Bad Bertrich 50+ Game Five

World's longest two-seater bench?

Faced a Fide master.

Norbert Heck (2235) - Spanton (1997)

Queen's Pawn Game

1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 c5 4.Bg2 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.0-0 e5!?

This is the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, and is the top choice of Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

7.Nb3 Be6 8.c4

This and 8.Bg5 are the most popular moves.

8...Nc6 9.cxd5 Bxd5

The engines prefer 9...Nxd5.

10.Bh3!? Be7 11.Nc3 Bc4

How should White proceed?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

12.Bg2!?

Marius Manolache (2520) - Andrei Filip (2222), Tășnad Orașului Cup (Romania) 2021, went 12.Bg5 0-0 13.Nd2!? Ba6 14.Bg2, with an equal game, according to the engines (1-0, 37 moves).

Mikhail Demidov (2523) - Danii Voloshkin (2081), Russian Team Blitz Championship (Sochi) 2025, saw 12.Be3 0-0 13.Qxd8!? Rfxd8 14.Rfd1 b6!? 15.Bg2, again with an equal game, according to the engines (1-0, 39 moves).

The text, which may be a novelty, is the engines' top choice, albeit by a small margin.

12...0-0 13.Bg5 h6

The engines suggest 13...Qb6 or 13...Rc8.

14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nd5 Rc8

Here the engines like 15...Nd4 or 15...e4!?

16.Rc1 Bxd5 17.Qxd5 Qb6 18.Qe4 Nd4!?

Dragon1 suggests 18...Rfd8 or 18...Be7, but Stockfish18 likes the text, even though after ...

19.Nxd4 exd4 20.Qxb7 Qxb7 21.Bxb7 Rab8 22.Rc7

... White has won a pawn.

How should Black continue?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

22...Rfd8?

The engines reckon Black should activate the bishop, eg 22...d3!? 23.exd3 Be5 24.Rd7 Rfd8 25.Rxd8+ Rxd8, after which Black wins back one pawn, and has enough activity to compensate for the other lost pawn, according to Stockfish18, although Dragon1 is less sure.

23.Ba6 Rxb2

Material is equal, but the engines reckon White is winning

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

24.Bc4 a5 25.Rxf7 Kh8

The engines marginally prefer 25...Rc2!?, and if 26.Rc7+, now 26...Kh8, although they still reckon White is winning.

26.Rd1 Rc8 27.Be6 Re8 28.Bc4 Rc8 29.Ba6 Ra8 30.Bd3 Rxa2

Again material is level, but White has a winning attack

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

31.Rb1 a4

There is no satisfactory defence. The best the engines can come up with is 31...Ra3 32.Ra7! Rc8 33.Kg2 a4 34.Rb5 Rb4 35.Rbxa5, after which White is a pawn up, but White's advantage is worth about a minor piece, according to the engines.

32.Rfb7! g5?

The engines suggest giving up the exchange with 32...Rg8!?, but after 33.Bc4 Rc2 34.Bxg8 Kxg8 35.Ra7 Rxe2 36.Rxa4 Black has no compensation, despite the passed d pawn, eg 36...d3?! 37.Rd1 d2 runs into 38.Kf1.

33.Rh7+ Kg8 34.Rxh6 Kg7 35.Rb7+

If now 35...Kxh6, then 36.Rh7#.

35...Kg8 1-0

European 65+ Team: Game Eight

Mountain view

Sweden 1 v England 3

Anders Wengholm (2171) - Spanton (2003)

English Symmetrical

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nc3 g6 4.e3 Nf6!? 5.d4 cxd4 6.exd4

The idea of playing 4...Nf6!?, rather than the more popular 4...Bg7, is so 5.d4 cxd4 6.exd4 can be met by ...

6...d5

... when Black is playing the white side of a Tarrasch Defence to the Queen's Gambit, but with a tempo less.

How should White proceed?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Qb3 Nxc3 9.Bc4!? Nd5!? 10.Bxd5 e6 11.Bxc6+ bxc6

How would you asses this opening position?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

Black has the bishop-pair, but has an extra pawn island and is behind in development. Stockfish18 and Dragon1 reckon White is slightly better.

12.0-0 Bg7

The main line in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database runs 12...Qd5 13.Be3 f6!? 14.Rfc1 Bd6 15.Nd2, with White maintaining a slight edge, according to the engines, but there are many plausible alternatives along the way.

13.Bg5

The engines reckon the immediate 13.Bf4 gives White the upper hand.

13...f6!? 14.Bf4 g5!?

The engines are fine with this apparent-novelty, switching between it and the known 14...0-0 as their top choice, although Dragon1 comes to also like another apparent-novelty in 14...Qd5.

15.Bg3!?

The engines agree with offering the d pawn.

How should Black proceed?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

15...h5?!

