Lessons From Transylvania VIII

IN round nine of the Brașov International I had black against a 1411.
The full game can be seen at B9 but here I want to concentrate on the opening.

The game began 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6!?, a sequence dating back to at least 1861, although Akiba Rubinstein, after whom the 3...dxe4 variation is named, preferred 4...Nd7, which is easily the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database.

After 5.Nxf6+ Qxf6 6.Nf3 the threat of 7.Bg5 is unpleasant, so Black usually plays 6...h6.

Black has 'given up the centre' but has no weaknesses and can hope to pressurise d4

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7.Be3!?

Normal is 7.Bd3 but the text has also been played by grandmasters.

7...Bd6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.Bd3 Nc6 10.c3 Re8

Possible already is ...e5, which if it can be played without compromising the black position usually means Black has at least equalised.

11.0-0-0 e5

How should White respond?

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The game saw 12.Qc2?! exd4 13.Nxd4, after which 13...Ne5 gives Black at least a slight edge, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02.

Instead 12.dxe5 Nxe5 13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.Qc2 is equal, according to Komodo13.02 although Stockfish15 slightly prefers Black.

If 12.d5!? the engines give 12...e4 13.dxc6 exd3 as better for Black, eg 14.Rhe1 Qg6 15.Qxd3 Bf5 16.Qd2 Be4 17.cxb7 Bxb7, when Black is a pawn down but has the bishop-pair and the safer king.

CONCLUSION: if White lets Black play ...e5 in the Rubinstein Variation of the French Defence, without having a strong riposte in mind, Black has a good game.

Lessons From Transylvania VII

IN round eight of the Brașov International I had white against an 1885.
The full game can be seen at B8 but here I want to concentrate on the key moment in the opening.

The game began 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7 4.0-0 a6 5.Bd3!? Ngf6 6.Re1 g6 7.c3 Bg7 8.Bc2 0-0 9.d4 cxd4 10.cxd4 b5

There are 34 games with this position in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database

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I tried to seize the initiative with 11.e5!? dxe5 12.dxe5 Ng4 13.e6, but after 13...fxe6 14.Rxe6 Black's superior development gave her the initiative, which she could have capitalised on with 14...Nc5 or 14...Bb7.

Filip Pancevski (1519) - Ciprian-Costica Nanu (2514), Fide World Cup Hybrid Qualifier 2021, went 11.a3 Bb7 12.Nc3 Nb6 13.Qe2 Rc8 with equality, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 (½–½, 51 moves).

Daniel Gormally has twice faced 11.Nc3, replying 11...Bb7 (11...b4 should be met by 12.Na4, giving White a slight edge, according to the engines). Both games continued with 12.a3, transposing to Pancevski-Nanu.

The thought arises that if a3 is not necessary at move 11, perhaps it is not necessary at move 12, and indeed Peter Svidler (2475) - Ioannis Papaioannou (2638), European Team Championship (Reykjavik) 2015, saw 12.h3, when the engines again reckon ...b4 is well-met by Na4. Instead the game went 12...Nb6 13.a3 Rc8 14.Qe2 e6 with a position the engines reckon is roughly equal (but 1-0, 38 moves).

The engines suggest White's best chance lies with queenside play, eg 11.a4 Bb7 12.Bd2, a position international master Leon Livaic has had twice as black, winning both games, albeit against opposition rated about 150 elo lower. The engines reckon White should have a tiny pull, but basically call the position equal.

CONCLUSION: there is no quick route to an advantage for White in the diagrammed position. White does have more space in the centre, but Black is solid and has pressure against the centre, making for an interesting and unbalanced game but one without the immediate prospect of fireworks.

Lessons From Transylvania VI

IN round seven of the Brașov International (I missed round six through being in hospital) I had black against a 1932.
The full game can be seen at B7 but here I want to concentrate on key moments in the middlegame.

White has just gained space in the centre with 17.e5

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17...Bxg2

Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 prefer 17...Nd5!? 18.Nxd5 Bxd5 19.Bxd5 exd5, which, like the text, exchanges off White's powerful light-square bishop but leaves Black with an isolated queen's pawn. Then 20.Bf4 gives White a slight edge, according to the engines.

18.Kxg2

Almost certainly not 18.exf6?! Qc6 (18...Bh3?! 19.fxg7 Rfd8 20.Ne4) 19.Qg4 g6.

18...Nd7

The engines prefer 18...Nd5 19.Nxd5 exd5, reaching the same position as in the note to Black's 17th, move except the white king is on g2 rather than g1.

19.Bf4

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 19.Rac1!?, eg 19...Qxb2 20.Na4 Qxa3 21.Qb5 Nxe5 22.Bc3! Bd4 23.Ra1 Qd6 24.Bxd4 Qc6+ 25.Qxc6 Nxc6 26.Be3, a sharp line that leaves White with a bishop and the superior development for three pawns.

How should Black respond?

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19...Bd4

The engines do not like this, but cannot agree on what should be played. One line given by Stockfish15 runs 19...Qc6? 20.f3 a5 21.Ne4 b6 22.h4, when it reckons White is positionally winning. Komodo13.02 suggests 19...Rfd8 20.Bg5 f6 21.exf6 Nxf6 22.Bxf6 gxf6 23.b4 Qc6+ 24.Ne4!? f5 25.bxc5 Rxd1 26.Rxd1 Qxe4+ 27.Qxe4 fxe4 28.Rd4, claiming a large advantage for White in the rook-and-pawn ending.

White to play and win

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20.Kg2?

