| Bo. | 19 | France - 2 | Rtg | - | 46 | England - 5 | Rtg | 0 : 0 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19.1 |
| 2228 | - |
| 1897 | |||||||
| 19.2 | FM |
| 2181 | - | CM |
| 1861 | |||||
| 19.3 |
| 2046 | - |
| 1908 | |||||||
| 19.4 |
| 2016 | - |
| 1859 |
Pierre Theon (2046) - Spanton (1908)
QGD Tarrasch
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.dxc5!?
This is very much a sideline, compared with 5.Nf3, but there are 668 examples of the move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, and it has been played by Carlsen and Kramnik.
5...d4 6.Ne4
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| How should Black proceed? |
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6...Nf6!?
The stem game, Amos Burn - Siegbert Tarrasch, German Chess Congress (Breslau*) 1889, went 6...Bxc5?! 7.Nxc5 Qa5+ 8.Bd2 Qxc5 9.Rc1 Qf5 10.Qa4+ Nc6 11.Nf3, with the upper hand for White, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1, although the game was eventually drawn. The engines prefer the text.
7.Nd6+
Winning the bishop-pair, but falling behind in development. The engines reckon 7.Nxf6+ Qxf6 8.b4 Nc6 9.Bb2!? gives equal chances. They also like 7.Bg5, when they agree Black's best reply is 7...Bf5!? (7...Be7 8.Bxf6!), eg 8.Nxf6+ gxf6 9.e4!? Bxe4 10.Qe2!? Qd5!? 11.Bxf6 d3 12.Qg4! Nc6 13.Bxh8 d2+ 14.Kd1 h5! 15.Qe2 0-0-0, when they give Black complete equality, despite Black being rook and pawn down.
7...Bxd6 8.cxd6 Qxd6 9.Nf3 Nc6 10.e3 Bg4
Also very interesting is 10...Qb4+!? 11.Qd2 Qxb2 12.Qc1!? Qxc1+ 13.Rxc1 dxe3 14.Bxde3 0-0, when the engines reckon Black's extra pawn is worth more than White's bishops.
11.exd4!?
Possibly 11.Be2 is better.
11...0-0-0
The engines agree 11...Bxf3 gives Black the upper hand, eg 12.gxf3 0-0!? 13.Be3 Nd5!? 14.Qb3 Rfe8 15.0-0-0!? a5, when Black's king looks decidedly safer.
12.Be3 Rhe8 13.Be2 Bxf3?!
Black has at least a slight edge after 13...Nd5, according to the engines.
14.Bxf3 Qb4+!
White will have no problems if allowed to castle.
15.Qd2
Also seemingly playable is 15.Kf1!? Nxd4 16.g3.
15...Qxd2+ 16.Kxd2 Nxd4 17.Rac1+ Kb8
This is almost certainly better than 17...Nc6+ 18.Kc2.
18.Bxd4 Rxd4+ 19.Kc3 Red8
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| How would you assess this late-middlegame? |
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White has the better minor piece for working with rooks, especially on such an open board, but Black's coordinated rooks and already-tucked-away king give full compensation, according to the engines.
20.Rhe1!?
Not 20.Rhd1? as Black has 20...Ne4+, eg 21.Kc2 (21.Bxe4?! Rxd1) Rc8+ 22.Kb1 Nd2+ 23.Ka1 Rxc1+ 24.Rxc1 Nxf3 25.gxf3 Rd3, with much the better of a rook-and-pawn ending.
20...Rd3+ 21.Kc2 Rd2+ 22.Kb1 Rxf2
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| Black's initiative has netted a pawn, but now White gets to apply pressure |
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23.Re7 Rd7 24.Bg4!?
23.Re7 Rd7 24.Bg4!?
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| How should Black respond? |
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24...Rd8
The only move, as both 24...Nxg4?? and 24...Rdd2?? allow a quick mate.
25.Bf3 Rd7
Again forced.
26.Rxd7!? Nxd7
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| How would you assess this rook-and-minor-piece ending? |
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White's rook-and-bishop combination give full compensation for being a pawn down, according to the engines.
27.Re1 Nc5 28.Re7 b6 29.Rxf7 Nd3 30.Rb7+!? Kc8 31.Rxg7 Rxb2+ 32.Ka1 Rc2 33.a3 a5!?
This may be too slow. Perhaps best is 33...Ne1!?, when 34.Kb1 Rf2 35.Be4 Re2 36.Bd5 Kd8 is completely equal, according to Stockfish17.1, although Dragon1 gives White a slight edge.
34.Be4 Rc1+?!
Almost certainly better is 34...Rc3.
35.Ka2 Nc5 36.Bxh7
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| White is a pawn up in a position that favours White anyway, thanks to a bishop being almost always much better than a knight when there are rival pawn-majorities |
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36...Rf1 37.Kb2 Rf2+ 38.Kc3 Ra2 39.Kc4?!
Probably stronger is starting to push the passed h pawn, either immediately, or after first playing Bf5+.
39...Rxa3
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| The extra pawn has gone, White's king is more active than Black's, and bishop-v-knight still greatly favours White |
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The only thing in Black's favour is that the black pawns are more advanced.
40.Kd5 Rc3?
40...a4 almost certainly provides better drawing chances, eg 41.h4 Ra1 42.h5 a3 43.Bf5+ Kb8!, when the engines give White only the tiniest of edges. However, there are many alternatives, and the lines are very tricky.
41.Bf5+ Kb8 42.h4 Nb7
Black queens first in the pawn-race, ie 42...a4 43.h5 a3 44.h6 a2 47.h7 a1=Q, but then White queens with mate.
43.h5 Rc5+ 44.Ke6 Nd8+?
Better, but still losing, is 44...a4, eg 45.Rg3 b5 46.Rh3 Rc6+ 47.Ke7 Rc7+ 48.Kf8 Nd6 49.Bg6 Nc4 50.h6 Rc8+ 51.Kg7 Rc7+ 52.Kf6 Rc6+ 53.Kg5 Rc5+ 54.Bf5 Nd6 55.g4, when the only way to stop the h pawn queening is to give up the knight.
45.Kf6 a4 46.h6 a3 47.Bb1
White wins the pawn-race after 47.h7? a2 48.h8=Q, but this time Black queens with check, and so draws.
47...Rc6+ 48.Ke7 Rxh6
Forced.
49.Kxd8 Rh1 50.Ba2
Not 50.Be4?? Rh8+ 51.Kd7 a2 etc.
50...Rd1+ 51.Rd7 Rh1 52.Bd5 Rh8+ 53.Ke7 Kc8 54.Rd6 Rh7+ 55.Ke6 Rg7 56.Rc6+ Kd8 57.Kf6 Ra7 58.Ba2 Rd7!?
This speeds the end, but Black is lost anyway.
59.Be6 a2!? 60.Bxa2 Rd2 61.Be6 Rf2+ 62.Bf5 1-0
Team Result
Boulard (2228) = Freeman (1897)
Fayard (2181) 1-0 Stokes (1861)
Theon (2046) 1-0 Spanton (1908)
Lebret (2016) = Marshall (1859)
France 2 3-1 England 5
*Now Wrocław in the Lower Silesian region of Poland.
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