Bad Neuenahr Round Eight

Siegmund Kolthoff (2074) - Spanton (1911)

Maróczy Bind

1.Nf3 c5 2.e4 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.c4 Bg7 6.Be3 Bf6 7.Nc3 d6 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0

This position occurs 20,723 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database

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White's space advantage gives at least a slight edge, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

9...Bd7 10.h3!?

Dragon1 prefers the commonest continuation, 10.Qd2, when the main line in Mega26 runs 10...Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.f3 a5!? 13.b3 Nd7 14.Be3!? Nc5 15.Rab1!? Qb6!? 16.Rfc1, with a slight edge for White, according to both engines.

Stockfish18 likes keeping pieces on the board with 10.Nc2!?, when the main line in Mega26 goes 10...Rc8 11.f3 a6 12.Qd2 Ne5!? 13.b3 (13.Na3!? is a popular alternative) b5!? (the almost equally popular 13...Qc7?! is a mistake, according to the engines, which reckon several moves, including 14.a4!?, give White the upper hand) 14.cxb5 Qc7 15.Bd4, leaving White with at least a slight edge after 15...axb5, according to the engines. But they reckon 15...Bxb5!?, which does not appear in Mega26, more-or-less equalises.

10...Nxd4 11.Bxd4 Bc6 12.Qc2!?

In 1904, in what is generally regarded as the first example of what came to be called the Maróczy Bind, the move 12.Qd3 was played against Geza Maróczy. Two years later, when Maróczy had the same position as White, he preferred 12.Bf3!? Today the text is most popular, perhaps not surprisingly - it scores 70% in Mega26.

How should Black respond?

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12...Nd7!?

The engines prefer the mainline 12...a5!?

13.Bxg7

Tiviakov reckons an exchange of dark-square bishops in the Maróczy Bind nearly always favours Black, but this position may be an exception - at least, the engines reckon it is. Note that 13.Be3 does not lose a pawn, as 13...Bxc3?! 14.Qxc3 Bxe4? runs into 15.Bh6, when 15...Nf6 16.Bxf8 gives White a large advantage.

13...Kxg7

How should White proceed?

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14.Rad1

SK was upset with himself in the postmortem for not having played 14.b4!?, which is indeed the engines' top choice. Black's best reply is perhaps 14...b6 (a 2331 lost a blitz game with 14...a6?? 15.b5), which is not the sort of move Black normally plays in the Maróczy Bind. However, the text is also popular, and gives White at least a slight edge, according to the engines.

14...a5 15.f4 Qb6+ 16.Kh1!? a4!? 17.Bg4 Nc5 18.Bf3

Possibly a novelty. Olga Badelka (2427) - Kamil Szadkowski (2278) Chess.com Blitz 2020, went 18.e5!? dxe5 19.fxe5 Rfd8?! 20.Nd5 Bxd5 21.cxd5, with a positionally won game for White, according to the engines (1-0, 30 moves). However, they reckon Black had several equalising moves in reply to19.fxe5, including 19...e6 and 19...Qb4.

18...Qb4 19.Ne2

SK was highly critical of this in the postmortem, but the engines are fine with it. although their top choice is probably 19.Be2 or 19.Nd5.

19...Ra6!? 20.Nd4 Rb6 21.Rf2 e5!?

Seeking to win the d4 square for Black's knight.

22.Nxc6

Also possible is 22.a3!? Qa5 23.Ne2, but the engines prefer the text.

22...Rxc6 23.f5 Nd7 24.a3!?

The engines suggest 24.b3 or 24.Be2.

What should Black play?

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24...Qb6

The engines reckon 24...Qxc4 25.Qxc4 Rxc4 26.Rxd6 Nc5 gives Black at least a slight edge.

25.Rfd2

Not 25.Qxa4?? Qxf2.

25...Nc5 26.Rd5

SK offered a draw.

Objectively, should Black play on?

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Black has the better minor piece and pressure against b2 and c4. White has pressure against d6 and, arguably, the less-threatened king, but that still leaves Black with at least a slight edge, according to the engines.

26...f6!?

If 26...Rfc8, White has 27.Qd2, and if 27...Nb3. then 28.f6+!, when 28...Kxf6?! leaves Black in big trouble after 29.Qh6. So Black should almost certainly play 28...Kh8, when 29.Qh6 Rg8 is completely equal, according to the engines.

However, instead of the text, Black can try 26...Nb3, when best-play may run 27.Qc3 f6 28.fxg6 hxg6 29.Bg4 Qc7 30.Qg3!? Nd4 31.Bh5!? g5 32.Qd3, with an imbalanced position, although the engines reckon Black is slightly better.

27.Qf2 Qa6 28.h4

Dragon1 reckons the position after 27...Qa6 is completely equal, while Stockfish18 awards Black the better part of equality, but both engines find it difficult to settle on White's best continuation, candidates including Kh2, Qg3, fxg6 and Qe2. The text is also probably all right, if followed up correctly.

28...Qxc4 29.Rxd6?!

Probably better is 29.fxg6 hxg6, and now 30.Rxd6 Rxd6 31.Rxd6 Nxe4 32.Rd7+ Rf7 33.Rxf7+ Kxf7 34.Qb6!, when the engines agree Black has nothing more than a draw.

