Guido Schott (2016) - Spanton (1915)
Réti
1.Nf3 d5 2.e3!?
This is fifth-most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, behind 2.b3, 2.c4, 2.d4 and especially 2.g3, but has been played by Carlsen, Kramnik, Nakamura and So. It is also liked by Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1, ahead of the quintessential Réti move 2.c4, albeit we are talking fine margins.
2...Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.b3!? c5 5.Bb2 Nc6 6.cxd5
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| How should Black recapture? |
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6...Nxd5
The engines prefer 6...exd5 and 6...Qxd5!? over the text.
7.Nc3!?
This is the engines' top choice.
7...Nxc3
The engines suggest 7...Nf6.
8.Bxc3 Qd6!?
This appears to be a novelty, the idea being to get in ...e5 to allow ...Be7. Known moves are 8...f6, 8...Qc7 and 8...Bd7.
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| How should White respond? |
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9.d4
The engines reckon White has the upper hand after 9.a3!? (Stockfish17.1) or 9.Qc2 (Dragon1).
9...cxd4 10.Nxd4 Nxd4 11.exd4?!
The isolani gives White more space, but, with all the knights off the board, it is more of a weakness than a strength.
11...Bd7 12.Be2?!
Leaving the dark-square bishop loose on an open file is probably unwise.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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12...Rc8
Black gets at least a slight edge, according to the engines, after 12...Qc6, eg 13.Qd3 Rc8!? 14.Bd2 (worse is 14.Rc1? Ba3 15.Rc2 Qxg2 16.Bf3 Qh3) Qxg2 15.Bf3 Qh3, or 13.Bd2 Qxg2 14.Bf3 Qg6 15.Bxb7 Rd8, or 13.Rc1?! Qxg2 14.Bf3 Qg6 15.Bxb7 Rb8 16.Qf3!? Ba3 17.Rd1 0-0.
13.Rc1 Be7
Not 13...Qa3 14.0-0! Qxa2?? 15.Ra1.
14.0-0 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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The key feature is the IQP, which gives Black a slight edge, according to Dragon1, although Stockfish17.1 is less sure.
15.Qd2
DS pressed his clock and offered a draw.
15...Rfd8 16.Bf3 Bc6 17.Bxc6 Rxc6
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| What would have been wrong with recapturing with the queen, giving the above position? |
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Full marks if you plumped for 18.Ba5!, but go to the bottom of the class (do teachers still use that as a sanction?) if you chose 18.Bb4?, as White is lost after 18...Bxb4!
Back to the game.
18.Bb2 Rdc8 19.Rxc6 Rxc6 20.Rc1 h6 21.Rxc6 Qxc6
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| How would you assess this queen-and-bishop ending? |
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The isolated queen's pawn remains the key feature, but with rooks off the board, and with White having no other weakness, it is not decisive. Indeed Stockfish17.1 reckons the position is equal, although Dragon1 gives Black a slight edge.
22.g3
GS offered a draw in my time.
22...Qd5 23.Qc3 Bf6 24.a3
The engines do not like this, preferring 24.Qc2!?, when they reckon 24...Bxd4 25.Bxd4 Qxd4 26.Qc8+ Kh7 27.Qxb7 is equal.
24...h5 25.h4 g6 26.Kh2 Kf8 27.Kg1 Kg7 28.Kh2 b5 29.Kg1 a5!? 30.Kh2?!
This may be a mistake. The engines give 30.Qxa5 Qxb2 31.Qd2, when they reckon White is only slightly worse.
30...Qf5 31.Kg2 Qe4+ 32.Qf3?
This is definitely a mistake. Instead 32.Kf1!? Qb1+ 33.Bc1 (33.Kg2? b4! 34.axb4 axb4 35.Qd2 Qa2 36.Qc2 Kh7 leaves White unable to defend both b3 and d4) g5!? 34.Qe3!? gxh4 35.Qh6+ Kg8 36.Qxf6 Qxc1+ 37.Kg2 hxg3 38.Kxg3 is a sharp line, with several major alternatives along the way, that ends with a position that Dragon1 at first reckons only slightly favours Black, but it comes to agree with Stockfish17.1 that Black is winning.
32...Qc2
32...Qb1! is very strong, in a similar way to the previous note, eg 33.Qc3 b4! 34.axb4 axb4 35.Qd2 Qa2, which is a direct transposition to the line in brackets.
33.Qc3 Qe4+ 34.Qf3?
34.Kf1!? gives the same position as in the note to White's 32nd move. After the text, 34...Qb1! almost certainly wins, as explained above.
½–½
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