Spanton (1919) - Dieter Bauer (1798)
Old Indian
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.f3!?
This is third in popularity, behind 3.Bd3 and especially 3.Nc3, but has been played by Carlsen, Kasparov and Anand.
3...e5 4.d5 c6 5.c4
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| ChessBase calls this a Pirc, but, to me, Old Indian Defence is more appropriate |
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5...Qb6 6.Qb3 Be7
This may be a novelty. Viktor Korchnoi (2606) - Jörg Hickl (2617), Swiss Team Championship 2007, went 6...Qxb3 7.axb3 Na6 8.Be3 c5?!, which is probably the wrong idea as it leaves White with an unchallengeable centre (1-0, 32 moves). Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 suggest 8...Nd7!?, 8...Nb4 or 8...Be7, the last of which would transpose to the game.
7.Be3 Qxb3 8.axb3 Na6!
The engines agree this is much better than 8...a6, when play might continue 9.b4 0-0 10.Nc3 cxd5 11.cxd5 Nbd7 12.Bd3, with what they reckon is the upper hand for White, although the line is by no means forced.
9.Nc3 0-0 10.Bd3 Nb4 11.Kd2!? cxd5 12.cxd5 Nxd3 13.Kxd3
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| How would you assess this queenless middlegame? |
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Black has the bishop-pair, but White has more space and queenside pressure, giving White a slight edge, according to the engines.
13...a6 14.Nge2 Bd7
DB offered a draw.
15.Ng3!?
The knight is headed for c4.
15...g6 16.Nf1 Ne8 17.Nd2 f5 18.Nc4 Nf6 19.h3
White has to be careful, eg the plausible 19.Ne2? loses to 19...fxe4+ 20.fxe4 Nxe4! 21.Kxe4 Bf5+ 22.Kf3 Bd3+ 23.Kg3 Bxe2.
19...fxe4+ 20.fxe4 Nh5 21.Nb6 Rad8 22.Nxd7 Rxd7 23.Ne2 Rc7 24.Rhf1 Rcc8 25.g4 Ng7 26.Nc3 Rf8?!
The engines strongly dislike this, suggesting 26...h5!?, albeit much preferring White.
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| How should White proceed? |
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27.Na4
This gives the upper hand, according to the engines, but they reckon White is positionally winning after 27.Rxf8+ and 28.b4, eg 27.Rxf8+ Kxf8 28.b4 Rd7!? 29.b5 axb5 30.Nxb5 Kf7 31.Rc1!? Ne8 32.g5!? Rd8 33.Nc7 Rc8 34.Nxe8 Rxe8 35.Rc7, after which Black's b pawn must surely fall.
27...Rxf1 28.Rxf1 Rc8
The engines prefer 28...h5, 28...Ne8 or 28...Bh4.
29.Nb6 Rf8
DB pressed the clock and almost immediately offered a draw.
30.Rxf8+ Kxf8
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| White to play and gain a winning advantage |
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31.Bh6
Heading for an ending of good knight versus bad bishop, but it is not enough for a win, whereas the engines 31.Nc4! probably is, eg 31...b5 32.Na5 Ne8 33.Nc6 Bh4 34.Nb8 Nc7 35.Bb6 Na8 36.Ba5 snaffles the black a pawn.
Heading for an ending of good knight versus bad bishop, but it is not enough for a win, whereas the engines 31.Nc4! probably is, eg 31...b5 32.Na5 Ne8 33.Nc6 Bh4 34.Nb8 Nc7 35.Bb6 Na8 36.Ba5 snaffles the black a pawn.
31...Kf7 32.Bxg7 Kxg7 33.Nc4 Kh6
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| Black's active king makes up for having the inferior minor piece |
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34.Ke2 Kg5 35.Kf3 Kh4 36.Kg2 b5 37.Na5 h5 38.Nc6 Bg5 39.gxh5 gxh5
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| The position is completely equal, according to the engines, but White has a try that might well have worked over the board |
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40.b4
The try is 40.Nb8!?
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| Analysis diagram - after 40.Nb8!?, can you see how Black saves the game? |
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The obvious 40...a5 loses to 41.Nc6 a4 42.Na7! (but not 42.axb4?, when 42...axb4 wins for Black) axb3 43.Nxb5 Bc1 44.Nxd6 Bxb2 45.Nc4 Bc1 46.d6 Bg5 47.Nxe5! with unstoppable mate.
The engines show Black has to find 40...Bd2!!, eg 41.Nxa6 Kg5!, when White's extra pawn is useless, and the position remains completely equal.
Back to the game, where the idea of 40.b4 was to pin the a pawn.
40...Bd2 41.Nb8 Bxb4 42.Nxa6 Ba5!?
An only-move, but not difficult to find.
43.Nb8 Kg5 44.Nc6 Be1 45.Kf3 Kh4
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| Has White a (sensible) alternative to playing 46.Kg2 and acquiescing to a draw? |
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46.Na7!?
This is certainly an alternative; whether it is sensible is a matter of opinion.
46...Kxh3
Forced, as Black's d pawn drops after 46...b4?, eg 47.Nb5 b3 48.Nxd6 Bc3!? 49.Nc4 Bb4 50.d6 Kg5 51.d7 Be7 52.Nxe5, when White is two pawns up.
47.Nxb5 Bb4 48.Na3 Bc5 49.Nc2 h4 50.b4 Bb6 51.Ne1 Kh2 52.Kg4 Kh1?
Setting a 'trap', but it is a 'trap' that is only good enough for a draw, even if White falls for it. Black had to play 52...h3, when 53.Nf3+ Kg2 54.Nh4+ Kh2 etc is a draw.
53.Nf3
After 53.Kxh4? Bf2+ (springing the 'trap') 54.Kg5 Bxe1 55.b5 Bf2 56.Kf6 Kg2 57.Ke6 Bc5 58.b6 Bxb6 59.Kxd6 Bd4 60.Ke6 Kf3 61.Kf5, the engines show neither side can make progress.
53...Kg2 54.Nxh4+ Kf2 55.Kf5 Ke3 56.Ng6 Kd4 57.Ne7 Bc7 58.Nc6+ Ke3 59.Na7 Bb6 60.Nc8 Bc7 61.b5 Kd4 62.b6 Bb8 63.Ne7 Bc7!? 64.bxc7 1-0
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| A water-treading hydroptherapy facility known as a Kneippanlage, operating only in the warmer months - Wikipedia lists 24 such 'troughs' in the immediate Bad Wörishofen area, but I suspect that is an underestimate |
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