29...Rxd6 30.Rxd6 Nxe4 31.Bxe4?!

Possibly better - for a long time Dragon1 prefers the text - is 31.Rd7+ Rf7 32.Rxf7+ Kxf7 33.fxg6+, when 33...hxg6 34.Qb6! transposes to the drawn line given at move 29. But the engines point out Black can improve with 33...Kxg6!, when 34.h5+ Kg7 35.Qh4 Qc1+ 36.Kh2 Nc5 gives Black the upper hand (Dragon1) or at least a slight edge (Stockfish18).

31...Qxe4 32.fxg6 hxg6

Here 33...Kxg6? is a mistake that allows a draw after, for example, 34.Qg3+ Kf7 35.Rd7+ Ke6 36.Qg7 etc.

After 32...hxg6, what is White's best hope for a draw?

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33.Rd7+?!

Heading for a queen-and-pawn ending, but it is completely lost, so better chances lay in, for example, 33.Rb6, although the engines agree that after 33...Qd5!?, Black is winning, eg 34.Rb4 Re8 35.Qe3 (35.Rxa4?? Qd1+) e4 36.Rd4 Qc6, when Black's extra pawn should tell, albeit after a slow and somewhat painstaking process.

33...Rf7 34.Rxf7+?

White should definitely keep rooks on.

34...Kxf7

At first glance it might seem White has hopes of a perpetual, but it turns out every White continuation either drops material or allows transposition into a trivially won pawn ending

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35.Kg1 Qd4 0-1

All About That Bass VII

MOST of us have an opponent against whom nothing seems to work.

When the opponent is considerably stronger, this is not surprising, but when ratings are not so different, the results are harder to explain.

My biggest bogeyman is probably John Bass, whose record against me is +6=1-0.

Seven games is not a huge sample, but such a poor performance on my part must signify something.

So in this mini-series I am looking at my games against JB to try to discover what is going on.

Here is our latest encounter.

Spanton (1980) - Bass (1932)

Central London League 1925

English Four Knights

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e4!?

This was a Nimzowitsch favourite.

4...Bb4 5.d3 0-0 6.Be2 d6 7.0-0

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

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White has more queenside space, and the hole at d4 is probably not a serious weakness, but White has a passive and bad light-square bishop, while Black's bad bishop is outside the pawn-chain, and therefore active. Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 rate the game as equal.

7...h6 8.h3 Bxc3!? 9.bxc3 Re8 10.Rb1 Ne7 11.c5!? Ng6 12.cxd6 Qxd6!? 13.Qc2 b6 14.Rd1 Bb7 15.Be3 Rad8 16.Nh2 c5 17.Ng4 Nxg4 18.Bxg4 Qc7 19.Bh5 Nf4!? 20.Bxf4 exf4 21.Bf3

There has been much manoeuvring, and quite a few exchanges, but the position remains equal, according to the engines

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21...Re7 22.Qa4 Bc6 23.Qc4 Bb7 24.a4 Qc8 25.Bg4 Qc7 26.Ra1 Bc8 27.Bxc8 Qxc8 28.a5

More prudent is 28.f3.

28...f3! 29.axb6?

White is only slightly worse after 29.Re1, according to the engines.

29...axb6

This is enough for an edge, but stronger is 29...fxg2! 30.Kxg2 (30.bxa7? Qxh3) axb6.

30.Kh2?

The engines suggest 30.Re1 or 30.Qa6.

30...fxg2 31.Rg1?!

If 31.Kxg2?!, then 31...Qc6. Best may be 31.Re1.

31...Qc7+ 32.Kxg2 Qf4 33.Rad1 Re6 34.Qa2 Rg6+ 35.Kf1 Rxg1+ 36.Kxg1 Qf3 37.Rd2 Rxd3 38.Rxd3 Qxd3 39.Qa8+ Kh7 40.Qd5!?

This is Dragon1's top choice, but the ending is lost anyway.

40...Qxd5 41.exd5 Kg6 42.c4 Kf6 43.f4 g5 44.Kf2!? gxf4 45.Kf3 Ke5 46.h4 b5 47.cxb5 Kxd5 48.Kxf4 c4 49.Ke3 Kc5 0-1

LESSON: carelessness about king safety was followed by sub-optimal tactics that left me with a losing position.

Czech 65+ Open Championship Round Five

Václav Lexa (1877) - Spanton (1982)

QGD Tarrasch

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5

Two years ago in the same tournament our game went 3...Nf6 4.Bg5 c5!? 5.cxd5 cxd4 6.Qxd4 Be7 7.e3!? exd5 8.Nf3 0-0!?, with an equal position, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1. Although I won that game in 22 moves, I did not want to find out if VL had prepared an improvement.

4.cxd5 exd5 5.e3!?

This is the second choice of the engines, and has been played by grandmasters, but is much less successful than the mainline 5.Nf3.

5...Nf6 6.g3!?

This gives a strange impression, but the engines are OK with it, and there are 39 examples of the resulting position in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.

How should Black respond?

