Summing Up Tegernsee

MY score of +2=1-6 in the Bavarian International Open lost exactly 66 Fide elo.

Bavarian International Round Nine

FACED a Slovak junior (born 2011).

Spanton (1858) - Sofia Timagina (1523)

1.Nc3

1.Nc3 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6!?

Developing the king's bishop may be better.

6.Bh4

Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 give 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.Ndb5 Qe5!? 8.Nd5, claiming at least a slight edge for White.

6...Be7 7.Nf5 g5 8.Bg3 d6 9.e4!?

Probably a novelty. Known moves are 9.Nxe7 and 9.Nd4.

How should Black respond?

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9...Nxe4?!

Black should probably play 9...Bxf5, with an unclear position that the engines reckon is balanced.

10.Nxg7+?

Correct is 10.Nxe7, when the engines reckon best-play runs 10...Qxe7 11.Nd5 Qd7, and either 12.Bd3 or 12.f3 with what they reckon is much more than enough compensation for a pawn.
10...Kf8 11.Nh5 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Bf5!?

The engines give Black the upper hand after 12...Bf6.

13.Bd3 Qd7 14.0-0 Bg4 15.Be2 Bxe2 16.Qxe2 Re8 17.f4 Bd8 18.Qf3?!

The engines agree best is 18.Qb5, although, while Komodo14.1 then gives White a slight edge, Stockfish16 awards the same advantage to Black.

18...Qf5 19.fxg5?!

White should probably keep tension in the position with 19.h3.

19...Qxf3 20.Rxf3 hxg5 21.Nf6 Bxf6 22.Rxf6 Re3 23.Raf1 Rh7 24.R6f3 Rxf3 25.Rxf3

Black is a pawn up and has the better structure - advantages that add up to roughly the equivalent of a minor piece, according to the engines

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25...Kg7 26.Kf2 Kg6 27.Ke2 f5 28.h3 f4 29.Be1 Re7+ 30.Kd1 Ne5 31.Rf2 Nc4 32.Bd2 Re5 33.h4 Rd5 34.hxg5 Kxg5 35.Kxc1 Rxd2 36.Rxd2 Nxd2 37.Kxd2 Kg4 (0-1, 37 moves).

Bavarian International Round Eight

FACED a German junior (born 2013).

Ruben Serwane (1561) - Spanton (1858)

Scandinavian

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 c6!?

A rare gambit whose chief merit is surprise-value.

3.dxc6 Nxc6 4.h3!?

Objectively this cannot be best, but it has the practical merit of almost certainly taking the opponent out of preparation.

4...e5 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.Bc4 Bc5 7.d3 0-0 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 10.Ne4 Qe7 11.Nxc5 Qxc5

White has simplified the position to an extent, but Black's lead in development gives full compensation for a pawn, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1

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12.Bb3 a5 13.a4 Nd4 14.Bc4 e4

Black is better after 14...Be6!, the point being 15.Bxe6? loses to 15...Nxc2+.

15.Ne2 exd3 16.Bxd3 Re8 17.0-0 Nxe2+ 18.Bxe2 Qe5?

This forks the white bishop and b pawn, but there is a complete answer. Instead 18...Bf5 is equal, according to the engines.

19.Bb5 Re6?

Black cannot afford to give up the back rank, so had to play 19...Rf8.

20.Qd8+ Kh7 21.Rae1 Qg5?!

Probably better are 21...Qf6 and 21...Qd6.

22.Qxg5 hxg5 23.Rxe6 Bxe6 24.Rd1 Rc8 25.c3 g4!? 26.hxg4 Bxg4 27.Rd4 Be6 28.Bd7 Rc5 29.Bxe6 fxe6 30.Rd6 Rc4

Black is a pawn down and about to lose a second one, so this is a rook-and-pawn ending that is certainly not drawn

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The game finished:

31.Rxe6 Rxa4 32.Rb6 Ra1+ 33.Kh2 a4 34.Rxb7 a3 35.bxa3 Rxa3 36.Rc7 Kg6 37.Kg3 Kf6 38.f3 Ra2 39.c4 Rc2 40.c5 g6 41.c6 Ke6 42.Rc8 Kd6 43.Rg8 1-0

Bavarian International Round Seven

FACED a German junior (born 2011).