This lets Black equalise. Best seems to be 20.Nb5!? Bc5 21.Rac1 (21.Rxd7?? Qc6+) Rac8 22.b4 Be7 23.Be3, eg after 23...Qd8 24.Bxa7 White is a pawn up with the much better position, and trying to trap the white bishop with 24...b6 can be met by 25.Qe4 (other moves are also strong, according to the engines), when 25...Ra8 gets nowhere after 26.Rc7 or 26.Qb7.

Also good, according to the engines, is 20.Rac1 Bxc3 21.Rxc3, when Black seems to have nothing better than the deeply unpleasant 21...Nb8 as 21...Rad8 (or 21...Rfd8) loses to 22.Rd6 Qa5 23.b4 Qa4 24.Rcd3 etc.

After the text the game quickly simplified into a draw:

20...Bxc3 21.Rxd7 Qxb2 22.Qxb2 Bxb2 23.Ra2 Bc3 24.Rc2 Ba5 25.Rxb7 Rfb8 26.Rxb8+ Rxb8 27.Be3 Bb6 28.Bxb6 axb6 29.Rc7 ½–½

Lessons From Transylvania V

IN round five of the Brașov International I had white against a 1751.
The full game can be seen at B5 but here I want to concentrate on what seems a promising novelty.

The game began 1.d4 f5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bb5 - in effect White is playing a Veresov against Black's Dutch Defence.

Commonest now is 3...d5, stopping a central break by White with e4.

The mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database runs 4.Bxf6!? exf6 5.e3 Be6 6.Bd3 Nc6!?, which Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon may slightly favour White.

I preferred 4.e3, and there followed 4...e6 5.Bd3 Be7 6.Nh3!? 0-0 7.Nf4, after which Black went for exchanges with 7...Ne4.

The game Weiqi Zhou (2638) - Yangyi Yu (2735), China Team Championship 2016, continued 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.0-0 c5 10.Nce2 with equality, according to the engines (½–½, 31 moves).

But I offered a pawn with 8.h4!?

How should Black meet what seems to be a novelty?

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Black has two ways of accepting the gambit.

A) 8...Nxg5?! 9.hxg5 Bxg5 10.Qh5, when 10...Bh6 11.0-0-0 gives White a strong attack, according to Stockfish15, although Komodo13.02 only gives White a slight edge. The latter engine prefers 11.g4, meeting 11...Qg5 with 12.gxf5, when 12...Qxh5 13.Rxh5 Bxf4 14.exf4 looks promising for White.

Instead of 10...Bh6 Black can play 10...h6 but 11.Ng6 is good, especially as the natural-looking 11...Rf7 is hit by 12.f4 Bf6 13.g4 with what the engines agree is a winning attack.

B) The other method of accepting the gambit, 8...Bxg5 9.hxg5 Qxg5 occurred in the game, when the engines reckon best is 10.g4!?, the idea being to meet 10...Qxg4 with 11.Qxg4 fxg4 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Bxe4, when they reckon White has more than enough for a pawn.

Instead of capturing on g4, Black could develop with 10...Nc6, when 11.gxf5 Nxc3 12.bxc3 has to be met with 12...e5!, according to the engines, as 12...exf5 13.Kd2!? gives White a very strong attack. After 12...e5! play might go 13.Nxd5 Bxf5 and now, rather than 14.Nxc7 Rac8, the engines suggest 14.Qh5!? Qxh5 15.Rxh5 g6 16.Rh4, hovering between giving White a slight edge and calling the game equal.

With accepting the gambit looking risky, albeit playable, it is not surprising the engines prefer declining it. Stockfish15 suggests 8...Nc6!? 9.Bxe7 Nxe7!? 10.Nce2 c5 11.c3 with a roughly level game. Komodo13.02 likes 8...Nxc3 9.bxc3 c5 10.c4!? cxd4 11.exd4, and now suggests a delayed grab of the pawn with 11...Bxg5 12.hxg5 Qxg5 but gives White a slight edge after 13.Qf3 (Stockfish15 agrees).

CONCLUSION: offering a pawn at move eight is a sound gambit, and a tricky one for an unprepared opponent.

Lessons From Transylvania IV

IN round four of the Brașov International I had black against an 1800.
The full game can be seen at B4 but here I want to concentrate on the sharp opening.

It began 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 c5!?

There are four more-popular moves in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database: 4...Nbd7, 4...Bb4, 4...c6 and especially 4....Be7, but the text has been played by Howard Staunton, Paul Morphy, Emanuel Lasker, Vladimir Kramnik and Magnus Carlsen.

After 5.cxd5 the main reply is 5...Nxd5, but 5...cxd4!? has been tried by Lasker, Kramnik and Carlsen.

The mainline in Mega22 continues 6.Qxd4 exd5 7.e4!? Nc6 8.Bb5 dxe4 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8 10.Ng5 Be6 11.0-0!? Bb4 12.Ncxe4 Nxe4 13.Nxe4, when Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon White is slightly better.

My opponent preferred to win a pawn by 6.Qa4+!? Bd7 7.Qxd4 exd5 8.Nxd5.

After the further moves 8...Qa5+ 9.Nc3 Nc6 Black has an initiative, but is it enough?

How should White proceed?

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The mainline in Mega22 runs 10.Qd1 0-0-0 11. Bd2 Bg4 12.e3 Bb4, when the engines reckon Black does not have enough for a pawn. However there are alternatives along the way, eg Daire McMahon (191 BCF) - Spanton (163 BCF), International Students (London) 1995, saw 10...Ne4!? 11.Qc2? Bf5 12.Qb3 Bb4 13.Kxd2 (13.Nxd2?! Nd4 etc) 0-0, after which Black has a large advantage (0-1, 58 moves). White in turn can improve with 11.Bd2, when 11...Nxd2 12.Qxd2 0-0-0 goes back to Harry Golombek - Philip Stuart Milner-Barry, British Championship (Brighton) 1938 (1-0, 31 moves), and was repeated last year in Tiger Hillarp Persson (2543) - Platon Galperin (2498), Uppsala (Sweden), which was a 34-move draw.

