European 65+ Team: Game Three

Saturday, 29 August 2026

European 65+ Team: Game Three

Old Hersonissos Cemetery

Sweden 2 v England 3

Ingvar Carlsson (1989) - Spanton (2003)

Sicilian Closed

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4

This is second in popularity to 6.Be3 in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, while Stockfish18 and Dragon1 like the also-popular 6.Nge2, and the extremely rare (just one example in Mega26) 6.a4!?

6...e6 7.Nf3 Nge7 8.0-0 0-0

How would you assess this position, which occurs 10,595 times in Mega26?

*****

Stockfish18 gives Black a slight edge. Dragon1 is less enthusiastic about Black's chances, but reckons Black has the better part of equality. However, I do not know why White's setup is, relatively, disliked.

9.Bd2!?

By no means a common continuation, but Closed Sicilian expert Boris Spassky liked it, and scored much better with the text than with the massively more popular 9.Be3.

9...Rb8 10.Rb1 b5 11.a3 a5

There is a lot to be said for the immediate 11...b4.

12.a4!? b4

This is the main continuation, but the engines prefer 12...bxa4!?

13.Nb5 Nd4

Spassky - Bent Larsen, Candidates Semi-Final (Malmo, Sweden) 1968, went 13...d5 14.c4 bxc3 15.bxc3 c4!? 16.Be3!? cxd3 17.e5!?, with at least a slight edge for White, according to the engines (1-0, 52 moves). The engines suggest 13...e5!?

14.c4 Nec6 15.Kh1

This seems to be a novelty. The engines reckon 15.Be3 gives White at least the better part of equality.

15...Nxf3 16.Bxf3 Nd4 17.Bg2 Bb7

How should White proceed?

*****

18.Be3!?

This is the engines' top choice, ahead of 18.b3 and 18.Re1.

18...Qd7 19.Qd2 Rbd8 20.Qf2

How should Black respond to White's threat to capture three times on d4?

*****

20...e5

Stockfish18 comes to like this, along with 20...Nxb5, but Dragon1 prefers the latter.

21.f5 gxf5

What should White play?

*****

22.Bh3?

The engines reckon the game is equal after both 22.Bxd4 exd4 23.Qxf5 and 22.exf5 Bxg2+ 23.Kxg2.

Can you see why the text is a mistake?
*****

*****

22...fxe4! 23.Bxd7 exd3+ 24.Kg1 Ne2+

IC said afterwards he had missed that the knight would be protected on e2. He had only calculated 24...Nf3+??, after which 25.Qxf3 Bxf3 26.Bf5 wins for White, according to the engines.

25.Qxe2 dxe2 26.Re1 Rxd7 27.Rxe2

Black has emerged two pawns up, and with the bishop-pair, while White's only trump is the well-placed knight

*****

27...Rfd8 28.Rc1 f6 29.Rd2 Kf7 30.Kf2 Ke6 31.b3 f5 32.Rcd1 Bf6 33.Ke2 Bc6 34.Kf2

White has nothing constructive to play, and can only wait for the second player to try to convert Black's advantage.

34...Be7 35.Ke2

How can Black make progress?

*****

35...Bxb5

Other continuations are also good. The key is to avoid 35...d5? 36.cxd5+ Bxd5 37.Rxd5! Rxd5 38.Nc7+.

36.axb5 d5

This is now good.

37.Ra2 d4 38.Bh6 Ra8 39.Rda1 Bd8 40.Bf8 Bb6 41.Bh6 Rad8 42.Kd2 Rg8 43.Re1 Kf6

Also strong is 43...Rg6 44.Bf4 e4.

44.Kd3 e4+ 45.Kd2 Bc7 46.Rf1 Ke6 47.Bf4 Bb6 48.Ke2 h5 49.Kf2 Rdg7 50.h4 Ra7 51.Rfa1 Rga8 52.Ra4 Kd7 53.Kg2 Bc7 54.Bg5 Re8 55.Re1 Kc8 56.Kf2 Kb7 57.Rf1 Kb6 58.Re1