Spanton (1858) - Jakob Greive (1441)

Spanish Classical

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5

How should White respond?

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4.c3!?

This is second in popularity to castling, but is slightly preferred by Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1.

4...d6?

The main move is 4...Nf6. There are 591 examples of the text in Chessbase's 2023 Mega database, but it is a mistake.

5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3

Even stronger is 7.Kf1!, when the mainline in  runs 7...Bd7 8.Qa4 Nge7 9.d5 with a winning advantage for White.

7...a6 8.Ba4 b5 9.Bc2 Bg4 10.Be3 Nf6 11.0-0 0-0

How would you assess the coming middlegame?

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The most significant factor is that White has more central space. Admittedly Black has pressure against the white centre, but the engines reckon White has the upper hand.

12.h3

This natural-enough move may be a novelty. Known moves are 12.Ne2!? and 12.Bg5!?

12...Bh5 13.a4 Bxc3!? 14.bxc3 Re8

How should White proceed?

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15.d5?

White is at least slightly better after both 15.axb5 and 15.Bg5!?, according to the engines.

15...Ne5 16.g4?

16.Kg2 keeps White's disadvantage to a minimum.

16...Nfxg4! 17.Nxe5?

Better, but still losing, is 17.hxg4.

17...Nxe3 18.Qxh5 Rxe5 19.Qxe5

Even worse is 19.Qe2? Qg5+ etc.

19...dxe5 20.fxe3 Qg5+ 21.Kf2 Qh4+ 22.Ke2 Qxh3 23.axb5 Qg4+ 24.Kd2 Qg2+ 25.Kd3 h6?!

Stronger is 25...Qg6.

26.Rg1?

I rejected 26.bxa6 because of 26...Rxa6?, missing that 27.Rg1 etc draws.

26...Qf2?

Better is 26...Qf3, and if 27.bxa6? then 27...f5 is strong.

27.Rgf1 Qg2 28.Bb3?

Again bxa6 was possible and desirable.

28...Qg6 29.c4 Qb6 30.Rfb1 a5 31.Bd1 g6 32.Bg4 Qd6 33.Ra4 h5 34.Bf3 f6 35.Rc1 Qc5 36.Rh1 Kf7 37.Bg2 Kg7 38.Bh3 Kh6 39.Bd7 Ra7 40.Be8 Qe7 41.Bc6 g5 42.Ra2 h4 43.Rc2?! Qa3+ 44.Rc3 Qc5 45.Bd7 a4

White faces too many passed pawns

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46.Rf1 Kg7 47.Ra1 a3 48.Ra2 Qb4 49.c5!?

Desperately trying for counterplay.

49...Qb1+ 50.Rcc2 Qd1+ 51.Kc3 Qe1+ 52.Kd3 Qb1 53.Bc6 Qb3+ 54.Ke2 Qb4

Also probably winning is 54...Qxc2+!?, but there is no need for such 'heroics'.

55.d6!? cxd6 56.b6 Ra6 57.Bb7 Qb5+ 58.Kf2

Black to play and win

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58...dxc5!

All other moves at best draw, according to the engines.

59.Bxa6 Qxa6 60.Rxc5 Qxb6 61.Rc3 Qb4 62.Rcxa3 Qxe4 63.Ra4 Qf5+ 64.Kg2 e4 65.Rf2 Qg4+ 66.Kf1?

A better try is 66.Kh2, hoping for 66...Qg3+ 67.Kh1 Qxf2?? 68.Ra7+, after which White draws by stalemate.

