, but there is no good move for White.

39...Be6 40.Rxb2 cxb2 41.Rb1 Bd5+ 42.Kh3 Rxa4 43.Rxb2

Black is up a bishop, and has the better pawn-structure

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43...h5 44.Re2 Ra1 45.g4 Ra3+

The engines point out mate in eight, starting with 45...hxg4+.

46.Kh2 Kf6 47.gxh5 gxh5 48.Rd2 Be6 49.Rd6 Rh3+ 50.Kg2 Rxh4 51.Rxb6 Rxb4 52.Rb8 h4 53.b6 Kf5 54.Kh2 Kf4 55.b7!? Bd5 56.Rh8 Rxb7 57.Rxh4+ Kf3 58.Rh3 Kxf2 59.Rb3!?

Hoping for 59...Rxb3?? (stalemate).

59...Bxb3 0-1

English 65+ Round Two

I WAS upfloated.

Spanton (1944 ECF/2035 Fide) - Sean Gallagher (1559 ECF/no Fide)

Maróczy Bind

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 e6!?

This is liked by Stockfish19 and Dragon1, along with the much more popular 4...Nf6.

5.e4 d6!?

The engines are not keen on this Scheveningen-approach, preferring 5...Nf6, or developing the queen to either b6 or a5.

6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Be2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position, which occurs 890 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database?

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White's Maróczy Bind is an effective weapon in practical play, scoring 62% from the diagram, although the engines give White only a slight edge.

9.Be3 Qc7

This has been played by grandmasters, but is not liked by the engines. The reason they give White only a slight edge in the diagram seems to be because they reckon Black can break the bind immediately with 9...d5!?, eg 10.exd5 exd5 11.cxd5 Nb4 12.Ndb5!? Nfxd5 13.Nxd5 Nxd5 14.Bxa7 Be6 15.a4!? Bf6, although they agree White has an edge, and there are several promising alternatives along the way.

10.Rc1 Rd8

Perhaps 10...a6 or 10...Bd7 is best, but the engines agree White has the upper hand.

How should White proceed?

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11.Nd5!

This pseudo knight sacrifice is strong.
11...exd5?!

The engines prefer declining with 11...Qd7!?, but agree 12.Nxe7+ Qxe7 13.f3 leaves White with the upper hand.

12.cxd5 Bd7 13.dxc6 bxc6 14.Nxc6! Bxc6 15.Bb5 Rac8 16.Bxc6 Qa5 17.a3

The engines prefer 17.a4!? or 17.Qd4!?

17...Qa6 18.Bd5 Nxd5!? 19.Qxd5 Bf6 20.Bd4 Bxd4 21.Qxd4

How would you assess this heavy-piece middlegame?

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White is a pawn up, and Black has two isolated pawns, one on a half-open file. White is winning, according to the engines, but 'only' has an advantage worth about 1.85, although the engines' evaluations fluctuate.

21...f6?!

This prevents back-rank mate problems, but is probably more weakening than helpful.

22.Rfd1 Rxc1!? 23.Rxc1 Qb7 24.f3?!

See previous note.

24...Kf7 25.Qc4+ Ke7 26.Rc3? Qxb2

White's advantage has largely disappeared, at least theoretically, but White's position seems much easier to play

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27.Rb3 Qa1+

Also fine is 27...Qd2, eg 28.h3 Qa5!? 29.Rb7+ Rd7 30.Rxd7+ Kxd7 31.Qf7+ Kc6 32.Qxg7 Qxa3, with complete equality, according to the engines, although the position remains sharp.

28.Kf2

How should Black proceed?

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28...Rd7?

Black should probably play 28...g5!?, although 28...Qe5!? may hold (Stockfish19 reckons so; Dragon1 disagrees). After 28...g5!?, White can try 29.Rb7+ (the move that 28...Rd7?? prevents) Rd7 30.Rxd7+ Kxd7 31.Qf7+, but play is similar to the previous note - 'equal', but sharp.

