Spanton (1913) - Zbigniew Gregulski (1746)
English Opening
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 d6
This is distinctly second in popularity to 3...Nc6.
4.d4 exd4!?
More popular are 4...e4 and especially 4...Nbd7, but the text is best, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1.
5.Nxd4 Be7 6.e4 0-0 7.Be2 Bd7 8.0-0
 |
| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White's bind on the centre gives a space advantage that is the equivalent of being about a pawn up, according to the engines.
8...Nc6 9.Be3
Avoiding exchanges with 10.Nc2!?, an idea also seen in the Maróczy Bind in the Sicilian, is liked by the engines.
9...Re8 10.Rc1 Nxd4!?
This apparent-novelty is preferred by the engines over the known 10...a6.
11.Bxd4 Bf8 12.Qc2 g6 13.f3 Bg7 14.Rfd1 Nh5!?
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
15.Bxg7!?
This weakens the black king's position, but swops off White's good bishop, something that is often questionable when White, as here, has a bad bishop (Chess Tip Of The Day #27 on my blog cited grandmaster Gregory Kaidanov in the US Chess Federation's magazine Chess Life: "When you have a bad bishop, don't trade the other bishop.") It was possible to keep my dark-square bishop with, for example, 15.Be3 Be5 16.g3, but the engines agree with my decision.
15...Nxg7 16.Nd5 Bc6 17.Qc3 Bxd5 18.cxd5 Rc8 19.Qb4
 |
| How should Black respond to White's queenside pressure? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
19...Qg5!?
Black almost certainly has to do something on the kingside as there is little chance of holding out by trying to defend the queenside. The text is Dragon1's top choice, at least for while, but Stockfish17.1 prefers 19...f5!?
20.Bf1 Nh5
The engines suggest 20...f5, or 20...Qe3+ 21.Kh1 Qb6, but agree White is at least slightly better.
 |
| It is White to move, but if it were Black to move, what would be the immediate threat? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Black would have a draw by perpetual by 21...Qe3+ 22.Kh1 Ng3+! 23.hxg3 Qh6+ 24.Kg1 Qe3+ etc. But note there is no win as 23...Re5?? fails to 24.g4, eg 24...Qh6+ 25.Kg1 Qe3+ 26.Qf4+ Kh3.
21.Rc2 Qe3+ 22.Rf2 b6?!
There is no immediate need for this as White is not threatening to capture on b7 (even if it were White to move again after 22.Rf2, the capture 23.Qxb7? runs into 23...Rb8 24.Qc6 Rb2!! 25.Qxe8+ Kg7, after which Black gets the rook back, with a continuing strong attack). So Black should probably play 22...Qb6, angling for an exchange of queens (White probably should not oblige), or 22...Nf6, when capturing on b7 is again not good.
23.Rd3 Qg5
23...Qc5 24.Qxc5 dxc5! is not too bad for Black, but White again should almost certainly avoid exchanging queens.
24.Rc3 Nf4?!
The engines do not like this, suggesting 24...Re7, 24...f5 or 24...a5.
25.Kh1 Re7 26.Rfc2 f5 27.g3 Nh5
 |
| What should White play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
28.Bh3?!
This activates the bishop, and pins the f5 pawn, but there is much better available, eg 28.e5! (Stockfish17.1's top choice), when 28...Rxe5 29.f4 Qg4 can be met by 30.h3! Nxg3+ 31.Kg2!, or 28...dxe5? 29.d6 c5 30.dxe7! cxb4 31.Rxc8+ and 32.e8=Q(+). Dragon1 comes to agree 28.e5! is best, but for a long time prefers the also-strong 28.f4!, when 28...Qh6 29.e5 is very good for White, while the engines reckon 28...Nxf4!? should also be met by 29.e5!, eg 29...Nxd5 30.Qb3 Rxe5 31.Rd3.
28...Nf6?!
The engines suggest 28...Qf6, claiming Black is only slightly worse.
29.Qd4!
This is best, according to the engines. Note that 29.e5? Rxe5 30.f4? Re1+ 31.Kg2 Qh5 is winning for Black.
