4NCL Round 10

PLAYED on board one (of six) for Wessex B against a junior (born 2009) for Ashfield 2 this afternoon.

Sebastian Griffin-Young (1901 ECF/1841 Fide) - Spanton (1940 ECF/1911 Fide)

King's Indian Attack

1.g3 d5 2.Nf3 c5 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.0-0 e5 5.d3 Nf6 6.e4!?

Contrary to first impressions, 6.e4!? does not lose a pawn

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6...dxe4 7.dxe4 Qxd1 8.Rxd1 Bg4

If 6...Nxe4?!, then 7.Nxe5! is good for White as 7...Nxf2?? (this has been played) loses to 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.Kxf2.

9.Re1 Rd8

Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 prefer getting the queen's rook to d8 via 9...0-0-0.

10.Na3!?

This is not in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, which has 10.h3, 10.c3 and 10.Nbd2? (10...Nb4).

10...Be7

The engines suggest 10...Be6!?, 10...h6 or 10...Bd6.

11.Nc4 Bxf3?!

Breaking the well-established rule that when you have a bad bishop (in this case the king's bishop, hemmed in by black pawns), you should not swop your good bishop.

12.Bxf3 0-0

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position?

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Black's light-square weaknesses are probably the main reason why the engines award White the upper hand.

13.Ne3 g6 14.c3 Kg7 15.Nd5 Rd7 16.Be3

The engines like 16.Nxf6!?, or starting to advance on the kingside with 16.h4 or 16.g4!?

16...b6

Black equalises (Stockfish17.1), or comes close to it (Dragon1), with 16...Nxd5!? 17.exd5 Na5.

17.Rad1

Again the engines like swopping on f6.

17...Rfd8

And here they again like swopping on d5.

18.Rd2

I will not repeat the obvious, but at this point the engines also like 18.Bc1!?, eg 18...h5 19.h4 Rd6 20.Kf1!?, claiming Black has nothing more constructive than 20...R6d7!?, but then they seem to run short of ideas, one line given being 21.Kg2!? Rd6 22.Kf1!?, nevertheless agreeing White has the upper hand.

18...Na5!?

Stockfish17.1 reckons this is even better, albeit marginally, than 18...Nxd5. Dragon1 is not so sure.

19.b3 Nxd5 20.exd5 Nb7

The engines suggest 20...c4!?, eg 21.b4 Nb7. However, Stockfish17.1 recommends sacrificing a pawn with 21.d6!? Rxd6 22.Rxd6 Rxd6 23.b4 Nc6, claiming the bishop-pair gives enough compensation.

21.c4 Nd6

How would you assess this queenless middlegame?

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White has the bishop-pair and a protected passed pawn, but the latter is well-blockaded, and only likely to become dangerous in an ending. Meanwhile, the bishops do not have open diagonals on which to work. The engines call the game equal.

22.Rde2 f5 23.Bg2 Bf6 24.h3 h5 25.h4 Re7 26.f3!? Rde8 27.Bf2 g5!?

The engines prefer 27...e4 or 27...a5.

28.hxg5 Bxg5 29.Be3?!

Unnecessarily giving up the bishop-pair. The engines suggest getting White's queenside going with 29.b4!?, eg 29...cxb4? 30.c5. Better is 29...Nxc4, but 30.bxc5 bxc5 31.Bh3!? gives White plenty for a pawn, with the position opening up for the bishops.

29...Bxe3+ 30.Rxe3 Kf6 31.Kf2

How should Black proceed?

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31...f4

This is reasonable, but best may be the engines' 31...h4!?, eg 32.gxh4 f4 33.R3e2 Rh7, when Black will regain the pawn, with a position the engines disagree about. Dragon1 reckons Black is winning, but Stockfish17.1 gives Black only the better part of equality. Allow the engines more time, and they start to see more resources for White, with Dragon1 downgrading Black's advantage to the upper hand, and Stockfish17.1 giving Black a tiny edge worth about a tenth of a pawn. A possibly better response is 32.f4!?, when 32...hxg3+ 33.Kxg3 again brings disagreement, except both engines reckon Black is at least equal.

32.Rd3!?

Possibly better is 32.R3e2, or 32.gxf4 exf4 33.Rxe7 Rxe7 34.Rh1.

32...fxg3+ 33.Kxg3 Rg8+ 34.Kf2 Reg7 35.Bf1 Nf5

How should White proceed?

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36.f4!?

The engines like this pawn sacrifice to activate the e1 rook, although they reckon other moves also give complete equality.

36...exf4 37.Re6+ Kg5 38.Bh3 Nd4 39.Re5+ Kh4 40.a3!?

40.Re4 and 40.d6!? maintain equality, according to the engines. They strongly dislike the text at first, but, given time, Stockfish17.1 reckons White is still holding, although Dragon1 gives Black the upper hand.

40...Rg3

Dragon1's idea at first is 40...f3, but 41.Bf1 seems to hold, It switches to 40...Rg5, but White seems fine after 41.Rxg5, followed, whichever way Black recaptures, by 42.d6!? Dragon1 later likes the text for a while, and the move comes to be Stockfish17.1's top choice, again for a short time.

41.Bf1?

But the engines agree this is wrong, preferring 41.Rxg3 Rxg3 42.Bg2, with what they reckon is enough compensation for a pawn.

Black to play and win

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41...Rxd3?

Simplification helps White. The engines reckon both ...Kg4 and ...a5 win, eg 41...Kg4 42.d6!? Rd8 43.Rd5, and now 43...Rxd3 44.Bxd3 h4, with a large advantage for Black.

42.Bxd3 Rg3 43.Be2!?