My opponent chose 10.Qe3+ Be7 11.Qg5, after which I replied 11...Qxg5?, when 12.Bxg5 Nb4 13.Rc1 gave White the upper hand.

Black should avoid trading queens, probably with 11...Qb6. Since 12.Qxg7?? loses to 13...Rg8 14.Qh6 Ng4 etc the engines reckon White should prefer 12.e3, meeting 12...Nb4 with 13.Nd4. But then Stockfish15's 13...Ng4!? seems strong, eg 14.Qf4 (14.Qxg7?? Bf6) 0-0 15.Be2 Bd6 16.Qg5 Rae8, when the engines reckon Black is at least equal.

CONCLUSION: grabbing a pawn with 6.Qa4+ etc is playable but White faces a tricky defensive task against accurate play by Black.

Lessons From Transylvania III

IN round three of the Brașov International I had white against an 1848.
The full game can be seen at B3 but here I want to look at Black's reaction to the Alekhine-Chatard Attack in the French.

The game began 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4.

The starting position of the Alekhine-Chatard Attack 

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After 6...Bxg5 7.hxg5 Qxg5 8.Nh3 the analysis engines Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon White has at least full compensation for a pawn.

Not surprisingly the gambit is more often declined, with the mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database running 6...a6!? 7.Qg4 Bxg5 8.hxg5 c5 9.g6 f5 10.Qf4, reaching a position Komodo13.02 calls equal but Stockfish15 reckons favours White.

My game featured 6...h6!?, which is Black's second-most popular way to decline the gambit and is preferred by the engines over any other declining method.

Now Komodo13.02 likes 7.Be3!?, with both engines continuing 7...c5 8.Qg4, agreeing White is slightly better but not agreeing on how Black should meet the queen thrust. Komodo13.02 suggests 8...Kf8!? 9.f4 Nc6 10.Nf3 with a complicated middlegame. Stockfish15 likes 8...Rg8!? 9.f4 cxd4 10.Bxd4 Nc6 11.Nf3, again with a complicated position.

An interesting alternative is 7.Qh5!?, when 7...g6 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.Qe2 is good for White, according to the engines. They prefer 7...a6 or 7...c5, eg 7...a6 8.0-0-0 c5 9.dxc5 Nc6 10.Nf3 with an unclear position.

My game saw 7.Bxe7, which is the main continuation in Mega22. After 7...Qxe7 I attacked with 8.Qg4, which is the commonest move, but the engines much prefer 8.f4!?

Position after 8.f4!?

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After 8.f4!? Black could reply 8...0-0, but this may be castling into it as the engines like 9.g4!?, when 9...c5 10.dxc5!? looks promising, eg Stockfish15 continues 10...Qxc5 11.g5!? Qb4 12.Nge2 with attacking chances. Komodo13.02 varies with 11...Qe3+, but again 12.Nge2 seems effective (the black queen can be evicted with Rh3).

The main reply to 8.f4!? in Mega22 is 8...a6, when the engines give 9.Qd2 b5 10.Nf3 c5 11.Ne2 with Stockfish15 claiming at least a slight edge for White, but Komodo13.02 rating the position as equal.

CONCLUSION: challenging the white dark-square bishop at move six with ...h6 seems a decent try for Black. Continuations are arguably not as tactically sharp as many others in the Alekhine-Chatard, but can be positionally complicated with much for both sides to consider.

Lessons From Transylvania II

IN round two of the Brașov International I had black against a 1786.
The full game can be seen at B2 but here I want to concentrate on the opening, which featured an important line of the Scotch.

The game began 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Qf6!? 5.Be3 Bc5, a position normally reached via the move-order 4...Bc5 5.Be3 Qf6.

After the further moves 6.c3 Nge7 the main continuation in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database is 7.Bc4, but my opponent played a popular alternative, 7.g3.

Position after 7.g3

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White's seventh move is clearly playable, but it first appears in Mega22 as recently as 1955. Even so it has attracted big-name followers, including Garry Kasparov, Hikaru Nakamura, Vassily Ivanchuk, Evgeny Sveshnikov and Jonny Hector, all of whom can be thought of as attacking players. The move scores 57% in Mega22, five percentage points more than 7.Bc4.

Nevertheless White is falling behind in development, which is presumably why the most popular reply in Mega22 is 7...d5. After 8.Bg2 dxe4 the recapture 9.Bxe4?! can be met by 9...Bh3 or 9...Bxd4, both of which give Black an advantage, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02. However the most popular move in Mega22 is 9...Nxd4!?, which the engines reckon is only good enough for equality after 10.cxd4.

Kasparov and Ivanchuk preferred 9.0-0, although the engines reckon Black equalises with 9...Bxd4 10.cxd4 Bf5, when Black is a pawn up but White has the bishop-pair. One can see why an attacking player might like White's position, especially as the mainline continues 11.Nc3 0-0-0.

Position after 11...0-0-0

Two moves in Mega22 appear more often than 9.0-0.

One is 9.Nb5!?, when 9...Bxe3 10.Nxc7+ Kf8 should probably be met by 11.fxe3 (11.0-0?! is marginally more common but 11...Rb8 12.fxe3 Qe5 gives Black the upper hand, according to the engines). After 11.fxe3 the engines reckon Black should again reply 11...Rb8, meeting 12.Nd5 with either 12...Qe5 or a move not in Mega22, 12...Nd5, with a position difficult for both sides.

My game saw 9.Nd2, which has come to be the mainline. The game continued 9...Nxd4?! 10.Nxe4 Qg6 11.Bxd4 Bxd4 (the engines prefer 11...Bb6!?, which is not in Mega22) 12.Qxd4 Nc6 13.Qc5!?, when the engines reckon Black needs to find 13...Bh3!? to get a decent game.

