How Drawish Are Opposite-Coloured Bishops?

EVERYONE past the beginners' stage knows endings with opposite-coloured bishops and no other pieces (apart from kings) have strong drawing tendencies.

But I have never seen an attempt to quantify exactly how drawish they are, so I thought I would have a go using a database of my games.

Fortunately ChessBase has a tool that makes searching for such endings easy, and using it I found 72 of my games with such an ending.

Most of the games (42, or 58.3%) were drawn, but that leaves 30 that ended decisively - a higher percentage (41.7%) than I had instinctively thought.

Many of them I have already posted on this blog in a series entitled Opposite Exceptions, but here is an interesting one I omitted.

Black has just captured on c7 in L Demmel (163 BCF) - Spanton (140 BCF), Doncaster & District League 1981

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White's extra two pawns on the queenside are, at least for the moment, firmly restrained by the black bishop. However the white king is much the better-placed monarch for operations on the other flank.

39.h4?!

But this is probably not how to go about kingside play. Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1 give best-play as 39.g4 Kc6 40.f4 Kd5 41.fxg5 hxg5 42.Bxg5 Kxe5, after which Black has a winning advantage thanks to having passed pawns on both flanks.

39...Kc6?

Correct is 39...gxh4 40.Bxh6 Kc6 41.Bg5 Kd5 42.Bf6 Kc4 43.Bxh4 Kxc3 44.Be7, after which White is still two pawns up but, crucially, only has one passed pawn. This significantly cuts White's winning chances. The engines reckon White has the upper hand, but that the advantage is worth less than a pawn, Indeed they reckon Black's two best continuations, 44...Bd3 and 44...Kb3, are exactly equal evaluation-wise, often a sign an ending is drawn.

40.hxg5 hxg5 41.Bxg5 Kd5

Black's active king means this is still a tricky ending despite White being three pawns up

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42.Be3?

Best seems to be 42.Bf4, eg 42...Kc4 43.Bd2 Kd5 44.f4, but also better than the text, according to the engines, is 42.f4?!, although then the c pawn will probably fall.

42...Kxe5 43.g4 Kd5 44.Bg5 Ke5 45.Be7 Kf4?!

It is not clear how White makes progress after 45...Kd5.

46.Bf8?

Winning is 46.Bd6+, eg 46...Kg5 47.Kg3 Kg6 48.f4 f6 49.Kf3 Bb7+ 50.Kf2 Ba6 51.Ke3 Kf7 52.Kd4, and White continues to make progress.

The engines reckon a better try is 46...e5!?, but then 47.Bc5 Kg5 48.Be7+ f6 (48...Kf4 49.Bh4) 49.Ke3 looks strong, eg 49...Kg6 50.Bd6 Kg5 51.Bc7 Bb5 52.f4+!? exf4+ 53.Bxf4+ Kxg4 is a win after 54.Bh2!, as the Syzygy endgame tablebase shows.

46...f5?

The black king should return to e5, with a probable draw.

47.Bh6+ Ke5 48.g5

White has passers on both flanks, which almost always is a winning advantage.

48...f4

White to play and win

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49.Bf8

The winning plan runs 49.g6! Kf6 50.g7 Kf7 51.Bxf4! Kxg7 52.Be5+ Kg6 53.Ke3, eg 53...Kf5 54.f4 Bf1 55.Kd4, after which White wins on the queenside. Black can try 49...Bd3, but 50.g7 Bh7 51.c4 also wins on the queenside.

49...Kf5 50.Be7 Bc4 51.Ke1 e5!?

The engines prefer marking time with the bishop, eg 51...Bb5 52.Kd2 Bf1 53.Kc2 Bc4 54.Kb2 Be2 55.Ka3 Bxf3 with complete equality, according to the engines.

52.Kf2 e4?

This lets White swop off his weak pawn (weak because it is fixed on the same colour complex as the black bishop) and bring the black king out of position. Instead, marking time with the bishop still seems to give good drawing chances.

53.fxe4+ Kxe4 54.g6 f3

There is no defence, eg 54...Kd5 55.g7 Kc6 56.Kf3 etc.

55.g7 Kd3 56.b5 1-0

Doncaster Round Five

PLAYED on Sunday afternoon.