The text threatens mate in one, but White completely equalises with 43.Be4, according to the engines.

43...Nxe2 44.Kxe2

Black has one move that wins (Dragon1) or draws (Stockfish17.1), but plenty of continuations that lose

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44...Rg7?

Correct is 44...Rg5!, when 45.Rxg5?! Kxg5 gives a pawn ending that, despite White's protected passed pawn, is won for Black (Dragon1) or at least gives Black the upper hand (Stockfish17.1), eg 46.Kf3 h4 47.Kg2 Kf5 48.Kf3 h3 49.a4 Ke5 50.Kf2 Kf5 51.Kf3, after which it is hard to see how Black makes progress, even though Dragon1 reckons Black's advantage is equivalent to more than four pawns. However, note that 46.d6? definitely loses to 46...Kf6 47.Kf3 Ke6 48.Kxf4 Kxd6 49.Kg5 Ke5 etc.

Instead of trading rooks, White can play 45.Re7, when 45...Kg3 is completely equal (Stockfish17.1) or leaves Black with the upper hand (Dragon1). This time, however, giving the engines more time leads Stockfish17.1 to backtrack a little and award Black a slight edge. Play might continue 46.d6 f3+ 47.Kf1 Rg6 48.d7 Rd6 49.Rg7+ Kf4 50.Kf2 Rd2+ 51.Ke1!? Rd3 52.Kf2 h4 53.Rh7 Kg5 54.b4!?, after which the engines agree the position is completely equal.

45.Kf3

White is winning easily

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45...Rf7 46.d6 Rg7 47.Rd5 Rg3+ 48.Kxf4 Rg4+ 49.Ke5 Rg8 50.d7 Rd8 51.Kd6 Kg4 52.Kc7 1-0

After 52...Rxd7 53.Rxd7 h4, White sacrifices the rook for the h pawn, leaving White's king to mop up the black queenside pawns.

Final standings in the triangular match:
Wessex B 3.5-2.5 Iceni2
Ashfield 2 4-2 Wessex B
Iceni 2 1-5 Ashfield 2

World Team 65+ Round Five

Bo.	46	England - 5	Rtg	-	32	Germany (W)	Rtg	0 : 0
16.1		Freeman, Richard C P	1897	-	WFM	Malachowski, Margrit	1953
16.2	CM	Stokes, Michael	1861	-	WIM	Wagner-Michel, Annett	1982
16.3		Spanton, Tim R	1908	-	WFM	Skibbe, Diana	1930
16.4		Marshall, Michael	1859	-	WFM	Kierzek, Mira	1958

Spanton (1908) - Diana Skibbe (1930)

English Botvinnik v Dutch Leningrad

1.c4 f5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 g6

Setting up the Leningrad Variation of the Dutch Defence.

4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.e4

This, combined with the king's knight going to e2, constitutes the Botvinnik Setup in the English.

6...c6!?

This is second in popularity in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database to 6...Nc6. Both moves prepare ...e5, while leaving open the opportunity of recapturing on f5 with the light-square bishop if White plays exf5. However, very interesting is 6...e5 7.exf5 Bxf5!? 8.Bxb7 Nbd7 9.Bxa8 Qxa8, when, for the exchange and a pawn, Black has the bishop-pair, a lead in development, and light-square targets. Indeed, Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 reckon White should play 9.Nf3!?, 9.Qc2 or 9.Be4.

7.Nge2 e5 8.0-0 0-0

Now both players have castled, how would you assess the position?

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White has a little more space on the queenside, Black on the kingside, while the white king has arguably more pawn cover than its black counterpart, although perhaps this is not important, bearing in mind Black's kingside space edge. The engines give White a slight advantage, but dependent on a specific continuation.

9.h3

Best, according to the engines, is 9.exf5!?, meeting both 9...Bxf5 and 9...gxf5 with 10.d4. The text is marginally more common in Mega26, but the engines have a sharp response in mind.

How should Black respond?

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9...h6

The engines suggest 9...f4!? 10.gxf4 Nh5, when they reckon 11.fxe5 dxe5 gives Black at least a slight edge, eg 11.f3!? (apparently a novelty, but best, according to the engines) Be6 12.Be3 Rf7, with a steady build-up, relying on the weakness of White's kingside as long-term compensation for a pawn. So they suggest offering the pawn back immediately with 11.f5!?, claiming equal chances.

10.Be3

This allows 10...f4!?, with similar ideas to 9...f4!?, so the engines suggest an apparent-novelty in 10.exf5!?, meeting 10...Bxf5 with 11.d4, and 10...gxf5 with 11.f4 or 11.Be3, in each case claiming White is better.

10...Be6 11.exf5!?

This may also be a novelty. The engines fluctuate in their preference between it and the known-move 11.Qd2.

11...Bxf5

This loses a tempo over those lines in which White plays exf5 before the bishop moves. However, Dragon1 rates the text and 11...gxf5 as of roughly equal strength; Stockfish17.1 prefers the pawn recapture.

12.d4 Qe7

The engines suggest 12...h5!?, 12...Na6 or 12...Nbd7.

13.Qd2

Even stronger, according to the engines, are 13.Qb3 and 13.g4!?

13...Kh7 14.Rad1 Na6 15.Kh2

The engines still like g4.

15...Rad8

How should White proceed?

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16.d5

This comes to be the engines' top choice, at least for a while, but they also like 16.g4!? and 16.Kg1!?

16...cxd5 17.cxd5

The engines prefer 17.Nxd5, only playing cxd5 in the event of ...Nxd5.

17...b6

The engines give 17...Nc5!?, the idea being 18.b4 can be met by 18...Nce4 19.Nxe4 Nxe4, when 20.Bxe4!? Bxe4 21.Bxa7 is possibly too much of a price to pay for a pawn.

