Spanton (1929) - Tony Wells (1971)
Spanish Cozio
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nge7 4.Nc3
More popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database are 4.c3 and especially 4.0-0, but the text is the top choice of Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1, although they do fluctuate between it and castling.
4...Ng6
The main move in Mega26 is still 4...g6, but that has fallen out of favour since the strength of 5.d4 exd4 6.Nd5!? was more widely realised.
5.0-0 Nd4!?
This is apparently a novelty. The engines are OK with it, but they prefer 5...a6 or 5...Bc5.
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| How should White proceed? |
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6.Nxd4 exd4
The position resembles a Bird, but one with the extra moves Nc3 and 0-0 for White, ...Ne7-g6 for Black. The engines reckon this is an improvement for Black.
7.Ne2 a6!?
The engines do not like this, preferring 7...c6 or 7...Bc5, but not 7...Qg5?, when both 8.Nxd4 and 8.Bc4 are good for White.
8.Ba4 b5 9.Bb3 Bb7 10.d3 Qf6!?
The engines suggest 10..c5, but give White the upper hand.
11.c3 0-0-0?!
Opposite-side castling makes the game trickier for both players, but the main effect here is to lose a pawn.
12.Nxd4 d5? 13.Qg4+ Kb8 14.Bg5 Qd6 15.Bxd8 Qxd8 16.exd5 h5 17.Qe4 h4 18.Rfe1 Bd6 19.Nc6+ Bxc6 20.bxc6 Qg5
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| Black is the exchange and two pawns down, but has some practical chances thanks to the black pieces being more active, and the presence of opposite-coloured bishops |
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21.Re3
There was nothing wrong with 21.Bxf7, eg 21...Nf4 22.a4 b4, and now 23.Re3.
21...f5 22.Qf3 f4 23.Re6 h3 24.Rxg6?
Giving back the exchange throws away much of White's advantage.
24...Qxg6 25.g3?
And now Black has complete equality, according to the engines, which suggest 25.Bd5!? or 25.Re1.
25...fxg3 26.fxg3
The engines reckon both recaptures leave the position completely equal.
26...Qe8?!
A strange retreat. It is hard to understand why 26...Rf8 was not played.
27.Qf7?
Now Black gets at least the upper hand, while 27.Bf7 and 27.Qe4 give White at least a slight edge, according to the engines.
27...Qe3+ 28.Qf2 Qxd3
This is not just a pawn - it also stops White closing the g1-a7 diagonal with d4.
29.Rd1 Qg6 30.Bc2?!
The bishop should probably stay on the a2-g8 diagonal, with 30.Bd5 or 30.Bf7.
30...Qe6 31.Bb3 Qh6?!
Rightly rejecting the chance to repeat, but much stronger is 31...Qe7 or 31...Qe5, according to the engines.
32.Qd2?!
The engines prefer 32.Bd5, 32.Rd5 or 32.Bf7.
32...Bc5+ 33.Kh1 Qf6 34.Qf4!?
This is best, according to the engines, but inadequate.
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| Black to play and win |
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34...Qxc6+
Even stronger is 34...Qxf4 35.gxf4 Re8, with ...Re2 to come, and an advantage worth about a minor piece, according to the engines.
35.Bd5 Qe8
Black still has at least the upper hand after the engines' 35...Rd8!
36.Qg4?!
It was time to offer an exchange of queens, with 36.Qe4 or 36.Qf7, according to the engines.
36...Qe3
36...Qe3
Activating the rook with 36...Rf8! gives a slight edge, according to the engines, one point being 37.Qxh3? loses to 37...Qe2.
37.Qf3 Rd8 38.Qxe3 Bxe3 39.Bf3 Rxd1+ 40.Bxd1
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| How would you assess this bishops-of-opposite-colour ending? |
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White can win the h3 pawn, but the ending remains drawn.
40...a5 41.Bg4 Kb7 42.Bxh3 a4 43.Kg2 Bc1 44.b3 axb3 45.axb3 Bb2 46.c4 gxc4 47.bxc4 Kc6 48.Kf3 Kd6 49.Ke4 c5 50.Bc8 Ke7 51.h4 Kf6 52.g4 Bd4 53.Bf5 Kf7 54.h5 Kf6 55.Bh7 Kg5 56.Bf5 Kf6 57.Kd5 Kg5 58.Ke6 Bf6 59.Kf7 Bd4 60.Be6 Be5 ½–½
Battersea won the match 6.5-1.5 (Athenaeum defaulted on bottom board).
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
9/12/25 LL W 1904 1982 1 2008
16/12/25 LL B 1904 2046 0 1968
18/12/25 CLL B 1904 2066 1 2018
6/1/26 CLL W 1929 2150 = 2066
7/1/26 LL W 1929 1971 = 2058
CLL: Central London League
LL: London League
BCC: Battersea club championship
I also have a win-by-default in the Central London League
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