Spanton (1940 ECF/1911 Fide) - John Feavyour (1843 ECF/1944 Fide)
Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.Qe2 Nc6
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| This position occurs 1,535 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database |
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7.c3
Trying to build a centre is the main continuation, but also popular is 7.Rfd1.
7...g6
The main line in Mega26 runs 7...e6 8.d4 cxd4 9.cxd4 d5!? 10.e5 Ne4 11.Be3 Be7 12.Ne1!? f6!? 13.f3 Ng5 14.Nd3 0-0, when Black has equalised (Stockfish17.1) or is only slightly worse (Dragon1).
8.d4 Bg7!?
Black more usually plays 8...cxd4 9.cxd4 Bg7!?, although the engines fluctuate between 9...Bg7!? and 9...d5!?, with, in the latter case, play similar to the previous note.
9.d5!?
The engines prefer this over the commoner 9.Rd1.
9...Ne5
The engines suggest 9...Na5 or 9...Nb8.
10.Nxe5 dxe5 11.Nd2 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White has the better pawn-structure, a fine outpost on c4 for the knight, and a little more space in the centre. The engines give White the upper hand.
12.Nc4 Nh5 13.Be3 Nf4!? 14.Bxf4
This seems better than 14.Qf3 f5 15.Bxf4 fxe4 16.Qxe4 Rxf4, although the engines reckon White would still have an edge.
14...exf4 15.Rfd1 b6
On 15...b5!?, White has 16.Na5, with Nc6 to come, although it is not clear the knight is better on c6 than on c4.
16.a4 Rab8 17.e5!? Qf5 18.d6
The engines suggest 18.Rd2 or 18.f3.
18...exd6 19.exd6 Rfe8 20.Qf3 Qe4?
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| This looks like a forcing move in that the black queen hits the knight as well as the white queen, but there is a serious flaw |
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21.d7!
White wins the exchange.
21...Qxc4 22.dxe8=Q+ Rxe8
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| Black has an extra pawn, but it is doubled and weak, and so provides little compensation |
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23.Rd7!? Qb3?
If 23...Qxa4!?, White has 24.Qd1!? (Rxa4?? Re1#), eg 24...Qxd1+ 25.Raxd1 a5 26.Rd8, getting down to a rook-v-bishop ending, when Black's two extra pawns will soon fall. Nevertheless, the engines reckon 23...Qxa4!? is better than the text, although they suggest meeting 24.Qd1!? with 24...Qe4, allowing 25.Rdxa7.
24.Qxf4 Qe6 25.Rdd1 Qb3
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| Black now has no compensation for the exchange, and can only play for tricks |
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26.Qc1 Qc4 27.g3 h5 28.Re1 Rd8 29.Qc2 Bf6 30.Re4 Qd5 31.h4 Qf5 32.Kg2 Bg7 33.Rae1 Kh7 34.Qe2 Bh6 35.f4!?
This weakens the position of the white king, but it is playable because White's advantage is so large.
35...Qd5 36.Kh2 Bg7 37.Re7 a5 38.Rf1 Qf5 39.Rd1 Rf8!?
This is horribly passive, but keeps pieces on the board.
40.Qe4 Qg4 41.Rd6
At least one black queenside pawn must fall.
41...Qc8 42.Rxb6 Qd8 43.Rbb7 Qd2+ 44.Qe2 Qd5 45.Rb5 Bf6 46.Re3 Bc8 47.Qd3 Qc6 48.Re5 Bf6!?
The engines reckon this may be Black's best move, which only goes to show how desperate Black's position is.
49.Rxh5+ Kg7 50.Rhxc5 Qe6 51.Rd5 Qe1 52.Qd2 Qf1 53.Qg2 Qe1 54.Rd2 Re8 55.Rbd5!?
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| How should Black proceed? |
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55...Bxh4!?
This should not work, but it is surely Black's best practical try.
56.gxh4
Simpler is 56.Qf2!?
56...Qxh4+ 57.Qh3
Not 57.Kg1?? Re1+.
57...Qxf4
On 57...Qf1 I planned 58.f5!?, the point being 58...Rh8? loses to a mate that starts with 59.f6+!
58.Qg3 Rh8+ 59.Kg2 Qe4+ 60.Kf2 Rh1 61.Rd1?!
61.Qe5+ puts an end to Black's threats.
61...Qc2 62.R1d2 Qb1 63.Ke3 Re1+ 64.Kd4 Qe4+ 65.Kc5 Qe7+ 66.Qd6 Qa7+ 67.Kb5 Re6!?
This loses instantly, but Black has anyway run out of checks.
68.Qxe6! fxe6 69.Rd7+ 1-0
After today's games, the triangular match stands as follows:
Wessex B 2-1 Iceni2
Ashfield 2 1.5-1.5 Wessex B
Iceni 2 0-3 Ashfield 2
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