Probably a pawn move too many. The engines suggest 15...Qd5 or 15...0-0, but reckon 15...g4?! 16.Nd2 (the engines prefer this over 16.Nh4) Qxd4? is asking for trouble, eg 17.Nc4 0-0 18.Rad1 Qe4 19.Rfe1, and either 19...Nd6 or 19...Bd6, in each case with more than enough for a pawn.

16.h4!?

The engines rate this more highly than 16.h3.

16...g4 17.Nd2 0-0

Again, taking on d4 is bad.

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

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

Black still has the bishop-pair, but lags in development and has numerous weaknesses. The engines agree White has at least the upper hand.

18.Qe3!?

This is the engines' top choice.

18...f5 19.Nb3 Qf6 20.Bf4 Qxh4!?

This comes to be quite liked by the engines, but they eventually prefer 20...a5 or 20...c5!?

21.Rac1!?

This seems even stronger than 21.Bg5 f4 22.Bxf4 Qf6 23.Be5.

21...Qe7?!

Black should probably play 21...Bd7 or 21...Qf6, albeit with advantage to White.

22.Rxc6 e5?!

A pawn sacrifice for activity, but Black should probably settle for 22...Bd7.

23.dxe5 Bb7 24.Rd6 Be4?!

This hardly helps.

25.Rfd1 Rfd8

Not 25...Bxe5? 26.Bxe5 Qxe5 27.Qg5+.

26.Nc5 Bxe5?

A bad move in a bad position.

27.Rxd8+

By no means the only winning move.

27...Rxd8 28.Rxd8+ Qxd8 29.Bxe5

White is a knight to the good

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

29...Qe7 30.Qb3+ Kh7 31.Qb8 g3 32.Nxe4 fxe4 33.Qc7 1-0

TEAM RESULT

Bo.	7	Sweden 1	Rtg	-	13	England 3	Rtg	3 : 1
5.1	CM	Wengholm, Anders	2171	-		Spanton, Tim R	2003	1 - 0
5.2		Jaderberg, Bjorn	2059	-		Freeman, Jon A	1950	½ - ½
5.3		Lagerborg, Krister	2041	-		Guilfoyle, John M	1921	1 - 0
5.4	CM	Soderberg, Per	2022	-		Wilson, Edgar	1903	½ - ½

Czech 65+ Round Six

Olomouc rosarium

I was downfloated.

Spanton (2003) - Antonín Kubíček (2069)

English Symmetrical

1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 e6 6.Bxc6!?

There are just 64 examples of this continuation in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but it has been played by grandmasters, and scores an excellent 62%. The move has similarities with a line in the Rossolimo System against the Sicilian, ie 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.Bxc6!? In both cases, whichever way Black recaptures, White's idea is not just to manoeuvre against Black's doubled pawns, but to try to keep the black light-square bishop out of play.

How should Black recapture?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

6...bxc6

This is slightly more common than 6...dxc6, but Stockfish18 and Dragon1 reckon both recaptures are equally valid.

7.f4!?

To discourage ...e5.

7...d5 8.Nf3!?

This is the engines' top choice.

8...dxc4 9.dxc4 Bxc3+!? 10.bxc3 Qxd1+ 11.Kxd1

How would you assess this queenless middlegame?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

The pawn-structure is almost symmetrical, but the engines reckon White has at least the better part of equality, perhaps because they believe it is easier for White to develop with effect.

11...Ba6

This may be a novelty. Vladislav Artemiev (2698) - Abtin Atakhan (2414), Abu Dhabi 2023, went 11...Nf6 12.Be3 Ne4 13.Kc2 Ba6 14.Kd3 Nd6 15.Bxc5 Nxc4 16.Kc2, when the engines reckon 16...0-0-0 would have equalised. Instead, the game saw 16...Nb6, when 17.e4 gave White at least a slight edge, according to the engines (1-0, 51 moves).

12.Nd2

The engines prefer 12.Be3 Nf6, and now 13.Nd2, but reckon Black should avoid 12...Bxc4?!, claiming 13.Nd2 Ba6 14.Ne4 gives White at least the upper hand.

12...0-0-0 13.Kc2 Nf6 14.Ba3 e5!?

The engines prefer this over the defensive 14...Nd7.

How should White respond?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

15.fxe5

Not 15.Bxc5? Rxd2+! 16.Kxd2 Ne4+ and 17...Nxc5.

15...Ng4 16.Bxc5 Rhe8 17.Bxa7 Rxe5

Has Black enough compensation for two pawns?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

Yes, according to Stockfish18, but Dragon1 is less sure.

18.Rae1 Ra5 19.Ra1 Re5

Not 19...Bxc4? 20.Bb6.