Nathan Gittens (1960) - Spanton (2042)

Chigorin

1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.cxd5 Bxf3 5.gxf3 Qxd5 6.e3 e5 7.Nc3 Bb4 8.Bd2 Bxc3 9.bxc3 Nf6 10.Rb1!?

An interesting alternative to the usual 10.c4.

How should Black respond?

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10...exd4

Stockfish14.1's top choice, 10...Qxa2!?, does not appear in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database. Best-play then, according to Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1, goes 11.Rxb7 0-0 12.Qb3!?, when they reckon White is better after both 12...Qxb3 and 12...Qa1+.

11.cxd4 0-0 12.Bd3!?

Possibly a novelty. Most strong players have preferred 12.Bg2.

12...Rfe8 13.Kf1!?

The engines slightly prefer 13.0-0.

13...Rad8 14.Rb5

Not 14.Rxb7?? Nxd4.

14...Qe6 15.Rg5

The engines like 15.Kg2, possibly with Rg1 and Kh1 to come.

15...Qh3+ 16.Kg1 Qh4!?

The queen can turn out to be awkwardly placed on the kingside. Possibly better is the engines' 16...Qd7.

17.f4 Ne4 18.Bxe4 Rxe4 19.Qf3 Rde8?

Pressure down the e file proves illusory. Better is 19...Re6, and if, as in the game, 20.d5, then 20...Rf6 seems to equalise as 21.Bc3?? fails to 21...Qxg5, while 21.Rg4 Qxg4+ 22.Qxg4 Rg6 is fine for Black.

20.d5!

Not so much hitting the knight as opening the a1-h8 diagonal for the bishop.

20...Nb4 21.Bc3 g6 22.Bf6 Qh6 23.h4

Suddenly the white king's rook gets into play, and Black's position collapses.

The game finished:

23...Qf8 24.h5 Qd6 25.hxg6! Qxf6 26.gxf7+ Kh8 27.Qxe4! Qxf7 28.Rxh7+ 1-0

Doncaster Round Four

PLAYED on Sunday morning.

Spanton (2042) - Ray Ilett (1922)

Veresov

1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.Bg5 Bf5 4.e3 Nbd7 5.Bd3 Bxd3

This is more popular in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database than the main alternative, 5...Bg6, but both moves have been played by grandmasters.

6.cxd3

Speedy development with 6.Qxd3 is commoner in Mega22, but again both moves have been tried by GMs.

6...h6 7.Bh4 c6 8.Nf3 e6 9.e4!?

My main analysis engines Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 are not keen on this, preferring to leave the central pawns where they are.

9...dxe4!?

This apparent-novelty seems to justify White's last move. Known moves are 9...Qb6 and 9...Be7.

10.dxe4 Qa5 11.0-0 Bb4

The game has transposed to a known position in which a 2160 chose 12.e5, but could only draw against a 1797.

12.Qc2 0-0 13.e5!?

A very committal move. It comes to be Stockfish14.1's second choice, for a while, behind 13.Rad1. Komodo12.1.1 likes 13.Ne2!?

13...Nd5 14.Nxd5!?

Stockfish14.1 prefers 14.Ne4; Komodo12.1.1 flits between the two moves.

14...Qxd5

Forced, otherwise the bishop is lost.

15.Rfd1 Rfe8 16.a3 Be7 17.Bxe7 Rxe7 18.b4 Nb6 19.Rd3 Rd8!?

Perhaps a little passive. I was more concerned about19...a5, after which Black gets a queenside initiative.

20.Rad1 Qd7 21.Nd2 Qd5!?

This may look strange but Black does well to prevent a quick Ne4.

22.Nf1 Qc4 23.Rc3 Qb5 24.Rg3

Black is better after 24.Rc5 Qa6 25.Ra5 Qc4 26.Qxc4 Nxc4 27.Rxa7, thanks to having 27...Nxe5.

24...Qc4?!

Hoping to swop queens, but almost certainly better is 24...Red7.

25.Qe4?

White gets at least the upper hand after 25.Qd2 (threatening Qxh6) and 26.Ne3.

25...Red7 26.Qg4 g6

How should White proceed?

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27.Ne3?

This loses the d pawn. Correct is defending it with 27.Rgd3, or going for counterplay with 27.Qh5, eg 27...Kh7 28.Qf3.

