I was upfloated.
Spanton (1997) - Martin Schopf (1909)
Veresov
1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 h6!?
Putting the question to the bishop is somewhat uncommon - sixth-most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, behind ...c5, ...c6, ...Bf5, ...e6 and especially ...Nbd7. But it is Stockfish18's top choice, fractionally ahead of the mainline...Nbd7, while Dragon1 comes to like it almost as much as ...Nbd7.
4.Bh4
The Trompowsky-like 4.Bxf6 is more usual, when the recapture 4...exf6 is the top choice of humans and engines.
4...Bf5
Developing the light-square bishop outside of the pawn-chain becomes a serious option when White cannot attack Black's centre/queenside with a combination of c4, Qb3 and Nc3.
5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 Bxd3
6...e6? can be met by 7.Nxd5!
7.cxd3!?
The engines marginally prefer this over 7.Qxd3.
7...c6 8.Nf3 e6 9.0-0 Be7 10.Rc1 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White is slightly more developed, and has a half-open c file, but the game is equal, according to the engines.
11.Na4 Nh5!? 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.Nc5!?
This may be new. Héctor Rossetto - Miroslav Filip, Mar del Plata (Argentina) 1961, went 13.Qb3 Rab8 14.Qc3!? Nhf6 15.b4 Rfc8 16.Rb1 Nb8!? 17.Rfc1 Nd6 18.h3!?, when Dragon1 prefers White, but Stockfish18 calls the game equal (½–½, 38 moves).
13...Nxc5 14.Rxc5 Nf6 15.Ne5 Nd7 16.Nxd7 Qxd7
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| How would you assess this heavy-piece middlegame? |
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The game is completely equal, according to Stockfish18, although Dragon1 awards White the better part of equality.
17.Qa4 a6 18.Rfc1 Rfd8!?
The engines are fine with this, but it does seem a mysterious rook move.
19.b4 g6 20.h3 Kg7 21.Qa5 Rdc8 22.a4 Qd8 23.Qxd8 Rxd8
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| How would you assess this rook-and-pawn ending? |
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Stockfish18 sticks with complete equality, while Dragon1 gives White a miniscule edge of under 0.1.
24.Kf1 Rd7 25.Ke2 Kf6 26.Kd2 Ke7 27.Kc3 Kd6
It is still possible for either side to blunder, eg 28.h4?? loses 28...b6.
28.Kb3 h5 29.h4 Ra7!?
Another somewhat strange-looking rook move, but again the engines are not bothered.
30.e4 f6 31.Re1 Re7 32.Rc2 b6!?
The engines react badly to this at first, but Stockfish18 comes to view it as OK, although Dragon1 is less sure.
33.e5+ fxe5
Stockfish18 suggests 33...Kd7!?, the engines agreeing 34.exf6 Rf7 is equal. However, Dragon1, but not Stockfish18, reckons 34.f4!? gives White a slight edge.
34.dxe5+ Kd7 35.Rec1 Rc7 36.d4
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| Black to play and avoid getting a difficult game |
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36...b5
Black needed to play 36...Re8!, the point being to meet 37.b5 axb5 38.axb5 with 38...Rec8, giving complete equality, according to the engines.
37.f4?!
Better is 37.axb5 axb5, and now 37.f4, with play similar to the game.
37...Re8?
This is now bad, whereas 37...bxa4+ 38.Kxa4 Rf7 gives Black sufficient counterplay to compensate for having weak a and c pawns, according to the engines.
38.a5
Played to prevent Black getting possible counterplay down the a file after the action switches, as I intended, to the kingside. But the engines much prefer 38.axb5!? axb5 39.Ra2, taking the open file, a sample line continuing 39...Rf8 40.g3 Ke7 41.Kc2 Rd8 42.Kd3 Kf8 43.Ke3 Kg7 44.Rca1 Kf7 45.Ra7 Rdc8 46.Kf3 Kf7 47.Rxc7+ Rxc7 48.g4 Kf7 49.gxh5 gxh5 50.Ra8 Re7 51.Rh8, after which White wins either the h or c pawn.
38...Rf8 39.Rf2 Rcc8 40.Kc3 Rf7 41.Kd3 Rcf8 42.Ke3 Rf5 43.Rf3 R5f7
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| Black can do nothing but await White's activation of the 4-3 kingside majority, in sharp contrast to Black's immobile 4-3 queenside majority |
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44.Rc2 Rf5 45.Rcf2 R5f7 46.Rg3 Rg8 47.Rff3 Rf5 48.Rg5 Rxg5?
This makes White's task easier.
49.fxg5 Ke7 50.Rf6 Rg7 51.Kf4 Rg8 52.g4 hxg4 53.Kxg4 Rg7 54.h5 gxh5+ 55.Kxh5 Rh7+
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| All three legal continuations win |
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56.Kg4 Rh1 57.g6 Rb1 58.Rf7+ Ke8 59.Kg5 c5!?
This is Stockfish18's top choice, at least for a while, and Dragon1 comes to agree.
60.dxc5 d4 61.c6 Rc1 62.Rd7 Rxc6 63.g7!? Kxg7 64.g8=Q Kc7 65.Qf7+ 1-0
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