66...Qd1+ 0-1

Bavarian International Round Six

Michael Schulz (2083) - Spanton (1858)

QGD Normal Variation

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3!? c5 5.Nc3 Nc6

Aron Nimzowitsch recommended playing the Normal Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined with white

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Nimzowitsch's idea was that sometimes White should give Black an isolated queen's pawn, and sometimes White should accept an IQP. He believed playing thus was a good way to increase positional understanding.

6.cxd5 exd5 7.Be2 Be6 8.0-0 a6 9.b3 Be7 10.Bb2 0-0

Now both sides have castled, who do you think stands better?

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Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 give White a slight edge.

11.Rc1

White threatens to gain a large advantage with 12.dxc5.

11...cxd4 12.Nxd4 Rc8 13.Na4 Nxd4!? 14.Qxd4 b5!?

The engines prefer 14...Qa5 or 14...Qd6, in both cases preventing 15.Nc5.

15.Nc5 Qa5?

This encourages White to play a move that is useful anyway. Victor Manuel Garcia Cuenca (2369) - Luis E Valle (2268), Chess.com Blitz 2022, went 16...Qd6 (the position was reached by a different move-order) 17.b4 Qb6?! 18.g4!? with White enjoying the upper hand, according to the engines (1-0, 31 moves).

16.b4 Bxc5 17.Rxc5

The engines agree this is slightly better than capturing with the pawn.

17...Qd8

Not 17... Qxa2?? 18.Ra1 Qb3 18.Ra3.

18.Rfc1 Qd7 19.a4 Rxc5

19...bxa4 20.Bxa6 Rxc5 is less worse, according to the engines, but still deeply unpleasant.

20.bxc5!?

The engines again slightly prefer capturing with the pawn.

20...Rc8 21.axb5 axb5 22.Qb4 Qb7 23.Bd4

This is better than allowing opposite-coloured bishops by 23.Qxb5? qxb5 24.Bxb5 Rb8 25.Bxf6 Rxb5.

23...Bd7 24.h3 Ne4 25.Rb1 Bc6?!

There was no need for this tidying-up move, so perhaps counterplay with 25...Qc7 was better, but the engines reckon White has a positionally won game.

26.Ra1 Ra8 27.Ra5!? Rxa5?!

Probably better is 27...Ng5.

28.Qxa5 h6??

The back rank had to be protected.

29.Qd8+ Kh7 30.f3 b4!?

This is Komodo14.1's top choice, at least for a while, but the position is hopeless.

31.fxe4 fxe4 32.Qb6 1-0

Bavarian International Round Five

Spanton (1858) - Alberto de Luna Butz (1585)

Scandinavian

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nge2!?

The mainline in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database runs 5.Nf3 a6 6.Bg3 Bg4 7.Bg2, with at least a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1

5...c6 6.Bf4 Qd8 7.g3 Bg4 8.Bg2 e6 9.h3 Bxe2!?

The engines are not keen on this surrender of the bishop-pair.

10.Qxe2!?

This seems to be a novelty.

How should Black respond?

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10...Bd6

Grabbing the d pawn with 10...Qxd4?! looks risky, and the engines demonstrate why with 11.Nb5!, eg 11...Qb4+ 12.c3 Qxb5 13.Qxb5 cxb5 14.Bxb7 etc. Even worse is 11...Qxb2? 12.Nc7+ Kd7 13.0-0 with a winning attack, according to the engines.

11.Be5 Qe7?! 12.0-0

This is enough for at least a slight edge, but the engines give 12.Nb5! cxb5 13.Bxd6 etc. If 12...Bxe5, then 13.dxe5 Nd5 14.Nd6+ with a positionally won game, according to the engines.

12...0-0

With both sides castled, how would you assess the position?

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White has more space in the centre, and the bishop-pair. Black can remove the bishop-pair, but at the cost of conceding even more space. The engines reckon White is at least slightly better.

13.Rfe1 Nbd7 14.Rad1 Rfd8!? 15.Qf3

The engines like 15.Nb1!?, eg 15...Rac8 16.Nd2 Ne8 17.f4 with what they reckon is at least a slight edge for White.

