Aviraj Bhaduri (1707) - Spanton (1929)
Sicilian Hyper-Accelerated Dragon
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.c3 d5!?
The main line in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database runs 3...Bg7 4.d4 cxd4 5.cxd4 d5 6.e5, with at least a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1.
4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Bb5+!?
This trails 5.Be2, 5.Na3 and especially 5.d4 in popularity.
5...Bd7 6.Bxd7+ Nxd7 7.d4 Ngf6 8.0-0 Bg7 9.Be3 cxd4 10.Qxd4 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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Black has the only pawn on the two centre files, which could be a middlegame asset, while White has the possible endgame asset of a farside pawn-majority. The engines reckon the position is equal.
11.Re1!?
They much prefer 11.Rd1 or 11.Na3.
11...Rfe8
The engines reckon 11...e5 12.Qxd5 Nxd5 gives Black the upper hand.
12.Na3 a6 13.Nc4 b5 14.Nb6 Qxd4 15.Bxd4 Nxb6 16.Bxb6 Nd5 17.Bd4 e6 18.Bxg7 Kxg7
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| How would you assess this late-middlegame position? |
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Black has more space on the queenside, but the only other major difference between the two sides is the rival pawn-majorities. The engines agree the game is equal.
19.g3 Rec8 20.Rec1 Rc7 21.Rc2 Rac8 22.Rac1 Kf6
Not 22...Nb4 23.Rd2 Nxa2? 24.Ra1 Nxc3 25.bxc3 Rxc3 as, after 26.Kg2, White is well-placed to blockade, and ultimately destroy, Black's connected passers.
23.a3 h5 24.Kf1 g5!? 25.Ke2 g4!? 26.Nd2 Ke7 27.Kd3 f5 28.c4 bxc4+ 29.Rxc4 Rxc4 30.Rxc4 Rxc4 31.Nxc4
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| How would you assess this knight-and-pawn ending? |
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White's queenside majority looks dangerous, but the engines reckon the position is completely equal.
31...f4?
But this is the wrong plan. Instead 31...Nf6, eyeing the e4 square, keeps White in check.
32.Ke4 f3 33.Ne3?
White is winning after 33.Ke5, according to the engines.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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33...Nb6
The engines prefer a move I dismissed without bothering to analyse, namely 33...Nxe3!? I assumed 34.Kxe3 gave White a winning pawn ending. However, after 34...e5!? 35.Ke4 Ke6 36.b4 Kd6 37.a4 Ke6 38.b5 axb5 39.axb5 (39.a5?? loses to 39...Kd6) Kd6 40.b6 Kc6 41.Kxe5 Kxb7 42.Kf5 Kc5 43.Kg5 Kd4 44.Kxh5 Kd3 45.Kxg4 Ke2 46.h4 Kxf2 47.h5 Kg2 48.h6 f2 49.h7 f1=Q 50.h8=Q Qf3+, the game is drawn.
34.b3 Nd7!?
The text is for a long time strongly disliked by Dragon1, but the move seems to be fine. However, the engines are sure Black maintains complete equality with 34...Kd6, one point being 35.Kf4? loses to 35...Nd5+, eg 36.Nxd5 Kxd5! 37.Kg5 e5 38.Kxh5 e4 39.Kxg4 Kd4 40.h4 Kd3 41.h5 e3 etc.
35.b4 Nb6 36.Nd1!?
The engines for quite some time marginally prefer this over 36.Ke5, but come to view the two moves as equal.
36...Nc4 37.a4 Nb6
Going after the h2 pawn with 37...Nd2+? does not work, eg 38.Kf4 Nf1? 39.Kg5 Nxh2 40.Ne3!? Kd6 41.Kxh5. Slightly better is 38...Kf6, but 39.Ke3 Nf1 40.Kd4, with b5 to come, wins for White.
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| How should White proceed? |
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38.Nc3
Interesting is 38.a5!? Nd5 39.b5 axb5 40.a6 Nc7 41.a7, but both 41...b4 and 41...Kd6 seem to hold.
The engines suggest 38.Kf4!? Kf6 (38...Nxa4? 39.Kg5 Nb6 40.Nc3! is very good for White, and if 40...Nd5 41.Nxd5+ exd5, White wins with 42.Kxh5 d4 43.Kxg4 etc), and now 39.Nc3, when 39...e5+ 40.Ke4 Ke6 transposes to the final position in the game, except with White, rather than Black, to move. The engines reckon White has to continue 41.a5!?, when Dragon1's 41...Nd7?! loses, according to Stcokfish17.1, but 41...Nc4 42.b5!? axb5 43.a6 b4!? 44.a7 Nb6 45.Na4 Na8 seems to hold.
38...Kd6 39.Kd4
39.Kf4 Nd5+ 40.Nxd5 exd5! is completely equal, according to the engines.
39...e5+ 40.Kd3 Ke6 41.Ke4 ½–½
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