29...Kf7 30.Rc6 h5?
The engines fluctuate between various moves, including 30...a5!?, 30...Ne8, 30...Nd7 and 30...Nh5, all of which they reckon leave White with at least the upper hand, but they agree the text is a mistake.
 |
| White to play and gain a large winning advantage |
*****
*****
*****
*****
31.Rxd6?
White has two very strong continuations in 31.f4 Qh6 32.e5, eg 32...Ne4 33.exd6 Nxd6 34.Rxd6!, and 31.exf5 gxf5 32.Qd3. Note that in both lines the move ...Re1+ never gives Black more than a check.
The text wins a pawn, at least temporarily, and gets a rook to the eighth rank, but the f5 pawn is no longer pinned, and the initiative goes over to Black.
31...cxd6 32.Rxc8 h4!
 |
| Black is a pawn down, but has gained complete equality, according to the engines |
*****
*****
*****
*****
33.f4!?
The engines for quite some time strongly dislike this, reckoning Black gets the upper hand or a slight edge (Stockfish17.1) or is even winning (Dragon1). However, eventually they come to agree White seems to be just about all right.
Probably simplest is 33.Kg2, when 33...hxg3 34.hxg3 Nh5 35.Qf2 Nf4+ leads to a possible threefold repetition after 36.Kh2 Nd3 37.Qd4 Ne5 38.Qf2 Nd3 etc, although there are playable alternatives along the way (but the engines' evaluations never vary from complete equality).
33...Qh5 34.e5 hxg3
The alternative is 34...dxe5 35.fxe5 hxg3 36.e6+ Kg7 37.Kg2, with the same position reached in the game, but without the f4 and d6 pawns.
 |
| Analysis diagram |
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
The engines reckon best-play from this alternative position runs something like 37...Qe2+!? 38.Kxg3 f4+!? 39.Kxf4 g5+ 40.Kf5! Qf3+ 41.Ke5 Qxh3 42.Rc2 Ne8!?, when White, for being a knight down, has two advanced and connected passed pawns. Neither king is safe, and the position remains unclear, but equal chances seems the fairest verdict.
Back to the game.
35.e6+ Kg7 36.Kg2 gxh2
The engines agree that, with pawns at f4 and d6, the text is slightly better than ...Qe2+.
37.Kxg2 Qh4
Threatening to win with 38...g5.
 |
| How should White respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
38.Rd8?!
This is the engines' second choice, but probably better is 38.Kg2!?, with what the engines reckon is equality.
38...Kh7!
The engines come to agree this is best.
If 38...Rc7, then 39.Rd7+ Rxd7 40.exd7 can be met by 40...Qh8 or 40...Kh7!? 41.d8=Q Ng4+ 42.Kg2 Qxd8, in both cases with equality, according to the engines.
39.Kg2??
Necessary is 39.Rc8, although the engines reckon Black is at least slightly better after, for example, 39...Rg7.
39...Rc7 40.Qf2 Qh5+
Black does not want to swop queens, as 40...Qxf2+? 41.Kxf2 makes the e pawn dangerous, although the engines agree 41...Nxd5 gives complete equality.
41.Rf8
There is no defence.
 |
| Black to play and win |
*****
*****
*****
*****
41...Kg7?
Black wins easily after 41...Ne4 as either the white queen is driven off the second rank, allowing ...Rc2+, or White is reduced to 41...Rf7+ 42.Rxf7 exf7, when the simplest win is probably 43.Qxh3+!? Nxf2+ 44.Kg2 Kg7 45.f8=Q+ Kxf8 46.Kxf2, with a fairly straightforward 5v4 pawn ending.
 |
| White to play and win |
*****
*****
*****
*****
42.Rxf6! Kxf6?!
This allows a quick mate, but otherwise Black is a piece down and faced with a huge passed pawn on e6.
43.Qd4+ Ke7 44.Qg7+ Ke8 45.Qg8+ Ke7 46.Qf7+ 1-0
No comments:
Post a Comment