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6...Nc6

The engines also like 6...cxd4 and 6...Bg4.

7.Bg2 Bg4

The engines suggest 7...cxd4 or 7...h5!?

8.Qb3?!

This is strongly disliked by the engines. They reckon White is slightly better after 8.Nge2.

8...cxd4

The only game in Mega25 to reach the position saw 8...c4!?, which is the top choice of the engines.

9.Nxd5

Possible is 9.exd4!?, the point being 9...Nxd4 10.Qa4+ Nc6 11.Bg5 is sharp and may give enough compensation for a pawn, although Dragon1 is less sure than Stockfish17. The engines fluctuate between the two moves, and also 9.h3!?

9...Nxd5 10.Bxd5 Bb4+

How should White proceed?

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11.Kf1!?

Not 11.Bd2? Bxd2+ 12.Kxd2 Qa5+! (this is even stronger than 12...dxe3+), after which the white king has no good square as both 13.Kc2 and Kd3 can be met by 13...Nb4+, eg 13.Kd3 Nb4+ 14.Ke4 f5+ 15.Kxd4 (15.Ke5 Nc6+ 16.Kf4 Qc7+ 17.Kg5 h6+ 18.Kg6 Ne5#) Nxd5 16.Qxd5 Rd8 etc. That leaves 13.Kc1, but 13...Qe1+ 14.Kc2 Nb4+ wins the white queen.

11...Qe7 12.a3!?

This is Stockfish17's top choice, although it comes to also like 12.Kg2. Dragon1 suggests 12.e4, marginally ahead of 12.Kg2.

12...Bc5 13.Qa4?

White is fine, according to the engines, after 13.h3, with 14.e4 possible whether the bishop retreats to h5, f5 or e6.

How should Black proceed?

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13...0-0!?

The engines also like 13...Rd8!? as there is no need to defend c6.

14.e4

After 14.Bxc6 bxc6 15.Qxc6? Rac8 White has very little chance of surviving Black's attack.

14...Ne5 15.Qb3 d3!? 16.h3 Bh5 17.Bf4 Qf6?!

Developing the queen's rook makes sense, and even the speculative 17...Bxf2!? is probably good for Black after 18.Kxf2 Rac8. However the text, which at first glance looks good as it pins White's dark-square bishop, gives White the chance to beat off Black's attack.

What should White play?

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18.Qc3!

The engines agree this is best.

18...Be2+?

Better is 18...Nd7, although that allows 19.Qxd3!? as 19...g5 can be simply met by 20.Be3. Dragon1 suggests 19...Qxb2, but 20.Ra2 (necessary to protect f2) leaves Black with at best a slight edge, according to the engines.

19.Nxe2 dxe2+

Can you see why 18...Be2+? was wrong?

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20.Kxe2

White has a winning advantage, according to the engines, after the remarkable 20.Kg2! Black can save both hanging pieces with 20...Nd7, but 21.Qxf6 Nxf6 22.Bxb7 Rae8 23.b4! Bd4 24.Ra2 will see White emerge material ahead and with the bishop-pair, eg 24...Nxe4 25.Rxe2 g5! 26.Bc1. Slightly better may be 20...Bd6, but it is still good for White, eg 21.Qe3 Ng6 22.Bxd6 Qxd6 23.Qxe2.

20...Qa6+ 21.Kd2 Nd7

The engines give 21...Bd4!, the point being 22.Qxd4?? loses to 22...Nf3+. White has to play 22.Qb3, when 22...g5! 23.Bxe5 Bxe5 leaves White a pawn up, but with an exposed king in a position with opposite-coloured bishops. Dragon1 reckons White has the upper hand, but Stockfish17 gives White only a slight edge, and it would be a difficult middlegame for White to negotiate.

22.Be3

The engines give 22.Rac1!?, the idea being to meet 22...Bxf2 with 23.Rhf1, when White has given back the pawn but is ahead on development and has threats, along with the bishop-pair. Instead of immediately grabbing the f pawn, the engines give 22...Rad8!? 23.Kc2, and now 23...Bxf2, but still prefer White after 24.Kb1!?

22...Rac8 23.b4?!

The engines still like Rac1.

23...Bxe3 24.Qxe3

Black has full compensation for a pawn, according to the engines

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24...Nf6 25.Rhc1?!

The engines prefer 25.Qd3!?, meeting both 25...Qd6 and 25...Qb6 with 26.Ke2.

25...Nxd5

25...Rcd8!? is slightly stronger, according to the engines.

26.exd5 Rcd8 27.Rc5?

Equal is 27.Qd3!? Qxd3+ 28.Kxd3 Rxd5, as is 27...Qh6+ 28.Kc3 Qxh3 29.Kb3, according to the engines.

27...b6 28.Rc3 Rxd5+ 29.Rd3 Rfd8?

This looks natural, but throws away the win, which was to be had, it seems, with more than one continuation, including 29...Rxd3+ and possibly 29...Qb7, but most convincing is 29...Rdd8!, to which there appears no satisfactory answer. Perhaps the best try is 30.Kc2, but the engines give 30...Qc4+ 31.Rc3 Qb5! 32.Rd1 Qa4+ 33.Rb3 Rxd1 34.Kxd1 Re8 35.Qd3 Qc6 36.Rc3 Qh1+ 37.Kc2 Qxh3, after which Black is a pawn up and still has much the safer king. There is a long way to go to convert the extra pawn, and there are plenty of alternative moves before reaching this point, but the engines are convinced Black is winning.