18.f4 e4?

Perhaps played to try to keep lines closed, but it allows the white king's knight to occupy the plum d4 square. The engines prefer 18...h5!? or 18...Nc5.

19.Nd4

The engines suggest 19...Rde8, but both 20.g4 and 20.Nc6 are very good for White.

19...Bd7 20.f5 gxf5 21.Rxf5!?

The engines agree sacrificing the exchange is marginally stronger than 21.Nxf5.

21...Bxf5 22.Nxf5 Qf7

The engines are unsure whether f7 or e5 is the best square for the queen.

23.Bxh6 Bxh6

The engines give 23...e3!?, but agree that, after 24.Bxe3, White's advantage is the equivalent of being more than a piece up.

24.Qxh6+ Kg8 25.Nxe4 Nxe4 26.Bxe4 Qf6 27.Qh5 Nc5!?

This may be Black's best try. The main alternative seems to be 27...Rd7, but 28.Nh6+ Kg7 29.Ng4! Qxb2+ 30.Kg1 is crushing, eg 30...Rff7 (30...Rdf7? 31.Qh7#) 31.Qh6+ Kg8 32.Bh7+! Rxh7 33.Nf6+ Qxf6 (forced) 34.Qxf6 leaves White with queen, pawn and a continuing attack for rook and knight.

White to play and win

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28.Nh6+

Not the winning move, but this spoils nothing as, after ....

28...Kg7 29.Nf5+ Kg8

... the same position is reached, without Black having a chance to vary.

30.Bc2!

Preserving the bishop, and ensuring Black cannot capture on b2 with check.

30...Rde8

All moves lose.

31.Rd4

Not the only winning continuation.

31...Rf7 32.Nh6+ Kf8

Worth a try is 32...Qxh6!? as 33.Qxh6? concedes a draw to 33...Re2+ 34.Kg1 Re1+ 35.Kg2 Re2+ etc. However, 33.Rg4+ Qg7 (33...Rg7? 34.Qxe8#) 34.Rxg7+ Kxg7 35.h4! leaves White with queen, bishop and two pawns against two rooks and a knight, and with much the safer king, adding up to an advantage worth more than a rook (much more than a rook, according to Dragon1).

33.Rf4 1-0

Team Result

Freeman = Malachowski

Stokes 1-0 Wagner-Michel

Spanton 1-0 Skibbe

Marshall 0-1 Kierzek

England 5 2.5-1.5 Germany Women

World Team 65+ Round Three

Bo.	31	Denmark - 2	Rtg	-	46	England - 5	Rtg	0 : 0
19.1		Thuesen, Mogens	2070	-		Freeman, Richard C P	1897
19.2		Sonderstrup, Bjarne	1967	-	CM	Stokes, Michael	1861
19.3		Cordes, Steffen	1982	-		Spanton, Tim R	1908
19.4		Mortensen, John	1945	-		Marshall, Michael	1859

Steffen Cordes (1982) - Spanton (1908)

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 0-0 8.Bb3

Via a minor transposition at the start, the game has reached what is probably the main tabiya of the Accelerated Dragon in the Sicilian, with 15,502 examples of the position in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database

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8...d5!?

The main move is 8...d6, transposing into a more-regular Dragon, with a position occurring 7,079 times in Mega26. For many years the main try to keep the game in independent Accelerated lines was 8...a5. Other tries include 8...Re8, 8...Ng4!? and 8...Qa5. The text is Black's thematic move in the Accelerated Dragon, but it was thought to be impossible here as it appears to just lose a pawn. However, the move goes back to at least 1960, and Alexei Shirov gave it a spin in 2013, but it perhaps only started being taken seriously when Boris Gelfand started playing it with regularity 10 years ago.

9.exd5 Na5 10.Qf3

SC said afterwards that 8...d5!? had been played against him in a blitz game, and his opponent told him the best continuation, after 9.exd5 Na5, was 10.Qf3. Stockfish17.1 agrees, but Dragon1 prefers 10.Qd2.

10...Nxb3 11.axb3 Bg4 12.Qg3 Bh5!?

This frees the knight to pressurise d5.

How should White proceed?

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13.d6!?

This is the main move in Mega26, and it is also liked by the engines. The point is to give back the pawn, while saddling Black with an isolani on a half-open file.

13...Ng4!?

Offering to make the pawn-sacrifice permanent.

14.0-0!?

After 14.dxe7 Qxe7 the engines give an apparent-novelty in 15.Nd5!?, which could lead to a quick draw after 15...Qe4 16.Nc3 Qe7 17.Nd5 etc.

14...Be5 15.dxe7

Perhaps 15.f4 is better, and then 15...Bxd6 gives equal chances, according to the engines.

After the game's 15.dxe7, how should Black proceed?

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15...Qxe7?!

Almost certainly better is 15...Bxg3 16.exd8=Q Bxh2+ 17.Kh1 Rfxd8, when Black has won back the sacrificed pawn, while retaining the bishop-pair.

16.f4

The engines reckon 16.Nd5 gives White a slight edge.

16...Bg7

White has only one move that avoids a lost position

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17.Rfe1??

The first new move of the game, whereas the known 17.Bf2 is equal, according to the engines, after, for example, 17...Nxf2 18.Qxf2 Rad8 19.Nf3 Bxf3!? 20.Qxf3 Qc5+ 21.Kh1 b5!?, with Black enjoying enough activity to make up for still being a pawn down.

17...Nxe3 0-1

There is no salvation for White, eg 18.Nd5 can be met by 18...Qc5, or the even stronger18...Nxd5!? 19.Rxe7 Bxd4+ etc.