27...Rxd4 28.Rxd4 Qxd4 29.h3 Qxg4

Black can safely grab a second pawn, temporarily, with 28...Qxe5!?, although 29.Qh4 followed by 30.Qxh6 reduces the deficit to one pawn. Perhaps best is 28...Kg7, but the text also maintains a large advantage and removes any danger to the black king.

30.Nxg4 Rd1+ 31.Kh2 Kg7 32.Nf6 Nc4 33.f4 Nd2 34.Rc3

Forced.

34...Nf1+ 35.Kg1 Ne3 36.Kf2 Nd5 37.Nxd5 Rxd5

Black is winning this rook-and-pawn ending, according to Stockfish14.1, although Komodo12.1.1 'only' gives Black the upper hand

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38.Ke2 f6!?

The engines are OK with this although it means Black contracts an extra pawn-island.

39.exf6+ Kxf6 40.g4 e5 41.Rf3 exf4 42.Rxf4+ Ke6 43.Rf8 Re5+ 44.Kf3 Rd5

RI offered a draw (he was short of time in a game with a 10-second increment).

45.Ke4 Re5+ 46.Kf4 g5+ 47.Kf3 Rd5 48.Ke4 Re5+ 49.Kf3 ½–½

Doncaster Round Three

Nigel Birtwistle (2167) - Spanton (2042)

Scotch Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.0-0 Nf6!?

Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 do not like this alternative to the more-popular 5...d6.

6.e5 d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.fxg7!?

Much more common in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database is 8.Re1+, but the engines narrowly prefer the text, although Stockfish14.1, at least for a while, switches between the two moves.

8...Rg8 9.Re1+ Be6 10.Bg5 Be7

The fairly popular 10...Qd5? is a mistake, although it has been tried by players rated well over 2500. After 11.Nc3 Qf5 (probably best) 12.Ne4 White is well on top, eg 12...Rxg7 13.Nh4! wins the black queen.

11.Bxe7 Qxe7!?

The more-popular 11...Ke7 hangs on to the d pawn but looks very risky.

12.Nxd4 Rd8

Not 12...0-0-0? as 13.Nxc6 Rxd1?? loses to 14.Nxe7+ etc, so Black has to play 14...bxc6, when White must be better.

13.c3

How should Black proceed?

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13...Nxd4

Alexei Shirov played this in an online blitz game in January 2021, but later the same month he switched to the possibly superior 13...Rxg7!? Ironically the first game, against a 2450, he won, while the second game, against a 2169, he lost.

14.cxd4 Qd7?

Preventing a check on a4 and increasing pressure against d4, but better is 14...Rxg7, and if 15.Qa4+ then 15...Kf8 more-or-less equalises, according to the engines. They prefer 15.Nc3, giving White a slight edge.

15.Nc3 Qxd4 16.Qh5 Qxg7!? 17.g3

Also possible is 17.Rxe6+!? Kd7 18.Rd1+ Kxe6 (not 18...Kc8 19.Rxd8+ Kxd8 20.Qd5+ Kc8 21.Re7)  19.Re1+ Kf6 (forced) 20.Nd5+ Rxd5 (only move) 21.Qxd5, when Black is temporarily a pawn up but the exposed king means White has a large advantage.

17...Kd7

Komodo12.1.1 for a while believes this equalises, but it does not.

18.Qc5 b6 19.Qb5+ Ke7 20.Nd5+ Rxd5!?

Or 20...Kf8 21.Nxc7, eg 21...Qf6 22.Nxe6+ fxe6 23.Qxc4, when White is a pawn up with a continuing attack.

21.Qxd5 Rd8!?

21...Qxb2 may be a little better, but still horrible for Black after the simple 22.Qxc4.

22.Qxc4 c5 23. Qh4+ Ke8?!

Objectively better is allowing a queen swop after 23...Qf6.

24.Rad1 Rd4 25.Rxd4 cxd4 26.Rd1 Bg4 27.f3!? Bxf3 28.Rxd4 f6 29.Qf4 Qb7 30.Qxf6 1-0

Doncaster Round Two

Spanton (2042) - Eric Eedle (1849)

Veresov

1.Nc3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.Bg5 c6

This is usually played in conjunction with quick queenside play by ...Qb6 or ...Qa5, and ...Bb4.

4.Qd3!?

Quite a modern idea, although games in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database go back to 1928, albeit only eight before the 1970s. The main idea is to get in a quick e4.

