Jochen Bruch (2115) - Spanton (1951)
King's Indian Attack
1.Nf3 c5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 d5 4.0-0 Nc6 5.d3
This keeps the play in King's Indian Attack lines, but Stockfish18 and Dragon1 suggest switching into a Queen's Pawn Game with 5.d4!?
5...e5 6.Nbd2 Be7 7.e4 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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Black's broad pawn-centre, achieved without falling behind in development, is liked by the engines, leading them to award Black a slight edge.
8.c3
Fischer played 8.Re1 in a 1956 game, and that is the most popular continuation in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.
8...Rb8
The engines like 8...d4.
9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nc4
The engines much prefer 10.Re1.
10...f6 11.a4 Be6 12.Nh4!?
Probably a novelty. The known move is 12.Qe2.
12...Qd7 13.f4 exf4 14.gxf4 f5 15.Nf3 Bf6 16.Re1 Rbd8 17.Qe2 Rfe8 18.Qf2 b6 19.a5!? b5!? 20.Nce5 Nxe5 21.Nxe5
The engines marginally prefer 21.fxe5.
21...Bxe5 22.Rxe5?!
Missing Black's powerful reply. White should almost certainly prefer 22.fxe5.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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22...Nf6!
A retreat that means the c5 pawn cannot be saved, but Black's twin threats of 23...Ng4 and 23...Qxd3 cannot both be successfully met.
23.h3!?
This is Dragon1's top choice, at least for a while, but the engines eventually more-or-less agree on 23.Bf3!?, albeit allowing 23...Qxd3.
23...Qxd3 24.Be3 Ne4
The engines give 24...Nd7!? 25.Bf1 Nxe5!? 26.Bxd3 Nxd3, claiming Black is winning.
25.Bxe4 fxe4 26.f5 Bc8
This is more active than 25...Bf7.
27.Rxc5 Rf8
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| How should White proceed? |
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28.Bd4!?
The engines agree White should play the text or 28.Re1. Note that 28.Rf1?! allows 28...Bxf5! 29.Rxf5 Rxf5 30.Qxf5 Qxe3+.
28...Qxh3 29.Qg2!? Qxg2 30.Kxg2
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| White has got queens off, safeguarding his king, but at the cost of a pawn - how would you assess the position? |
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White's bishop dominates, and the white king's rook is very active. The engines reckon the position is equal.
30...a6 31.Rf1 Bb7 32.Rc7 Rf7 33.Rxf7+
JB offered a draw.
33...Kxf7 34.Kg3 b4!? 35.Kf4 Rd5 36.Rh1
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| How should Black respond? |
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36...h6?
Several moves hold, including 36...e3!?, 36...Bc8 and 36...Kg8, but not the text.
37.Rg1
White is winning.
37...g5+!? 38.fxg6+ Kg8 39.g7 bxc3 40.bxc3
White threatens 41.Rg6, 42.Rxh6, etc.
40...Rg5!? 41.Rb1 Bd5
Or 41...Rb5 42.Rh1 h5 43.Be5.
42.Rb6 Kh7 43.Rxa6 Rg6 44.Ra7
Also winning is 44.Rxg6 Kxg6 45.Ke5!
44...Bc4 45.Rc7 Bd3 46.Rc8 1-0
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