Team Result

Thuesen 1-0 Freeman

Sonderstrup = Stokes

Cordes 0-1 Spanton

Mortensen 0-1 Marshall

Denmark 2 1.5-2.5 England 5

Thoughts On Daventry V

IN round seven, after taking a halfpoint bye in the morning, I was Black against David Flynn (1867 ECF/1816 Fide).

The game featured a sharp line from the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon in the Sicilian, and I think the line is worth a closer look.

It began 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3.

This usually means a Closed Sicilian, but as has been pointed out by many chess instructors, White is not committed to keeping the position closed (although White has ruled out a Maróczy Bind).

I played 2...g6, partly because I had seen in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database that after 2...Nc6 DF 'always' (seven games out of seven) plays 3.Bb5.

Now 3.Bb5 is not something Black should fear, although my record against it is a disappointing +1=0-3, including two losses to much lower-rated opposition.

But it seemed to make sense to deprive my opponent of the ability to play his 'favourite' variation.

He could have stayed in another type of Closed Sicilian with 3.g3, but instead opened the game with 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4.

After the further moves 4...Nf6 5.Nf3 we reached a position occurring 2,722 times in Mega26.

The usual Hyper-Accelerated move-order is 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3

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Following 5...Nc6 6.Qa4 the threat of 7.e5, forcing the black king's knight to move, more-or-less obliges Black to play 6...d6.

But 7.e5 comes anyway, and after 7...dxe5 8.Nxe5 the game remains sharp.

The position after 8.Nxe5 occurs 1,784 times in Mega26

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On three occasions reaching this position I have continued 8...Bd7, which is easily the main move in Mega26.

The drawback is White can immediately win the bishop-pair with 9.Nxd7, and, although I have drawn this position in correspondence play, I lost with it both times over-the-board, albeit against much stronger opposition.

This time I played the gambit move 8...Bg7!?, expecting 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Qxc6+ Bd7, which occurred in Hanna Kyrjebo (1831) - Spanton (2002), Hastings 2014-5.

That game continued 11.Qf3 0-0 12.Bd3 Qb6 13.0-0 Bc6 14.Qe3 Qb7 15.f3 Rad8, with Black enjoying full compensation for a pawn, according to the engines (0-1, 44 moves).

However DF surprised me with 9.Bb5.

Of course this should not have been a surprise, especially as it is the most popular continuation in Mega26.

One of its points is that unless Black reverts to giving up the bishop-pair with 9...Bd7, Black will either have to give up a second pawn or allow some simplification.

The game continued 9...0-0 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Bxc6

How should Black proceed?

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I chose 11...Rb8!?, offering a second pawn, and the continuation can be seen here.

It is the main move in Mega26, but the engines marginally prefer the alternative, 11...Bd7.

After 12.Bxd7 they reckon Black should avoid further simplification, which would occur with 12...Qxd7?! 13.Qxd7, and instead play 12...Nxd7, which looks a little retrograde, but the knight will gain a tempo on the white queen with ...Nb6 or ...Nc5, and Black's dark-square bishop has been unmasked.

The engines continue 13.0-0 Bxc3!? 14.bxc3 Nb6, claiming Black has full compensation (Stockfish17.1) or is no more than slightly worse (Dragon1).

Indeed the engines reckon White should meet 11...Bd7 with 12.0-0, when, to avoid serious disadvantage, the engines agree Black has to play 12...Rc8.

Now 13.Bxd7 should be met, they reckon, with 13...Qxd7!?, not fearing the simplification that occurs with 14.Qxd7 Nxd7.

How should White proceed?

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15.Bd2 might seem natural, but is perhaps too passive. After 15...Nb6 (threatening ...Nc4) 16.Rfd1 Rfe8 17.Be1!? Nc4, the engines give Black full equality.

Instead they suggest 15.Nd5!?, when 15...Rfe8?! 16.c3 is good for White.

However 15...Rxc2 16.Nxe7+ Kh8 leaves Black with great activity. A plausible continuation runs 17.Rd1 Ne5!? 18.Nd5!? Rd8 19.Rb1 h6!? 20.h3!? Nc4 21.Ne3 Rxd1+ 22.Nxd1, after which Black remains a pawn down, but has enough compensation (Stockfish17.1) or is only slightly worse (Dragon1).

The conclusion seems to be that the pawn-sacrifice 8...Bg7!? is a dynamic and fully viable alternative to giving up the bishop-pair with 8...Bd7, even though White retains a slight edge in many lines.

There is certainly much left to explore in the resulting positions.

Thoughts On Daventry

IT can be argued there are two types of chess book - those that should be studied, and those that can be consumed using the read-and-nod method.

The latter is a disparaging description of how many club players treat every chess book they buy.

Instead of trying to improve with the help of hard graft, we have a tendency to hope the contents of a book can somehow be absorbed through a process akin to osmosis.

I cannot recall where I first came across the term "read-and-nod," but there are some chess books that it is OK not to study too seriously.

One is Andrew Soltis's Transpo Tricks In Chess (Batsford, 2007).

The book is optimistically subtitled Finesse Your Chess And Win

The blurb on the back cover explains: "A transposition is a known position reached by a different move-order than usual. There are transpositional tricks in all openings, but this is the first book devoted to them." 

I was able to use a 'transpo trick' in my round-one game of the Four Nations Chess League's Easter Congress, where I had black against Phil Watkinson (1682 ECF/1717 Fide).

He did not have many published games, but from what I could find I came to the following conclusions.

A) He always opens1.d4, and nearly always follows up with 2.c4.

B) If I play my normal stuff, the game would begin 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 - the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit.