15...Bb4 16.a3 Bxc3 17.Qxc3 Nxe5 18.dxe5 Nd5 19.Qf3 Nb6!?

The engines quite like this retreat.

20.Qf4 Rxd1 21.Rxd1 Rd8 22.Rd6!?

What should Black play?

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22...Nc8

The text and 22...Rxd6 23.cxd6 Qd7 are of roughly equal value, according to the engines.

23.Rd4 Rxd4 24.Qxd4 Nb6 25.a4 Qd7 26.Qxd7 Nxd7

Who, if anyone, stands better in this bishop-v-knight ending?

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White has more space and has the better minor piece for playing on both wings. But there are no rival pawn-majorities, which would especially favour the bishop, and the engines reckon White at best has a slight edge.

27.f4 f6!? 28.exf6 gxf6 29.Kf3 Kf7 30.Ke3 Ke7 31.Kd4 Kd6

The white king is more active, but there is no easy breakthrough

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32.b4 b6 33.c3 e5+ 34.Ke4 a5 35.Kf5?!

Decentralising the king is often risky.

How can Black exploit White's last move?

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35...exf4

White would face grave difficulties if Black had found 35...b5!?

After 35...b5!?, how can White save the game?

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If 36.axb5?!, then 36...a4 seems strong, and if 37.Be4 then 37...cxb5 gives Black a protected and passed a pawn.

If 36.bxa5. then 36...bxa4 is good as the white passer is much more easily stopped.

After 36.fxe5, both 36...Nxe5 and 36...fxe5 look good.

The engines reckon the only way to equalise is 36.Bxc6!?, eg 36...Kxc6 37.axb5+ Kxb5 38.bxa5 Kxa5 39.g4, after which it seems White can swop off the remaining black pawns and so draw.

Back to the game:

36.gxf4 c5

If 36...b5 then 37.Bxc6!? Kxc6 38.axb5+ Kxb5 39.bxa5 Kxa5 40.Ke6 may be even slightly better for White, but Black should draw, according to the engines.

37.b5

Black to play and draw

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37...Ke7?

This is too passive, and will end with Black in zugzwang. Correct is going for counterplay with 37...c4, when 38.Bc6? Nc5 39.Kxf6 Nxa4 40.f5 Nc5! wins, eg 41.Kg7 a4 42.f6 a3 43.f7 Ne6+ etc. However White draws with other bishop moves, including 38.Bf3 and 38.Bf1.
38.Bc6 Nf8 39.Bd5!

Preventing ...Ne6 and threatening Bg8. Other moves only draw, it seems.

39...Kd6 40.Bg8 Ke7 41.c4

Black is in zugzwang

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41...h6 42.h4 h5 43.Bd5 Nd7 44.Bf3 Nf8 45.Bd5

Intending to meet 45...Nd7 with 46.Kg6.

The game finished:

45...Nh7 46.Kg6 Nf8+ 47.Kxh5 Ne6 48.Bxe6 Kxe6 49.Kg6 1-0

Bavarian International Round Four

Jens Weichelt (2042) - Spanton (1858)
Réti
1.Nf3 c5 2.e3 g6 3.d4 d5 4.Be3 Nc6 5.0-0 cxd4 6.exd4 Bg7 7.c3

This pawn-formation could arise from the Exchange Variation of the Caro-Kann

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7...Nf6 8.Bf4 0-0 9.Nbd2 Nh5!? 10.Be3 Qd6 11.Re1!?

This seems the best way of meeting Black's threat to win the bishop-pair.

11...Nf4 12.Bf1 a6

How should White proceed?

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13.Ne5!?

How should Black respond?

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13...Nh5

After 13...Bxe5 14.dxe5 Qxe5 I was worried about 15.Qf3. However Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 continue 15..g5. albeit giving a slight edge to White.