Almost certainly better than my ninth move is 9...Bxd4, when 10.Nxe4 Bxc3+ wins a pawn but leaves White with sweeping bishops. Much more popular is 10.cxd4 Bf5 11.Nxe4 Bxe4!? 12.Bxe4 0-0-0, when again White has the bishop-pair but Black has an IQP to work against. The engines reckon it is a game with equal chances.

CONCLUSION: 7.g3 may be slow but it leads to sharp play with a battle for the initiative that should suit attacking players.

Lessons From Transylvania

IN round one of the Brașov International I had white against a 2263.

The full game can be seen at B1 but here I want to look at a key point in the opening.

The game began 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.Bd2, the last move apparently being first played in 1927 by Efim Bogoljubow. Easily the main reply in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database is 5...Ne7.

After the further moves 6.a3 Bxc3 7.Bxc3 b6, White often plays 8.Bb5+ to make it difficult for Black to arrange an exchange of light-square bishops.

I preferred 8.Nf3, which was also Boris Spassky's choice in a 2001 game. The idea is that after 8...Ba6 White misplaces the black queen's knight with 9.Bxa6, forcing 9...Nxa6.

Spassky continued 10.0-0 but I preferred to hit the knight immediately with 10.Qe2, after which 10...Nc7 leaves the knight rather prospectless, so 10...Nb8!? is probably better.

How should White proceed?

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I played 11.dxc5?! bxc5 (Black now has more central pawns than White) 12.Qb5+?!, but 12...Nd7 left the white queen sticking out like a sore thumb.

The diagrammed position appears three times in Mega22, with all three games seeing 11.0-0. The highest-rated clash, Angel Espinosa Aranda (2336) - Sandro Pozo Vera (2474), La Roda (Spain) 2009, continued 11...0-0 12.Rad1 Qc7 13.Bd2 Nbc6 with a roughly equal position (0-1, 58 moves).

Stockfish15 suggests 11.h4!?, but reckons the position is even. Komodo13.02 reckons 11.h4!? and 11.0-0 are of equal value, but give White no edge.

CONCLUSION: Bogoljubov's line against the Winawer has a modern reputation of not posing Black any particular problems, and this game does nothing to gainsay that. Perhaps 8.Bb5+ is the starting point for something that will challenge Black more. If nothing else, keeping light-square bishops on the board should lead to a more complex middlegame.

Summing Up Transylvania

ALL eight of my opponents in the open section of the Brașov International were Romanian juniors (even the player I defaulted against after being taken to hospital was a Romanian junior). My score of +1=2-5 saw me lose 50.2 Fide elo.

Congress poster

Brașov Round Nine

TODAY in the final round I played another Romanian junior (born 2008).

Razvan-Alexandru Panait (1411) - Spanton (1889)

French Rubinstein

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6!?

The main moves are 4...Nd7 and 4...Bd7 but there are 5,043 examples of the text in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database.

5.Nxf6+ Qxf6 6.Nf3 h6 7.Be3!?

The mainline runs 7.Bd3 Bd6 8.0-0 0-0 9.Qe2, when White has the upper hand, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02.

7...Bd6 8.Qd2!?

Hinting at quick queenside castling.

8...0-0 9.Bd3 Nc6 10.c3 Re8!?

Possibly new. 10...e5 is known from three games in Mega22.

11.0-0-0 e5 12.Qc2?!

Capturing on e5 or playing 12.d5 are probably better.

12...exd4 13.Nxd4 Nxd4?!

Almost certainly better is 13...Ne5.

14.Bxd4 Bf4+?!

Grabbing a pawn by 14...Qg5+ 15.Kb1 Qxg2?? loses on the spot to 15...Rdg1 etc but the engines reckon 15...Be6 gives Black at least an even game. The text spends a tempo helping the white king to safety.

15.Kb1 Be5 16.Rhe1 Re7??

It was necessary to play 16...Re6 or 16...Bg4 17.f3 Bxd4, although in both lines Black is struggling for equality.

17.Bh7+?

This is good enough for a large advantage, but winning is 17.Qe2.

17...Kf8

Not 17...Kh8?? 18.Rxe5!? (18.Bxe5 also wins) Rxe5 19.Bxe5, and if 19...Qxe5? then 20.Rd8+ Qe8 21.Rxe8#.

18.Bc5 Bd6 19.Rxe7 Qxe7

Not 19...Bxe7?? 20.Rd8#.

20.Bxd6 cxd6

How large is White's advantage?

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The engines reckon White is the equivalent of about three-quarters of a pawn ahead.

21.Be4 Be6 22.Bf3 Kg8 23.Qe4

How should Black proceed?

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23...Rb8

The engines give 23...Re8!?, and if 24.Qxb7 then 24...Bf5+ 25.Ka1 (25.Kc1? Qg5+ 26.Rd2 Bg6) Qe1!, when the game is dead-equal, according to Komodo13.02 although Stockfish15 gives White a slight edge.

24.Qb4

Also strong is the simple 24.Qd4.

24...Bf5+ 25.Ka1 Bc2!? 26.Qxd6 Qxd6!?

Heading for a rook-and-pawn ending. The engines prefer 26...Qe8.

27.Rxd6 Re8 28.b3 Be4 29.Bxe4 Rxe4

How would you assess the ending?

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White is a pawn up and it is White to move, but the black king is slightly better placed than its opposite number. Stockfish15 reckons White is winning; the more-conservative Komodo13.02 gives White 'only' the upper hand.

30.Rd8+ Kh7 31.Rd7!?

Slower, but possibly better, is 31.Rd2.