C) In the Exchange he likes to develop the king's knight at e2, which is generally regarded as more dangerous for Black than developing it at f3.

D) There was a possibility that if I varied by, for example, playing 1...Nf6, he might vary in turn with the Trompowsky (2.Bg5), although, to be fair, both games in which he played 2.Bg5 were when Black opened with 1...f5.

The game began, as expected, with 1.d4, to which I replied 1...e6.

I reasoned that the chances of a confirmed 1.d4 player continuing with 2.e4 were small, and that anyway he would not have been familiar with the resulting French Defence positions (I should have checked before the game to see if PW played the French as Black, but omitted to do that).

There was a possibility he would avoid 2.c4 in favour of some anti-Dutch idea as 1.d4 e6 2.c4 is a move-order often played by blacks wanting a Dutch, which would come with 2...f5, while avoiding the Staunton Gambit (1.d4 f5 2.e4) and the fashionable 1.d4 f5 2.Bg5.

However, PW stuck to his guns with 2.c4, when I could have got back into my normal repertoire with 2...d5, after which there might well have come 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5.

Instead I played 2...Nf6, 'threatening' a Nimzo-Indian Defence. If 3.Nc3 had appeared, I would almost certainly have replied 3...d5, having gained nothing from my move-order.

But instead PW played 3.Nf3, perhaps expecting a Queen's Indian (3...b6) or Bogo-Indian (3...Bb4+).

However, I continued 3...d5, when 4.cxd5 would have been a QGD Exchange, but one in which White had already committed the king's knight to f3.

Instead he played 4.Nc3, when 4...Be7, 4...c6 and 4...Nbd7 can all lead to main lines of the Queen's Gambit Declined, while 4...Bb4 is a Ragozin.

I chose arguably Black's sharpest continuation, 4...c5, and met the mainline 5.cxd5 with 5...cxd4!?, which is less common, but sharper, than 5...exd5 and 5...Nxd5.

It is possible PW knew the line as he played 6.Qa4+!? quite quickly, and met 6...Bd7 more-or-less immediately with the admittedly forced 7.Qxd4.

White, at least temporarily, is a pawn up after 7.Qxd4

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However, I suspect he was in unchartered waters as, after 7...exd5, he took quite some time before eventually regaining the pawn-plus with 8.Nxd5, the point being Black then has 8...Qa5+ 9.Nc3 Nc6, with decent compensation, and I went on to win, helped, I am sure, by my greater familiarity with the resulting positions.

Now, it could be argued that, outrating my opponent by almost 200 Fide, and comfortably more than 200 ECF, I had no need to use a 'transpo trick' to help win the game.

Then again, I have my fair share of losses to players rated much lower than PW, and, at least on this occasion, the strategy worked.

4NCL Easter Round Seven

TOOK a halfpoint bye in this morning's round six.

David Flynn (1867 ECF/1816 Fide) - Spanton (1944 ECF/1908 Fide)

Sicilian Hyper-Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Qa4 d6 7.e5 dxe5 8.Nxe5

This position occurs 1,784 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database - how should Black proceed?

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8...Bg7!?

Offering at least one pawn. The main line in Mega26 runs 8...Bd7 9.Nxd7 Qxd7 10.Be3 Bg7 11.Rd1 Qc8!? 12.Be2 0-0 13.0-0, when White's bishop-pair and lead in development outweigh Black having the only pawn on the two centre files, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1.

9.Bb5

This is the most popular move in Mega26. It is also marginally the top choice of Dragon1, and will quite possibly give White the option of grabbing two pawns. Stockfish17.1, however, for quite some time marginally prefers 9.Nxc6, before coming to see the two moves as more-or-less exactly equal. After 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Qxc6 Bd7, Stockfish17.1 reckons Black has sufficient compensation for a pawn, but Dragon1 gives White a slight edge.

9...0-0 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Bxc6 Rb8!?

Offering a second pawn. Instead 11...Bd7 12.Bxd7 Nxd7!? divides the engines as before, with Stockfish17.1 calling the position equal, while Dragon1 slightly prefers White. At move 12, instead of capturing on d7, White can also castle.

What should White play?

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12.0-0

This is the engines' recommendation. After 12.Qxa7!? they suggest an apparent-novelty in 12...Qd6!? (12...Bf5 is known), when 13.Bf3 Ba6 gives a sharp position with what the engines reckon are equal chances.

12...Bf5

More popular, and possibly marginally better, is 12...Qc7, while 12...a5!? has scored very well in practice.

13.Rd1 Qc7 14.Bf3 Rfc8!?

This may be new, and is the top choice of Dragon1, whereas Stcokfish17.1 prefers the known 14...a5.

15.Re1!?

Presumably in the hope of playing Bf4 without Black being able to reply ...e5. The engines suggest 15.h3 or 15.Rb1, but are fine with the text.

15...e5 16.Ne4 Bd7

The engines reckon Black should regain the sacrificed pawn immediately with 16...Nxe4 17.Bxe4 Bxe4 18.Qxe4 Qxc2.

17.Nxf6+ Bxf6 18.Qa6!? Rb6 19.Qe2 Qxc2 20.Qxc2 Rxc2

The pawn has been regained anyway, and the game is equal, according to the engines

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21.Be4 Rc7 22.b3 Be6 23.Bd2 Rd6

Perhaps 23...Ra6!?, with queenside pressure, is a tad better.

24.Be3 Bg7 25.Rac1 Rxc1 26.Rxc1 Ra6 27.Bb1 Ra5?!

The engines suggest 27...Bf8, 27...f5 or 27...e4!?

28.Rc5 Rxc5 29.Bxc5 a6 30.Bd3 Bc8 31.f3

Trying to centralise the king as quickly as possible, but 31.Bd6 gives White at least a slight edge, according to the engines.