4...Nbd7 5.Nf3 e6 6.e4 dxe4 7.Nxe4 Be7

Black threatens to win at least a pawn by 8...Nxe4! 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Qxe4 Qb4+ and ...Qxb2.

How should White meet Black's threat?

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8.Bf4?!

Apparently a novelty, and probably not a good one. Normal is 8.Nxf6+, when the analysis engines Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon White is better, eg 8...Nxf6 9.0-0-0 0-0 10.h4!? or 8...Bxf6 9.h4!? h6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.0-0-0.

8...Nxe4 9.Qxe4 Nf6 10.Qd3

The game has reached a position occurring four times in Mega22, but with White to move.

10...b6 11.Be2 Bb7 12.0-0 0-0 13.Rfe1 c5 14.Rad1 Nd5

The engines reckon 14...cxd4 15.Nxd4 favours White.

15.Be5 Qc8!?

This is Stockfish14.1's top choice. Komodo12.1.1 marginally prefers 15...Nb4, although after 16.Qc3 (16.Qb3 is also good) Black cannot play 16...Nxa2? because of 17.Qb3 Nb4 18.dxc5 etc.

16.c3 Rd8 17.Qb1 c4!?

This is the engines' top choice, although it relieves pressure on the white centre.

18.Nd2 b5 19.Bf3 Qd7!?

Putting the queen on the same file as an enemy rook is unusual. A perhaps more-normal plan is to expand on the queenside, starting with 19...a5.

20.Ne4 Rac8 21.Ng3??

Black to play and win

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21...Bf6??
Black wins a piece with 21...f6 as 22.Bxd5 Qxd5 threatens mate.

22.Qe4

Strongest is 22.Nh5, according to the engines.

22...Bxe5?!

White gets dangerous kingside play after this. The engines give the sharp line 22..Nxc3!? 23.Qxb7 Nxd1 24.Bxf6!? Qxb7 25.Bxb7 gxf6, which they reckon is dynamically balanced after 26.Rxd1!? Rc7 27.Bf3.

23.dxe5 Qe7 24.Qh4 h6?!

This seems too slow. The engines give 24...f5 25.exf6 Nxf6 26.Qf4, reckoning White has a slight edge.

25.Nh5!?

Possibly even stronger is 25.Ne4.

25...Qg5 26.Qe4 Ba8 27.h4 Qg6

Not 27...Qe7? 28.Qg4, when both 28...Qf8 29.Bxd5 Bxd5 30.Re3 and 28...g6 29.Bxd5 Bxd5 30.Nf6+ are very strong for White.

28.Qd4?!

It was probably better to go for the positional advantage to be had by 28.Qxg6 fxg6 29.Bxd5 and Nf4.

28...a5?

The engines reckon 28...Rd7, protecting the a pawn and setting up a potential defence of g7, equalises.

29.Ng3

This is good enough for an advantage, but probably stronger is 29.Re4, obliging Black to spend a tempo moving the king.

29...f5 30.Bh5

The simple 30.exf6 Qxf6 (forced) 31.Bg4 may be better.

30...Qh7 31.Bf3

Not 31.Qa7? g6 32.Qxh7+ Kxh7, when Black is better as the danger to his king and to his queenside pawns has been removed.

31...g6 32.Bxd5 Bxd5 33.Ne2 Qc7?

Undefending h6 is a mistake. Probably best is the engines' 33...g5, but also playable is 33...Qe7, which hits h4 and prepares to support ...g5.

34.Qe3 Kh7 35.Nf4 Qc6

Relatively best, according to the engines, is 35...h5, but after, for example, 36.Rd2 Rd7 37.Red1 Qc6 38.Qg3 Rg8 39.Qg5 the engines reckon White has a positionally won game.

36.Qg3 Rg8 37.Nxd5 exd5

The passed pawn allows a decisive breakthrough

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38.e6 Rge8 39.Qe5 Rcd8 40.h5 Rd6 41.hxg6+ Kxg6 42.Re3 Rexe6 43.Rg3+ Kf7 44.Qg7+!?

This seems even stronger than 44.Qxf5+.

44...Ke8 45.Qh8+ Kd7 46.Rg8 Rf6?

