| Bo. | 18 | Albania | Rtg | - | 46 | England - 5 | Rtg | 0 : 0 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12.1 | IM |
| 2303 | - |
| 1897 | ||||||
| 12.2 | FM |
| 2179 | - | CM |
| 1861 | |||||
| 12.3 |
| 1979 | - |
| 1908 | |||||||
| 12.4 |
| 2031 | - |
| 1859 |
Gligor Stavri (1979) - Spanton (1908)
QGD Normal Variation
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c5 3.e3 e6 4.c4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Nf6
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| The starting point of the Normal Variation |
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One advantage for White in playing this way is that often it is White who decides whether to play with or against an IQP. It is not that either way is theoretically advantageous, but playing what you like can be important.
6.cxd5 exd5
Black can avoid an isolated queen's pawn with 6...Nxd5, when the main line in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database runs 7.Bd3 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.a3!? cxd4 10.exd4 Bf6, with Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 giving White at least the better part of equality.
7.Be2 Bg4
The engines suggest 7...cxd4!? 8.Nxd4 and 8...Bb4, 8...Bd6 or 8...Bc5.
8.0-0 Be7!?
This is the commonest move in Mega26, but Black scores just 26%, although it is a small sample size (19 games). The engines like 8...c4!? or 8...Rc8.
9.dxc5
So White gets to inflict an IQP on Black after the black dark-square bishop has moved.
9...Bxc5 10.a3 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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This position is usually reached with Black to move, when the engines reckon the game is equal. With White to move, they give the latter a slight edge.
11.Qa4!?
This may be a novelty. Known moves are 11.b4 and 11.h3.
11...Qe7?
11...Qe7?
The engines give 11...d4!?, and if 12.Rd1, then 12...Bxf3!? 13.Bxf3 Qb6, claiming at least equal chances for Black.
12.Nxd5 Nxd5 13.Qxg4
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| White has won a sound pawn, and has the bishop-pair |
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13...Rad8 14.Qc4!?
The engines like this.
14...Rfe8 15.Re1!? Bb6 16.Qc2 Ne5 17.Nxe5 Qxe5 18.Bf3 Nf4!?
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| How should White respond? |
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19.Rf1!
The engines reckon this is easily the best move, whereas 19.Bxb7, although probably objectively fine for White, can lead to tricky play, eg 19...Re7 20.Bf3 Nd3 21.Rd1 Rc7 22.Qb3 Rcd7 23.Rf1!? h5, when White is two pawns up, but faces a difficult defensive task.
19...Nd5 20.Bd2 Re6 21.Bxd5!? Qxd5
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| The bishop-pair has gone, but White is a pawn up and has no weaknesses, and so can count on a substantial advantage if development is successfully completed |
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22.Bc3 Red6 23.Qe2 Rg6!? 24.g3 Rgd6 25.Bb4 R6d7 26.Qg4
The engines give 26.Rfd1!, the point being they reckon 26...Qxd1+ 27.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 28.Kg2 is much better for White.
26...h5!? 27.Qh3 Qf3 28.Qg2 Qe2 29.Bc3 Re8 30.Rfe1 Qg4 31.h3 Qe6 32.Rad1
It has taken some time, but White has finally contested the open d file.
32...Red8 33.Rxd7 Rxd7
However, Black retains control of the file.
34.g4!?
The engines like this.
34...h4
But in reply they prefer 34...hxg4 or 34...Bc7.
35.Qf3 Qd6
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| How should White proceed? |
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36.e4?
The engines suggest 36.Rc1, 36.Kg2 or 36.Qe4, but can you see what is wrong with the text.?
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36...Qd3
Black has 36...Qg3+! 37.Qxg3 (forced) hxg3 and 38...gxf2(+), with at least a slight edge.
37.Qxd3 Rxd3 38.Kg2 Bd4 39.Bxd4 Rxd4
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| How would you assess this rook-and-pawn ending? |
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White's extra pawn gives a slight edge, according to Stockfish17.1; is winning, according to Dragon1.
40.Kf3 g5
Possibly the less-committal 40...f6!? is better.
41.Ke3 Rd6 42.f4?!
The engines agree White has at least the upper hand after 42.Rc1!?
42...f6?
This turns a completely equal position into a completely lost one, according to the engines. They give 42...Rb6, eg 43.b4 Ra6 44.Ra1 Rc6 45.Kd4!? gxf4 46.Rf1 Rd6+ 47.Kc4 (47.Ke5 Rd3 may even favour Black) Rc6+ 48.Kd4 Rd6+ etc, or 43.fxg5 Rxb2 44.e5 Rb3+ 45.Ke4 Rxh3 46.g6!? Rxa3!? 47.gxf7+ Kxf7 48.Rf1+ Ke6 49.Rf6+ Ke7 50.Rh6 h3, with what they agree is complete equality.
43.fxg5 fxg5 44.e5 Rb6 45.b4 Ra6 46.Ra1!?
This looks horribly passive, but is one of several winning moves.
46...Kf7 47.Ke4 Ke6 48.a4 b5!? 49.a5 Rc6 50.Rd1
The rook is in time to defend b4.
50...Rc3
Or 50...Ra6 51.Rd6!? (not the only winning move) Rxd6 52.exd6 Kxd6 53.Kf5 etc.
51.Rd6+ Ke7 52.Kf5 Rxh3 53.Kxg5 Rh1 54.Ra6 h3 55.Rxa7+ Ke6 56.Rh7 h2 57.a6 Kxe5 58.a7 Ra1 59.Rxh2 Rxa7
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| White has a tablebase win |
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60.Rc2 Rg7+ 61.Kh4 Kf4 62.Rf2+ Ke3 63.Rf5 Rc7 64.Rxb5 Rc4 65.Kh5 Kf3 66.Rf5+ Kg3 67.b5 Rb4 68.g5 Rh4+ 69.Kg6 Rb4 70.Kf6
Even 70.b6!? wins, according to the Syzygy endgame tablebase.
70...Kg4 71.g6 Rd4 72.Re5 Rd6+ 73.Re6 Rd5 74.b6 Rf5+ 75.Ke7 Rg5 76.Kf7 Rf5+ 77.Rf6 Rd5 78.g7 Rd7+ 79.Kg6 Rd8 80.Kh7 Rd7 81.Kh8 Kh5 82.g8=Q 1-0
Team Result
Seitaj = Freeman
Cela 0-1 Stokes
Stavri 1-0 Spanton
Pasku 1-0 Marshall
Albania 2.5-1.5 England 5
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