Calvià Round Two

Santa Ponça

I was upfloated.

Spanton (2035) - José Alonso de la Huerta (1497)

French Alekhine-Chatard

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7

This is the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but the fashionable 4...dxe4 is preferred by Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4!?

This famous pawn offer is the engines' top choice, at least for a while - Stockfish18 comes to prefer the mainline 6.Bxe7.

How should Black respond to White's pawn offer?

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6...h6

This is the engines' second choice. Stockfish18's main line runs 6...Bxg5 7.hxg5 Qxg5 8.Nh3 Qh4!? (8...Qe7 is normal) 9.Nb5 Kd8 10.Qd2 a6 11.Nc3, awarding White a slight edge. Dragon1 likes the unusual 6...Nc6!?, continuing 7.Qd2 a6 7.Nf3 h6 8.Bxe7 Nxe7!? 9.Ne2!? c5, but accepts 10.c3 gives White the upper hand. However, both engines' choices and evaluations change quite a lot, depending on how much time they are allowed, so there is plenty to investigate, certainly from an engine-approval viewpoint.

7.Bxe7 Qxe7 8.Qg4

This is the main move in Mega26, but the engines prefer 8.f4!?

8...0-0!?

This may look like castling into it, ie encouraging a white attack, but Stockfish18 reckons the move equalises, while Dragon1 gives White 'only' a slight edge.

9.0-0-0

This and 9.f4 are roughly equally popular in Mega26, but the latter scores 12 percentage points better, and is preferred by the engines, albeit marginally in Stockfish18's case.

9...a6

Strong players have generally preferred 9...c5, which is also the engines' top choice.

10.f4 f5

This is narrowly the main continuation in Mega26, but the engines again prefer ...c5.

How should White proceed?

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11.Qf3

11.exf6 Nxf6 12.Qf3 has been played by a 2579, and gives the upper hand, according to the engines, but they reckon best is 11.Qg6!?, claiming 11...Qf7 12.Qxf7+ Rxf7 13.Nf3 leaves White with at least the upper hand, an maybe a positionally won game (Stockfish18).

11...c5 12.Nge2 Nc6 13.g4 fxg4 14.Qxg4 cxd4 15.Nxd4 Nxd4 16.Rxd4 b5!?

Apparently a novelty - known moves are 16...Nc5 and 16...Re8 - and quite liked by the engines, although they agree White is on top (without Black having made a move that causes them to flash red).

17.Rg1 Rf7 18.Qh5?!

Almost certainly better is 18.Bd3.

18...Kf8?

After 18...b4 19.Ne2 Kh8!? Black is equal (Stockfish18) or only slightly worse (Dragon1).

19.Bd3 Qc5 20.Ne2 Re7?!

The engines suggest 20...Nb8!?, but agree 21.Bg6 is winning, eg 21...Rc7 22.Rdd1 Nc6 (22...Qxc2?? 23.Bxc2) 23.Kb1 Ne7 24.Nd4 Rb8 25.f5!?, when White is crashing through, the engines' main line running 25...Nxf5 26.Bxf5!? exf5 27.e6 Rb6 28.Qxf5+ Kg8 29.Qg6.

21.Qg6 Kg8??

This allows mate in three. Possibly best is 21...b4 22.Kb1!? (the immediate 22.Qh7 is also very strong) Bb7 23.Qh7 Ke8 24.Rxg7 Kd8 25.Qxh6, when White's advantage is roughly the equivalent of being up a rook, but Black can play on and hope to somehow pull off a swindle.

22.Qh7+ Kf8 23.Qh8+ 1-0