14.Ndf3 f6 15.Nxc6

The engines prefer 15.Nd3.

15...bxc6 16.b4!? Re8 17.Nd2!?

The c5 square beckons.

What should Black play?

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17...e5!?

Aggressive, and perfectly reasonable, if followed up correctly.

18.g4!? exd4 19.cxd4 Nf4??

This loses a piece, Correct is 19...Bxg4! 20.Qxg4 f5 with ...f4 and at least equality to come.

20.Bxf4 Rxe1 21.Bxd6 Rxd1 22.Rxd1 (1-0, 32 moves)

Bavarian International Round Three

Spanton (1858) - Andriy Manucharyan (2058)

French Winawer

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Ne2!?

This seems to have been first played by Géza Maróczy in 1924. Alexander Alekhine used the move to beat Aron Nimzowitsch in 1931, and Emanuel Lasker similarly scored over José Capablanca four years later, the same year Alekhine won with it against Max Euwe in their first world championship match. The move scores a decent 56% in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database.

How should Black respond?

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4...dxe4

This is easily the commonest reply in Mega23, but 4...Nf6!? and 4...Nc6!?, which have also been played hundreds of times, score much higher percentagewise.

5.a3 Bxc3+

This is popular, but the main move in Mega23 is 5...Be7.

6.Nxc3 Nc6

Nimzowitsch played 6...f5!? against Alekhine at Bled (Yugoslavia) 1931. The game continued 7.f3 exf3 8.Qxf3 Qxd4!? 9.Qg3 Nf6!? 10.Qxg7 Qe5+ 11.Be2 Rg8 12.Qh6 Rg6 13.Qh4, when Stockfish16 awards White the upper hand, but Komodo14.1 is at first less keen on White's position, albeit coming to give White a slight edge (1-0, 19 moves).

7.Bb5 Ne7 8.Be3

The mainline in Mega23 runs 8.Bg5 f6, and then 9.Be3, with an equal game, according to the engines.

8...0-0 9.Nxe4?!

Stockfish16 prefers the most popular move, 9.Qd2, continuing 9...f5!? 10.0-0-0 with an unclear position. Komodo14.1 suggests 9.Bxc6!? Nxc6 10.Qd2 Qe7!? 11.Nxe4, rating the position as equal.

9...f5 10.Ng5 f4 11.Bd2

Not 11.Nxh7? Kxh7 12.Qh5+ Kg8 13.Bd3 as Black has 13...Nf5, while 11.Qh5?? h6 leaves two white pieces en prise.

11...Qd5!

Forcing White to give up the bishop-pair.

12.Bxc6 Nxc6 13.Nf3

How should Black proceed?

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13...Qe4+?!

Komodo14.1 likes the simple 13...Nxd4 14.Nxd4 Qxd4 15.Bc3 Qe4+ 16.Qe2 Qxe2+ 17.Kxe2, reckoning 17...e5! gives Black the upper hand.

Stockfish16 gives 13...e5!? 14.dxe5 Bh3!, the idea being 15.gxh3? fails to 15...Nxe5 16.Nxe5 Qxh1+ 17.Ke2 Qe4+ 18.Kf1 Qxe5. Better is 15.c4!, but 15...Qe4+ 16.Qe2 Qxe2+ 17.Kxe2 Bxg2 is good for Black.

14.Qe2 Qxc2 15.0-0!?

This seems a slight improvement over the known move 15.Rc1, after which 15...Qxb2 favours Black, according to the engines.

15...Bd7

Grabbing a second pawn with 15...Qxb2?! can be met by the forcing 16.Qc4 Qb6 17.Rab1 Qa6 18.Qxa6 bxa6 19.Rfc1, with what the engines reckon is at least enough compensation for two pawns.

16.Rfc1 Qg6 17.Rc5 Rae8 18.Bc3

What should Black play?

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18...e5!?

The engines approve of this returning the pawn for an attack, although they reckon 18...h6 is also equal.