20.Rae1

I offered a draw in what the engines agree is a completely equal position (it seems Rhe1, both here and at move 18, was a tad better, one point being ...Nxh2?! can be met by Bd4, with what the engines reckon is at least the upper hand for White).

20...c5!?

How should White proceed?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

21.Nb3?

Both 21.Rb1 and 21.e4!? maintain equal chances, according to the engines, eg 21.e4!? Kb7 22.h3 Nh6 23.Nf3 Rde8! (an only-move) 24.Nxe5 Rxe5 25.Rd1!? Kxa7 26.Rd7+ Ka8 27.Rd5 Rxe4 28.Rxc5 Bxc4 29.Rb1, with what the engines reckon is complete equality.

21...Bxc4 22.Nxc5

Even worse is 22.Bxc5? Bxb3+ 23.axb3 Rxc5.

Black to play and win

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

22...Ne3+?

The simple 22...Re7 23.Bb6 Rd6 24.Na4 Bb5 is very strong, eg 25.Bb5 Bxa4+ 26.Kc1 Rde6 27.Bxe7 Rxe7, after which White has rook and two pawns for bishop and knight, but Black's greater activity, combined with White's pawn weaknesses, add up to a winning advantage, according to the engines.

23.Kc1

Not 23.Kb1? Re7 24.Bb6 Rd6 25.Na4 Rb7 (25...Bb5?? fails to 26.Bc5, as 26...Bxa4 no longer comes with check) 26.Kc1 R(either)xb6 27.Nxb6+ Rxb6, when again White has rook and two pawns for bishop and knight, but the engines again reckon Black is winning.

23...Re7 24.Bb6 Rde8!?

This seems to give Black better winning chances than 24...Rd6 27.Na4, when Black has to avoid the Bc5 skewer.

25.Nb3 Bd5 26.Rhg1 Nc4 27.Bd4?!

Almost certainly better is 27.Bf2!?, the idea being to meet 27...Rxe2 with 28.Nd4, when Black has recovered one pawn and has enough compensation for the other, but no more, according to the engines.

27...Rxe2 28.Rxe2 Rxe2 29.Rf1?!

Perhaps 29.Rd1 is best, but the engines are unsure.

29...Rxh2 30.Rd1?!

But this is now probably a move too late, although 30.a4 Ra2 31.Rf2 (31.a5? Ra3) Rxa4 is also very pleasant for Black.

30...Rxa2

Black is a pawn up, with a continuing attack

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

31.Nc5?

The engines give 31.Bf6 Be6 32.Rd4, but reckon Black is winning after 32...Ne3 or 32...Rf2.

31...Bf3 32.Rg1?!

This allows mate-in-four, but the engines' 32.Rd3 Be2 33.Re3 is not much better after 33...Nxe3.

Can you find the checkmate?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

32...f5?!

Black is still winning after this, but 32...Na3 mates on the move, unless White delays it with 33.Rg2!? Rxg2 34.Bf2!?.

33.Kb1 Re2 34.Kc1?

This again sets up a mate-in-four, so perhaps best is 34.Ka1 Na3 35.Rc1 Bd5 36.c4!? Nxc4 37.Rc3, when the threat of imminent checkmate is gone, but Black is two pawns up.

34...Na3 35.Kd1 Nc2?

Black delivers checkmate with 35...Rh2+ 36.Ke1 (36.Kc1 Rc2#) Nc2+ 37.Kf1 Be2#.
36.Kc1?

Once again setting up a mate-in-four for Black, although the engines' 36.Rf1!? Rf2+ 37.Rxf1+ Kxc2 leaves White down the exchange and a pawn.

36...Kc7?

The ...Na3 idea is still the correct mating route.

37.Rf1 Nxd4 38.cxd4 Bd5

The white king is relatively safe, and Black is 'only' a pawn up, but both White's remaining pawns are weak, and the bishop is better than the knight

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

39.g4? fxg4

Now White is two pawns down, and Black's advantage is worth a rook (Stockfish18) or even a rook and a minor piece (Dragon1).

40.Na6+ Kb7 41.Nb4 Bf3 42.d5 Re4 43.Nc2 Rc4 44.Kd2 h5 45.Ne3 Ra4 46.Rb1+ Kc7 47.Rc1+ Kd7 48.Rc6

48.Nc4 threatens a deadly fork on b6, but is easily countered by 48...Ra2+.

48...Be4 49.Nc4

Black has numerous winning moves, but a little care is still required

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

49...Ra2+?

Winning moves include 49...Bxd5, 49...Kd8!?, 49...g3 and 49...Rxc4!?

50.Ke3 Bxd5!?

Or 50.Bf5 Ne5+ and 51...Nxg6.

