Miniatures 44

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

Robert Willmoth (194 BCF) - Spanton (156 BCF)

Hastings Challengers 1991-2

Vienna Game

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bc5!?

Very much third in popularity behind 2...Nc6 and especially 2...Nf6.

3.g3 f5?!

An extravagant choice, especially when straightforward and good moves such as 3...Nf6 are available.

4.exf5 Nf6 5.Bg2 d5 6.g4!? h5!?

This seems to a novelty, and is preferred by Stockfish18 and Dragon1 over the known 6...d4?! and 6...0-0.

How should White respond?

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7.h3!?

The engines agree this is best.

7...hxg4?!

Probably better is 7...Nc6.

8.hxg4 Rxh1 9.Bxh1 g6 10.g5 Nh5?!

The engines suggest 10...Ne4!? 11.Nxe4 dxe4, but reckon White is better after 12.f6!?

11.f6 Nxf6?

The engines give 11...e4 or 11...Be6, but much prefer White.

12.gxf6 Qxf6 13.Qf3 Qh4 14.Nxd5 Bg4?? 15.Nf6+ 1-0

LESSON: it is difficult to recover from early and frequent tactical mistakes.

Miniatures 43

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

H Chan (135 BCF) - Spanton (156 BCF)

Middlesex League 1991

King's Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.Nf3 d5!? 4.exd5

This is slightly more popular than 4.Nxe5 in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, and scores 10 percentage points better.

4...e4

How should White proceed?

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5.Qe2!?

Most popular in Mega26 is 5.Ne5, while the engines suggest 5.d4.

5...Nf6

Stockfish18 and Dragon1 like an apparent-novelty in 5...Ne7!?, followed by a quick ...0-0.

6.d4?

6.d3 gives a slight edge, according to the engines.

6...0-0!

Not in Mega26, and better than 6...Bb4+, which was seen in a game in 2008.

7.Qc4?

Possibly best is 7.dxc5, although 7...exf3 8.Qxf3 Bg4 gives Black more than enough compensation, according to the engines.

7...exf3 8.dxc5 Re8+ 9.Kf2 Ne4+ 10.Kxf3 Qh4 11.g3

This is best, according to the engines, but Black has an obvious and strong reply.

11...Nxg3! 12.hxg3 Qxh1 13.Kf2 Bg4 14.Qd3 Nd7 15.b4 Nf6 16.Bd2 0-1

White resigned without waiting for 16...Ne4+.

LESSON: an uncastled king is often a liability when tactics start.

Miniatures 42

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

Anthony D Brown (143 BCF) - Spanton (156 BCF)

Highbury (London) Rapid 1991

Giuoco Piano

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 Nf6 5.b4!?

A rare continuation, although it was played by Morphy, Staunton, Marshall and Tartakower, and is closely related to the Evans Gambit.

How should Black respond?

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5...d5?!

Black has the upper hand after 5...Bxb4, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

6.exd5 Nb4 7.Nxe5 Nbxd5 8.d4 Bb6?

This lets White trap the black king in the centre. The engines suggest 8...Be7 or 8...Bb4.

9.Ba3 Be6 10.Re1 Nf4?

Better is the engines' 10...c6.

11.Bb5+?

White has a big advantage after several moves, especially 11.Qf3.

11...c6 12.Nxc6?

Black is only slightly better (Dragon1) or has the upper hand (Stockfish18) after 12.Bxc6!? bxc6 13.Qf3.

Black to play and gain a winning advantage

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12...bxc6?

Correct is 12...Qd5!, one point being 13.Nxa7+ fails to the simple 13...Kd8 as Black threatens the a7 knight as well as mate in one.

13.Bxc6+ Nd7 14.Qf3!? Rc8 15.Qxf4 Rxc6 16.d5 Rxc2?!

Probably better is 16...Qc7.

17.dxe6 Nf6? 18.Qa4+ Nd7 19.exd7#

LESSON: tactics are easier when you have the safer king.

Miniatures 41

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

Spanton (156 BCF) - M O'Connell (100 BCF)

Barbican (London) Rapid 1991

Queen's Fianchetto Defence

1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.Nc3 e6 4.Nf3 Be7!?

The main line in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database runs 4...Bb4 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.Qe2 d5 7.e5 Ne4 8.Bd2 Nxd2 9.Qxd2, with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

5.Bd3 d6!? 6.Qe2 Nd7 7.Bf4!?

This is the engines' top choice.

7...Ngf6

How should White proceed?

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8.0-0

The engines like long castling.
8...0-0 9.e5 Bxf3?!

This is not in Mega26. The engines prefer the known 9...dxe5.

