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?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

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.