19.dxe5 Bg4

Interesting is 19...Bh3, but White is fine replying 20.Qf1 (but not 20.Ne1? as both 20...Bxg2 and 20...f3 are strong).

20.Qc4+ Kh8 21.Ne1 f3 22.g3 Rf5?!

Black is slightly better after 22...Be6!?, according to the engines.
23.Qe4

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 23.Nd3, with Nf4 to come.

23...Re7?!

Preparing to gang up on the e pawn, but it is almost certainly too slow. The engines suggest 23...Rf7!?, although after 24.Qxg6 hxg6 the white king is no longer in danger, and White's pieces are a little more active.

24.Rd1 h5?

The engines recommend covering the back rank with 24...Re8!?, but much prefer White.

White to play and win

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25.h4

White is better after this, but the engines point out the forcing 25.h3! Bxh3 26.Rxc6! bxc6 (or 26...Qxc6) 27.Qh4, forking bishop and rook. White emerges with bishop and knight for rook and pawn, and has a large advantage, according to the engines.

25...Qe8 26.Nd3 Rf8

Black has no adequate answer to the threat of Nf4-d5, eg the engines reckon best is 26...Nd8!?, but 27.Nf4, followed by doubling rooks on the d file wins, and if 27...c6, to stop this, then 28.Nxh5! is strong and 28.e6!! is even stronger.

27.Nf4 Bf5 28.Qxf3 Kg8

The engines prefer 28...Bg4, but 29.Ng6+ Kg8 30.Qd5+ (30.Qxf8+!? is also good) Be6! 31.Qe4! wins the exchange.

29.Qd5+ Kh7 30.e6! Bg4

Or 30...Bxe6, when 31.Qd3+ Kg8 32.Rxh5 wins as 32...g6 loses to 33.Rh8+ Kf7 34.Qxg6#.

31.Qe4+ g6

White to play and lose

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32.Rd7??

White is roughly the equivalent of a queen up after 32.Rdd5, according to the engines, but other moves also win, including the simple 32.Re1.

The game finished:

32...Rxd7 33.Nxh5? Rd1+ 34.Be1 Qxe6 0-1
AM: "Sorry."

Gmund

GMUND is often referred to as Gmund am Tegernsee to differentiate from other places with the same name, gmund being commonly used in German to indicate a settlement at a rivermouth.

In this case Gmund is situated where the River Mangfall starts, the river being an outflow from the lake of Tegernsee.

The town, although it was then only a small village, is first mentioned in a 1075 report from nearby Tegernsee Abbey.

Railside meadow on Gmund's outskirts

Unlike many Bavarian tourist spots, murals are rare

But the train station is picturesque

And so are many other buildings

Fly-fisherman on the Mangfall

Churches with distinctive onion-style domes

Gasthof Herzog Maximilian has existed, albeit under various names, since at least 1339, guests including a Russian tsar and an Austrian emperor

Bavarian International Round Two

FACED a German-registered junior (born 2009).

Tobias Smith (1648) - Spanton (1858)

QGD Exchange

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 c6 6.e3 Bd6!?

Clearly the black dark-square bishop is more actively placed on d6 than after the main move, 6...Be7, but the question is whether White can take advantage of the pin on the black king's knight

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7.Qc2!?

This is much less popular than 7.Bd3, although the lines may easily transpose, but, for what it is worth, the text scores 64% in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database, while 7.Bd3 scores 58%.

7...h6!?

Perhaps Black should castle before playing this move, although it has been tried by players rated over 2400.

How should White respond?

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8.Bh4

This is the commonest continuation in Mega23, and it has been played by Grigoriy Oparin (2683), albeit at blitz, but probably critical is 8.Bxf6, the point being 8...Qxf6 runs into 9.Nxd5! etc. That leaves 8...gxf6, after which it is doubtful if Black's bishop-pair makes up for having a smashed kingside and problems finding a safe haven for the king.

8...0-0 9.Nf3 Re8 10.Be2!?

