Paul Dupré (1890) - Spanton (1928)
Evans Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bd6!?
The Stone-Ware Defence. It is fourth-most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but scores better percentage-wise than the three more popular moves: 5...Bc5, 5...Be7 and 5...Ba5; but 5...Bf8!? scores even better, and it is hard imagining that becoming commonplace.
6.d4 Nf6 7.0-0 0-0
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| With both sides castling early, how would you assess the position? |
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Black is a pawn up, but Black's setup looks clumsy. Meanwhile White enjoys a two-abreast classical pawn-centre, and, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1, has a slight edge.
8.dxe5
The engines prefer developing with 8.Re1 or 8.Nbd2.
8...Nxe5
The engines suggest giving up the bishop-pair with 8...Bxe5!?, the point being that after 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 White has to spend a tempo dealing with Black's attack on the light-square bishop, eg 10.Bb3, when 10...d6 leaves Black up a pawn and not behind on development, albeit 11.f4 gives White more central/kingside space and an initiative (as well as the bishops).
9.Nxe5 Bxe5
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| How should White proceed? |
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10.Ba3!
The engines agree this is best. The problem with 10.f4 Bd6 11.e5 is that Black has 11...Bc5+ 12.Kh1 and either ...Ne4 or ...d5.
10...Re8 11.f4 Bd6 12.e5
The e pawn is too vulnerable after 12.Bxd6?! cxd6.
12...Bxa3 13.Nxa3
Not 13.exf6?, when 13...Bb2 is bad enough for White, but even worse, according to the engines, is 13...Bc5+! 14.Kh1 Qxf6, when Black is two pawns up and has the bishop-pair.
13...d5!?
The only move, but quite a normal one in such positions following e5.
14.Bb3!
The engines reckon this apparent-novelty is an improvement on the known 14.Bb5, when Stephan Grochtmann (2010) - Jadranko Plenča (2435), Šolta (Croatia) 2022, continued 14...Nd7!? 15.Qh5?! c6 16.Bd3, after which 16...g6 would have left Black well on top, according to the engines (the game went 16...Nf8?! 17.Rae1 g6 18.Qh6 f5?? 19.exf6 1-0).
14...Ng4 15.Qf3 c6 16.Kh1?!
This is probably too slow. The point of the move is to make the pinning Rad1 possible, which presently is not on as 16.Rad1?? fails to 16...Qb6+ 17.Kh1 (17.Rd4 c5) Ne3. The engines suggest 16.h3 or 16.Nc2.
16...Qb6
Getting out of the pin before it arrives, but the engines do not like this prophylaxis, preferring 16...a5, 16...Qh4 or 16...Bf5.
17.Rae1 Bf5 18.Nc2
The engines suggest 18.h3 or 18.Bc2!?
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| What should Black play? |
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18...Nh6!
This retreat is best, not least because it unties the bishop.
19.Nd4 Be4
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| How should White continue? |
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20.Qh3
The exchange-sacrifice 20.Rxe4!? is Dragon1's top choice, but not Stockfish17.1's. After 20...dxe4 21.Qxe4 White has got back the sacrificed Evans pawn, but does not have enough for the exchange, according to both engines.
20...c5 21.Nf3 Rad8 22.Ng5 Bf5 23.Qf3
The engines prefer 23.Qh4 or 23.Qg3, but agree Black is on top.
23...c4!
This makes the d pawn backward, but of more importance is that White's bishop does not have a good move.
24.Ba4
24.Bd1 f6!? is very good for Black.
24...Re7
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| The rook is hanging, ie unprotected, but there seems no way for White to exploit this, and meanwhile the white bishop is also loose |
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25.h3 Bd3 26.Rg1
Forced, as 26.Rf2? can be met by 26...f6!?
26...Qa5 27.e6!?
Opting for complications in view of 27.Bd1 Qxc3.
27...f6
Possibly even stronger is 27...Qxa4!? 28.exf7+ Rxf7.
28.Nf7!? Nxf7 29.exf7+ Rxf7 30.Be8!? Rf8 31.Bh5 g6 32.f5 gxh5 33.Qg3+ Kh8
Also winning, but somewhat hairy-looking, is 33...Kf7!?
34.Re7 Rg8 35.Qh4 Rg5 36.Rge1 Be4
White's threats are over.
The game finished:
37.R1xe4 dxe4 38.Qxe4 Qb5 39.h4 Rg4 40.Rxh7+ Kxh7 41.Qe7+ Rg7 0-1
The match finished 2-2.
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
27/1/26 LL B 1929 2089 0 2041
29/1/26 CLL B 1929 1882 = 2031
3/2/26 BCC W 1928 1836 1 2043
12/2/26 CDL B 1928 1890 1 2057
CLL: Central London League
LL: London League
BCC: Battersea club championship
CDL: Croydon & District League
I also have a win-by-default in the Central London League
Hi Tim, noticed a typo on Black's 10th move and, most importantly, the result!
ReplyDeleteI'm an idiot. Thank you.
Delete