Czech 65+ Round Two

Sand sculpture of Mozart, who apparently composed his sixth symphony while visiting Olomouc as an 11-year-old

I FACED a Swede in the first of today's two rounds.

Jan Bohlin (1928) - Spanton (2003)

Catalan

1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.d4 Nf6 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7

The point of Black's well-known bishop manoeuvre is to misplace White's dark-square bishop, the argument being that the bishop is best-placed on b2, with the white queen's knight going to d2. That being the case, it might be thought White should play 5.Nbd2, but then 5...dxc4, among other moves, is considered fine for Black.

6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0

With both sides castling early, how would you assess the position?

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Dragon1 gives White a slight edge, presumably based on White's pressure against Black's centre from the pawn on c4 and the fianchettoed bishop, but Stockfish18 is less sure. In ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, White scores 52% from the diagram.

7...c6 8.Qc2 Nbd7 9.Rd1

This is second in popularity to 9.Bf4.

9...b6 10.b3

Again Bf4 is more common, but the text is also popular.

10...Bb7

And this is second in popularity to 10...Ba6.

11.Bf4

But here 11.Nc3 is much more popular, taking advantage of Black not having put pressure on c4.

11...Rc8 12.Nbd2!?

The engines prefer 12.Nc3, although only Dragon1 gives White any advantage. Stockfish18 calls the game completely equal.

12...c5 13.dxc5!?

More prudent is 13.Qb2.

13...Bxc5

White to play and lose

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14.Ne5??

Better are the known-move 14.Qb2 and the engines' suggestion, 14.h3, but in each case the engines award Black the upper hand.

14...Nxe5 15.Bxe5 Ng4 0-1

White can save the bishop, eg with 16.Bc3, but 16...Nxf2 17.Rf1 Ng4+ 18.Kh1 Ne3 is devastating, eg 19.Qb2 Nxg2!? 20.Kxg2 d4+.