Paul Stokes (1765) - Spanton (1942)
Sicilian Hyper-Accelerated Dragon
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nf6 5.Be3!?
The most common move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database is 5.Nf3, transposing into one of the mainlines of the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon. The text has been played by Carlsen and Grischuk, and is the top choice of Stockfish18 and Dragon1.
5...Nc6 6.Qd2 Bg7 7.f3 a6!?
Most popular in Mega26 are 7...d6 and especially 7...0-0!?
8.0-0-0 b5 9.Bh6
The engines suggest an apparent-novelty in 9.Nd5!?
9...Bxh6 10.Qxh6 d6
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| How would you assess the coming middlegame? |
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Black's king is yet to find a castled home, and is unlikely to find one in the short or medium term, which means the black king's rook will probably be out of play for quite some time. On the other hand, it can be argued that Black's attack against the white king is further advanced than any pressure White has against the black king. The engines give White a slight edge.
11.Nge2
This is the engines' top choice, one point being 11.Nh3 can be met by 11...Bxh3.
11...Qa5 12.Kb1 Be6 13.Nf4 Rc8!?
Pierre Louis Pieri (2190) - Maxime Lagarde (2608), Quenza (Corsica) Rapid 2024, went 13...Ne5 14.Ncd5 Bxd5 15.Nxd5 Nxd5, after which the engines reckon 16.exd5 would have given White the upper hand. The game saw 16.Rxd5 Qe1+ 17.Qc1 Qxc1+ 18.Kxc1 Kd7, with equal chances (0-1, 47 moves).
14.Nfd5
Martin Neugebauer (2462) - Tomáš Krak (2284), Slovak Team Championship 2019, continued 14.Bd3 Nb4 15.a3 Nxd3, with at least a slight edge for White, according to the engines (1-0, 36 moves), but they reckon Black would have been better after 15...Rxc3!? 16.axb4 (16.bxc3? Na2! 17.Nxe6 Qxa3) Qa2+ 17.Kc1 Qa1+ 18.Kd2 Qxb2.
The engines agree 14.Nxe6 fxe6 17.Bd3 gives White a slight edge.
14...Bxd5 15.exd5
The engines prefer 15.Nxd5.
15...Ne5
White can meet 15...Nb4?! with the simple 16.a3, when 16...Nxc2 17.Kxc2 Qa4+ does not seem to give Black enough after 18.Kc1.
16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.fxe4 Qa4 18.Bd3
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| How should Black proceed? |
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18...Nxd3
It is a shame to give up a well-posted knight for such a miserable bishop, and it may be 18...b4!? is an improvement, eg 19.Rd2 f6!? 20.Be2 (20.Qg7 Kd7) Kf7, with at least a slight edge for Black, according to the engines.
19.cxd3 Qc2+ 20.Ka1 Qxg2 21.Qg7 Rf8 22.Qxh7 Rc2 23.Qg7
Not 23.Rc1? Rxb2!
23...Qh3 24.Kb1?!
The engines give 24.Rc1!? Qxd3, when best may be Stockfish18's 25.e5!? Qxd5!? 26.exd6 (26.Rxc2?? Qxh1+) Rxc1+ 27.Rxc1 Qd6!?, after which they reckon the vulnerability of Black's king gives White enough compensation for being two pawns down.
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| After 24.Kb1?!, what should Black play? |
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24...Rxh2?!
Winning a pawn, but allowing White to swop his inactive rook for Black's active one, leaving White with queen and active rook against queen and passive rook. The engines give Black at least the upper hand after 24...Re2!
25.Rxh2 Qxh2 26.Rc1 Qh3 27.Qc3?
This lets Black activate the f8 rook by moving the king to (relative) safety. The engines give several moves as resulting in complete equality, including 27.Rc3 and 27.a3!?, eg 27.a3!? Qxd3+ 28.Ka2 Qh3 29.Rc7 Qg4! 30.e5!? Qf5! (30...Qh3? 31.e6) 31.exd6 exd6 32.Qd4 f6! 33.Qe3+ Qe5 34.Qh6!? Qxd5+ 35.Ka1 Kd8! 36.Rc1 Re8! 37.Qxg6, which is a complicated line, to say the least, but most of White's moves seem easier to find than Black's.
27...f6
The engines reckon Black is winning,
28.Qc6+ Kf7 29.Rc7 b4 0-1
30.Rb3 loses to Rc8, while 30.Rc1 Qxd3+ 31.Ka1 Qxe4 sees White drop too many pawns.
My Battersea Season 2026-7
DATE......EVENT...........................COL..RATING..OPP'S RATING..SCORE..SEASON PERF
29/9/26 Club Championship W 1953 1411 1 *
1/10/26 Central London League W 1942 2094 = 2094
5/10/26 London League B 1942 2042 = 2068
6/10/26 Club Championship B 1942 1541 1 +
8/10/26 Central London League B 1942 2240 = 2125
20/10/26 Club Championship B 1942 1765 1 2142
*I am ignoring my win against a 1411 as it counts as an 1811 performance, which, unless I have a very bad season, would lower my season's rating performance, despite me winning.
+I am also ignoring my win against a 1541 as it counts as a 1941 performance, which, at least for now, would lower my season's rating performance, despite me winning.
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