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| Looking toward Magaluf from near the summit of Sa Morisca |
Spanton (2035) - Vjačeslavs Verņuks (1784)
Caro-Kann Tartakower
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.Be3!? Bd6 7.Bd3 Na6!?
Played quickly, and probably a sign of preparation - it is the top choice of Dragon1, although Stockfish18 suggests 7...Nd7 or the mainline 7...0-0.
8.a3 Qc7!?
But this seems to be a novelty, and a somewhat strange one as the black queen's knight is likely to want to use the c7 square, now White has prevented ...Nb4.
9.Ne2 Bg4 10.h3 Bh5 11.c4 0-0 12.c5!?
This is the top choice of the engines.
12...Be7
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| White has kicked Black's dark-square bishop from its aggressive post at d6, but contracted a backward pawn, creating a hole at d5 |
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The engines reckon White has the upper hand.
13.Qa4 Bxe2
The engines strongly dislike 13...Nb8?!, claiming 14.Nf4 Bg6 15.Nxg6 gives White a positionally won game.
14.Bxe2 Nb8
The engines suggest 14...f5!?, reckoning 15.Bxa6 bxa6 16.Qxa6 f4 gives Black good compensation for a pawn, eg after 17.Bd2 Stockfish18 likes 17...Bxc5!? 18.dxc5 Qe5+ 19.Qe2 Qxb2 20.0-0 Rae8, when White has to give back the piece. However, instead of taking on a6 at move 15, the engines reckon castling (either side) gives White the upper hand.
15.0-0 Nd7 16.b4 f5 17.Rfd1 Nf6 18.Bf3 a6!?
This is both engines' top choice.
19.d5 cxd5 20.Bxd5 Nxd5
The engines reckon 20...f4!? 21.Bc1 Qe5!? 22.Bxb7!? Qxa1 23.Bxa8 Rxa8 24.Bxf4 Qa2 is equal, White's two pieces and better coordination balancing out Black's knight.
21.Rxd5 Bf6
The engines suggest 21...f4!?, meeting 22.Rd7 with 22...Qe5 23.Bd4 Qe6, when 24.Rxb7 Rad8 seems to give Black good compensation for a pawn. However, 22.Bd4!? is almost certainly an improvement, one point being 22...Rad8 can be met by 23.Be5.
22.Rad1
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| How should Black proceed? |
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22...Rad8!?
Trying to hold on to the f pawn with 22...f4 can be met by 23.Rd7 Qb8 24.Bd4 Bxd4 25.Rxd4, with a dominating position for White. Perhaps marginally better than the text is 22...Qc6, but 23.Qc2 is very pleasant for White.
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| How should White proceed? |
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23.Rxf5
Even stronger, according to the engines, is 23.Rxd8 Rxd8 24.Rxd8+ Qxd8 25.c6!? bxc6 26.Qxa6, creating a passed pawn, and leaving Black with a weak c pawn.
23...Be5
The engines suggest 23...Qc6 24.Qc2 (24.Qxc6?? Rxd1+) Rxd1+ 25.Qxd1 Rd8, although they give White the upper hand.
24.f4?
White is winning after a move such as 24.Re1, 24.Rd2 or 24.Rf3, according to the engines.
24...Rxd1+?
Missing 24...Qc6!, when the white queen has to retreat, eg 25.Qb3 (25.Qxc6?? Rxd1+) Qe6 26.Rxd8 Qxb3 27.Rxf8+ Kxf8 28.Rxe5, when the black queen is better than White's rook, bishop and pawn, although Black has to be careful as 28...Qxa3? loses to 29.c6! White could instead play 25.Qc2, but 25...Bf6 is very strong as White has no good reply to the threat of winning the exchange with ...g6.
25.Qxd1 Rd8 26.Qb3 Bf6 27.Rd5
25.Qxd1 Rd8 26.Qb3 Bf6 27.Rd5
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| White is a sound pawn up |
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27...Re8 28.Qd3 Qe7 29.Bf2 Qc7 30.Bg3 Rd8!?
Offering an exchange of rooks to relieve the pressure on the d file is the engines' top choice.
31.Rxd8+ Bxd8 32.f5 Qc8 33.Be5 Be7
The engines suggest 33...Bg5!?
34.Kh2 Qc6 35.Qd4 f6
Not 35...Bf8?? 36.Qd8.
36.Bf4 Kf8 37.Qd3 h6 38.Kg3 Ke8?!
Black can do little but wait, although the text, which is presumably aimed at having the king in position to combat White's pawn-majority, hardly helps.
39.Qf3 Qd7 40.Qe4
Threatens 41.Bd6.
40...Kd8 41.Kf3 Qd1+ 42.Kf2 Qd7 43.Ke3 Ke8
This barely worsens Black's position, according to Stockfish18, although Dragon1 is less impressed.
44.Bd6 1-0
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