30.Rxd5 Rxd5+ 31.Ke1 Qb5 32.Rd1 Rxd1+ 33.Kxd1

VL offered a draw in my time.

Dead equal?

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Yes, according to the engines, one point being Black sooner or later has to spend a tempo preventing back-rank mate.

33...g6 34.Kd2 Qd7+ 35.Ke2 Qxh3

Winning a pawn, but only temporarily.

36.Qe8+ Kg7 37.Qe5+ Kf8!? 38.Qb8+ Kg7 39.Qxa7

After 39.Qe5+ the only way to keep the game going is 39...Kh6 40.Qf4+ Kh5!?, although 41.Qxf7 gives White a tiny edge, according to Dragon1 (Stockfish17 reckons the ending is still equal).

The text means White has the smaller of the two pawn-majorities, and has the majority that is on the farside from the kings, but Black still has the draw in hand.

39...Qe6+ 40.Kf1 h5 41.Qa6 Qc6 42.Qd3!?

Centralising the queen. It allows ...

42...b5!?

... which means one pawn is now holding up two on the queenside, but that does not change the engines' assessment of complete equality.

43.Qd4+ f6 44.Qe3 g5 45.Qd3 h4!? 46.gxh4 gxh4

A passed pawn is normally a major asset in a queen-and-pawn ending, even though here it has come at the cost of accepting three isolanis, but the engines steadfastly maintain their verdict of completely equal

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47.Qf5 Qc1+ 48.Ke2

Also fine is 48.Kg2!? as following 48...Qg5+ 49.Qxg5 fxg5 White has 50.a4 (50.f4!? may also hold the draw), after which both sides queen a pawn.

48...Qc4+ 49.Ke1 Qc3+ 50.Kf1 Qa1+!? 51.Kg2 Qe5!?

Continuing to take risks in the hope of somehow conjuring up a win.

How should White proceed?

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52.Qd7+

The Syzygy endgame tablebase shows 52.Qxe5 fxe5 53.Kh3 Kf6 54.Kxh4 is a draw, provided Black finds 54...Kf6 55.Kg3 e4!

Another try is 52.Qg4+ Qg5 53.Kh3 Kg6 54.Qxh4, but it seems Black holds with, among other moves, 54...Qd5 and 54...f5, but 54...Qxh4+?? 55.Kxh4 is a winning pawn-ending for White.

52...Kh6 53.Kh3 f5 54.Qd2+

Not 54.Kxh4?? Qh2#.

54...f4!?

White to play and gain a slight edge (Stockfish17) or even the upper hand (Dragon1)

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55.Kxh4??

After 55.Qc2! White is the one pushing for a win, although it seems 55...Qg5 56.Qe4 Qf6 holds, and other lines too, according to the engines.

The text was presumably played in the light of the reply ....Qg5+ only drawing, thanks to the f5 pawn being pinned after the black queen leaves g5. However that misses:

55...Qh5#

4NCL Final Weekend: Game One

PLAYED on board two (of six) for Wessex B against Ashfield 3 in division four of the Four Nations Chess League this afternoon.

Spanton (1976 ECF/1937 Fide) - Alex Bentley (1763 ECF/1784 Fide)

Sicilian ...e6/Maróczy Bind

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nc6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nxd4!?

This makes an odd impression, at least to me, but it has been played by Vladimir Epishin (2667), Bogdan Lalić (2507) and other grandmasters.

6.Qxd4 d6

The main line in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database runs 6...Ne7 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.Qd1 Bc5, with an equal position, according to Stockfish17, although Dragon1 favours White.

7.Nc3 Nf6

If 7...Ne7, then 8.Be3, when 8...Nc6 can be met by 9.Qd2 with a more harmonious development than in the previous note.

8.Be2 Be7 9.0-0 0-0

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

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White has achieved a Maróczy Bind, while also being slightly ahead on development. The engines reckon White has the upper hand.

10.Rd1!?

Of the 29 games to reach the position in Mega25, 10.Be3 was played in 21 of them, but the engines prefer the text.

10....Qd7

This seems to be a novelty. Known moves are 10...e5 and 10..a6, while the engines suggest 10...Bd7 or 10...b6.

11.Bg5 Rd8?!

Probably better is 11...h6!?, when the engines reckon 12.Bxf6 Bxf6!? 13.Qxd6 Qxd6 14.Rxd6 g5!? leaves Black with enough compensation for a pawn (Stockfish17), or at least only slightly worse (Dragon1).

12.Rd3

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 12.e5!?

12...Ne8 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.e5 Bd7?

Better is 14...b6.

15.exd6 Qf8!? 16.Bf3 Bc6 17.Bxc6?!

The engines prefer 17.c5.

17...Rxd6!

This is much better than 17...bxc6 18.c5.

18.Bd5 exd5 19.cxd5?