This allows a quick mate, but 46...Qb6 is not much of an improvement, eg 47.Qg7+ Re7 48.Qf8 Qc7 (48...Qb7 49.Qxe7+! etc) 49.Qxf5+ Kc6 50.Rc8.

47.Rg7+ 1-0

Doncaster Tomorrow

AM due to train it back from Doncaster to London in the morning, arriving at King's Cross at lunchtime.

My score in the Doncaster open of +1=1-3 saw me lose 20 ECF elo, assuming my round-one opponent counts as 2343.

Doncaster Today

DREW with white this morning in round four against a 1922; lost with black this afternoon in round five against a 1960.

Doncaster Yesterday

WON in the morning with white against an 1849; lost in the afternoon with black against a 2167.

Doncaster Round One

FACED a Scottish teenager (born 2004) on board one in the Doncaster open this evening.

Jake M Sanger (*) - Spanton (2042)

Pseudo-Chigorin

1d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3 Bf5!?

There is quite a debate among Chigorin afficionados of whether to meet 3.g3 with the text or 3...Bg4.

4.Bg2 e6 5.0-0 Be7 6.c4 dxc4!?

The main move is 6...Nf6, when Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon 7.Ne5 gives White a slight edge.

7.Qa4 Qd7 8.Nc3 Nf6 9.Bg4 0-0

The engines prefer a complicated line, namely 9...Nd5!? 10.Bxe7 Nb6! 11.Ne5 Nxa4 12.Nxd7 Nxc3 13.bxc3 Kxd7 14.Ba3, when Black is a (doubled) pawn up but White has the bishop-pair and possibly a slight edge, according to the engines.

10.Ne5!?

The engines like the straightforward 10.Qxc4, claiming an advantage for White.

10...Nxe5!?

Possibly better is 10...Qxd4 11.Nxc6 bxc6, when Stockfish14.1 reckons 12.Be3 Qd6 13.Bxc6 Rab8 14.Rfd1 Qb4 15.Bxa7 Qxa4 16.Nxa4 Rb4 17.Bc5 Bxc5 18.Nxc5 is equal, while Komodo12.1.1 gives 13.e4 Bg6 14.Be3 Qe5 15.Qxc6 Ng4 16.Bf4 Qc5 17.Qxc5 Bxc5 18.h3 Nf6 19.e5 Nd5 20.Nxd5 exd5 21.Bxd5 Rab8 22.Bxc4 Rxb2, again with an assessment of equality. Both of these lines are long with plenty of non-forcing moves, but they do suggest the position after 10...Qxd4 is roughly balanced.

11.dxe5 Qxa4 12.Nxa4 Nd5 13.Bxe7 Nxe7 14.Bxb7 Rab8 15.Nc5 Rfd8

How would you assess this position?

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White has regained his pawn and has the better remaining pawn-structure, but Black's pieces are active. The engines reckon White possibly has a slight edge.

16.b3!?

The engines prefer 16.Rfd1, when they reckon 16...Bc2?! 17.Rxd8+ Rxd8 followed by 18.Rc1, or 18.Kf1 and then Rc1, is very good for White. However Black can keep White's advantage to a minimum with 16...g5!?, according to the engines.

16...cxb3!?

Perhaps 16...Rd2 is better.

17.axb3 Bc2?

Better is 17...Rd2. I played the text under the aberration that after ...

18.Rxa7

... I could play ...Bxb3, as the white knight and bishop would be on the same file after the reply Nxb3, but I somehow missed that the bishop is protected by a rook. After 18.Rxa7 White is only a doubled pawn up, materially, but the engines reckon White is winning.

18...Rd1?!

Almost certainly better is the engines' 18...Nc8, but after 19.Ra3 they still have White winning.

19.Ra2 Rxf1+ 20.Kxf1 Bf5 21.Rd2 Ng6 22.f4 Nf8

This prevents immediate loss of a second pawn, but the respite is temporary.

23.b4 h6 24.b5 g5 25.e3 Kg7 26.Bc6 Kg6 27.Kf2 h5 28.Na6 Rc8 29.Bb7 Re8 30.e4

Also winning is 30.Nxc7 Re7 31.b6 Nd7 32.Rxd7!? Rxd7 33.e4 Bh3 34.Bc6 Rd8 35.b7 with Na6 etc to come.