29.Qg8

Taking the eighth rank against an exposed king nearly always gives a big advantage.

29...Qa2+

If 29...Qd4+, then 30.Ke2!

30.Kg3 h5

There is no defence.

31.Qxg7+ Ke6 32.Qg8+ Ke7 33.Qh7+ Ke6 34.Qf5+ Ke7 35.Rb8 Qxa3

Relatively best may be 35...Qf7, but White has several ways of winning, including 36.Qxd7+!?

36.Qh7+ 1-0

English 65+ Round One

Tournament room

Robert Kane (1836 ECF/1762 Fide) - Spanton (1944 ECF/2035 Fide)

Veresov

1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 h6!?

It might seem strange to provoke White to make a capture that White might have wanted to play anyway, but the text is the top choice of Stockfish19, although 3...c5 is at first preferred by Dragon1, with 3...Nbd7 supplanting it if the engine is given more time.

4.Bxf6 exf6

As usual after such an exchange of minor pieces, the game becomes a battle of Black's bishop-pair against White's superior pawn-structure, with the engines reckoning the position is equal

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5.e3 c6 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.Nge2!?

This is second in popularity in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database to 7.Qf3!?

7...f5!? 8.Ng3

The engines prefer 8.0-0, 8.f3!?, 8.a4 or 8.Nb1!?

8...Qg5?!

Both 8...Qf6 and 8...g6 give Black at least a slight edge, according to the engines.

9.h4 Qg6 10.Nce2!?

The engines like this, along with 10.Qf3 Bxg3 (forced) 11.fxg3.

10...0-0 11.c3

Threatening to further target f5 with 12.Qc2.

11...Qf6 12.Qc2 Bxg3?!

Probably better is the immediate 12...g6.

13.Nxg3 g6 14.0-0-0?!

The engines agree this lets Black equalise, whereas they reckon 14.h5 gives White at least the upper hand.

How should Black proceed?

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14...f4?

White is winning after this, according to the engines, which reckon only 14...h5! equalises.

15.exf4 Qxf4+ 16.Kb1 Kg7?

There is no time for this. Black should probably play 16...Nd7, when 17.Bxg6?? is a blunder as, after 17...fxg6 18.Qxg6+ Kh8, Black has h6 covered. However, 17.Ne2!? is one of several strong moves.

17.Rde1 Qf6

It seems there is no defence.

18.h5 Nd7?

Better is 18...g5, but White is well on top after moves such as 19.Re3 and 19.Rhf1.

19.hxg6 fxg6 20.Bxg6! Qxf2

If 20...Qxg6, then 21.Nh5+ Kf7 22.Re7+!

21.Nh5+ Kh8 22.Qc1!? Kg8 23.Qxh6 Rf7 24.Re8+ Nf8 25.Rxf8+! 1-0

Perfectly Simple

SAW the following serial number on a Northern Line carriage: 51637.

As usual, each number should be used once, and once only, and must be added, subtracted, multiplied or divided to make a balanced equation.
There is a fairly simple perfect solution, ie one that uses the digits in the order printed.
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My solution: 5 - 1 + 6 = 3 + 7

County Chess

PLAYED on board 15 (of 16) for Kent at Surrey this afternoon.

Robert Noyce (2019) - Spanton (1944)

English

1.c4 e6 2.e4!? d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.cxd5

The game transposes to the Exchange Variation of the French after 4.d4, the normal move-order being 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.c4.

4...Nf6 5.Bb5+ Nbd7!?

Also interesting is 5...Bd7 6.Bc4 b5!?

6.Nc3 Be7 7.Nge2!?

This has been played by grandmasters, but trails 7.d4 and especially 7.Nf3 in popularity in ChessBase's 2026 Mega databaase.

7... 0-0 8.0-0

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position?

*****

*****

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White's extra pawn is doubled and isolated, and unlikely to remain on the board long-term. The game is equal, according to Stockfish19 and Dragon1.