31...Bf8 32.Bb6 Bb4 33.Kf2 Kf8 34.Ke3 f5 35.Bc4 Bb7 36.g3 Ke7 37.g4!? h6 38.gxf5 gxf5

Giving Black a 2-1 central pawn-majority seems a little strange, but the engines call the position completely equal

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39.Bd3 Bc8 40.Bc4 h5!? 41.Bd5 Be6 42.Bc6

Exchanging bishops is also OK for White, according to the engines.

42...h4!? 43.Bb7 a5 44.Bc6 Kd6 45.Bb7 Bc5+!?

There seems no other way to make progress. Dragon1 at first reckons the text gives Black the upper hand, but eventually agrees with Stockfish17.1 that the game remains equal.

46.Bxc5+ Kxc5

How should White continue?

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47.Kd3!?

The engines reckon both 47.f4!? e4 48.Ba6 and the immediate 47.Ba6!? are completely equal. Stockfish17.1 is also fine with the text, at least at first, but Dragon1 instantly calls it losing. Given more time, the engines come to agree it leaves Black slightly better. One point about 47.Ba6!? is that after 47...Kb4 48.Bd3 Ka3 49.Bb5 Kxa2 White has the neat trick 50.Bc4!, with what the engines reckon is complete equality.

47...Kb4

White seems to have only one drawing move

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48.Kc2

This looks natural, but the engines show White has to play 48.Ke3! Ka3 49.Ba6!?, again relying on the neat trick 49...Kxa2 50.Bc4!

48...Ka3 49.Kb1 Bd7 50.Bd5 Bb5 51.Kc2!?

The best try, but it should not save White.

51...Kb4!?

This may win, but other moves, eg 51...f4!?, are more convincing. However, not 51...Kxa2? 52.b4+.

52.a4?!

The engines suggest 52.Be6 f4 53.Kb2!?, but agree 53...e4!? is one of several winning moves. However, after, 54.Bg4 e3 55.a3+ Kc5 56. Kc3 Bc2 57.b4+ axb4 58.axb4+ Kd6!?, the picture is not as clear as Dragon1's assessment of +3.48 for Black makes it appear. Instead Stockfish17.1's +1.29, ie the upper hand, rather than winning, may be nearer the mark.

52...Bd7 53.Kb2 Kc5 54.Bb7 Be6 55.Kc3 f4!?

This is probably the key move, which has to be played at some point to bring home the full point.

56.Be4 Bd7

Also winning is 56...Bd5!?, but the lines get hairy, eg 57.Bxd5 Kxd5 58.Kd3 h3! 59.Kc3 e4 60.fxe4+ Kxe4 61.Kd2 f3 62.Ke1 Ke3 63.Kf1 f3, when there is no stalemate as White has to play the losing 64.b4. Alternatively, 58.b4 axb4+ 59.Kxb4 Kd4! 60.a5 e4 61.a6 e3 62.a7 e2 also loses as after 63.a8=Q Black queens with check, 63...e1=Q+, and then 64.Kb5 Qe2+ 65.Kb6 Qe6+ 66.Kc7 Qe5+ 67.Kd7 Qd5+ forces queens off, leaving Black with a winning pawn ending. Engines see these lines in the blink of a (human) eye, but over-the-board for club players it is another matter.

57.Bb7

DF offered a draw.

57...Bf5 58.Ba6

Or 58.Ba8 Be6 with ...Bd5 to come. The text is the engines' top choice.

58...e4 59.fxe4 Bxe4 60.Bc4 Bg2 61.Kd3

This lets Black get bishops off, but 61.Kd2 is also hopeless after, for example, 61...Bd5.

61...Bf1+ 62.Ke4 Bxc4 63.bxc4

Black wins the pawn race

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63...Kxc4 64.Kxf4 Kb4 65.Kg4 Kxa4 66.Kxh4 Kb3 67.Kg5 a4 68.h4 a3 69.h5 a2 70.h6 a1=Q 71.Kg6 Qh8 0-1

4NCL Easter Round Three

AFTER taking a halfpoint bye in round two, I faced a junior (born 2016).

Spanton (1944 ECF/1908 Fide) - Tara Tamilselvan (1879 ECF/1820 Fide)

King's Indian Defence

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Qc2!?

White can get away with moves like this early in the opening, but it can hardly be the best continuation.

3...Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.d4 e5 7.d5

Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 prefer 7.dxe5, albeit giving Black at least equality after the reply 7...dxe5.

How should Black proceed?

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7...Nd4!

A typical idea in the King's Indian, and here almost a necessity, according to the engines, as they reckon White is doing well after 7...Ne7.

8.Nxd4!?

Dragon1 is quite happy with this, but Stockfish17.1 prefers playing around the knight.

8...exd4 9.Ne2 0-0 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 c5 12.dxc6?

The engines suggest 12.f3 or 12.Bxf6!?, but reckon Black has at least the upper hand.

12...Qa5+!

This zwischenzug gives White a major headache.

13.Kd1

Also deeply unpleasant is 13.Qd2 Qxd2+ 14.Kxd2 Nxe4.

13...bxc6 14.f3 Qb6 15.Qd2 c5

The engines prefer 15...Rb8, and if 16.Bf2!?, then 16...c5.

16.Rb1 Ba6

Stockfish17.1 likes 16...d5!?, the idea being to meet 17.exd5 with 17...Bf5 18.Rc1 Rae8. giving pressure, and 17.cxd5 with 17...Ba6, again enjoying a strong initiative for a pawn.