The knight recapture is significantly stronger.

19...Nf6 20.Rad1 Qe7 21.Qc4 Rad8

How would you assess this pawn-up middlegame?

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White is obviously better - winning, according to the engines - but the extra pawn is firmly blockaded, and, as will be shown, making progress proves difficult.

22.h3

If 22.Nb5 Black has 22...Rxd5! 23.Rxd5 Nxd5, when 24.Rxd5?? loses to 24...Qe1+ 25.Qf1 Qxf1+ 26.Kxf1 Rxd5. White instead remains a pawn up after 24.Nxa7, but no longer has a passer, and is no longer winning, according to the engines.

22...a6 23.a4 h6 24.b4 Qd7 25.b5

The engines suggest 25.Rd4, one line running 25...Re8 26.Qd3 Kf8!? 27.Kf1!? Qc7 28.Rc4 Qd7 29.Rd4 Qc7 30.Qf3 Re5, but it is unclear how White makes progress.

25...a5 26.Ne4 Nxe4 27.Qxe4 Re8 28.Qd4 b6

The engines prefer 28...Rd8.

29.Rg3 f6 30.Rdg3 Re5 31.Qc4 Qf5

Active, but not liked by the engines, which suggest holding tight with, for example, 31...Kh7.

32.g4?!

Probably stronger is 32.Re3, when 32...Rxe3 33.fxe3 will allow the d pawn to be supported by a fellow pawn, while 32...Qh5 33.Qc8+ Kh7 34.g4!? Qg5 35.Rxe5 Qxe5 36.Qf5+!? gives White a winning rook-and-pawn ending, according to the engines. In the latter line, if Black instead plays 35...fxe5, then 36.Qc4 consolidates, after which there is much less pressure on d5, and both sides have an isolani, but White's is the only passed one, and White remains a pawn up.

32...Qd7 33.f4?!

The engines much prefer 33.Re3, one point being 33...Rexd5?? loses to 34.Red3.

33...Re8 34.Qd4 f5!

White's king is much less safe than Black's - a key factor in heavy-piece middlegames

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35.gxf5 Qxf5 36.Rg3 Rg6

How should White proceed?

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37.Qf2?

Both 37.Qd3 (37...Re1+ 38.Kg2) and 37.Rxg6 Qxg6 38.Kf2 keep the position equal.

Black to play and win

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37...Rd6

AB offered a draw.

Instead 37...Re2! wins as 38.Qf3 can be met by 38...Qxh3!

Should I have accepted the draw offer?

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Black has full compensation for a pawn, according to the engines, and the Black position is easier to play, thanks to White's three isolated pawns and exposed king, so objectively, ratings aside, it is hard to make out a case for playing on.

38.Qg2 Re7 39.Qf3 Red7 40.Qe3 Rxd5 41.Rxd5 Qxd5 42.Qxb6?

White has nothing better than taking a draw by perpetual.

Black to play and win

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42...Qd1+

The engines show that the clever move 42...Qe4! wins as Black has no good answer to 43...Rd1+.
43.Kh2 Qd2+ 44.Kh1

Not 44.Rg2?? Qxf4+ etc.

44...Qd5+ 45.Rg2 Re7 46.Qc6

Not 46.Qxh6?? Qxg2+ etc.

46...Qd1+ 47.Kh2 Qxa4 48.Qd5+ Kh7 49.Qf5+ Kg8 50.b6 Qb4 51.Rc2

Black to play and draw

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51...Qe1??

Black had to guard the back rank with 51...Re8, and if 52.Rc8 White cannot escape perpetual check after, for example, 52...Qd2+ (exchanging rooks also draws).

52.Rc8 Re8 53.Rxe8+ Qxe8

White to play and win

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54.Qe5?

The simplest win is 54.Qd5+ Kh8 55.b7, meeting 55...Qe2+ with 56.Kg3, after which the checks eventually run out, but not 56.Qg2? as 56...Qb5, followed by pushing the a pawn, draws.

Black to play and draw

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54...Qf7?

The engines reckon 54...Qc6 definitely draws, eg 55.Qxa5 Qc2+ 56.Kg3 Qd3+, when the white king cannot escape the checks, and 54...Qd7!? may draw, although Dragon1 is a lot less convinced than Stockfish17.

55.Qc7 Qa2+ 56.Kg3 Qb3+

White to play and win

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57.Kh4

The engines show only 57.Kf2! wins - not an easy move to find.

Black to play and draw

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57...g5+?

The engines show both 57...Qf3 and 57...Qe3!? draw as the white king cannot escape perpetual check.

58.fxg5 hxg5+ 59.Kxg5

The white king has no cover on the kingside, but it does not need it as the black queen has no support and cannot stop the white king reaching cover on the queenside

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59...Qd5+ 60.Kf6 Qf3+ 61.Ke7 Qf7+ 62.Kd8 Qf8+ 63.Kd7 Qf7+ 64.Kc8 Qe6+ 65.Kb8 1-0

Wessex B won the match 4-2.

Horror Show

AUSTRALIA-based Derek Roebuck publishes Patzer magazine, sometimes using posts from my blog as articles.

