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
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| 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
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| 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!?
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| 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
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| How should Black respond? |
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19...c5?
The engines suggest 19...Rg8, but give White at least the upper hand.
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| 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.
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| 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
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| 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
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| Black to play and win |
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76...Rxe3!
The pawn ending is a win for Black.
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
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| Black to play and maintain the win |
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86...Kg3?
Both 86...Kh3 and 86...Kh1 win.
87.Kg6!
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| 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
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