51.Rd6+ Ke7 52.Rxd5 Kf6 53.Rd6+ Kf5 54.Rd5+ Kf6 55.Re6+ Kg5 56.Ne5 Ra3+ 57.Kf2 Ra2+ 58.Ke3 ½–½

Czech 65+ Round Five

Wooden belltower honouring Czech poet Petr Bezruč

I faced a Pole.

Spanton (2003) - Krzysztof Krupa (1946)

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

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

By an unusual move-order (more common is 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7), an important tabiya of the Accelerated Dragon in the Sicilian has been reached, the position occurring 60,015 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
One of the points of the move-order is that White does not get the opportunity to set up a Maróczy Bind with c4.

6.Nxc6!?

This is the fourth-most popular continuation, scoring just 37% in Mega26.

6...bxc6 7.Bc4 d6

How should White proceed?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

8.0-0

Tempting, at least at first glance, is 8.Qf3 Nf6 9.e5!? dxe5 10.Qxc6+, but Stockfish18 and Dragon1 reckon the game is equal after 10...Bd7. Pengxiang Zhang (2649) - Ernesto Inarkiev (2663), Russia-China Summit (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia) 2007, continued 11.Qa6 0-0 12.0-0 Qb8!? 13.Bb3 Rc8 14.Bg5 e6 15.Rad1 Bc6, with an equal game, according to the engines (but 1-0, 30 moves).

8...Nf6 9.e5!?

A positional pawn sacrifice that is more permanent than it may at first appear.

9...dxe5 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8 11.Re1

There are 17 games in Mega26 with 11.Bxf7?, but 11...e6 traps the bishop.

11...e6 12.Rxe5!? Nd5 13.Re1

The engines prefer 13.Re2, when 13...Nxc3 14.bxc3 Bxc3 15.Rb1 gives White enough for a pawn (Stockfish18) or even a slight edge (Dragon1).

13...Rb8?!

Apparently a novelty, but the engines like 13...Nxc3 14.bxc3 Bxc3 15.Rd1+, continuing with another apparent-novelty in 15...Kc7!? (15...Ke7 is known), when 16.Rb1 Rd8 17.Bf4+ e5 18.Rxd8 Kxd8 19.Bg5+ Kc7 20.Bxf7 is roughly equal.

14.Nxd5?!

Obvious, but the engines point out the possibility of 14.Ne4!?, when 14...Bxb2? fails to 15.Bxb2 (not 15.Rb1? Be5) Rxb2 16.Bb3, trapping the rook. Black should probably play 14...Ke7, but the simple 15.Rb1 leaves White with the upper hand, according to the engines.

14...cxd5 15.Bb3

Now the tactics have died down, how would you assess this late-middlegame?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

The chief feature in the position is the imbalanced pawn-structure, where the black centre pawns would favour the second player in a full-on middlegame, but less so here. The black king looks a little vulnerable, but on the queenside it will be well-placed to cope with White's queenside majority in the event of an ending. The engines give Black at least the better part of equality.

15...Ba6 16.Bg5+ Kc8 17.Rab1 Rb4!?

The engines are OK with this, even though it gives White a tempo for the useful ...

18.c3

... after which the black rook is obliged to retreat as neither 18...Rg4?! nor 18...Re4 helps Black's cause.

18...Rb7 19.Rbc1 h6!? 20.Be3 Rd8 21.Red1 g5!? 22.Rd2 Rc7 23.Rcd1 Kb7 24.Bd4 f6!?

The engines prefer 24...Rg8 or 24...Bxd4.

25.f3 Bc4 26.Bf2!?

How should Black proceed?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

26...Rg8!?

Not just supporting the bishop - Black hopes for kingside attacking chances. The engines suggest 26...f5 or 26...Bf8!?, although they agree 26...Bxb3 27.axb3 is also equal.

27.Rd4

The engines reckon White is better after both 27.Re1 and 27.Ba4!?, one point about the latter being 27...Bxa2?? loses to 28.b3.

27...f5 28.R4d2 g4!? 29.fxg4 Be5?

It is hard to know what my opponent missed here. Black has to recapture on g4, either immediately or after 29...Bxb3 30.axb3.

30.Bxc4 Rxc4 31.gxf5 Rcg4 32.g3

The game finished:

32...h5 33.Re2 Re4 34.Rxe4 dxe4 35.fxe6 h4 36.Re1 hxg3 37.hxg3 Bxg3 38.Bxg3 Rxg3+ 39.Kh2 1-0

Czech 65+ Round Four

Water-feature in the municipal botanic garden

Vladimír Hadraba (1978) - Spanton (2003)

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nb3!?

7.Nb3!? is sixth-most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but scores a higher percentage than the more common moves, including the mainline 7.Bc4

*****

*****
*****

*****

*****

The move is also liked by Stockfish18 and Dragon1, although they come to marginally prefer 7.Bc4. The idea of the text is to prevent ...d5, while also avoiding an exchange of pieces.

