Ian Calvert (1942) - Spanton (1914)
1.b3
1.b3 d5 2.Bb2 Nf6 3.Nf3 Bf5 4.c4!?
More popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database are 4.Nh4!?, 4.d3, 4.g3 and especially 4.e3.
4...e6 5.g3 Nbd7 6.Bg2 Bd6!? 7.0-0 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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It is early days in what looks like being a long positional struggle, but Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 reckon White has at least the better part of equality.
8.d3 Re8 9.Nbd2 c6 10.Qc2!?
This is the third time against IC I have had the position after 9...c6. The previous two games, in 2002 and 2008, featured 10.a3, and were drawn in 28 and 30 moves respectively.
The engines suggest 10.e4!?, which is possible thanks to the unprotected state of Black's dark-square bishop, eg 10...dxe4 11.dxe4 Nxe4?? loses a piece to 12.Nxe4.
10...e5 11.e4 Bg6 12.Nh4!? d4 13.Nxg6 hxg6
Stockfish17.1 marginally prefers 13...fxg6!?, and Dragon1 comes to more-or-less agree.
14.Nf3
This may be a novelty, and at any rate is an improvement on Gerhard Völpel (2070) - Dierk Schröder (1841), Mecklenburg Seniors Championship (Plau am See) 2001, which went 14.f4? Ng4 15.fxe5 Ne3 16.Qb1 Bxe5, with a large advantage for Black, although the game was agreed drawn three moves later.
14...a5 15.Bc1!?
The engines like this, along with 15.a3.
15...Nc5 16.Bd2 Qe7 17.Rfb1!? Ra7 18.a3 Rea8 19.Bf1 Ncd7 20.Qb2 b5 21.cxb5 cxb5
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| How should White proceed? |
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22.a4?!
The engines are not keen on this, preferring 22.h4!? or 22.Rc1.
22...b4 23.Bg5?!
This is probably the wrong idea too. After 23.Rc1 Nc5 White is no more than slightly worse, according to the engines.
23...Rc7 24.Rc1 Rac8
The engines reckon 24...Rc3!? is even stronger.
25.Rxc7 Rxc7 26.Rc1 Rc3 27.Bd2
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| How should Black proceed? |
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27...Nb8!?
The engines for quite some time much prefer 27...Nc5, but the text comes to be Dragon1's top choice, at least for a while. Either way, the sacrifice of the exchange is sound.
28.Bxc3
Accepting the exchange, either immediately or over the next few moves, seems almost forced, eg the engines come to agree that 28.Bh3!? is the best continuation, but after 28...Na6 reckon White should continue 29.Bxc3.
28...bxc3 29.Qb1
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| Black has no material compensation for the exchange, but has more than enough positionally, thanks to having an advanced and protected passed pawn, extra space and an outpost at b4 |
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29...Ba3 30.Rd1 Qc5 31.Ne1 Na6 32.Nc2 Bb2 33.Be2 Qb6 34.Na1?!
Almost certainly better is the engines' 34.Rf1!?, but they agree Black is winning.
34...Nd7
There is nothing wrong with 34...Bxa1 35.Qxa1 Qxb3, eg 36.Rb1 can be met by 36...Qc2 and 37...Nb4.
35.Rf1 Nc5 36.Bd1?!
Now Black gets to win the d3 pawn, while still menacing the backward b pawn.
36...Bxa1 37.Qxa1 Nxd3 38.Be2 Nab4 39.Rd1 Nc5 40.Bc4!?
The e4 pawn cannot realistically be saved, eg 40.Bf3 c2.
40...Nxe4 41.Re1!?
This sets a sort of trap that does not save Black, but complicates matters.
41...Nc2 42.Qb1 Nxe1 43.Qxe4
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| This is the point - the knight cannot escape |
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43...Qb4
This wins, but more forcing is 43...c2 44.Qxe1 Qb4, which transposes to the game (but in the game, Black gets another option).
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| What should White try? |
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44.Qxe1
Perhaps it is a matter of taste, as all moves lose, but the engines' 44.f4!? gives Black a chance to go wrong, eg 44...c2? 45.Qa8+ Kh7 46.Bxf7 leaves Black having to bail out with a draw by perpetual after 46...Nf3+ 47.Kg2 Qd2+ 48.Kxf3 Qd3+. Black could vary with 45...Qf8, but 46.Bxf7+ Kxf7 47.Qd5+ leaves White with a draw by perpetual. Note that the key points about 44.f4!? are, firstly, that it attacks e5, and, secondly, that it takes away the g5 square from Black's king, which is why the immediate 44.Qa8+ fails to 44...Qf8 45.Bxf7+ Kxf7 46.Qd5+ Kf6. However, 44.f4!? does not save Black - the engines show both 44...Qe7 and 44...Nf3+!? win. Note that 44.Qxe5? is instantly hopeless after 44...Nf3+.
44...c2
Transposing to the line given in the note to Black's 43rd move.
45.Qc1 Qc3 46.Kg2 e4 47.Bd5
Or 47.Bxf7+!? Kxf7 48.Qf4+ Kg8.
47...Qf3+ 48.Kh3 Qd1 49.Qf4 Qh5+ 50.Kg2 Qf3+ 0-1
47...Qf3+ 48.Kh3 Qd1 49.Qf4 Qh5+ 50.Kg2 Qf3+ 0-1
Middlesex won the match 8-5-7.5.
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