Christof Brixel (2035) - Spanton (1929)
Morra Gambit
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 g6!?
This is fifth-most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but scores 56% - four percentage points more than accepting the gambit.
4.cxd4 d5 5.e5 Bg7 6.Nc3 f6!?
This comes to be Stockfish17.1's top choice, narrowly ahead of Dragon1's preferred 6...Nc6. However, give the engines more time, and they start fluctuating between the two moves.
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| How should White respond? |
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7.Nf3
The main move in Mega26 is 7.f4, but 7...Nh6!? seems a good reply, although the engines agree White retains an edge.
7...Bg4?
This leaves too many weaknesses, although it takes an apparent-novelty to exploit them.
8.Qb3!
Fabiano Caruana (2835) - Jernej Skuhala (2342), Chess.com Blitz 2020, went 8.Be2 Nc6 9.0-0 e6 10.exf6 Nxf6?! 11.Ng5!?, with at least the upper hand for White, according the engines (1-0, 27 moves), while Brandon Jacobson (2532) - Alejandro Domingo Núñez (2311), Chess.com Blitz 2022, saw 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 e6 10.exf6 Nxf6 11.Bb5+ Nc6, when Black had equalised, according to Stockfish17.1, although Dragon1 disagrees (0-1, 26 moves).
The engines reckon the text is a major improvement, giving White a winning position.
8...Bxf3
The engines suggest 8...Qd7 or 8...Nc6.
9.Qxb7 Nd7 10.gxf3 Rb8 11.Qxd5 fxe5
For quite some time the engines fluctuate between this and 11...Nb6, but come to settle on the latter, promoting 11...Kf8!? to second choice. All three moves leave Black two pawns down.
12.Bc4 e6
Forced.
13.Qxe6+ Qe7 14.Nd5?!
'Clever', but it throws away much of White's advantage. The engines' top choice is 14.d5, but 14.Qxe7+ and 14.0-0 are also good.
14...Qxe6 15.Nc7+ Ke7 16.Nxe6 Bf6?
After 16...Rb4 17.Bb3 (17.Bg5+ Bf6; 17.Bd5 Ngf6) Rxb3 18.axb3 Kxe6, Black is only slightly worse. according to the engines.
17.d5 Nb6 18.Bb3 a5 19.Be3 a4 20.Bc5+?!
White has the upper hand after this, according to the engines, but the move helps Black by giving the king a tempo to vacate e7 for the king's knight. Better is the immediate 20.Bxb6.
20...Kf7 21.Bxb6 axb3 22.Bc7!? Ra8 23.a3 Ne7
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| Black is two pawns down, but the black pieces are active, and d5 is vulnerable |
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24.Bd6
The engines suggest 24.0-0-0!?, when 24.Nxd5 25.Rxd5 Kxe6 splits them: equal, according to Stockfish17.1; upper hand for White, according to Dragon1.
24...Nxd5 25.Nc5 Rhd8 26.Ne4 Ke6 27.Bc5 Nf4 28.Be3 Rac8 29.0-0
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| Now White has connected rooks, how would you assess the position? |
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White remains a pawn up, has a protected passer (albeit a long way from queening) and has a well-placed blockading knight. Black has a bad bishop, but all other black pieces (including the king) are active, the b3 pawn could become menacing, and the white kingside is weak. Equal chances, according to the engines.
29...Rc2!?
Not 29...Nd3? 30.a4! Nxb2? 31.Rfb1 Nc4 32.Rxb3, after which White has freed his position, and the a pawn is starting to become threatening.
30.Nc5+ Kf7 31.Nxb3 Rb8
The engines suggest 31...Nd5.
32.Nc5 Rbxb2 33.Rad1!?
The engines like 33.Ne4.
33...Nh3+ 34.Kg2 Nf4+ 35.Kh1
After 35.Bxf4 Rxc5! 36.Be3 Rc3 Black has completely equalised, according to Stockfish17.1, although Dragon1 reckons White is slightly better.
35...Be7 36.Nd7 Ke6 37.Rfe1 Ne2!? 38.Be4??
The game is completely equal after 38.Nb6 or 38.Rd3, according to the engines.
38...exd4 39.Rxd4 Bd6 40.Nf6
Best, but still losing, is 40.Nb6!? Rxb6 41.Re4+ Kf5 42.R1xe2 Rbb2 43.Rxc2 Rxc2.
40...Be5 0-1
The result of the match has not yet been posted.
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
8/1/26 CLL B 1929 1800? = 2038
13/1/26 LL B 1929 2035 1 2067
CLL: Central London League
LL: London League
BCC: Battersea club championship
I also have a win-by-default in the Central London League
Addendum: Battersea 2 won the match 6.5-1.5, without losing a single board.
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