10.Qxf3 Ne8 11.Rfe1 d5 12.Re3 Bg5?

The engines suggest 12...g6, albeit giving White the upper hand.

13.Qh5 Bh6?

Best play, according to the engines, runs 13...h6 14.Bxg5 Qxg5 15.Qh3!? Qe7!? 16.Ne2, with promising kingside chances for White.

14.Rg3 Kh8 15.Bxh6 gxh6 16.Qxh6 f5 17.exf6 Rf7 18.Rg7! 1-0

LESSON: playing an offbeat opening as Black requires good tactical control, as early positional concessions are inevitable.

Miniatures 40

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

Spanton (156 BCF) - Glenn Cross (148 BCF)

Isle Of Man Major 1991

Sicilian Irregular

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Nf3!?

This is how Paul Morphy liked to play against the Sicilian.

3...d6 4.Bc4

But Morphy continued with 4.Nxd4. One point of the text is to leave open the possibility of a Morra Gambit.

4...Bg4?

Normal is 4...Nf6, but other moves are also liked by Stockfish17 and Dragon1, eg 4...e6 and 4...Qa5+.

Five games reach this position in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database

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5.0-0?

All five saw 5.Bxf7+!

5...Nc6? 6.Bxf7+! Kxf7 7.Ng5+ Ke8 8.Qxg4 Nf6 9.Qe6 Qd7??

The black king needs the d7 square, so the queen should probably go to b6 or c7.

10.Qf7+ Kd8 11.Ne6+ Kc8 12.Nxf8 Ne5 13.Nxd7 1-0

LESSON: bishop sacs on f7 are a common theme in openings where Black plays neither ...e6 nor ...d5.

Miniatures 39

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

JC Walton (158 BCF) - Spanton (156 BCF)

Highbury (London) Rapid 1991

Spanish Berlin

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1!?

A fashionable continuation these days (and engine-approved), but much less so in the 1990s. However, my opponent had a trap in mind.

5...Nd6 6.Nxe5 Nxe5

Much more popular is 6...Be7, but the text is also fine.

7.Rxe5 Be7 8.Nc3!?

The main move is 8.Bf1!?

How should Black proceed?

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8...Nxb5?!

Black is close to lost after this natural-looking move, which nevertheless scores 52% in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.

9.Nxd5!

Much better than capturing the knight.

9...c6?

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 give 9...Kf8!? 10.Rxe7! c6 11.Qf3! f6 12.Qg4 Rg8 13.Re2!?, claiming the upper hand for White, one point being 13...cxd5?! runs into 14.Qb4+ etc.

10.Nxe7 Qxe7??

Better, but miserable, is 10...Kf8.

11.Nxe7 Kxe7 12.d4 d5 13.Bf4 Bf5 14.a4 Nd6 15.Qe2+ Kd7?? 16.Qe5 1-0

LESSON: it is far from immediately obvious that 8...Nxb5?! leads to difficulties, but I should not have been so ready to assume White's fifth move was a positional error.

Tube Puzzle

SPOTTED the following serial number on  a Circle Line carriage: 21497
As usual with these tube puzzles, each number should be used once, and once only, and must be added, subtracted, multiplied or divided to make a balanced equation.
There is a perfect solution, ie one that uses the digits in the order printed.
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My solution: 2 = 1 + 4 + 9 (÷ 7)

Take A Break IV

Shropshire has no mountains, at least by generally accepted standards, but rolling hills can make for great views

In the distance can just about be seen a volcano, albeit extinct

Mitchell's Fold, near the Welsh border, is a Bronze Age stone circle, probably pre-Celtic 

Across the border, in Corndon Marsh, is a 'tin chapel' - actually made with corrugated iron

Take A Break III

I am walking from a base in Church Stretton, where the church of St Laurence has this 15th-century stained-glass window 

Cunnery Road Cemetery "is cared for in a way which is sensitive to the wild creatures and plants, whilst keeping it attractive to visitors"

A stone stile by the railway at Stretton Wetlands might not be beautiful, but is certainly less wobbly than many wooden stiles

Birds are well-catered for in this garden

Random wandering in the woods means a good chance of coming across the work of Church Stretton's 'chainsaw carver'

Another piece by the chainsaw carver

Take A Break II

Clun Castle was an important Norman border fortress, defending against Welsh incursions

The castle became less important in the late-1200s, following Edward I's conquests in North Wales

It later became a hunting lodge, but was described as a ruin in the 1500s, and, today, so little remains that entry is free

Nearby are the even-more rundown remains of the 2,500-year-old Bury Ditches hillfort

How it may have looked

Take A Break

View from my hotel room after taking a break from chess to go walking in the Shropshire Hills

Much of the land is very parched

Green trees make for a stark but beautiful contrast

Higher up there is more greenery where springs have not completely dried

Long Mynd Ponies, 'mynd' being Common Brittonic, ie Old Celtic, for mountain

It has been quite tough going as, although temperatures have not exceeded the low-mid 20s, the ground is baked hard and feels like walking on concrete

Another contrast in colours

Lessons From Magdeburg VII

IN round seven, when I was Black against Dieter Stummeyer (1834), I was feeling pretty pleased with myself after playing the best move in the following position.