17.Nc1

The engines much prefer 17.Bxf6!? Bxf6 18.Nf4, but certainly not 17.b3? g5!? 18.Bg3 Bxc4!

17...Nd7 18.Bd3 Ne5 19.b3 Rfe8 20.Bg3 Nxd3!?

An odd decision, at first sight, giving up a well-placed knight for a hemmed-in bishop, but the engines agree it is clearly the best move.

21.Qxd3 Rad8

Almost certainly even stronger is the positional pawn sacrifice 21...d5!? 22.exd5 Re3.

22.Re1 d5 23.exd5 Rxe1+ 24.Kxe1 Rd8 25.Qc2

Probably not 25.Qe4?! Rd8.

25...Rd8 26.Nd3 Qa5+ 27.Kf1 Kh7?!

The engines reckon this gives away almost all of Black's advantage, whereas 27...Bc8 maintains the upper hand.

28.Re1

But they agree the best response is 28.Bh4, and if 28...Re8, then 29.Re1 with what they reckon is complete equality.

28...Bc8 29.Bh4 Rd6

29...g5!? looks very risky, but White has nothing better than retreating the bishop, according to the engines, after which 30...Bf5 is good.

30.Be7 Rc6 31.Re2 Qc7 32.Kg1

The position of the white king at last looks normal

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32...Bf5 33.Bh4!? Re6 34.Rxe6 fxe6!? 35.Bg3?

This drives the black queen to a good square, whereas after 35.Be1!?, or 35.g4 Bxd3 36.Qxd3, the engines agree the game is equal.

35...Qa5 36.a4?

After 36.Kf1!? Bxd3 (36...Qc3? 37.Qxc3 bxc3 38.Ke2=) 37.Qxd3 Qxa2 38.Bd6 Black is a pawn up but, at best, only slightly better, according to the engines.

36...Qc3 37.Qxc3

Forced.

37...bxc3 38.Nc1 Bd4+ 39.Bf2

39.Kf1? Be3.

39...Bc2 40.Kf1 Kg7 41.a5 Kf7?

This almost certainly should not win, whereas certainly winning is 41...e5,  the idea being to meet 42.Bxd4 with 42...exd4.

42.b4??

Also losing, according to Dragon1 for quite some time, is 42.Bxd4 cxd4 43.Ke2, but Stockfish17.1 reckons Black is only slightly better. At first 43...Ke7 is Dragon1's top choice, but eventually it comes to see 44.b4 as more-or-less equalising, so it switches to 43...e5 44.b4 e4!? 45.fxe4 Bxe4, but after 46.Nd3 Ke6 47.Nc5+ Ke5 48.b5 it agrees with Stockfish17.1 that White holds.

42...Bxf2 43.b5

The point behind 42.b4??, but it is easily parried.

Black has three winning moves

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43...Bd4

Also winning are 43...Be3 and 43...Bh4.

44.f4 Be4 45.Ke2 Ke7 46.Nb3 Kd7 47.g3 Kc7 48.h3 c2 49.Kd2 Bb2 50.Ke3 Bf5 0-1

4NCL Easter Round One

Phil Watkinson (1682 ECF/1717 Fide) - Spanton (1944 ECF/1908 Fide)

QGD Semi-Tarrasch

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

Much more popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database are 5...exd5 and especially 5...Nxd5, but the text is, by a small margin, the top choice of Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1

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6.Qa4+!?

The main line in Mega26 runs 6.Qxd4 exd5 7.Bg5 Be7 8.e3 0-0 9.Be2 Nc6 10.Qd3 h6 11.Bh4 Qb6 12.0-0!?, with equal chances, according to the engines.

6...Bd7 7.Qxd4

The point of White's queen manoeuvre is that the bishop at d7 interferes with Black's fight for the d5 square

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7...exd5 8.Nxd5

More common, but scoring 11 percentage points less in Mega26, is declining the pawn with 8.Bg5!?

8...Qa5+ 9.Nc3 Nc6 10.Qd1

This is most popular, but the engines also like a move not in Mega26, 10.Qd3!?, eg 10...0-0-0 11.Bd2 Bg4 12.Qb5!? Qxb5 13.Nxb5 Ne4!?, when they reckon Black has enough for a pawn, but no more. However, note that 10.Qd2?!, also apparently a novelty, is problematic for White after both 10...0-0-0 and 10...Bb4.

10...Ne4 11.Bd2

If 11.Qd5, Black has 11...Qxd5!? 12.Nxd5, and then the engines suggest an apparent-novelty in 12...Nb4!?, after which 13.Nxb4 Bxb4+ 14.Bd2 (not 14.Nd2? Rc8!) Nxd2 15.Nxd2 0-0 gives Black good compensation for a pawn, according to the engines.

11...Nxd2 12.Qxd2 Bb4!?

This may be a novelty. Harry Golombek - Stuart Milner-Barry, British Championship (Brighton) 1938, went 12...0-0-0 13.Nd5? Qxd5?? (13...Nb4! wins) 14.Qxd5 Bb4 15.Nd2 Be6 16.Qxd8+?! (16.Qg5!? is preferred by the engines) Rxd8 17.0-0-0 (1-0, 31 moves). Best after 12...0-0-0 may be the surprising retreat 13.Qc1!?, when Cliff Wichman (2319) - Konstantin Cebulla (2054), Staufer Open (Schwäbisch Gmünd) 2017, continued 13...Bf5 14.a3, with what the engines reckon may be a slight edge for White.

13.e4?!

The engines prefer 13.Rc1 or 13.e3, claiming a slight edge for White.

13...0-0-0 14.Bd3?!

It is hard to come up with an acceptable suggestion, the engines fluctuating between several moves, but possibly best is 14.Qc2, although 14...Bg4 15.Be2 Bxf3!? 16.Bxf3 Nd4 gives Black the upper hand, according to the engines.

