Joaquín Inga Paiva (2240) - Spanton (1942)
Sicilian Closed
1.e4 c5 2.d3!?
One of the ideas of this quiet move is to play the Closed Variation of the Sicilian, but without committing to the move Nc3, the point being that in lines with Nc3, White often later moves the queen's knight a second time, so as to evict a black knight from d4 with the move c3. Another idea is that, depending on how Black meets 2.d3!?, White might switch into a King's Indian Attack.
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| The position occurs 17,046 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database - how should Black respond? |
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2...Nc6
The problem with 2...d5!?, which has been played by Kamsky and other top grandmasters, is that 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nc3 leaves Black with nothing better than 4...Qd8, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1, when White's edge in development may amount to something.
3.g3 d5
But now this is well-playable, although 3...g6!? is more popular.
4.Bg2
The engines give 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Nf3 Nd4!?, claiming complete equality.
4...dxe4 5.dxe4!?
This is almost three times as common as 5.Bxe4.
5...Qxd1+ 6.Kxd1 Bg4+ 7.f3 0-0-0+ 8.Nd2!? Bh5 9.c3 Nf6 10.Kc2
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| With queens off the board, and both kings in relative safety, how would you assess the position? |
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The engines, perhaps not surprisingly, reckon the game is equal, although naturally there is still a lot of play in the position.
10...e5
The engines are not keen on this, suggesting 10...g5!? or 10...h6.
11.Ne2
White is slightly better after 11.h4 Bg6 12.Nf1!?, according to Stockfish18, although Dragon1 is less sure.
11...Be7 12.g4 Bg6 13.Ng3
The engines still like h4.
13...Rhe8
They strongly dislike this (one point of the move is to give Black the option of meeting 14.Nf5 with 14...Bf8, but the engines reckon 14...Bxf5 is better anyway).
14.Nc4 h6 15.a4 b6 16.h4 Kc7 17.Be3 Bf8 18.h5 Bh7 19.g5
The engines give White at least the upper hand after 19.Nf5 or 19.Bf1!?
19...Nd5!?
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| How should White proceed? |
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20.gxh6?
White should play 20.Bf1!? or 20.Bd2, in each case with a roughly equal game.
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| Black to play and gain a winning advantage |
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20...gxh6
The engines point out the very strong 20...Na5!, when White has no good reply, eg 21.Bg5 can be met by 21...Nxc4 (22.Kb3 Na5+; 22.Bxd8+ Rxd8 23.hxg7 Bxg7), while 21.hxg7 can be met by 21...Nxc4 or 21...Bxg7.
21.Rhe1
21.Rhe1
White is slightly better after 21.Bc1!?, according to the engines.
21...Nxe3+ 22.Nxe3 Be7 23.Nf5 Bg5 24.Rad1 Rxd1 25.Rxd1 Rd8 26.Bf1 Rxd1 27.Kxd1
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| How would you assess this minor-piece ending? |
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Black has the bishop-pair, but it is probably fair to say the bishops are no better than the knights. The engines reckon the game is completely equal.
27...Ne7 28.Bh3 Nxf5 29.Bxf5 Bg8 30.c4!? f6 31.b3 Bf7 32.Bg4 Bf4 33.Nf5 Bg5 34.Ng7 Kd6 35.Nf5+ Kc7 36.Kc2 a5!? 37.Kd3 Bf4 38.Ng7 Kd6 39.Bc8 Kc7 40.Be6 Bxe6 41.Nxe6+
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| How would you assess this bishop-v-knight ending? |
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The bishop is bad in that every black pawn is on a dark square, and every white pawn is on a light square, giving the bishop no targets. But Black is in no danger of falling into zugzwang, as the bishop can move fairly freely along the g5-c1 diagonal, and in particular can protect the weak h6 and f6 pawns, especially with the help of the black king. The position is completely equal, according to the engines.
41...Kd6 42.Ng7 Ke7 43.Nf5+ Ke6 44.Ke2 Kd7 45.Kf2 Ke6 46.Kg2 Kd7 47.Kh3 Ke6 48.Kg4 Bg5 49.Kg3 Bf4+ 50.Kh3 Bg5 51.Kg4 Bf4 52.Nh4 Bc1 53.Ng6
Or 53.Ng2 Bd2.
53...Bg5 54.Nf8+ Ke7 55.Nh7 Ke6 56.Kh3 Kf7 57.Kg4 Ke6 ½–½
OTB 2 won the match 3.5-1.5.
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
*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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