White has just played 76.Ke4-f4

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I replied 76...Rxe3!, bringing about a winning pawn ending.

I analysed the ending in my original post, but here I want to look at the position that arose 10 moves later, after White played 86.Kg4-h5

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If I had been concentrating properly, I would have played the simplest win, which is with 86...Kh3, followed by promoting the g pawn. But I played 86...Kg3, expecting 87.Kxh6? Kf4 88.Kg6 g4 etc. However, after 87.Kg6!, the win was no longer there

LESSON: it ain't over till it's over.

Lessons From Magdeburg VI

IN round six, where I was White against Gerd Niebuhr (1868), I blundered a piece in a position in which my advantage was worth getting on for a rook, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

But is it any wonder, when you consider the speed at which I was playing, in a game with a time control of 40 moves in 90 minutes, a further 30 minutes to finish, and a 30-second increment throughout?

After 10 moves, I had 93 minutes on the clock, ie three more than at the start; after 20 moves, I had 92 minutes; after 30 moves, I had 89 minutes; and after 40 moves (the game finished at move 47) I had 85 minutes.

LESSON: speed kills.

Lessons From Magdeburg V

IN round five my opponent, Bernd Wagner (1872), who was White, offered a draw in the following position.

White has just played 31.b4

I had little choice but to accept as White is a pawn up, and, with the exception of the rook, all the white pieces are more active than their black counterparts.

Stockfish18 and Dragon1 reckon White's advantage is worth almost three pawns, but, even if it were less than that, White should play on.

LESSON: one sure way to avoid improving is to not play out endings in which you are at least equal.

Lessons From Magdeburg IV

THERE was an extraordinary double-oversight after the following position was reached in round four, where I was White against Hartmut Krien (1900).

I have just played 14.Bf3-h5

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White has the bishop-pair, but Black is up a pawn, and would have the upper hand after 14...h6 or 14...g4, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

Instead, HK played 14...Nc4?, attacking b2, d2 and e3, but missing that it allows the winning 15.Qxe6+! Qe7 16.Qxe7+ Kxe7 17.Bxg5+.

However, I played 15.Qf3?, and it was Black who was winning, not White.

In playing ...Nc4, HK was guilty of looking at his own threats, while failing to properly consider his opponent's tactical chances.

In replying Qf3, I was guilty of looking at my opponent's threats, while failing to properly consider my own tactical chances.

LESSON: you cannot expect to play even a half-decent game of chess if you fail to consider the tactics available to BOTH SIDES.

Lessons From Magdeburg III

THE bishop-pair, according to database analysis by Larry Kaufman, is on average worth half a pawn.

That may be why in round three, where I was Black against Hans Hauke (1838), my opponent came up with an apparent-novelty.

I have just played 8...Be6

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Known moves are 9.Bg5, 9.0-0, 9.Bd2 and 9.a4, but HH went for the bishop-pair with 9.Na4!?

After the further moves 9...d5!? 10.Nxb6 axb6, Black is already at least equal, and probably has an edge, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1, despite the game opening up.

A quick glance at the position suggests why this is so - Black has four pieces developed (rook, bishop and two knights) against White's two (bishop and knight) 

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Rather than continue with 11.exd5, which is the engines' choice, but leaves White further behind in development, HH played 11.Bg5?, but had no good answer to 11...dxe4.
Note that the manoeuvre 9.Na4!? d5 10.Nxb6 axb6 cost White two tempi. Not only that, but Black's a pawn became a more-valuable b pawn, more than offsetting a loss of flexibility as a result of contracting doubled pawns. In addition, half-opening the a file gave Black pressure against White's a pawn.

LESSON: the bishop-pair is important, but so are tempi, and judging which is more important in any given position can be tricky.

Lessons From Magdeburg II

IN round two I was White against Jürgen Gottschalk (1711), who chose to play the Steinitz Defence to the Spanish: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6.

The defence is certainly playable - indeed, there are are 21,760 examples of 3...d6 in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.