7...0-0 8.Be2 a5 9.a4 d5!?

But it seems Black's thematic move in the Accelerated Dragon is possible anyway, albeit as a sacrifice. More usual are 9...d6 and especially 9...Nb4!?

10.exd5 Nb4

How should White proceed?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

11.0-0!?

Getting on with development, rather than trying to hold on to the pawn. The main line in Mega26 runs 11.Bf3 Bf5 12.Rc1 Rc8 13.0-0, when Xavier Montheard (2220) - Claude Adrian (2335), Clichy (France) 1998, continued 13...Rxc3!? 14.bxc3 Na2 15.c4!? (15.Ra1 Nxc3 and 16...Nfxd5 gives Black good compensation for the exchange, according to the engines) Nxc1 16.Qxc1, with the upper hand for White, according to the engines, although the game was drawn.

11...Nfxd5 12.Nxd5 Nxd5

This is an improvement on Ted van Eck (2033) - Spanton (2017), Oberjoch (Bavaria) 2017, which saw 12...Qxd5? 13.c3 Qxd1 14.Rad1 Nc6, when several moves give White a positionally won game, according to the engines, including 15.Rd5 and 15.Bb6, but not after the game's 15.Nd4?, when 15...Nxd4 16.Bxd4 Be6 more-or-less equalised (0-1, 66 moves).

13.Bd4 Bxd4!?

The most common continuation in Mega26 is 13...e5?!, but 14.Bc5 Re8 15.Bb5 almost certainly favours White.

14.Nxd4

This seems to be a novelty. The engines marginally prefer the known 14.Qxd4.

14...e5 15.Nb5 Bf5  16.Bd3!?

The engines reckon the text or 16.Bg4 is best, but White has to be careful, eg 16.Bf3 e4 17.Be2 Nf4 is good for Black, as 18.Bg4?? loses to 18...Qg5.

16...Bxd3 17.Qxd3 Nb4 18.Qe2 Qf6

Perhaps 18...Qe7 is marginally better.

19.Rad1

VH offered a draw.

How would you assess the position?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

Black has the only pawn on the two centre files, but White has a farside pawn-majority that might prove useful in an ending. The engines reckon chances are equal.

19...Rfd8!?

Wrong rook? The engines are unsure.

20.c3 Nc6

On 20...Nd5, the engines suggest 21.g3!? White can also temporarily sacrifice the exchange with 21.Rxd5, recovering the material after 21...Rxd5 22.Nc7 etc.

21.g3!?

Preventing the possibility of ...Qh4 or ...Qf4 (both moves target a4), as well as ruling out a back-rank mate by Black.

21...Qe7!?

Preparing ...f5 and ...e4, with hopes of transferring the black knight to f3 or d3.

22.Rxd8+ Rxd8 23.Rd1 Kg7 24.Na3!?

While the b5 outpost looks good, the white knight will be more active on c4.

24...f5!?

But this is possibly more loosening than effective.

25.Nc4 e4 26.Kg2 Rd7!?

Hoping to win the open file with ...Qd8.

27.Nb6 Rd8 28.Nc4 Rd7 ½–½

Winning Chess

GRANDMASTER Keith Arkell won the British 65+ championship, scoring +6=1-0, finishing a point clear of the field.

Arguably the key game came in round six, where he was Black against Welsh international master John Cooper.

Cooper (2252 ECF/2194 Fide) - Arkell (2512 ECF/2390 Fide)

English Symmetrical

1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 g6 3.e3 Nf6!?

The point of playing this, rather than the 'natural' 3...Bg7, is so ...

4.d4 cxd4 5.exd4

... can be met by:

5...d5

Nevertheless, after 3...Bg7 4.d4 cxd4 5.exd4, Black can still play 5...d5!?, meeting 6.Nxd5 with 6...Be6 or 6...e6.

6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Bc4 Nb6 8.Bb3 Bg7

The position is reminiscent of a Tarrasch Defence to the Queen's Gambit, but with colours reversed

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

9.d5!?

The main move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database is 9.Nf3, but it scores only 49%, whereas the rare text has racked up an impressive 61%.

9...0-0 10.Nge2 N8d7 11.Be3 Nf6

Stockfish18 and Dragon1 suggest 11...Ne5!?

12.0-0

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

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

White's isolani has gained space in the centre, and does not look vulberable, which may be why Dragon1 gives White a slight edge. Nevertheless, it is an isolated pawn, and it is not obvious how White can use the pawn for attacking chances, eg the pawn has not created outposts for White's knights, except, perhaps, at d4. Stockfish18 calls the game equal.

12...Bd7 13.h3!?

This may be a novelty. The known move is 13.Re1.

13...Nc8!?

Heading for the blockading square d6.