In the postmortem TS said he rejected 10.Bd3 because of the reply 10...Bg4. But White can boldly meet this with 11.h3!?, when 11...Bxf3 12.gxf3, followed by castling long, gives White promising kingside attacking chances.

10...Be6 11.0-0 Nbd7 12.Rab1 a5 13.a3 Qe7!?

This may be a novelty. Pedro Ramón Martínez Reyes (2386) - Aryan Tari (2656), Chess.com Blitz 2022, went 13...Qb8 14.b4 axb4 15.axb4 b5!? with equality, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 (0-1, 44 moves).

14.Na4 g6 15.Rfc1 Bf5 16.Bd3 Be4!? 17.Bxf6!?

Opting for simplification. Certainly not 17.Nd2? Bxh2+! 18.Kxh2 Ng4+ 19.Kh3 Qe6 etc.

17...Nxf6 18.Bxe4 Nxe4 19.Nc5!? Bxc5!?

This seems best. After ...

20.dxc5 a4

... Black has strong pressure against c5.

21.Nd2

How should Black proceed?

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21...Qf6

Probably not 21...Nxf2?! 22.Kxf2 Qx3+ 23.Kf1, even though Komodo14.1 reckons Black has sufficient compensation after 23...d4, 23...g5 and 23...Qf4+. However Stockfish16 disagrees, reckoning White is winning, and Komodo14.1 is not so keen on its suggestions once they have been inputted on the screen.

22.Nxe4 Rxe4 23.Qc3 Kg7 24.f3!?

This creates a new weakness, at e3, but relieves the pressure on c5.

24...Re5 25.b3

The engines prefer sitting tight with 25.Rc2, although they reckon 25...Rae8 may give an edge.

25...axb3

The engines give Black at least a slight edge after 25...Rae8!?

26.Rxb3 Ra7 27.Rcb1 Re7 28.Qd4 Qxd4 29.exd4 Re2

What should White play?

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30.R1b2?!

The game is equal after 30.R3b2 or 30.Rxb7, according to the engines.

What should Black play?

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30...Rxa3! 31.Rxb7?

White is a (backward) pawn down, but with drawing chances, after the engines' 31.h3. The problem with the text is that after ...

31...Ra1+ 32.Rb1 Raa2

... Black has unchallenged control of the seventh rank.

33.g4

The best try, according to the engines.

While I was thinking about my next move, TB offered a draw, but the engines reckon White is roughly the equivalent of a rook down.

33...Rxg2+ 34.Kh1

Even worse is 34.Kf1, when Black has a very pleasant choice between 34...Rxh2, forcing 35.Kg1, transposing to the game, and the even stronger 34...Raf2+ 35.Ke1 Rxh2, when the threat of ...Ra2 followed by mate cannot be reasonably met.

The game finished:

34...Rxh2+ 35.Kg1 Rhg2+ 36.Kh1 Rgd2 37.R7b6 Rxd4 38.Rxc6 Rc2 39.Rc7 Rd3 40.Rd7 Rxc5 41.Kg2 Rc2+ 42.Kg3 Rcc3 0-1

Bavarian International Round One

Spanton (1858) - Matthias Schnieder (1594)

Pirc

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.f4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bg4!?

There are 672 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database, although it trails in popularity 5...c6, 5...c5 and especially 5...0-0.

6.h3!?

In the postmortem MS said this is unnecessary as Black is more-or-less obliged to play ...Bxf3 as soon as the white queen moves. However the text is the main continuation in Mega23 and is quite liked by Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1.

6...Bxf3 7.Qxf3

Black has to deal with the threat of 8.e5

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7...c6 8.Be3 a5

Aimed at discouraging 0-0-0.

How should White proceed?

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9.Bd3

Six games in Mega23 reached the position in the second diagram. Three continued with the text, and three saw 9.0-0-0!?, which is preferred by the engines.

9...Na6 10.a3

The engines suggest 10.e5 or 10.0-0-0!?