31...Re1+ 32.Kb2 Re2+ 33.Ka3 Rxf2 34.Rxb7 f5?

Best is 34...a6, according to the engines, and they also prefer 34...Rxg2?!

35.g3?

White should get on with it, eg 35.Rxa7 Rxg2 36.b4 etc.

35...Rxh2 36.Rxa7 Rh3 37.Kb4

Stockfish15 reckons 37.b4!? is best but Komodo13.02 much prefers the text and 37.c4.

37...Rxg3 38.c4 f4?

Stockfish15 reckons 38...h5 and 38...Rg6 more-or-less equalise; Komodo13.02 disagrees, but both engines reckon the text is wrong.
39.c5!?

Stockfish15 reckons this and 39.Rf7 win, but Komodo13.02 much prefers the latter.

39...f3?!

39...Re3 was the best chance, according to the engines, although 40.Rf7 seems strong.

40.Rf7 Kg8 41.Rf4 g5

White to play and win

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42.c6!

Also probably good enough is 42.Rf5 Rg4+ 43.Kc3, but 43.Ka5? only draws and 43.Kb4?? loses.

42...gxf4 43.c7 f2 44.c8=Q+ Kg7 45.Qc7+ Kg6 1-0

City Life

THE city of Brașov - not to be confused with the nearby alpine resort of Poiana Brașov, where I am staying - is home to more than 250,000 people.

There are many cafes and the centre is easy to get around on foot.

A frequent bus connects the city to the resort at a cost of little more than £1, with the bus often hauling a trailer for passengers to attach mountain bikes.

Brașov has its own 'Hollywood' sign

A highlight of the city is St Nicholas's Church, founded in 1292 but rebuilt in stone from the late 1400s.

St Nicholas' Church

Exterior frescoes

Cemetery

Statue in the church grounds of Diaconul Coresi, who in the 1500s printed some of the earliest books in the Romanian language

My view while enjoying an espresso at the nearby Woof Street Cafe

 

Statue of the Unknown Soldier, unveiled in 1939 to commemorate those killed in WW1

Municipal flower display

Brașov Round Eight

DOWNFLOATED today against another Romanian junior (born 2005).

Spanton (1889) - Stephanie Matasaru (1885) 

Sicilian Bb5(+)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7 4.0-0 a6 5.Bd3!?

A relatively new move - the first example in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database is from 1984 - but it has taken over from 5.Bxd7+ as the mainline.

5...Ngf6 6.Re1 g6!?

The mainline in Mega22 continues 6...e6 7.c3 b5 8.Bc2 c4!? with an equal position, according to Stockfish15, although Komodo13.02 prefers White.

7.c3 Bg7 8.Bc2 0-0 9.d4 cxd4 10.cxd4 b5

How should White continue?

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11.e5!?

Trying to seize the initiative, but, although it might not be immediately apparent, the threat of being back-rank mated proves a major problem.

11...dxe5

11...Nd5 and 11...Ne8 have also been played, but the text is probably best.

12.dxe5 Ng4 13.e6 fxe6 14.Rxe6

Antony* Rode (2020) - Anton Demchenko (2628), Skopje Karposh ('Macedonia') 2017, saw 14.h3 Nge5 15.Ng5 Nc5, when Black had the upper hand, according to the engines (0-1, 27 moves).

What should Black play?

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14...Nde5

The engines reckon best is 14...Bb7!?, when Black's activity and lead in development more than compensate for the isolated king's pawn.

15.Qxd8 Rxd8 16.Rxe7 Bf6 17.Bb3+ Kh8 18.Nxe5!? Nxe5

Not 18...Bxe7? 19.Nf7+ Kg7 20.Nxd8 Bxd8 as White emerges a pawn up.

19.Rc7 Be6

How should White respond?

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20.f4??

Best seems to be 20.Nd2 Bxb3 21.axb3, when I feared 21...Nd3, missing that 22.Nf3 gives what the engines reckon is a dead-equal position. Komodo13.02 also likes 20.Bd2? but Stockfish15's 20...Bg8! causes White problems, for example Komodo13.02's suggestion of 21.h3 runs into 21...b4!, when White has major difficulties developing the queenside.

20...Bxb3 21.fxe5 Bxe5 22.Rc6 Bd4+ 23.Kh1

23.Kf1 is not much of an improvement - the white king is doomed either way.

23...Bd5 24.Rc2 Rf8 25.Nd2

The engines reckon best is 25.Bf4!?, which shows the position is well resignable.

25...Rae8

25...Rf2 also wins, but then so do many other moves.

26.h4 Re1+ 27.Kh2 Be5+ 28.Kh3 Rh1+ 0-1

*The player's name is more commonly spelt Anthony on the internet but Antony seems correct.

What Bears Do In The Woods

ROMANIA is home to Europe's largest brown-bear population, with more than 7,000 estimated in the country's forested Carpathian mountain region.

Attacks on humans are rare, but deaths do occur, and raids on villages and sheep pens are an accepted hazard of living in the mountains.

Not all bears are grizzly

The hotel I am staying at has a sign on the main entrance warning against going outside in the dark alone, and the tournament organiser advised me to make plenty of noise if walking out of the centre of Poiana Brașov even in daylight.

I was happy to accept their admonitions, until coming home from A&E late on Tuesday night when, having caught the 11pm bus instead of getting a taxi, I found myself walking in pitch darkness alongside a wood as I made it from the bus stop to my hotel.

I always carry a pocket torch on me, and this was one of the few times when I have been thankful I do as illuminating the blackness gave a feeling of security (probably false, but comforting all the same).

Reception in the hotel told me off, mildly, but what else was she supposed to say?