14...Bg4 15.0-0?

The engines give 15.Rd1 or 15.0-0-0, but agree Black is well on top.

15...Bxf3 16.gxf3 Ne5

White is losing a piece

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17.Qc2 Bxc3 18.Rfd1 Rxd3 19.Rxd3 Nxd3 20.Qxd3 Qg5+ 21.Kf1 Be5 22.Qd5 Rd8 23.Qc5+ Kb8 24.Rc1 Qf4 25.Kg2?

White is lost anyway, but this makes matters much worse.

25...Qxh2+ 26.Kf1 Bd4 27.Qc2 Bb6 28.b4 Qh1+ 29.Ke2 Qg2 30.Rf1 Qg5 31.a4 a5!? 32.b5 Qc5 33.Qb2 Qd4 34.Qc2 Rc8 35.Qa2 Qc4+ 36.Qxc4 Rxc4 37.Ra1 Rc2+ 38.Ke1 Rxf2 39.Ra3 h5 0-1

Championship Chess

PLAYED last night in the Battersea club championship.

Spanton (1921) - Ibrahim Abouchakra (1780)

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bg7 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Nxc6!?

This is fourth in popularity in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database behind 6.Nde2, 6.Nb3 and especially 6.Be3.

6...bxc6 7.Bc4 d6 8.0-0 Nf6 9.e5!?

A pawn sacrifice that divides the engines. Dragon1 reckons it gives White the upper hand; Stockfish17.1 claims it is only enough for equality.

How should Black respond?

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9...Ng4

IA said afterwards he rejected 9...dxe5 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8, which is the main line, because White can capture on f7, but he missed that after 11.Bxf7?? e6 the bishop is trapped.

10.e6?!

Almost certainly better is 10.exd6.

10...Ne5?

Black should play 10...f5.

11.exf7+ Nxf7 12.Bxf7+ Kxf7 13.Qf3+ Kg8?

Apparently a novelty. After 13...Bf6 14.Qxc6 Rb8 White is a pawn up and has the safer king, but Black has the bishop-pair and has the only pawns on the two central files, meaning White is only slightly better (Stockfish17.1) or at best has the upper hand (Dragon1). Indeed the engines reckon White should prefer 14.Ne4!? d5 15.Nxf6 exf6 16.Qc3.

14.Qxc6 Bf5 15.Nd5!?

The engines prefer 15.Re1.

15...Rc8 16.Qb7 Kf7 17.Bg5?!

The engines suggest 17.Qb3!?, 17.Re1 or 17.Qxa7.

How can Black cut White's advantage to a minimum?

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17...Re8?

Better than the text is 17...Rb8, but best is the engines' 17...Qd7!, the point being that, after 18.Qxd7 Bxd7, the capture 19.Bxe7?? loses to 19...Bc6, while 19.Nxe7?! Rc5 20.h4 Bxb2 also favours Black.

18.Rfe1

The engines prefer 18.Qb3.

18...Bf8

Again 18...Qd7! works.

19.Qb3

Can you find a good reply for Black?

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No ... or, to be on the safe side, if you have found a good reply, you have done better than the engines.

19...Bxc2?!

The engines' best is 19...Kg7, but 20.Qe3 leaves White well on top, eg 20...Kf7!? 21.Qf3 Kg8 22.c4!? h6 23.Bf6!? Qd7 24.Bxe7!? (Stockfish17.1), or 20...Qa5!? 21.Nxe7 Bxe7 22.Bxe7 Qb6 23.Qf4 Qxb2 24.Bxd6 (Dragon1).

20.Qf3+

Probably even stronger is 20.Qh3.

20...Kg7

How should White proceed?

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21.Bxe7! Bxe7 22.Rxe7+ Rxe7 23.Qf6+ Kh6 24.Nxe7 Rb8

This, for a short time, is Stockfish17.1's top choice, but objectively best, or, rather, least worst, is probably 24...Ra8.

25.Qf4+ Kg7 26.Nc6 Qb6 27.Nxb8 Qxb8 28.Qd4+ 1-0

The bishop is also dropping.

My Battersea Season 2025-6

Date       Event  Colour  Rating  Opp's Rating  Score  Season's Perf

16/9/25   CLL       W       1936         1952             0           1552

18/9/25   CLL       W       1936         1797             =           1675

16/10/25 CLL       W       1889         2047             0           1665

23/10/25 CLL       B        1889         1823             1           1805

18/11/25  LL         W       1891         1980             =           1840

20/11/25  CLL      W       1891         1866             1            1911

25/11/25  BCC     B        1891         1817             1            1955

9/12/25    LL         W       1904         1982             1            2008

16/12/25  LL         B        1904         2046             0            1968

18/12/25  CLL      B        1904         2066             1            2018

6/1/26      CLL      W       1929         2150             =            2066

7/1/26      LL         W       1929         1971             =            2058

8/1/26      CLL      B        1929         1800?           =            2038

13/1/26    LL         B        1929         2035             1            2067

27/1/26    LL         B        1929         2089             0            2041

29/1/26    CLL      B        1929         1882             =            2031

3/2/26      BCC     W       1928         1836             1            2043     

12/2/26    CDL      B        1928        1890              1            2057

25/2/26    LL         B        1928        1863              =            2047

26/2/26    CLL      B         1928        2015             0            2025

3/3/26      CDL      B        1914        1976              1            2043

24/3/26    BCC     W        1921        1780             1            2049

CLL: Central London League

LL: London League

BCC: Battersea club championship

CDL: Croydon & District League

I also have a win-by-default in the Central London League