Magdeburg Round Seven

Dieter Stummeyer (1834) - Spanton (2039)

Spanish Berlin

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1!?

This has become fashionable, at the expense of the mainline 5.d4, partly, I suspect, because engines, such as Stockfish18 and Dragon1, reckon there is little to choose between the two moves, and the text leads to simpler play.

5...Nd6 6.Bxc6!?

But here Stockfish18 and Dragon1 definitely prefer the mainline 6.Nxe5.

6...dxc6

As in the Exchange Variation of the Spanish (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6), recapturing away from the centre is generally considered the better continuation. 

7.Nxe5 Be7 8.d4 0-0

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

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White has more space in the centre, and the slightly superior pawn-structure, but these factors are outweighed by Black's bishop-pair, according to Stockfish18, although Dragon1 is less sure.

9.Bf4 Bf5 10.Nd2 f6!? 11.Nef3 Qd7

How should White proceed?

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12.c3

Interesting is 12.Nh4!?, not least because 12...Bg4? loses to 13.Rxe7! However, Black seems fine after 12...Be6!? 13.Qe2 Kf7.

12...Kh8 13.Rc1?!

The engines strongly dislike this, and it certainly is hard to see what future the rook has on the closed c file.

13...Rae8

The wrong rook, according to the engines, although they do not reckon it is a big deal.

14.a3 Bg4 15.h3 Bh5 16.Qa4!?

White threatens both Qxa7 and d5

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16...a6?!

Dealing with one threat, but not the other. Perhaps best is 16...b5!?, when 17.Qxa7?! runs into 17...Ra8 18.Qc5 Bxf3, and, if 19.Nxf3, then 19...Nf5 forces 20.Rxe7, after which 20...Ne7 leaves Black up the exchange for a pawn. Instead of 17.Qxa7?!, the engines give 17...Qa5 or 17...Qa6, claiming equality.

17.d5 b5 18.Qxa6 cxd5 19.Nd4

How should Black respond?

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19...c5?

The engines suggest 19...Rg8, but give White at least the upper hand.

White to play and gain a winning advantage

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20.Bxd6??

Simplest is 20.Ne6 Rg8 21.Nxc5, when White's advantage is worth between two and three pawns, according to the engines, but they also reckon 20.Rxe7!? and 20.Qc6 win. After the text, Black, not White, has a large advantage.

20...Bxd6 21.Qxb5?!

The engines prefer 21.Rxe8 Rxe8 22.N4f3, but agree Black is winning after 22...Bf4 (both 22.Nxb5? and 22...Qxb5? 23.Qxb5 Nxb5 make ...Bf4 even stronger).

21...Qxb5 22.Nxb5 Bf4 23.Nb3

This may be best. Certainly there is no way to save the exchange.

23...Bxc1 24.Rxc1 Rb8 25.a4 c4?!

Now a white knight will have a strong outpost at d4. The engines prefer 25...Rfc8.

26.Nc5 Be8!? 27.Ne6 Rf7 28.Nec7 Bxb5 29.Nxb5 Ra8 30.Re1 h6 31.Re6?!

The engines much prefer 31.Rd1 or 31.Ra1.

31...Rd7 32.Rb6 Rxa4 33.Nd6 Kh7 34.Kf1 Re7 35.g4 Ra1+ 36.Kg2 Rd7 37.Kf3 Rh1 38.Kg2 Re1 39.Nf5 Ra1 40.Kf3 Rh1 41.Kg2 Re1 42.Kf3 Kg6 43.Kf4 Re4+ 44.Kg3 Re5 45.Nd4 Kf7 46.f4!?

The engines prefer temporising with 46.Rb5 or 46.Rb4.

46...Re3+ 47.Kg2 Ree7 48.Nf5 Re6 49.Rb5 Re2+ 50.Kf3 Rd2 51.h4 Rd3+ 52.Kf2 Kg8 53.h5 Rd2+ 54.Kf3 Kh7?

This throws away Black's advantage.

White to play and equalise

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55.Ke3?

After 55.Rb8, it seems Black cannot make progress. and the engines come to call the position completely equal.