Today I am returning the compliment by highlighting a striking example from his magazine of the peculiarities of chess.

Black to play - can the game be saved?

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No - White is lost. Yes, White!

The winning move is 1...Qd2+, after which 2.b4?! Qd8+ is mate next move.

So White must try 2.Qb4, but 2...Qd5+ 3.Qb5 Qd6! is the clever point, putting White in zugzwang.

The white king cannot move, pushing the b pawn loses as before, while any move by the white queen either loses the queen or allows an immediate mate.

Roebuck publishes his magazine from Subiaco, a suburb of Perth, and can be contacted via derek_roebuck@hotmail.com

Lessons From Bad Herrenalb VII

MY round-seven game was completely equal, according to Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1, for most of its duration.

After much manoeuvring, we reached this position, with me to make my 48th move

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After a fair bit of thought I played 48...Qc2+ and offered a draw, which was accepted.

I took some time because I was considering playing ...Qd4 in the hope White would go wrong.

If I had played the move, what should the outcome have been?

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What had caught my attention was a win for Black after 48...Qd4? 49.Qxd4 exd4 50.Ke2 Kf6 51.Kd3? Ke5 and 52...Kxd4.

However I eventually spotted it is White who should win, by playing 51.Kd2 with Kd3 and Kxd4 to come.

LESSON: pawn-endings are in a way the simplest of all endings in that nothing can move more than a square at a time (apart from pawns still in their starting position), but in another way they are the most complicated in that a subtle subtle nuance can turn a win into a loss, which is why players are often warned not to swop off into such an ending unless absolutely certain of the outcome.

Championship-Deciding Chess

BATTERSEA'S club championships, which consist of an elite eight-player knockout and two swiss-style tournaments, officially ended last week.

The swisses are slightly unusual in that each of the 13 rounds is played on a specific date, meaning availability is an important factor for those hoping to be champions.

The Barrow, the higher-rated of the two swisses, came down to a battle between Çağlar Meriç and Domenico Amabile.

Unfortunately, due to a mix-up, Amabile was mispaired in one round, and it was decided he should be given another game.

This was important, at least to him and Meriç, as a draw or better in the extra game would give the former the championship.

The game was played last night.

Spanton (1919) - Amabile (1696)

Scandinavian

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8!?

This somewhat-passive retreat is undergoing a bit of a revival at club level, and has been played at the top by the likes of Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura.

4.d4 c6 5.Nf3 Bf5 6.Bd3 Bxd3 7.Qxd3 Nf6 8.Bg5 e6 9.0-0-0 Nbd7

Black has achieved a little simplification, but has fallen behind in development and space

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10.Rhe1

Garry Kasparov (2825) - Gregory Serper (2540), ICC Internet Blitz 1998, went 10.Ne5 Nxe5 11.dxe5 Qxd3 12.Rxd3 Nd5 13.Ne4, with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 (1-0, 47 moves).

10...Be7 11.Ne5 Nxe5 12.dxe5 Qxd3 13.Rxd3 Nd5 14.Bxe7 Kxe7

Now that Black has achieved much more simplification, how would you assess the position?

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White still has more space and a lead in development, which give a slight edge, according to the engines.

15.Ne4 Rad8

The engines suggest 15...b6 or 15...b5!?

16.Red1

Stronger, according to the engines, is attacking Black's pawns with 16.Ra3 or 16.Rg3.

16...Nf4 17.Rxd8 Rxd8 18.Rxd8 Kxd8

How would you assess this knight-and-pawn ending?

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White has a juicy-looking outpost at d6, as well as a little more space, but first has to deal with the threat to g2. Komodo14.1 gives White a slight edge, but Stockfish16 calls the game equal.

19.g3

The engines agree this is marginally better than 19.Nd6.

19...Ng6 20.f4 Ke7 21.Kd2 f6!? 22.exf6+ gxf6

The white outpost has gone, but Black has an extra pawn-island - the position equal, according to the engines

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23.Ke3 h6 24.c4 b6 25.b4 f5!?

DA offered a draw in my time (just).

The text leaves a hole at e5, but gains space and is the engines' top choice.

26.Nd2 Kd7?!

The engines reckon 26...Kd6 gives complete equality.

27.Nf3?!

White has at least the upper hand, according to the engines, after 27.Kd4, eg 27...Kd6 28.c5+ bxc5+ 29.bxc5+, which leaves Black with four weak pawns (everyone except f5) and less space.

27...Kd6 28.h3 h5 29.Nd4 Ne7 30.Kd3 Ng8!?

The engines like this move, although they reckon it is not the only one to give complete equality.

31.b5 Ne7 32.Nxc6 Nxc6 33.bxc6 Kxc6

How would you assess this pawn-ending?

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Completely equal, according to the engines, but there is still play in the position.

34.Kd4 Kd6 35.a3 a6 36.a4 a5 37.h4

Black to play and draw

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37...Kc6?

The draw is achieved by a little trick: 37...e5+! 38.fxe5+ Ke6 etc.

38.Ke5 Kc5 39.Kxe6 Kxc4 40.Kxf5 b5 41.axb5 Kxb5

White to play and win

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42.Ke4?