But it is surely no coincidence that Black's miserable score of 32% is significantly below Black's score of more than 40% with most other third-move continuations, including ...a6, ...Nf6, ...Bc5, ...f5, ...Nge7 and ...g6.

After 4.d4 exd4 (Stockfish18 and Dragon1 reckon this is better than Steinitz's preferred 4...Bd7) 5.Nxd4 Bd7 6.0-0 Nf6 7.Nc3 Be7, a position reached 2,665 times in Mega26, White has at least a slight edge (Stockfish18) or even the upper hand (Dragon1).

Position after 7...Be7

Black was positionally lost just four moves later, according to the engines, and never recovered.

LESSON: if you choose a defence that statistics suggest is suspect, you must know what you are doing, as otherwise it is easy to quickly drift into a lost position.

Lessons From Magdeburg

THE following position was reached in round one, where I was Black against Klaus-Michael Hansch (1806).

I have just played 14...f7-f5

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Black has a bad bishop, but more space, and is ahead on development, leading Stockfish18 and Dragon1 to call the game equal.

Despite being behind on development, and having already moved his light-square bishop twice, K-MH played 15.Bb5!
The move threatens Bxc6, after which White would soon have an unchallengeable knight on e5.

I avoided this possibility with 15...Nb8!?, but White played 16.Ne5 anyway, with a slight edge, according to the engines (they reckon I should have allowed Bxc6).

LESSON: tempi in general, and development in particular, are important in open positions, but as my opponent realised, their significance is much reduced when all 16 pawns are on the board.

Summing Up Magdeburg

MY score of +2=3-2 in the 65+ championship of Saxony-Anhalt lost 36.4 Fide elo. 

Magdeburg Round Seven

Dieter Stummeyer (1834) - Spanton (2039)

Spanish Berlin

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1!?

This has become fashionable, at the expense of the mainline 5.d4, partly, I suspect, because engines, such as Stockfish18 and Dragon1, reckon there is little to choose between the two moves, and the text leads to simpler play.

5...Nd6 6.Bxc6!?

But here Stockfish18 and Dragon1 definitely prefer the mainline 6.Nxe5.

6...dxc6

As in the Exchange Variation of the Spanish (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6), recapturing away from the centre is generally considered the better continuation. 

7.Nxe5 Be7 8.d4 0-0

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position?

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White has more space in the centre, and the slightly superior pawn-structure, but these factors are outweighed by Black's bishop-pair, according to Stockfish18, although Dragon1 is less sure.

9.Bf4 Bf5 10.Nd2 f6!? 11.Nef3 Qd7

How should White proceed?

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12.c3

Interesting is 12.Nh4!?, not least because 12...Bg4? loses to 13.Rxe7! However, Black seems fine after 12...Be6!? 13.Qe2 Kf7.

12...Kh8 13.Rc1?!

The engines strongly dislike this, and it certainly is hard to see what future the rook has on the closed c file.

13...Rae8

The wrong rook, according to the engines, although they do not reckon it is a big deal.

14.a3 Bg4 15.h3 Bh5 16.Qa4!?

White threatens both Qxa7 and d5

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16...a6?!

Dealing with one threat, but not the other. Perhaps best is 16...b5!?, when 17.Qxa7?! runs into 17...Ra8 18.Qc5 Bxf3, and, if 19.Nxf3, then 19...Nf5 forces 20.Rxe7, after which 20...Ne7 leaves Black up the exchange for a pawn. Instead of 17.Qxa7?!, the engines give 17...Qa5 or 17...Qa6, claiming equality.

17.d5 b5 18.Qxa6 cxd5 19.Nd4

How should Black respond?

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19...c5?

The engines suggest 19...Rg8, but give White at least the upper hand.

White to play and gain a winning advantage

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20.Bxd6??

Simplest is 20.Ne6 Rg8 21.Nxc5, when White's advantage is worth between two and three pawns, according to the engines, but they also reckon 20.Rxe7!? and 20.Qc6 win. After the text, Black, not White, has a large advantage.

20...Bxd6 21.Qxb5?!

The engines prefer 21.Rxe8 Rxe8 22.N4f3, but agree Black is winning after 22...Bf4 (both 22.Nxb5? and 22...Qxb5? 23.Qxb5 Nxb5 make ...Bf4 even stronger).

21...Qxb5 22.Nxb5 Bf4 23.Nb3

This may be best. Certainly there is no way to save the exchange.

23...Bxc1 24.Rxc1 Rb8 25.a4 c4?!

Now a white knight will have a strong outpost at d4. The engines prefer 25...Rfc8.