8...a6!?

All 13 games in Mega26 to reach the diagram continued 8...Nb6.
9.Bxd7!?

Apparently an attempt to keep the extra pawn. The engines prefer 9.Bc4 or 9.Ba4, allowing Black to regain the pawn, and settling for an IQP position with a full complement of pieces.

9...Qxd7!?

This is the best recapture, according to the engines.

10.Qb3!?

Consistent, but the engines prefer 10.d4.

10...b5 11.d4 Bb7

The engines like 11...b4!? 12.Na4 Re8, claiming Black has a slight edge.

12.Bg5 Nxd5 13.Bxe7 Nxe7 14.Rad1 Rfd8 15.a4 Rab8!? 16.axb5 axb5

White cannot win a pawn, as 17.Nxb5?? loses to Ba6, while 17.Qxb5 Qxb5 18.Nxb5 runs into 18...Bxg2!, which is clearer than 18...Ba6 19.Nbc3.

17.Qb4 ½–½

How would you assess the final position?

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There are several possibilities for Black, but I could not make any of them work, eg 17...Qc6 is well met by 18.Nf4, after which Black's knight is hanging, while 17...Ng6, preventing 18.Nf4, can be answered by 18.d5. I wanted to play 17...Nd5 18.Qc5 b4, but did not like the look of 19.Ne4?, missing that Black has 19...Re8. However, 19.Nxd5 is fine for White, according to the engines, as is 18.Nxd5 Qxd5 19.f3. One engine-suggestion is 17...h6!?, but again they agree the position is equal.

Surrey won the match 12.5-3.5.

Fenland Chess

AM making final preparations for traveling to Peterborough tomorrow for the English championships, which have 234 entries across eight events.

I have entered the 65+, which starts on Monday with a compulsory double-round (no halfpoint byes allowed), followed by five 15:30 rounds over five days. All moves in 90 minutes, with a 30-second increment.

Adult Chess Improvement

I WAS asked earlier this week how I accounted for my Fide rating rising 300 points in five years, despite being in my 60s.

The facts are clear, as can be seen from these annual checkpoints.

October 2021: 1731

October 2022: 1764

October 2023: 1858

October 2024: 2013

October 2025: 1941

October 2026: 2035

To a certain extent, those numbers hide numerous fluctuations, but the general trend is clear - over five years I have gained an average of marginally over five points a month.

While looking for the causes, it is perhaps best to start with some likely suspects that, in my case, do not apply.

Retirement, for example, can result in players' ratings rising, at least temporarily, as they have more time to devote to chess, and no longer face games after a hard day's work.

However, I left my job in February 2016, and was no longer receiving freelance commissions after about a year, so work, or rather its absence, cannot take any of the credit.

Similarly, my homelife and most of my personal circumstances have hardly altered, so what has changed?

FIDE'S BOOST

In February 2024 my elo was 1766; a month later it was 1876, a rise of 110 points.

Part of this increase was due to my gaining a combined 27.4 points from two events: the Cambridge International Open and weekend three of the 4NCL.

The rest of the 'improvement' was due to Fide giving a one-off boost to ratings for everyone under 2000, to combat what was perceived as long-term deflation in the system.

TEETOTAL

I gave up alcohol in September 2024, one of the results being I have lost weight, which has almost certainly improved my stamina.

This does not explain rating rises before September 2024, but I was probably already, to some extent, cutting down on my drinking, before I took the final plunge to quit.

BEAU CHESS

Mikhail Botvinnik is credited with encouraging generations of players, including Garry Kasparov, to publish their games, complete with notes.

I know many club players (the elite do not have this option) try to keep their games secret.

A friend - I will call him 'Vic' - goes so far as to avoid those events where there is a reasonable chance his games will reach the databases.

This is arguably a futile exercise in that, despite his best endeavours, Vic has 103 games in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.

On the other hand, there are very few players - maybe just me? - who go to the other extreme of publishing all their over-the-board encounters.

