Calvià Round Six

Another view of Magaluf

Faced another Latvian.
Jānis Isakovs (1892) - Spanton (2035)

London System

1.Nf3 Nc6!? 2.d4 d5 3.Bf4 e6

More in keeping with Black's Pseudo-Chigorin setup is 3...Bg4. Also popular are 3...Bf5 and 3...Nf6.

4.e3 Bd6 5.Bg3 Nf6 6.Nbd2 0-0 7.c4 b6 8.Rc1!?

This apparent-novelty is the top choice of Stockfish18 and Dragon1. The known moves in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database are 8.Bd3 and 8.cxd5.

8...Bb7 9.Be2 Rc8!?

Flying in the face of the advice of first world correspondence champion, Cecil Purdy, who said to 'never' put a rook behind an unmoved pawn, even if you intend to move the pawn.

10.0-0

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position?

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Black's awkward-looking setup on the c file may be why the engines give White a slight edge.

10...Bxg3 11.hxg3 Ng4?!

Somewhat pointless, as 12.Nh4 would force the black knight back to retreat, while the engines reckon 12.cxd5 and 12.Qa4 are even stronger.

12.Nh2

This also leaves White with at least a slight edge, according to the engines.

12...Nxh2 13.Kxh2 e5?!

More premature activity, and this time it costs Black a pawn, but Black's position is already so bad that the engines are not too bothered about the text, although they prefer 13...dxc4.

14.cxd5 Qxd5 15.Bf3 Qe6

Possible, as 16.d5 can be answered by 16...Qh6+, although this is still not good for Black.

How should White proceed?

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16.Qa4?!

Over-elaborating. The simple 16.dxe5 is strong.

16...Na5?

Better is 16...Nd8, but best is the engines' 16...Nxd4! 17.exd4 e4, when the threat of ...Qh6+, picking up White's knight, means Black has equalised (Stockfish18) or at least is only slightly worse (Dragon1).

17.b4!? e4 18.Nxe4 Nc4?!

Probably better is 18...Bxe4 19.bxa5 c5!?, but White is winning, according to the engines.

19.Qc2 Bd5 20.Nf6+!

Favourably simplifying.

20...Qxf6 21.Bxd5 Nd6 22.Bf3 Qg5 23.Qc6 Rfe8 24.Qd5 Nf5!? 25.Kg1!? Red8?!

There was more promise of counterplay with 25...Rcd8, rather than worrying about the c pawn.

26.Qe5 Re8 27.Qf4

Also strong is 27.Rxc7!?

27...Qxf4 28.gxf4 Nd6 29.Rc6 Kf8 30.Rfc1 a5

Not 30...Re7? 31.Rxd6!

31.bxa5 bxa5 32.Rxc7

White has won a second pawn, and continues to have much the better position

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32...Rxc7 33.Rxc7 Rb8 34.Bd5 Rb5 35.Bb3 f6 36.Rc5 Ke7 37.Rxb5 Nxb5 38.Kf1 Kd6 39.Ke1!? Nc3 40.f3 h6 41.Kd2 Nb5 1-0