The king needs to be positioned to support the f pawn in case the black king tries to intercept it, so winning are 42.Kg5 and 42.Kg6.

Black to play and draw

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42...Kc4?

The Syzygy endgame tablebase shows three moves draw: 42...a4, 42...Kc5 and 42...Kc6. The point about the latter two moves is they put the black king inside the queening square of the f pawn.

43.f5 a4 44.f6 a3 45.f7 a2 46.f8=Q a1=Q

Now we have a queen-and-pawn ending, and it is winning for White

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47.Qc8+ Kb3

White has two moves that preserve the win

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48.Qb7+?

Only 48.Qe6+ and 48.Qg8+ win, eg 48.Qe6+ Kb4 49.Qb6+ Kb5 50.Qe5+ etc.

48...Kc2!?

Syzygy shows White can still force mate after this, but it would take more than 100 moves, and so fall foul of the 50-move rule.

49.Qc6+ Kd1 50.Qd5+ Ke1 51.Qxh5

White is two pawns up, but cannot escape perpetual check

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51...Qa4+ 52.Kf5

I went to play 52.Kf3??, but spotted 53...Qd1+ before releasing my hold on the king.

52...Qd7+ 53.Kf4 Qd2+ 54.Kg4 Qd1+ 55.Kg5

Black to play and maintain the draw

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55...Qd5+?

Five moves draw: ...Qb3, ...Qc1+, ...Qd2+, ...Qd3 and ...Qd8+.

56.Kh6!?

The only winning move, but fairly obviously the only sensible try.

56...Qc6+ 57.Qg6 Qc1+ 58.Kh5

White had four possible moves, and, according to Syzygy, they all won.

58...Qd1+

White to play and maintain the win

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59.g4?

Both 59.Qg4 and 59.Kh6!? win. After the latter, if Black repeats with 59...Qc1+, then among other wins is 60.Kh5 Qd1+ 61.Qg4.

Black to play and draw

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59...Qd5+

Black had to find 59...Kf2! The game would go on, but it is a tablebase draw,

60.Qf5 Qd4 61.g5 Qh8+ 62.Kg4 Qd4+ 63.Qf4 Qd7+ 64.Kg3 Qd3+ 65.Qf3 Qd6+ 66.Kg2 Qd2+ 67.Kh1 Qd4 68.Qg3+ Ke2 69.g6 Qg7 70.Qg5 Kf3 71.h5 Qa1+ 72.Qg1 Qg7 73.Qg2+ Kf4

White to play and find an only-move to win

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74.h6?

Syzygy shows only 74.Kh2! wins.

74...Qe7?

Black has a simple draw - once you have seen it - with 74...Qxh6+ 75.Qh2+ Kg5.

75.h7 Qe1+ 76.Kh2 Qh4+ 77.Kg1 Ke3 78.g7 Qe1+ 79.Kh2 1-0

Kraków Seniors Round Nine

Bogusław Czepczyński (1648) - Spanton (1743)

Catalan

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.g3 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.d4 c6 6.Bg2 Bd6 7.Nf3

What's in a name - or, to put it another way, what would you call this opening?

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After 4.cxd5 ChessBase calls it "A17: English Opening: 1...Nf6 with ...Bb4." After 7.Nf3 it changes to: "D35: Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation." I reckon it is a Catalan, albeit one in which White has captured on d5 at an unusually early stage.

7...0-0 8.0-0 Re8 9.Re1 Bg4

This is the most popular move (just) in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, but Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 are unimpressed, preferring 9...Bf5.

10.h3 Bh5 11.a3 a5 12.Bg5 Nbd7 13.e4!?

There is a game in Mega24 in which a 2163 played 13.Qc1. The engines much prefer the text.

13...dxe4 14.Rxe4!? Rxe4 15.Nxe4 Be7

How should White proceed?

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16.Nc3!?

The engines like this retreat, although they also like 16.Nxf6+ Bxf6 17.Bxf6 Nxf6 18.Qb3, claiming a tiny pull for White.

16...h6 17.Bf4 Nb6 18.g4 Bg6 19.Ne5

This is rather a good example of a position in which dynamism more than makes up for the structural weakness of having an isolated queen's pawn

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19...Nbd5

Preserving the bishop-pair with 19...Bh7?! looks problematic after 20.Qb3.

20.Nxg6 fxg6 21.Bg3 Bd6 22.Be5!

How should White respond?

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22...Qc7

This may be better than 22...Bxe5, when best-play. according to the engines, runs 23.dxe5 Nxc3 24.bxc3 Qxd1+ 25.Rxd1 Nd5 26.Bxd5+ cxd5 27.Rxd5, after which White has won a pawn, but the position is not clearcut (White has the upper hand - Komodo14.1; White has a tiny pull - Stockfish16).

23.Nxd5 Nxd5 24.Bxd5+ cxd5 25.Qb3 Qc6 26.Bxd6 Qxd6 27.Qxb7 Rxb2 28.Qa7 Rxb2 29.Qxa5

White has won a pawn, but Black is active and so is completely equal, according to the engines

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29...Rb3

Arguably more clearcut, but requiring a huge belief in one's calculating abilities, is the engines' 29...Rxf2!?