This obviously gives opponents ample opportunity to see what I play, and prepare accordingly, although I partly counteract this by employing a fairly wide variety of openings.

However, I believe the discipline of going through all my games with a thoroughness I would probably otherwise not undertake, has helped, and continues to help, my chess.

SENIORS

Most of my tournaments - certainly the more serious ones, ie those of at least seven rounds - are in age-restricted events, where the minimum age is at least 50 (actually, due to how Fide's regulations work, such tournaments often include 49-year-olds).

There is no doubt most seniors, especially those who play infrequently, are overrated, just as it is widely accepted many juniors are underrated.

However, it would be wrong to over-attribute my rating rise to this factor as I am also performing relatively well against a field of chessplayers not restricted by age. 

Last season, for example, I played 30 times for my club, Battersea, achieving a performance rating of 2012, well above my actual rating in those games, which varied from 1889 to 1954 (these are ECF ratings, rather than Fide ones, but the point remains the same).

CORRESPONDENCE CHESS

I play at the Fide-recognised International Correspondence Chess Federation, mostly for various England teams.

Engines are allowed, and are widely employed, which means most games, but by no means all, are drawn.

However, I find it a useful (and enjoyable) exercise, even if perhaps the only major benefit for my over-the-board chess has been to eliminate, or at least decrease the frequency of, some of my wilder opening choices - the Albin Countergambit is not a paying proposition at correspondence.

PUZZLES

I used to virtually never look at chess studies, tactical-exercise positions, etc, although I did play over master games, trying to guess the next moves.

Numerous strong players recommend solving puzzles as a tried and tested road to improvement, and I have belatedly joined them, albeit in a somewhat modest and inconsistent way - but nevertheless better than my previous non-practice.

TEAM EVENTS

Playing for a team seems to bring out the best in my chess (as an example, see above in SENIORS).

I am unsure why this is, but it may be I play more responsibly when it is not just my tournament standing that is on the line.

My first seniors' team event was at the European championships in Dresden in 2022, where I played for England 3 in the 65+ tournament. My Fide was 1764, but I scored +5=4-0 for a tournament performance of 2082.

The following year I played at the European senior team championships in Poland (rated 1800, but performed 1914) and the world senior team championships in North Macedonia (rated 1850, but performed 1927).

Two years later, in Prague at the world 65+ team championships, I was rated 1896, but performed 1978.

The trend has continued this year, in Albania (rated 1908, performed 2147) and Crete (rated 2003, performed 2095).

Clearly, these five team events have contributed more than their fair share to raising my rating.

CHESSBASE

A software system, such as ChessBase, makes it much easier to prepare for opponents, especially when time is short.

ChessBase, with its associated Mega database, is not cheap, but it is good, and, although it is theoretically available to everyone, I get the impression that many players who are not native English or German speakers do not use it.

This is probably because, even if Czechs or Poles, for instance, are quite fluent speaking English as a second language, they are perhaps not comfortable with it as a written language.

What this means, in my opinion, is that such players with a rating of, for example, 1800, will be closer to 1700, or even lower, when it comes to playing the opening.

Correspondingly, they will be quite a bit higher than 1800 later in the game, so it is incumbent on players with a ChessBase-aided rating to gain as much of an advantage as possible in the opening - an advantage that will hopefully hold up in the middlegame.

I feel that, by playing reasonably sharply, and taking my opponents' tendencies into account, I am able to boost my rating when up against the non-ChessBase world.

CONCLUSION

There are many reasons why I have been able to raise my Fide 300 points in five years, probably including factors of which I am not aware.

Only time will tell whether I can continue this trend, or at least slow its reversal.

OR AM I FOOLING MYSELF?

Below is the checkpoint list from the top of this post, but with my English Chess Federation ratings added.

DATE               FIDE   ECF           

October 2021: 1731    1979

October 2022: 1764    1952

October 2023: 1858    1820

October 2024: 2013    1968

October 2025: 1941    1889

October 2026: 2035    1944

As can be seen, far from rising over the past five years, my ECF has gone down, albeit perhaps not as sharply as might be expected for a pensioner.