However, last night's "Extreme Alert" was about a bear on the woodside street I walked along on Tuesday night, so I am feeling a lot less sanguine.

Bear Necessities

I HAVE just been woken at 23:16 local time by my phone sounding a claxon alert I have never heard before.

The English part of the "Extreme Alert" reads:

The presence of a bear was reported in Predeal on Poinana Doamnei street! Avoid the area, stay indoor! Stay away from the animal and do not try to take pictures of it or feed it. Protect your pets/livestock without putting your life in danger. ISU Brasov.

As I was typing this, the alert was repeated. I guess they must have my number from using the hotel's wi-fi.

My phone is already on Do Not Disturb, but I guess the bear alerts override this.

I am turning my phone off ...

Brașov Round Seven

FACED another Romanian junior (born 2005) today.

Ilinca-Petra Batagan (1932) - Spanton (1889)

Catalan*

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 c5

One point of Black's move-order is ...c5 can be played without White being able to push past with d5, although of course many blacks like White to push on to create a major imbalance.

4.Bg2 d5

The mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database runs 4...Nc6 5.0-0 d5 6.c4, reaching a position Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon slightly favours White.

5.c4 Nc6 6.cxd5

How should Black recapture?

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6...Nxd5

The engines, and most strong players, it seems, prefer the most popular move in Mega22, 6...exd5, when 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nc3 0-0 reaches the main tabiya of the Tarrasch Defence - 15,057 games in the database.

7.0-0 cxd4

The commonest move in Mega22 is 7...Be7, with an almost even split between the replies 8.dxc5 and 8.Nc3 (the engines prefer the former).

8.Nxd4 Bd7 9.e4

White kicks the knight to gain space and let the queen's knight be developed without contracting two queenside isolanis.

9...Nf6 10.Nc3 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Bc6

How would you assess this position, and how would you proceed?

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Black has no weaknesses and has a well-placed light-square bishop, but White has more space in the centre and is ahead on development. The highest-rated game to reach the position, Daniel Hausrath (2493) - Diogo Fernando (2482), ICC online blitz 2009, continued 12.Be3 Qxd4 13.Bxd4 Be7 14.Rfd1 0-0 15.e5 with advantage to White, according to the engines (1-0, 54 moves). The engines suggest an apparent novelty in 12.Qc4!?, claiming White has the upper hand, eg 12...Be7 13.Rd1 Nd7 14.b4!? a6 15.a4 with an initiative.

12.Qe3

This, like 12.Qc4!?, avoids an exchange of queens, but leaves the white queen's bishop short of squares. Nevertheless the engines reckon White's lead in development and extra space give a slight edge.

12...Bb4!?

Possibly a novelty. 12...Be7 is known from a nonsense game in Mega22 that continued 13.e5 0-1.

13.Rd1 Qa5

This is much better than the passive 13...Qe7?, after which 14.e5 creates major problems for Black as 14...Nd5 loses a pawn, and 14...Nd7 15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.Ne4 is even worse, according to the engines.

14.Bd2 0-0 15.a3 bc5 16.Qe2 Qb6 17.e5 Bxg2 18.Kxg2

After 18.exf6?! Qc6 White is holding on with 19.Qg4, according to the engines, but 19.fxg7?! Rfd8 looks good for Black.

18...Nd7?!

Better, according to the engines, is 18...Nd5, but 19.Nxd5 exd5 is clearly good for White.

19.Bf4

How should Black respond to White's threat to create an outpost at d6?

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19...Bd4!?

The engines prefer 19...Rfd8!?, but 20.Bg5 f6 21.exf6 Nxf6 22.Bxf6 gxf6 leaves Black with an extra pawn-island and an exposed king.

20.Kg1?

Too conservative. Strong is 20.Nb5 Bc5 21.Rac1 Rac8 22.b4 Be7, when 23.Be3 wins a pawn and leaves White with much the better position. But not 20.Qd2? Qc6+, eg 21.Kg1 Nxe5! After the text the game quickly peters out into a draw.

20...Bxc3 21.Rxd7

21...bxc3?! keeps the game interesting, but probably favours Black.

21...Qxb2 22.Qxb2 Bxb2 23.Ra2 Bc3 24.Rc2 Ba5 25.Rxb7 Rfb8 26.Rxb8+ Rxb8 27.Be3 Bb6 28.Bxb6

Or 28.Rb2 Bc7.

28...axb6 29.Rc7 ½–½

*ChessBase classifies the opening as a Catalan, although during the game I thought it was probably a Semi-Tarrasch.

First Time In An Ambulance

I GUESS I am lucky to have made it to 65 without needing an ambulance, but yesterday evening one was called by the hotel I am staying at in Poiana Brașov to take me to hospital.

I had been having sharp bursts of pain since lunchtime, and they became more frequent during my game yesterday and especially after it.

As I was waiting in the Romanian equivalent of Accident & Emergency - very smart looking, incidentally - I counted 35 stabs of pain in an hour.

The hospital conducted blood tests and put me on a painkilling drip, and I was discharged around 10pm with instructions to attend another, specialist, hospital this morning.

I will not go into where the pains were, but I ended up with three courses of tablets - antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-pain, I believe - and a course of suppositories.

The good news is the doctors reckon there is nothing fundamentally wrong, although they could not tell me what I was suffering from, and the courses are more of a just-to-be-sure measure, I think I was told.

The interesting thing is, apart from using my passport to prove my identity, I was at no point asked to provide proof of health insurance or to produce my UK Global Health Insurance Card.

However, I did have to pay for the prescription - just over £15.

Unfortunately I had to default this morning's round-six game, and I am not out of the woods yet, pain-wise, but hope to play in round seven this afternoon.

Brașov Round Five

UPFLOATED against another Romanian junior (born 2006) today.