10...0-0 11.0-0 Nd7!?

This is probably a novelty. The engines like the known-move 11...e6, albeit much preferring White.

12.Rad1 Qc8!? 13.f5 c5?!

The engines are not particularly concerned about this, but after ...

14.Nd5 Qd8 15.c3

... White's kingside play looks menacing, while the white queenside is not under pressure.

15...Nc7 16.g4!?

The engines prefer avoiding doubled pawns by 16.Nxc7 Qxc7 17.g4 (Stockfish16) or 16.Bc4!? Nxd5 17.Bxd5 (Komodo14.1).

16...Nxd5 17.exd5 cxd4 18.Bxd4 Ne5

The knight is a monster on e5, but the engines prefer 18...Bxd4+!?, claiming 19.cxd4 leaves White only slightly better.

19.Qe3 Qd7 20.Rf2 b5 21.Rdf1 b4!? 22.axb4 axb4

What should White play?

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23.cxb4!?

The engines like the text and 23.c4 almost equally.

23...Nxd3 24.Qxd3 Bxd4+ 25.Qxd4 f6

Stockfish16 claims 25...Qa7!? equalises, while Komodo14.1 reckons it leaves White with the upper hand.

26.Qd3?!

Black is under more pressure after 26.fxg6 hxg6 27.Qe4.

26...g5 27.h4 h6 28.h5?

Too slow - Black now gets a strong initiative on the queenside

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28...Rfb8 29.Qb3?

Now White is lost, according to the engines. Counterplay with 29.Qe4 is called for.

29...Ra4

The b4 pawn must fall, equalising material and leaving White with three weak pawns (b2, d5 and g4).

30.Rg2 Raxb4

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 30...Rbxb4.

31.Qc3 Qb7 32.Re1!?

This is probably better than passively defending d5 with 32.Rd1.

32...Rc8!?

Can you find a strong combination for White?

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33.Rxe7??

The engines give 33.Qe3, but after 33...Kf8 Black has the safer king, can pick up the b pawn more-at-less at will and  according to the engines, is positionally winning.

Black to play and win

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33...Qb6+??

Winning is 33...Rxc3 34.Rxb7 Rc1+ etc.

34.Qe3 Rxb2 35.Rxb2 Rc1+ 36.Kg2 Qxb2+ 37.Qe2 Rc2 38.Re8+ ½–½

Good Walking

MY hotel is on the northeast shore of the lake, while the venue, Gut Kaltenbrunn, a former monastery and now a large hostelry, is on the northwest shore.

It is less than a half-hour walk between the two, with good views across the Tegernsee.

Early morning

Since I had plenty of time, I walked on to Bad Wiessee, which is proabaly the prettiest of the lake's towns.

The tourist-information office was taking tournament-registration confirmations, and I knew there would be places to have an espresso.

This carving seems new - I cannot remember it being in Bad Wiessee last year

The latest list of entries has 520 players, including 13 grandmasters.

Lakeside Chess

ARRIVED in the Bavarian town of Gmund am Tegernsee this evening after quite an adventure.

The journey via Heathrow and Munich airports should have been relatively painless.

But due to multiple railworks and other delays, I had to catch five trains and two buses in addition to my flight from London.

I am in Gmund for the 26th edition of a tournament that this year has attracted 534 entries, including 15 grandmasters, although I seem to be the only player from the UK.

There are nine rounds over nine days, starting tomorrow, with all rounds at 16:00, apart from the final round at 10:00.

The time limit is 40 moves in 90 minutes, with 30 minutes to finish, and a 30-second increment throughout. Pairings will be accelerated for the first five rounds.

Tegernsee is the name of a town and a valley, but is best known as the name of a four-mile-long lake that Germans have used for recreation for hundreds of years.

I have played at towns beside the lake three times before, but in a seniors event held in the spring.

This will be a new experience, partly prompted because the tournament has been highly recommended to me by several German players.