It is also noticeable that my national rating has fluctuated much less than my international rating.

What all this means, is anyone's guess, but it is possible that most of what I have written above is nonsense ...

Taking Stock

THANKS to a tip from Joe Skielnik, I have downloaded Stockfish19, which is apparently more than 40 elo stronger than its predecessor, and heads the rankings at computerchess.org.uk.

League Chess

PLAYED a junior (born 2013) on board one (of eight) for Battersea 2 against Charlton in London League Division Three last night.

Spanton (1944) - Oleg Verbytski (2291)

Sicilian Bb5(+)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e5 4.Nc3

More popular are 4.c3, 4.Bxc6 and especially 4.0-0.

4...Bd6!?

This has been played by grandmasters, but the main move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database is 4...d6.

5.0-0 a6 6.Be2 Nf6 7.d3 0-0

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position?

*****

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Black's dark-square bishop looks odd (not that the white king's bishop is particularly active), and there is a hole at d5, albeit covered by the black king's knight. However, Black has a grip on d4, and more space on the queenside. The game is equal, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

8.Bg5

The engines suggest an apparent-novelty in 8.Nh4!?, one point being Black cannot reply 8...Nxe4?? as the dark-square bishop is hanging after 9.Nxe4.
8...Be7 9.Qd2

The engines prefer 9.a4 or 9.Nd2!?

9...d6 10.h3 Be6 11.a3 h6 12.Bxf6!?

The engines prefer this over the known moves 12.Bh4 and 12.Be3.

12...Bxf6 13.Nd5 Bxd5!?

The engines agree with this decision to give up Black's better bishop.

14.exd5 Ne7 15.c4 Ng6 16.Kh2 b5 17.Rb1 bxc4!?

Another interesting decision, approved by the engines - Black straightens out White's pawn-structure, but frees the e pawn to advance.

18.dxc4

The engines prefer 18.g3!? or 18.Qc2!?, but agree Black has the upper hand.

18...e4 19.Ne1 Be5+ 20.g3 f5 21.f4 exf3 22.Nxf3 f4 23.g4 Nh4

The engines like 23...Bd4!?, one point being 24.Nxd4 cxd4 25.Qxd4?! Qg5 seems very good for Black, thanks to White's weakness on the kingside dark squares, eg 26.Bf3 Rae8 27.Rbe1 Qh4 28.Qg1 Rxe1 29.Rxe1 Ne5 30.Rf1 Nxc4. White should probably prefer 25.Bd3, but 25...Ne5 gives Black the upper hand, according to the engines.

24.b4?!

Probably better is 24.Nxe5 dxe5 25.Bd3, when White is equal (Stockfish18) or has just a slight disadvantage (Dragon1).

24...Nxf3+ 25.Bxf3?!

The engines prefer 25.Rxf3!?

25...Bd4 26.bxc5 Bxc5 27.Rb7?!

Attempting to gain counterplay, but it never appears, so probably better is 27.Be4 or 27.Qd3.

27...Qf6

How should White proceed?

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28.Re1?

The engines suggest 28.Rb3 or 28.Be4, but agree Black is positionally winning.

28...Qh4 29.Bg2

There is no defence.

29...Qg3+ 30.Kh1 f3 31.Rxg7+!? Kxg7 32.Re7+ Kg8 33.Qc3 0-1

Charlton won the match 5-3.

My Battersea Season 2026-7

DATE......EVENT...........................COL..RATING..OPP'S RATING..SCORE..SEASON PERF

29/9/26   Club Championship         W     1953              1411                1                  *

1/10/26   Central London League   W     1942              2094                =              2094

5/10/26   London League                B      1942              2042                =              2068

6/10/26   Club Championship          B      1942             1541                 1                  +

8/10/26   Central London League    B      1942             2240                 =             2125

20/10/26 Club Championship          B      1942             1765                 1             2135

21/10/26 London League                W     1944              2291                 0             2086

*I am ignoring my win against a 1411 as it counts as an 1811 performance, which, unless I have a very bad season, would lower my season's rating performance, despite me winning.