Spanton (1889) - Alexia-Teodora Puia (1751)

Dutch Defence

1.d4 f5 2.Nc3!?

More popular are 2.Nf3 and especially 2.g3 and 2.c4, but the text has been tried by Garry Kasparov, Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian and other top grandmasters.

2...Nf6 3.Bg5 d5

A Stonewall set-up is easily the commonest response to White's system in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database.

4.e3

The mainline runs 4.Bxf6!? exf6 5.e3 Be6 6.Bd3 with an equal position, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02.

4...e6 5.Bd3 Be7 6.Nh3!?

The engines do not like this, preferring 6.Nf3 or 6.Nce2!?

How should Black respond?

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6...0-0

This was played in all four games in Mega22 that reached the position after 6.Nh3!? The engines reckon equally good is 6...c5.

7.Nf4 Ne4

How should White proceed?

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8.h4!?

This positional pawn sacrifice may be a novelty. Weiqi Zhou (2638) - Yangyi Yu (2735), China Team Championship 2016, saw 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.0-0 c5 10.Nce2 with an equal game, according to the engines (½–½, 31 moves).

How should Black reply?

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8...Bxg5

The engines reckon White is much better after 8...Nxg5?! 9.Bg5 Qh5. They suggest declining the pawn, eg 8...Nc6!?, when both 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 and 9.Bxe7 Nxe7 are roughly level, but favouring White if anyone, according to the engines.

9.hxg5 Qxg5

White has more than enough for a pawn after 9...Nxg5 10.Qh5, according to the engines.

10.Rh5

The engines prefer 10.g4!?, giving White a slight edge.

10...Qg4??

Sensible is 10...Qe7 or 10...Qf6.

11.Qxg4?

This is good enough for a large advantage, but 11.Be2, as A-TP pointed out afterwards, is a complete killer.

11...fxg4 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Bxe4 g6 14.Rg5 Kg7 15.Bxb7?!

White is winning comfortably after 15.0-0-0 or 15.Ke2, according to the engines, while the text is unclear.

15...Bxb7 16.Nxe6+

What should Black play?

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16...Kh6?

Clearly White is much better - winning, according to the engines - after 16...Kf7 (or 16...Kg8) 17.Nxf8 Kxf8 18.Rxg4, but 16...Kf6 17.Nxf8 Kxg5 18.Ne6+ Kf5 19.Nxc7 Bxg2 is unclear. The engines reckon best play runs something like 20.c4!? h5 21.Nxa8 Bxa8 22.d5, when Stockfish15 gives White a slight edge but Komodo13.02 reckons the position is equal.

17.Rxg4

Threatening mate in one.

17...Kh5

Or 17...Rf5 18.Rh4+ Rh5 19.Rxh5+ gxh5 20.Nxc7 etc.

18.f3 Bxf3!?

The best chance, but losing.

19.gxf3 Rxf3 20.Rg5+ Kh4?

20...Kh6 avoids mate in the short run, but 21.0-0-0 Rh3 22.Rg3! and 23.Nxc7 wins.

21.Ke2 Rh3 22.Rag1 Rh2+

Or 22...h5 23.Nf4 Rh2+ 24.Kd3 and Nxg6#.

23.Kd3 1-0

Off ... But That's Fine

POIANA Brașov bills itself as an alpine resort, rather than a skiing or winter-sport centre.

In other words in the summer it hopes to attract hikers and others in search of sun and scenery.

But there is no doubt this is off-season - several of the hotels are shut and some days at least only a single gondola lift is working.

Going up

But that is fine as there is no queueing, and the main chalet at the top of the Postăvarul massif, on the northern slopes of which Poiana Brașov is situated, was open, the round trip costing about £10.

View from near the top

Brașov Round Four

 FACED another Romanian junior (born 2006) in the second of today's double-round games.

Mihnea-Constantin Costescu (1800) - Spanton (1889)

QGD Semi-Tarrasch

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 cxd4 6.Qa4+!?

This is a popular alternative to the mainline, which runs 6.Qxd4 exd5 7.e4!? (7.Bg5 is also common) Nc6 8.Bb5 dxe4 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8 10.Ng5 Be6, reaching a position that Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon favours White.

6...Bd7 7.Qxd4 exd5 8.Nxd5!?

This has been often played but commoner is the more-cautious 8.Bg5.

8...Qa5+ 9.Nc3 Nc6 10.Qe3+!?

The mainline in Mega22 runs 10.Qd1 0-0-0 11.Bd2, when White is at least slightly better, according to the engines.

10...Be7 11.Qg5 Qxg5?

Somehow I only saw the recapture 12.Nxg5?, when Black has the advantage. Better is 11...Qb6, not fearing 12.Qxg7?? Rg8 13.Qh6 Ng4 etc.

12.Bxg5

Black has a lead in development, but not enough to set off being a pawn down, especially as the black bishops are not active

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12...Nb4 13.Rc1 h6 14.Bd2 0-0 15.a3 Nc6 16.g3 Rad8 17.Bg2 Rfe8 18.0-0 Bg4 19.Rfd1 Bxf3!? 20.Bxf3 Nd4 21.Be3!

The engines agree this is best.

21...Nxf3+ 22.exf3 a6

How would you assess this late-middlegame position?

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White has an extra pawn, but it is doubled and cannot be converted into a passed pawn by ordinary means. On the other hand the white bishop is marginally more active than its black counterpart. I thought Black had decent drawing chances, but Stockfish15 reckons White is winning, although the more-conservative Komodo13.02 gives White 'only' the upper hand.

23.Rxd8 Rxd8 24.Ne4 Nd5

The engines marginally prefer 24...Nxe4!? 25.fxe4 Bf6.

25.Rd1 f5?!

Best is 25...b6, according to the engines.

