Spanton (1928 ECF/1939 Fide) - Elijah De Lange (1840 ECF/1664 Fide)
Pirc
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 c5!?
A well-known idea in the Pirc. The point is that after ...
6.dxc5
... Black does not have to recapture immediately.
6...Qa5 7.Bd3 Qxc5 8.Qe2 Bg4 9.Be3 Qb4!?
This is a rarely played alternative to the normal 9...Qa5.
 |
| How should White respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
10.0-0
Stockfish17.1 also likes 10.a3!? Qxb2 11.Kd2!?
10...Nbd7!?
This apparent-novelty is Stockfish17.1's top choice, at least for a while. Known moves are 10...0-0, 10...Nc6 and 10...Qxb2? The capture is bad because of the reply 11.Nb5, when 11...Na6 loses the black queen to 12.Rfb1.
11.a3 Qa5
Not 11...Qxb2?? 12.Na4.
12.b4!?
This makes the c pawn backward, but takes away the c5 square from the black queen's knight.
12...Qd8 13.Rad1 0-0
 |
| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White has more space and a lead in development, but Black has a solid position - one that looks as if it could have come from the Dragon Variation of the Sicilian. Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 give White a slight edge.
14.Qf2
The engines suggest 14.h3 or 14.Qe1!?
14...Bxf3!?
This is a common idea in the Pirc/Modern complex. Black gives up the light-square bishop for the white king's knight, usually as preparation for playing ...e5. Ideally, from a black perspective, the capture is provoked by White spending a tempo on playing h3. White has not done that here, but it could be argued 14.Qf2 is a similar spend of a tempo, in that after the text White is obliged to recapture on f3 with the queen.
15.Qxf3 a6 16.Rfe1
The engines claim White has at least a slight edge after 16.Ne2!? or 16.Nb1!?
16...Rc8 17.Nb1!? Qc7?!
This is strongly disliked by the engines. They reckon both 17...b5 and 17...Nb6 equalise.
18.c4 a5 19.Rc1 axb4 20.axb4 b6 21.Nc3 Ra8 22.Nd5 Nxd5 23.cxd5 Qb7
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
24.Rc6
Active and aggressive, but Black has counterplay. The engines suggest 24.Bb5.
24...Ra3 25.Bb5?
Too late. White still has chances of a small edge after 25.Qe2.
25...Bc3!?
The 'Dragon' bishop strikes.
 |
| What should White play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
26.Rb1?!
Stockfish17.1 gives 26.Rc1!? Bd2 27.Bxd2 Rxf3 28.gxf3, which is the same as the game, except the white king's rook is on the open c file instead of passively placed behind the b4 pawn. Dragon1 comes to view both moves as equally good.
26...Bd2 27.Bxd2
There is nothing better.
27...Rxf3 28.gxf3
 |
| How would you assess this imbalanced middlegame? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
White has rook and two bishops for queen and knight. That is a material advantage for Black, but the bishop-pair and White's control of the c file give some compensation, although Black is still winning, according to the engines, which probably regard White's weakened king's position as significant.
28...Nb8!?
The engines prefer 28...Nf6.
29.Rc2
There is no good way to give up the exchange on c6.
29...Rc8 30.Ra2 Rc7 31.Rba1 Qc8 32.Ra8?
As with my 24th move, I play something that is active and aggressive, but fails to take into account my opponent's counterplay. Perhaps best is 32.Be1!?, Stockfish17.1's idea being to meet 32...Qh3 with 33.Bg3.
 |
| Black to play and win |
*****
*****
*****
*****
32...Rc2!
Other reasonable-looking moves allow White to more-or-less equalise, according to the engines.
33.Bc6?
33.Bc6?
Perhaps best is the retreat 33.R8a2, but then White has lost the initiative, and has no compensation for being material down and with an exposed king.
33...Rxd2 0-1
Black wins easily after 34.Rxb8 Qxb8 35.Ra8 Qxa8 38.Bxa8 Rb2.
The match was drawn 3-3.
No comments:
Post a Comment