+I am also ignoring my win against a 1541 as it counts as a 1941 performance, which, at least for now, would lower my season's rating performance, despite me winning.

Coming Soon ...

ADULT chess improvement is the holy grail many chessplayers strive for, but mostly in hope rather than expectation.

Consequently, a question posed in the comments section to Tuesday's post set me thinking, 'Paul H' asking how I accounted for raising my Fide rating "by I think 300 points 'at your age'."

He is quite right, in that my Fide in October 2021, when I was 64, was 1731, while five years later it is 2035, albeit set to fall after a disastrous outing in Mallorca.

It would be easy to give a glib off-the cuff reply, but I want to treat the question seriously, and I hope the answer will be of interest to a wider audience than myself and Paul H.

I hoped to post today, but I am rather busy today and tomorrow, so I plan to work out a considered reply and deliver it at Beau Chess on Friday.

Meanwhile, I received the following emailed comment from Joe Skielnik, who, unlike me, had a decent tournament in Mallorca, gaining 5.8 elo, finishing with a flourish by beating a player rated more than 100 points higher.

"Personally I would ignore ratings (if that is really possible for a chessplayer). I think it would be best to just consider the number of errors that one makes and their size relative to the computer's suggestion. One has to consider what might be causing the error, tiredness being one of the culprits."

Joe likes the way chess.com categorises every move of a game, from 'brilliant' to 'blunder', taking in along the way 'inaccuracy', 'miss' and 'mistake', and several other fine gradings.

I do not use chess.com, so I am not sure exactly what each of these means, but I have reservations about accepting engine verdicts, certainly not without many caveats.

After, for example, 1.e4 e5, Stockfish18 and Dragon1 flash red at 2.f4, the starting point of the King's Gambit. In other words, they are declaring 2.f4 to be a mistake.

Yet, in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, White scores 57% after 1.e4 e5 2.f4, which is considerably better than in most openings.

There are other problems, one being that the engines' current word on any given move is often far from being the final word.

It is not uncommon, for instance, when I go through old games of mine, that I find a move condemned at the time by Fritz, Junior or whichever engine I was then using, now gets a nod of approval from my modern engines.

Anyway, this post has somewhat veered from its starting point, and I will write no more now, but hope to have a lot more to say on Friday.

Championship Chess

PLAYED in the third qualifying round of Battersea's club championship last night.

Paul Stokes (1765) - Spanton (1942)

Sicilian Hyper-Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nf6 5.Be3!?

The most common move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database is 5.Nf3, transposing into one of the mainlines of the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon. The text has been played by Carlsen and Grischuk, and is the top choice of Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

5...Nc6 6.Qd2 Bg7 7.f3 a6!?

Most popular in Mega26 are 7...d6 and especially 7...0-0!?

8.0-0-0 b5 9.Bh6

The engines suggest an apparent-novelty in 9.Nd5!?

9...Bxh6 10.Qxh6 d6

How would you assess the coming middlegame?

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Black's king is yet to find a castled home, and is unlikely to find one in the short or medium term, which means the black king's rook will probably be out of play for quite some time. On the other hand, it can be argued that Black's attack against the white king is further advanced than any pressure White has against the black king. The engines give White a slight edge.

11.Nge2

This is the engines' top choice, one point being 11.Nh3 can be met by 11...Bxh3.

11...Qa5 12.Kb1 Be6 13.Nf4 Rc8!?

Pierre Louis Pieri (2190) - Maxime Lagarde (2608), Quenza (Corsica) Rapid 2024, went 13...Ne5 14.Ncd5 Bxd5 15.Nxd5 Nxd5, after which the engines reckon 16.exd5 would have given White the upper hand. The game saw 16.Rxd5 Qe1+ 17.Qc1 Qxc1+ 18.Kxc1 Kd7, with equal chances (0-1, 47 moves).