14.Nd4 Nd6 15.Qe2 a6 16.a4

The engines reckon White has a slight edge after 16.Rad1 or 16.Rfe1.

16...Qa5 17.Rfd1 Rfe8 18.Bf4!? Rac8 19.Be5 Nfe4!? 20.Bxg7 Nxc3 21.bxc3 Kxg7 22.c4 Qc5!? 23.a5 Kg8!?

This retreat - perhaps withdrawal is a better word - is the engines' top choice.

24.Rac1?!

The engines do not like this pawn sacrifice

24...Qxa5 25.Ba2?!

This looks rather slow. The engines suggest 25.Qe3 or 25.Nf3.

25...Ba4 26.Bb3 Bxb3 27.Nxb3 Qb4 28.Nd2

It is hard to see what White has for a pawn

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

28...b5!? 29.Rb1 Qc5 30.cxb5 axb5 31.Nb3 Qc4 32.Qe5 Qe4 33.Qg5 Qf5 34.Qe3 Qe4 35.Qg5 Rc4 36.Qd2?!

Probably better is the engines' 36.Na5, although Black remains on top.

36...Rc2 37.Qg5 Qe2 38.Qf4 Rb2 39.Nd4 Rxb1 40.Nxe2?

Better is 40.Rxb1, although 40...Qa2 gives Black the upper hand, according to the engines. The text wins the white queen, but after ...

40...Rxd1 41.Kh2 Rxd5

... Black has two rooks and two pawns for it.

0-1

British 65+ Round Seven

Spanton (1940 ECF/2003 Fide) - Mark Page (2123 ECF/2050 Fide)

Sicilian Nimzowitsch

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e5

This and 3.Nc3 are almost equally popular, but the text scores five percentage points more in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.

3...Nd5 4.Nc3 e6 5.Ne4

This is a reasonably common alternative to the mainline 5.Nxd5 exd5 6.d4.

5...f5 6.Nc3 Ne7

Nimzowitsch played 6...Nxc3 in the stem game, a loss to Yates at Carlsbad 1929, but the text, which can perhaps be regarded as the chief modern continuation, scores a fabulous 61% in Mega26.

How should White proceed?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

7.d4

Stockfish18 and Dragon1 like the text and 7.Nb5!?

7...cxd4 8.Nb5!? Nec6!? 9.Nbxd4

The engines are not keen on this, more-or-less settling on 9.a4!? or 9.Be2.

What should Black play?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

9...Nxd4

The engines reckon Black is slightly better after 9...Nxe5!? 10.Nxe5 Qa5+ 11.c3 Qxe5+, a position reached in the game.

10.Nxd4!?

10.Qxd4 avoids transposing into the previous note, and is slightly preferred by the engines.

10...Qa5+ 11.c3

This is almost certainly best.

11...Qxe5+ 12.Be2

How would you assess the position?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

Black is a pawn up and has the only pawns on the two centre files. But White has an edge in development, with the promise of harassment of the black queen to come. The engines reckon Black is slightly better (Stockfish18) or at least has the better part of equality (Dragon1).

12...a6

But the engines reckon this is unnecessary, preferring development with 12...Be7 or 12...Nc6.

13.0-0 Nc6 14.Nf3?!

Avoiding an exchange of knights, while hitting the black queen. But the engines strongly dislike it, claiming 14.Re1!? gives White the upper hand, one point being 14...Nxd4?? loses to 15.Bh5+.

14...Qf6!? 15.Bg5 Qf7

If 15...Qg6?!, then 16.Re1 is difficult to meet, eg 16...Be7 17.Bxe7 Nxe7 (17...Kxe7!? might be better) 18.Ne5 Qf6 19.Bh5+ g6 20.Bf3, with good play for a pawn.

16.Re1 Be7 17.Bxe7 Qxe7 18.Nd4!? 0-0

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

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

Black remains a pawn up, with the only central pawns, and has almost caught up in development, but has a bad bishop. The engines more-or-less agree Black has a slight edge.

19.Bf3 Nd8!?

The engines like this, along with 19...Qd6.

20.Qc2 Qc5 21.Rad1 Nf7 22.b4 Qc7 23.c4 Ng5 24.Qd3 Rb8 25.h4!?

This is the engines' top choice ...

25...Nf7

... and they agree with not capturing on f3.

26.c5 g6?!

Reinforcing f5, to make ...e5 possible, but the engines prefer 26...b6 or 26...Ne5.

How can White best exploit Black's last move?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

27.Nb3

The engines reckon White has much more than enough compensation for a pawn after 27.Qe3!?, eg 27...b6 28.c6!? f4 29.Qa3 e5 30.b5! exd4 31.Rxd4 d6 32.Rxf4, with what they agree is a winning attack.

27...b6 28.cxb6?!

