Spanton (1938) - William Taylor (2012)
Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.c3!?
The main moves in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database are 4.Bxc6 and especially 4.0-0.
4...Nf6 5.Qe2 Bg7 6.d4 cxd4 7.cxd4 d5 8.e5 Ne4 9.0-0 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White's extra space in the centre may be why Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 give White a slight edge.
10.Nc3!?
This is the main move in Mega26, even though after ...
10...Nxc3 11.bxc3
... White has a backward pawn on a half-open file.
11...Na5 12.Ba3
The position after 11...Na5 is reached 12 times in Mega26, with White trying seven different moves, including the text.
12...Bd7 13.Bd3 Rc8 14.Rfc1
The engines suggest 14.Qe1!?, which protects c3 while keeping the option of kingside play.
14...Nc4 15.Bxc4
The engines give 15.Bc5 b6 16.Bxc4 bxc5!? 17.Bxd5 Bg4, reckoning Black has full compensation for a pawn.
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| How should Black recapture? |
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15...Rxc4
The engines agree this is the better move as after 15...dxc4?! White has a freer hand on the kingside, now that the c file is closed.
16.Nd2 Ra4 17.Bb2 Bh6 18.Rd1
I picked up the rook, intending to play 18.Rf1?, but White is in trouble after the reply 18...Qb6, when Black has two major threats: 19...Qxb2 and 19...Bb5.
18...Bxd2
The engines prefer 18...Qc7 or 18...Qc8, with Dragon1 also liking 18...Bg7!?
19.Rxd2 Qa5 20.a3 Qa6 21.Qxa6
The engines reckon it is better for White to keep queens on.
21...Rxa6
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| How would you assess this late-middlegame? |
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White has an awful bishop, but it protects important pawns, while the black bishop, although it has lovely diagonals to work on, has no targets. The engines award Black a slight edge.
22.Re1
But the engines strongly dislike this, preferring 22.Bc1!?
22...Rb6 23.f3 Rb3 24.Ree2 Rc8 25.Rf2 h5 26.h4 a5 ½–½
The engines reckon Black has the upper hand. A sample line: 27.Kh2 a4 28.Kg3 Bb5 29.Rd1 Bc4 30.Kf4 f6!? 31.Re1 Rc6 32.Rc1!? Kf8 33.Rcc2 Kf7 34.Rc1 Ke6 34.Rcc2 Kd7 35.Rcd2 Ke6, after which they still give Black at least the upper hand, but Black does not seem to have made any progress, and it may well be progress is not possible.
The match was tied 2.5-2.5.
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
26/2/26 CLL B 1928 2015 0 2025
3/3/26 CDL B 1914 1976 1 2043
24/3/26 BCC W 1921 1780 1 2049
26/3/26 CLL B 1921 1942 = 2045
31/3/26 CDL B 1921 2091 0 2030
7/4/26 BCC B 1938 1505* 1 2030
9/4/26 CLL W 1938 2012 = 2029
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
*A win against a 1505 counts as a 1905 performance, so I have excluded this game from calculating my season's performance as it would lower my average despite me winning.
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