14.Nfd5

Martin Neugebauer (2462) - Tomáš Krak (2284), Slovak Team Championship 2019, continued 14.Bd3 Nb4 15.a3 Nxd3, with at least a slight edge for White, according to the engines (1-0, 36 moves), but they reckon Black would have been better after 15...Rxc3!? 16.axb4 (16.bxc3? Na2! 17.Nxe6 Qxa3) Qa2+ 17.Kc1 Qa1+ 18.Kd2 Qxb2.

The engines agree 14.Nxe6 fxe6 17.Bd3 gives White a slight edge.

14...Bxd5 15.exd5

The engines prefer 15.Nxd5.

15...Ne5

White can meet 15...Nb4?! with the simple 16.a3, when 16...Nxc2 17.Kxc2 Qa4+ does not seem to give Black enough after 18.Kc1.

16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.fxe4 Qa4 18.Bd3

How should Black proceed?

*****

*****

*****

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*****

18...Nxd3

It is a shame to give up a well-posted knight for such a miserable bishop, and it may be 18...b4!? is an improvement, eg  19.Rd2 f6!? 20.Be2 (20.Qg7 Kd7) Kf7, with at least a slight edge for Black, according to the engines.

19.cxd3 Qc2+ 20.Ka1 Qxg2 21.Qg7 Rf8 22.Qxh7 Rc2 23.Qg7

Not 23.Rc1? Rxb2!

23...Qh3 24.Kb1?!

The engines give 24.Rc1!? Qxd3, when best may be Stockfish18's 25.e5!? Qxd5!? 26.exd6 (26.Rxc2?? Qxh1+) Rxc1+ 27.Rxc1 Qd6!?, after which they reckon the vulnerability of Black's king gives White enough compensation for being two pawns down.

After 24.Kb1?!, what should Black play?

*****

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24...Rxh2?!

Winning a pawn, but allowing White to swop his inactive rook for Black's active one, leaving White with queen and active rook against queen and passive rook. The engines give Black at least the upper hand after 24...Re2!

25.Rxh2 Qxh2 26.Rc1 Qh3 27.Qc3?

This lets Black activate the f8 rook by moving the king to (relative) safety. The engines give several moves as resulting in complete equality, including 27.Rc3 and 27.a3!?, eg 27.a3!? Qxd3+ 28.Ka2 Qh3 29.Rc7 Qg4! 30.e5!? Qf5! (30...Qh3? 31.e6) 31.exd6 exd6 32.Qd4 f6! 33.Qe3+ Qe5 34.Qh6!? Qxd5+ 35.Ka1 Kd8! 36.Rc1 Re8! 37.Qxg6, which is a complicated line, to say the least, but most of White's moves seem easier to find than Black's.

27...f6

The engines reckon Black is winning,

28.Qc6+ Kf7 29.Rc7 b4 0-1

30.Rb3 loses to Rc8, while 30.Rc1 Qxd3+ 31.Ka1 Qxe4 sees White drop too many pawns.

My Battersea Season 2026-7

DATE......EVENT...........................COL..RATING..OPP'S RATING..SCORE..SEASON PERF

29/9/26   Club Championship         W     1953              1411                1                  *

1/10/26   Central London League   W     1942              2094                =              2094

5/10/26   London League                B      1942              2042                =              2068

6/10/26   Club Championship          B      1942             1541                 1                  +

8/10/26   Central London League    B      1942             2240                 =             2125

20/10/26 Club Championship          B      1942             1765                 1             2135

*I am ignoring my win against a 1411 as it counts as an 1811 performance, which, unless I have a very bad season, would lower my season's rating performance, despite me winning.

+I am also ignoring my win against a 1541 as it counts as a 1941 performance, which, at least for now, would lower my season's rating performance, despite me winning.