30...Bg4 31.Ke3

White had many winning moves but there was a surprising trap in 31.Kg2 h4 32.h3 hxg3, when 33.hxg4? gxf4 is only a draw, according to the engines. However other lines win, eg 33.f5+ exf5 34.hxg4.

The game finished:

31...gxf4+ 32.gxf4 Re7 33.Rc2 Bd1 34.Rxc7 Rxc7 35.Nxc7 Nd7 36.Bc6 Nb8 37.Na6 Nxc6 38.bxc6 Ba4 Nb8 1-0

*Sanger has no no ECF over-the-board standard rating but had an "F" rating of 2343 last month. He also has an ECF online standard rating of 2343, which is rather a coincidence.

Donny Bound

AN earlyish start today as I am traveling to Doncaster for a weekend congress, which has 204 entries (DC)

There are five rounds - Friday evening, Saturday morning and afternoon, and Sunday morning and afternoon.

It is split into four sections - open, U2001, U1801 and U1601 - with a time limit of all moves in 100 minutes plus a 10-second increment.

Doncaster Runners & Riders

DONCASTER, which starts on Friday, seems to have closed its entries at 204: Don.

Early Bird Update

JUST spotted this update from Peter Ackley of the Doncaster congress, which starts on February 25:

Good news - we have obtained extra space within the school. We can therefore increase capacity to 200. We will be moving one section out of the hall giving all players more space.
I will shortly be contacting all players on the waiting list however this does create (I think) 10 extra spaces - first come first served. After that the waiting list will go back in place again.

Doncaster Full-Up

THE following notice has appeared at the website of the Doncaster congress, which runs from February 25-27:

As at 10/02/2022, entries totalled 181 meaning the limited-capacity congress became “full”.

However, a waiting list is being maintained since:

(a) we are attempting to obtain more space and (b) there may yet be some withdrawals.

Doncaster Concluded

Black has just played 16....Bc5-b4? in Spanton (170) - George Ellames (153), Doncaster U171 Round 5

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17.Ng4?
I only saw Nxb5+ - N(either)d5+ is also very strong - after moving. I never got another chance to win material, and the game ended in a draw 28 moves later.
My final score of +2=1-2 was a tournament grading performance of 151.8.

Timely Intervention

Spanton (170) - Russell Goodfellow (147)
Doncaster U171 Round 4
Sicilian Kan
1.Nc3 e6 2.e4 c5 3.Nf3 a6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Qc7 6.Bd3 d6!?
Seven other moves are more popular than this in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database, but the text has been played by grandmasters.
7.0-0 Nf6 8.Be3 Nbd7 9.Qe2 Be7 10.Rac1!?
The rook is well-placed here if Black plays ...Nc5 and ...Nxd3, but why would he? I guess, being charitable, one could say Rac1 is prophylaxis against ...Nc5 etc. Normal is 10.f4.
10...h6!?
This may look strange, but the idea will quickly become apparent.
11.f4 Rg8!?
The analysis engines Stockfish10 and Komodo10 do not like this, but it is consistent.
12.Kh1 g5 13.f5 Ne5 14.fxe6 fxe6

How should White proceed?