26.Nc5 Be8!? 27.Ne6 Rf7 28.Nec7 Bxb5 29.Nxb5 Ra8 30.Re1 h6 31.Re6?!

The engines much prefer 31.Rd1 or 31.Ra1.

31...Rd7 32.Rb6 Rxa4 33.Nd6 Kh7 34.Kf1 Re7 35.g4 Ra1+ 36.Kg2 Rd7 37.Kf3 Rh1 38.Kg2 Re1 39.Nf5 Ra1 40.Kf3 Rh1 41.Kg2 Re1 42.Kf3 Kg6 43.Kf4 Re4+ 44.Kg3 Re5 45.Nd4 Kf7 46.f4!?

The engines prefer temporising with 46.Rb5 or 46.Rb4.

46...Re3+ 47.Kg2 Ree7 48.Nf5 Re6 49.Rb5 Re2+ 50.Kf3 Rd2 51.h4 Rd3+ 52.Kf2 Kg8 53.h5 Rd2+ 54.Kf3 Kh7?

This throws away Black's advantage.

White to play and equalise

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55.Ke3?

After 55.Rb8, it seems Black cannot make progress. and the engines come to call the position completely equal.

55...Rd1 56.Ke2

Now 56.Rb8 can be met by, for example, 56...Rf1 or 56...Ra7, when the engines agree Black is winning. Going back to the diagram, however, 55.Rb8 Rd1 56.Nh4 is equal, thanks to the threat of 56.Ng6, whereas after 55.Ke3? Rd1 (as in the game) 56.Rb8 Ra7 57.Nh4, Black has 57...Re7+.

56...Ra1 57.Rb6 Raa7 58.Ke3 Rab7 59.Rxb7 Rxb7

How would you assess this rook-v-knight ending?

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Black's advantage is the equivalent of being about a rook up, according to the engines.

60.Kd4 Rxb2 61.Kxd5 Rg2 62.Ne3 Rg3 63.Kd4 Kg8 64.f5!? Kf7 65.Ke4 Ke7 66.Kf4 Rg1 67.Ke4

Or 67.Nxc4 Rc1 68.Ne3 Kd6 (68...Rxc3?? 69.Nd5+) 69.c4 Kc5 70.Ke4 Rc3 71.Kf4 Kd4 and 72...Rxc4.

67...Kd7 68.Kd4 Rg3 69.Ke4 Kc6 70.Kf4 Rg1 71.Nxc4

There is nothing better.

71...Rc1 72.Ke4

Or 72.Na5+ Kb6 73.Nc4+ Kc5 74.Nb2 Kd5 75.Na4 Rc2 76.Ke3 Kc6 (threatening to win the knight with ...Ra2) 77.Kd4 Rg2 and ...Rxg4(+).

72...Rxc3 73.Kd4 Rg3 74.Ne3 Kb5 75.Ke4 Kb4 76.Kf4

Black to play and win

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76...Rxe3!
The pawn ending is a win for Black.

77.Kxe3 Kc3 78.Ke4

DS offered a draw in my time.

78...Kd2 79.Kf3

Or 79.Kd5 Ke3 80.Ke6 Kf4 81.Kf7 Kxg4 82.Kxg7 Kg5 etc.

79...Kd3 80.Kg3

Or 80.Kf4 Ke2 81.Kf4 Kf2 82.Kf4 Kg2 etc.

80...Ke3 81.Kh3 Kf3 82.Kh4 Kg2 83.g5 hxg5+ 84.Kg4 Kh2 85.h6!? gxh6 86.Kh5

Black to play and maintain the win

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86...Kg3?

Both 86...Kh3 and 86...Kh1 win.

87.Kg6!

There is no longer a win

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87...Kf4

Or 87...Kh4 88.Kxf6 g4 89.Kg6!? (other moves also draw, including 89.Ke6, but the engines marginally prefer the text) g3 90.f6 g2 91.f7 g1=Q+ 92.Kxh6, with a book draw, thanks to White having a bishop's pawn on the seventh rank.

88.Kxf6 g4 89.Ke6 g3 90.f6 g2 91.f7 g1=Q 92.f8=Q Kg3

I offered a draw, but DS apparently did not hear, or did not understand what I was saying.

93.Qg7+ Kf2 94.Qxg1+ ½–½

A Look Inside Magdeburg Cathedral

The twin towers of the main entrance, completed in 1520 - more than 300 years after work began

Magdeburg was at the forefront of the Lutheran Reformation, which is why the interior, including the altar, is very plain compared with, for example, Bavarian Christian buildings

There is some colour ...

... and some intricate stonework

Wooden WW1 memorial

New bells, planned to be installed over the next five years