Terry Whitton (1863) - Spanton (1928)
Queen's Pawn Game
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nc6!? 3.d4 Bf5 4.Bg2 Nf6 5.0-0 e6 6.b3!?
This is second-most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, scoring an excellent 70%, but Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 prefer 6.c4 or 6.Nh4.
6...Nb4 7.Na3 Bd6 8.Bb2 0-0
 |
| Now castling has been completed, how would you assess the position? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
Both sides have developed comfortably, and there are no obvious weaknesses. White is more likely to get in a c-pawn break, but neither player is close to pushing the e pawn to the fourth rank, and the engines rate the game as equal.
9.c3 Nc6 10.Nc2 Re8 11.Ne3 Be4 12.c4 a5!? 13.Ne5!? Bxg2 14.Kxg2
Also equal is 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.Kxg2, according to the engines.
14...Ne7 15.Nd3!?
The engines reckon this is an improvement on Saidakbar Saydaliev (2457) - Mayank Chakraborty (2448), Chess.com Blitz 2025, which saw 15.cxd5?!, when 15...exd5 would have given Black the upper hand, according to the engines.
15...Ng6 16.c5!? Bf8 17.Rc1 b6 18.Rh1 Nd7 19.h4 h5 20.Qd2
The engines prefer pushing the c pawn, or exchanging on b6.
20...bxc5 21.Nxc5 Nxc5 22.dxc5 c6 23.Rc2 Be7 24.Rhc1 Bf6 25.a3 Bxb2 26.Rxb2 Qf6
The engines much prefer 26...f5!?, or preparing the move with 26...Rf8.
27.b4 axb4 28.axb4 Reb8 29.Rcb1 Rb5 30.Rb3 e5 31.Qd3
Threatening 32.Nxd5!
31...e4 32.Qd2 Ne5 33.Qd4 g5!? 34.hxg5 Qxg5 35.f4!? exf3+ 36.exf3
 |
| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
36...Ng6
Interesting is 36...Nc4!? 37.Nxc4 dxc4, when 38.Qxc4?? Qd2+ and 39...Ra2 is catastrophic for White.
However, White should play 38.R3b2, when 38...Rd8 39.Qxc4 Qf6 seems to give Black enough for a pawn, but no more.
37.f4 Qe7??
Black had to play 37...Nh4+, meeting both 38.Kh3 and 38.Kf2 by 38...Nf5+, with equal chances.
 |
| White to play and win |
*****
*****
*****
*****
38.R3b2??
38.Nf5 threatens mate in one, and since 38...Qe2+? is easily met by 39.Kg1, and 38...Qf8?! can be strongly answered by 39.Re3, Black has to play 38...Qe4+ 39.Qxe4 dxe4, but 40.Nd4 wins the c6 pawn and leaves White with connected farside passers.
38...Ra3??
Necessary is 38...Qe6.
39.R2b3??
Nf5 still wins.
39...Ra2+ 40.R3b2 Ra3?? ½–½
The match finished 4-4.
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
25/2/26 LL B 1928 1863 = 2047
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
No comments:
Post a Comment