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15.Nf3!
A retreat, but well-intentioned in that the black knight on e5 is Black's best-placed piece
15...Nf7?!
The engines give 15...Bd7 16.Nxe5 dxe5, but much prefer White.
16.Na4
The engines want White to sac a pawn with 16.e5!? dxe5 17.Nd2, the point presumably being the uncomfortable-looking black king.
16...b5 17.Nb6 Rb8 18.Nxc8 Qxc8 19.Bd4
19.c4 would have justified a rook being on c1.
19...e5 20.Bc3 Qg4 21.Rce1 Nh8 22.Ng1 Qxe2 23.Nxe2 Ng6 24.Ng3 Nh4 25.Nf5?
This allows an exchange that favours Black. The engines give 25.a4 bxa4 26.Be2 Rf8 27.Ra1 Bd8 28.Rxa4 with a large advantage for White.
25...Nxf5 26.Rxf5 Kd7 27.Ref1 Rgf8 28.a4 Ng4?
28...bxa4 29.Ra1 is only slightly better for White.
29.Rxf8 Bxf8 30.axb5 axb5 31.Bxb5+?!
This wins a pawn, but Black gets active counterplay. The engines give 31.h3 Ne3 32.Ra1.
31...Rxb5 32.Rxf8 Ne3 33.Rh8 Nd1!
If 33...Nxc2, then 34.Kg1 Nb4 35.Rh7+ Kc6 36.Rxh6 seems slightly better for White.
34.Kg1 Nxb2 35.Rh7+ Kc6 36.Rxh6 Na4 37.Bd2 g4?
Black's g pawn is doomed. Instead he should play 37...Nc5 or 37...Rb1+ 38.Kf2 Nc5.
38.Rg6 Rb2 39.Rxg4 Rxc2 40.Bh6 Re2 41.Kf1!?
The immediate 41.h4 looks stronger.
41...Nc3 42.Rg3 Rc2 43.Rg4 Re2 44.h4 Rxe4 45.Rxe4 Nxe4 46.Bg7
A bishop is normally better than a knight when there are rival pawn-majorities. But here that is offset by Black's king being considerably better than White's.
46...Kd5 47.Ke2 Ng3+ 48.Kf3 Nf5 49.Bf6 Ke6 50.Bg5 d5 51.g4 Nd6 52.Bc1 d4 53.h5 Kf6 54.g5+ Kf5 55.g6 Ne8 56.Bh6 Nf6 57.g7 e4+ 58.Kg3?!
The position has been dead-equal since move 45, according to the engines, and still is after this pawn-losing move. But RG had been playing on the 10-second increment since about move 40, and the text has the practical disadvantage of allowing Black to force a draw.
58...Nxh5+ 59.Kf2 Nf6?!
Trying to win, but 59...Nxg7 draws easily, even at 10-seconds a move.
60.Bc1 Ng8 61.Bb2
Black lost on time. in what is still an equal position, while playing …
61...Ke5 1-0

There'll Always Be An Englund

A WISE man said: "When all else in chess fails, try having fun."
Paul May (154) - Spanton (170)
Doncaster U171 Round 3
Englund Gambit
1.d4 e5!? 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.e3!?
It should not come as a surprise to learn the normal move is 3.Nf3.
3...Nxe5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nh3?!
I cannot see the point of this. White usually plays 5.Nc3.
5...d5 6.Nf4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Bxd2+ 8.Qxd2 dxc4 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8
Black's king can no longer castle, but that does not seem a serious problem in this position. Meanwhile, White is a pawn down.
10.Na3 g5!?
Exploiting the knight's lack of good squares.
11.0-0-0+ Ke7 12.Nd5+ Nxd5 13.Rxd5 f6

What should White play?

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14.Nxc4?
Stockfish10 and Komodo10 agree best is 14.f4.
14...Be6 15.Rd4 c5 16.Re4 Bd5
White loses the exchange.
17.Rxe5+ fxe5 18.Nxe5 Bxa2 (0-1, 37 moves).

Sign Of Tiredness

POSITIONAL understanding does not disappear with tiredness, but tactical skills take a big knock.
This is a major reason why chess strength tends to deteriorate in old age - seniors tire more quickly and so make more tactical mistakes.

White to play and lose in Spanton (170) - Robert A Dean (150), Doncaster U171 Round 2

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12.Qd4??
My original intent had been 12.Bb4, which may be enough for a small edge (Stockfish10 reckons so, but Komodo10 rates the position as level). Then I thought: "Why not drive Black's knight back to f6 and follow up with  ...Bb4?"
The answer to my question is …
12...Nxd6 (0-1, 20 moves).

Doncaster

AM top seed in the U171 section of Doncaster Congress, which began this evening.
There are five rounds over three days, with a time control of 100 minutes plus a 10-second increment.

White to make his 31st move in John Cawston (155) - Spanton (170)

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31.Rxd5! exd5+ 32.Kxd5
Black is busted.
The game continued:
32...b5 33.axb5 axb5 34.Nd2!?
Even stronger is 34.Na5, but the text seems good enough.
34...Re8
Stockfish10 and Komodo10 for a while like 34...Kg7!?, but soon find 35.Ne4, eg 35...Ke8 36.h4 (there is no need to rush, but 36.Nc5 is also good)  Ke8 37.Nf6+ Kf8 38.Kc6 etc.
35.f3 Re5+ 36.Kc6 Re2 37.Ne4+ Ke5 38.d7 Rc2+ 39.Nc5 Rd2 40.Kc7 Rc2 41.b4 1-0