How should White respond?

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26.Bc5!

Both 26.Nd2? Nxe3 27.fxe3 Bc5 and 26.Nc3?! Nxc3 27.Rxd8+ Bxd8 28.bxc3 b5! are good for Black, but 26.Nc5 also keeps an advantage, although not as big as the text.

26...fxe4 27.Bxe7 Re8 28.Rxd5 Rxe7 29.fxe4 Rxe4 30.Rd7 (1-0, 53 moves)

Brașov Round Three

FACED another Romanian junior (born 2008) in the first of today's double-round games.

Spanton (1889) - Ioan-Alexandru Iuga (1848)

French Alekhine-Chatard

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4 h6!?

Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon this is the best way to decline the gambit.

7.Bxe7 Qxe7 8.Qg4

This is the mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database, but the engines prefer 8.f4!?

8...0-0

One of the advantages of the ...h6 defence is Black can usually castle kingside in comparative safety.

How should White proceed?

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9.Nh3?

The white centre is too fragile to allow this. Normal is 9.0-0-0 or 9.f4, in both cases with equal chances, according to the engines.

9...c5!

This is not in Mega22, which has 9...Qb4?! and 9...f6?! The former can be answered with 10.0-0-0 while the latter runs into 10.Nf4.
10.Bb5

10.Nb5 is well-countered by 10...a6 or 10...Nc6. The engines suggest 10.dxc5!?, but agree Black is winning after 10...Nxe5.

10...cxd4 11.Qxd4 Nc6 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.0-0-0 c5 14.Qf4 f6?!

This looks natural but the engines reckon it throws away much of Black's advantage. They recommend 14...Rb8 or 14...Bb7.

15.exf6 Nxf6 16.Qd2?!

Almost certainly too passive. I rejected 16.Qe5 because of 16...Ng4?! 17.Nxd5 Qb7, missing that after 18.Ne7+ Qxe7 White has the forking 19.Qe4. Then 19...Rb8 20.Qxg4 leaves White a pawn up, but Black's pieces are so much more active that the engines reckon Black is better. This is somewhat academic, however, as the engines reckon both 16...d4 and 16...Nd7 leave Black well on top.

White's best chance, according to the engines, is 16.Rhe1, when White has pressure against Black's impressive-looking centre, although they reckon 16...Qb7 gives Black an advantage.

16...d4 17.Ne2 Ne4 18.Qe1

How should Black proceed?

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18...Qxh4?

Black should continue calmly with, for example, 18...e5, maintaining a large advantage, according to the engines.

19.g3?

White at least equalises with 19.Nef4, according to the engines, eg 19...Rxf4 20.g3, or 19...Nxf2 20.Rf1, and if 19...Nd6? then 20.Ng6.

19...Qe7 20.Nxd4!?

It is a sign of how bad Black's position is that the engines are OK with this move. However, after ...

20...cxd4

... my planned 21.Qxe4 is answered by 21...Bb7.

21.Rxd4 Nf6

Black has bishop for pawn but is effectively much more than a rook ahead, according to Stockfish15, although Komodo13.02 puts the advantage at 'just' than a minor piece

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22.Nf4 Qc5!?

Giving up a pawn in return for simplification. The engines prefer 22...e5, when 23.Ng6?! Qf7 24.Nxe5 is met by 24...Qxa2.

23.Nxe6 Bxe6 24.Qxe6+ Kh8 25.Rhd1 Rac8 26.Qe2 Qa5 27.Kb1 Rfd8 28.Qd3 Rxd4 29.Qxd4 Qc5 30.c3 Qxd4 31.Rxd4 Re8 32.Kc2 Re2+ 33.Rd2 Rxd2+ 34.Kxd2

How would you assess this ending?

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Black has the only piece (apart from kings) and has possibilities of creating a passed pawn on the h file, but White's extra two pawns on the queenside look menacing. The engines agree Black is winning, but this is one of those unusual imbalances - unusual in the sense of not occurring all that often, except when the position is trivially winning for the player with the minor piece - that is tricky to play over the board.

34...Kg8 35.Kd3 Kf7 36.Kd4 Ke6 37.c4 h5

I-AI said afterwards he should have played 37...g5 to prevent my next move, and I thought he was probably right, but the engines reckon both moves win easily.

38.f4

Otherwise 38...g5 with ...h4 to come.

38...Kd6?!

Black is still much better after this, but 38...Kf5 is stronger, eg 39.c5 Kg4 36.c6 Ne8 with ...Kxg3 to follow.

39.b4

Black is still on top, but suddenly there are serious chances to go wrong

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39...Nd7?

Both 39...Ke6!? and 39...g6 are winning, according to Stockfish15, although Komodo13.02 'merely' gives Black the upper hand.

What is White's drawing plan?

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White needs to exchange off the black queenside pawn, even if this costs all three white queenside pawns, while at the same time penetrating on the kingside with the white king.

40.c5+ Kc6 41.a4 a6

The engines reckon Black can get away with, for example, 41...g6!?, but after 42.b5+ the white pawn-juggernaut means Black has to be careful not to lose.

42.Ke4!

The key switch of direction. Stockfish15 reckons Kc4 also draws, but recognises its error as soon as the move is inputted on the board.

42...g6 43.Kd4

Black is effectively in a sort of zugzwang.

43...Nf6 44.Ke5 Nd5 45.b5+ axb5 46.axb5+ Kxc5 47.b6

Diverting the knight.

47...Nxb6 48.Kf6 h4 49.gxh4

I-AI offered a draw.

49...Nd5+ 50.Kxg6 Nxf4+ 51.Kf5 Nh5 52.Kg5 Ng7 53.Kg6 Ne6

An only-move, but not difficult to find.

54.Kf6 ½–½