30.Kg2 Qe6?!

Probably better are 30...Kh7 and 30...Rd3.

31.Re1 Qf7

The only move to keep the game going.

32.Re3 Rxe3 33.fxe3

How would you assess this queen-and-pawn ending?

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As I understand it, two factors stand out in a queen-and-pawn ending. The first is that a passed pawn nearly always gives excellent winning chances, but these can be cancelled by having an exposed king. The engines reckon this position is equal.

33...Qe6 34.Qd2 Qa6 35.Qb2 Qd3 36.Kf2

The practical problem, from the defender's view, is that the player a pawn up can keep on probing in the knowledge that, barring a horrific blunder, the worst that can happen is the game is drawn

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36...h5?!

Trying for counterplay, but I probably should have stayed pat with, for example, 36...Qc4.

37.Qe2!?

The engines agree this is strong.

37...Qxa3 38.gxh5

White no longer has the 'holy grail' of a passed pawn, but is nevertheless winning, according to the engines

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38...Qd6!? 39.hxg6 Qh2+ 40.Ke1 Qg1+ 41.Kd2 Qxg6

I find it hard to comprehend how this position is so much better for White than the position with a passed pawn after 36.Kf2, but the engines are insistent

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42.Qg4 Qc6 43.Qf5 Qc4

Nevertheless, it is far from obvious, at least to me, how White should continue.

44.Qc2

The engines suggest the counterintuitive 44.Ke1!?

44...Qb4+

Apparently 44...Qf1!? gives better drawing chances.

45.Qc3 Qb8 46.Kd3

And here the engines like 46.Qc6.

46...Qb5+ 47.Kd2 Qb8 48.Kc1

Again Qc6 is the move, according to the engines.

48...Qb7 49.Qc5 Qa8 50.Kb2 Qb7+ 51.Kc3 Kh8!?

Played so that White cannot capture on d5 with check.

52.Qf8+ Kh7 53.Qf5+ g6!? 54.Qf4 Qc8+ 55.Kd2

What should Black play?

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55...Qc4

I thought 55...Qxh3!? 56.Qf7+ Kh6 57.Qxd5 made White's task easier, thanks to White having a pair of connected passed pawns.

However the Syzygy endgame tablebase shows the position is drawn, but there is only one move that draws

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In the diagrammed position Black needs to find 57...g5!! as everything else loses. So objectively I should have grabbed the h pawn at move 55, but I believe the practical chances of Black drawing from the diagram are low.

Back to the game:

56.h4 Qa2+ 57.Ke1 Qg2 58.Qg5 Qe4 59.Kf2 Qe6 60.Kg3 Qf7 61.Qf4 Qe6?

The queen should stay on the seventh rank.

White is winning anyway, but now has a sequence that puts the result beyond doubt 

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62.Qe5

After 62.Qc7+ Kh6 63.Qe5 Qg8 64.Qg5+ Kh7 65.h5 Qb8+ (pawn-endings are lost for Black) 66.Kh3 Qc8+ 67.Kh4 gxh5 68.Qxh5+ Black is pretty much hopeless, but 62...Kg8 63.Qe5 Qf7 64.Kg4 Qd7+ 65.Kg5 Kh7 66.h5 Qd8+ 67.Kg4 Qc8+ 68.Kf4 Qf8+ 69.Kg3 is little better.

62...Qf7 63.Kg4 Qd7+ 64.Kg5 Qd8+ 65.Kg4 Qd7+ 66.Kg3 Qf7 67.Qg5

Stockfish16's 67.h5!? seems strong, the point being that after 67...gxh5 68.Kh4 Qf2+ 69.Kxh5 White has a tablebase win.

67...Qe8?!

Almost certainly better is 67...Qf1.

68.Kf2

This time both engines suggest h5, the move I have been trying to prevent. After 62.h5!? gxh5 63.Kh4 White will recover the sacrificed pawn, leaving the black king with no cover.

68...Qf7+ 69.Ke2 Qe8?

Lack of concentration, but, as I pointed out earlier, the practical chances very much lie with the attacker in this type of ending.

70.Qxd5 Qb8 71.Qf7+ Kh8

Not 71...Kh6? as the queens come off after 72.Qf4+.

72.Qf6+

The position is a tablebase draw after 72.Qxg6? Qh2+ (or 72...Qb2+).

72...Kh7 73.Qe7+ Kh6 74.Qg5+ Kh7 75.Qf4 Qb7 76.Kf2 Qb2+ 77.Kf3 Qd2 78.Ke4 Qc2+ 79.Kf3 Qd1+ 80.Kg2 Qe2+ 81.Kh3 Qd1!?

White to play and win (ie avoid a draw by repetition)

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82.Qg3?

This seems the only move that does not win (apart from giving the queen away with, for example, 82.Qf3??). The engines like 82.Kg2!?, but perhaps easiest for a human to calculate is 82.Qf2.

The game finished:

82...Qh1+ 83.Kg4 Qe4+ 84.Kh3 Qh1+ 85.Qh2 Qf3+ 86.Qg3 Qh1+ ½–½