This is probably the wrong idea. Instead White is slightly better after something like 28.Qc3, according to the engines.

28...Rxb6 29.Rc1 Qb8 30.Nc5?!

Probably better is 30.a3.

30...Ne5 31.Qd2 d6 32.Rxe5?

This is not good. The engines give 32.Nd3!? Nxf3+! 33.gxf3, but award Black the upper hand after both 33...e5 and 33...Qb7, but note that 32...Nxd3 33.Qxd3 Rxb4, winning a second pawn, is problematic after 34.h5, eg 34...e5 35.Qd2 Be6 36.Qh6 Rf6 37.Rc6, with equal chances, according to the engines.

32...dxe5 33.a3 Rd6

Black is untying his position, emerging up the exchange and a pawn

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

34.Qg5 Qa7 35.h5 Qg7 36.hxg6 hxg6 37.Re1 e4 38.Be2 Qf6 39.Qe3 Kg7 40.f3!? exf3 41.Bxf3 Rfd8 42.Bb7!? Kf7?!

There is nothing wrong with 42...Bxb7, as 43.Nxb7 is simply met by 43...Rd3.

White to play and seriously reduce Black's advantage 

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

43.Qh6

Missing 43.Bxc8 Rxc8 44.Ne4!, after which 44...Qd4 45.Nxd6+ Qxd6 leaves Black a pawn up and, according to the engines, winning, but the position is far from trivial.

43...Qd4+ 44.Qe3 Qxe3+ 45.Rxe3 Bxb7 46.Nxb7 Rd1+ 47.Kh2 R8d3

But this position is trivially winning.

0-1

British 65+ Round Three

Spanton (1940 ECF/2003 Fide) - Hassan Erdogan (1889 ECF/1839 Fide)

Přibyl

1.Nc3 d6 2.d4 Nd7!? 3.e4 Ngf6 4.f4 e5 5.Nf3 exd4 6.Qxd4 c6

Via an unusual move-order, the game has reached a position that occurs 1,338 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, and is probably best classified as the Přibyl System within the Pirc

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****
7.a4!?

Stockfish18 and Dragon1 much prefer the mainline 7.Be3. Note that the tempting 7.e5!? can be met by 7...dxe5 8.fxe5 Bc5, although the engines reckon White has a slight edge.

7...a5

The engines do not like this either, preferring the thematic 7...d5!?, when 8.exd5?! Bc5, followed by 9...0-0, gives Black good compensation for a pawn. White should probably play 8.e5, although again ...Bc5, either immediately, or after 8...Ng4!?, seems fine for Black.

8.Be3!?

Apparently a novelty. The engines agree it is better than the known 8.Bc4?!, when, again, ...d5 gives Black good play, eg 8...d5!? 9.exd5 Bc5 10.Qd3 0-0.

8...d5!? 9.exd5

The engines more-or-less agree this is best, but Stockfish18 also likes 9.0-0-0!?

9...Bc5 10.Qd3!?

And here they agree this is better than 10.Qd2.

10...Qe7 11.Kd2

The engines suggest 11.Nd4!?, the idea being to meet 11...Ng4 with 12.Nf5!? But not 11.dxc6? Bxe3 13.cxd7+ Bxd7 14.Be2 Rd8, when Black has much more than enough for a pawn.

11...Bxe3+

Here they like 11...0-0!? or 11...Bb4!?

12.Qxe3 Qxe3+ 13.Kxe3 Nxd5+

Stockfish18 likes the text; Dragon1 prefers 13...cxd5.

14.Nxd5 cxd5 15.Kd4!?

How should Black proceed?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

15...0-0!

The engines agree this is better than trying to hang on to the d pawn with 15...Nf6.

16.Bb5

Probably not 16.Kxd5?!, eg 16...Nf6+ 17.Kd4, after which both 17...Bf5 and 17...Rd8+ seem to give Black good play for a pawn.

16...Nf6 17.Rhe1 Bf5 18.c3

Probably even better is 18.Re7!?

18...Be4 19.Re2 Nh5 20.Ke3 Nf6 21.Ne5 Rfd8 22.Rd1 Bf5!? 23.h3 h5 24.Red2 Rdc8?!

Almost certainly the wrong rook.

25.Be2 h4 26.Bg4!? Nxg4+ 27.hxg4 Be4

How would you assess this late-middlegame?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

Black's bishop is technically bad in that the black central pawn is fixed on a light square, but the bishop is active, and is doing a good job preserving d5, while the d pawn in turn is preforming a useful task in giving the bishop a protected outpost. The bishop is also a better piece than the knight for cooperating with rooks. However, h4 is very weak, and that may be the major reason why the engines reckon White has at least a slight edge.
28.g5

The engines suggest 28.c4!?, eg 28...f6!? 29.cxd5 Bc2!? 30.Rc1 Bxa4 31.Rxc8+ Rxc8 32.Ng6 Rc1 33.Nxh4, awarding White at least a slight edge.

28...f6 29.gxf6 gxf6 30.Nf3 Re8 31.Kf2 h3!?

Stockfish18 likes this pawn sac; Dragon1 is less sure.

32.gxh3

Black is a pawn down, but White's extra pawn (h3) is weak, and the black bishop is much the better minor piece

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

32...Kf7 33.Rg1 Rh8 34.Rg3 Rh7 35.Ke3 Re8 36.Kd4 Ke6?!

Black seems to be fine after 36...Rh5.

37.Rf2

Probably better is 37.Re2!?, when both 38.c4 and 38...Nd2 are threats.

37...Rc8 38.Nd2 Bf5 39.Re2+ Kf7!?

The engines marginally prefer this over 39...Kd6.

40.Kxd5 Bxh3 41.Rge3?!

White should perhaps have played 41.c4, 41.Kd4 or 41.Nc4.

41...Rh5+ 42.Kd4 Rc7?!

Black is at least equal after 42...Bg4, according to the engines.

43.Ke4

The engines reckon White is at least slightly better after 43.c4!?

43...Bg4 44.Rf2

The engines prefer 44.Rg2.

44...Re7+ 45.Kd4 Rd7+ 46.Ke4??

White is equal (Stockfish18), or only slightly worse (Dragon1), after 46.Kc4!? Be6+ 47.Rxe6 Kxe6 48.Nf3.

Black to play and win

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

46...Bf5+?
Black mates with 46...f5+ 47.Ke5 Rh6 (or 47...Rh8) and 48...Re6# (or 48...Re8#). Also winning comfortably are 46...Rhd5 and 46...Rc5.
47.Kf3 Rh3+ 48.Ke2 Bd3+ 49.Rxd3 Rhxd3

How would you assess this ending?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

A pawn and knight are rarely enough for a rook in an ending, and this position is no exception, but the engines are not sure White is lost.

50.Nc4 R3d5 51.Kf3 Rd3+?!

Probably better is 51...Re7.

52.Ke4 Rd1 53.Nxa5 f5+?

Black is still much better after 53...Re7+ 54.Kf3 Rd3+. according to the engines.

54.Kf3 Ra1 55.Nc4 Rdd1 56.a5 Kf6

The engines reckon the game is completely equal

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

57.Ke3 Ra4 58.b4 Raa1 59.Nb2 Rd8 60.c4??

But now White is lost, whereas 60.Nd3 holds.

60...Ra3+ 61.Ke2 Rb3 62.Ke1 Rxb4

Not only is White back to having only a pawn for the exchange, but all the surviving white pawns are weak 

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

63.Rh2 Rg8 64.Kd1

What is the one critical factor in the position that Black must beware?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

64...Ra8?

Missing that the other rook is in mortal danger. Bearing this in mind, Black should have played something like 64...Rg3.

65.Kc2! b6!?

Or 65...Rxa5 66.Kc3, when Black has to give back the exchange as 66...Rb6?? loses to 67.Rh6+ etc.

66.axb6 Kg6 67.c5 Rb5 68.Kd3 Rxc5 69.Kd4?

69.Nc4 draws, as White's extra pawn is close to queening, and White's pieces are better coordinated than Black's.

69...Rb5

The engines show that 69...Rc1! wins, eg 70.Ke5 (70.Nc4? Ra4) Ra5+ 71.Kd6 Rb5 etc.

70.Nc4 Rd8+ 71.Kc3 Rc8 72.Kd4 Rb4 73.Rc2 Kf6 74.Kd5?

Both 74.Rc3 and 74.Kd3 hold.

74...Rxb6!

Black's advantage is the equivalent of being about a rook up, according to the engines

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

75.Rh2 Rb5+ 76.Kd4 Rb4 77.Rc2 Rb5 78.Ra2 Rb4 79.Rc2 Kg6 80.Kd5 Kh5 81.Rh2+ Kg4 82.Nd6 Rd8 83.Ke5 Rxd6!

Returning the exchange to enter a winning rook-and-pawn ending.

84.Kxd6 Rxf4 85.Rg2+ Kf3 86.Rg5 Ke4

An only-move, but obvious enough.

87.Rg8 Rg4 88.Re8+ Kf3 89.Kd5 Re4 90.Rf8 f4 91.Rh8 Re1 92.Rg8 Kf2 93.Kd4 f3 94.Rf8 Kg2 95.Rg8+ Kf1 96.Rf8 f2 97.Rg8 Re7 98.Ra8 Ke2 99.Ra2+ Kf3 100.Ra3+ Kg2 101.Ra2 Kg1 0-1