55...Rd1 56.Ke2

Now 56.Rb8 can be met by, for example, 56...Rf1 or 56...Ra7, when the engines agree Black is winning. Going back to the diagram, however, 55.Rb8 Rd1 56.Nh4 is equal, thanks to the threat of 56.Ng6, whereas after 55.Ke3? Rd1 (as in the game) 56.Rb8 Ra7 57.Nh4, Black has 57...Re7+.

56...Ra1 57.Rb6 Raa7 58.Ke3 Rab7 59.Rxb7 Rxb7

How would you assess this rook-v-knight ending?

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

60.Kd4 Rxb2 61.Kxd5 Rg2 62.Ne3 Rg3 63.Kd4 Kg8 64.f5!? Kf7 65.Ke4 Ke7 66.Kf4 Rg1 67.Ke4

Or 67.Nxc4 Rc1 68.Ne3 Kd6 (68...Rxc3?? 69.Nd5+) 69.c4 Kc5 70.Ke4 Rc3 71.Kf4 Kd4 and 72...Rxc4.

67...Kd7 68.Kd4 Rg3 69.Ke4 Kc6 70.Kf4 Rg1 71.Nxc4

There is nothing better.

71...Rc1 72.Ke4

Or 72.Na5+ Kb6 73.Nc4+ Kc5 74.Nb2 Kd5 75.Na4 Rc2 76.Ke3 Kc6 (threatening to win the knight with ...Ra2) 77.Kd4 Rg2 and ...Rxg4(+).

72...Rxc3 73.Kd4 Rg3 74.Ne3 Kb5 75.Ke4 Kb4 76.Kf4

Black to play and win

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76...Rxe3!
The pawn ending is a win for Black.

77.Kxe3 Kc3 78.Ke4

DS offered a draw in my time.

78...Kd2 79.Kf3

Or 79.Kd5 Ke3 80.Ke6 Kf4 81.Kf7 Kxg4 82.Kxg7 Kg5 etc.

79...Kd3 80.Kg3

Or 80.Kf4 Ke2 81.Kf4 Kf2 82.Kf4 Kg2 etc.

80...Ke3 81.Kh3 Kf3 82.Kh4 Kg2 83.g5 hxg5+ 84.Kg4 Kh2 85.h6!? gxh6 86.Kh5

Black to play and maintain the win

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86...Kg3?

Both 86...Kh3 and 86...Kh1 win.

87.Kg6!

There is no longer a win

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87...Kf4

Or 87...Kh4 88.Kxf6 g4 89.Kg6!? (other moves also draw, including 89.Ke6, but the engines marginally prefer the text) g3 90.f6 g2 91.f7 g1=Q+ 92.Kxh6, with a book draw, thanks to White having a bishop's pawn on the seventh rank.

88.Kxf6 g4 89.Ke6 g3 90.f6 g2 91.f7 g1=Q 92.f8=Q Kg3

I offered a draw, but DS apparently did not hear, or did not understand what I was saying.

93.Qg7+ Kf2 94.Qxg1+ ½–½

Weimar Round Three

Spanton (1939) - Kurt Wiest (1800)

French Exchange

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bb5!?

This is easily the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.

5...Bd6 6.0-0 Ne7 7.Re1 0-0

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

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The game looks fairly equal to the naked eye, and that is how Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 evaluate it.

8.Bg5 Bg4 9.c3 Qd7!?

This seems to be a novelty. The engines prefer the known 9...f6, but they also like another apparent-novelty in 9...Qc8!?

10.h3 Bh5

And here the engines reckon Black ought to play 10...Bxf3 or 10...Be6.

How should White proceed?

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11.g4?

The engines give 11.Ne5!, eg 11...Bxd1? 12.Nxd7 Rfd8 13.Bxc6 bxc6 14.Bxe7. Better is 11...Bxe5, but then 12.Qxh5 Bd6 13.Bd3 g6 (13...h6 14.Nd2!?) 14.Qf3 is good for White.

How should Black meet the inferior g4?

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11...Bxg4!?

Also possible is 11...Bg6, as long as 12.Ne5 is met by 12...Qc8 or 12...Bxe5, and not, for example, by 12...Qd8?, when 13.Bxc6 leaves Black with nothing better than 13...f6!? 14.Nxg6 hxg6 15.Ba4 fxg5.

However, the engines' 11...f6!? may be best, eg 12.Bh4 Be8!? 13.Bg3 f5, when the white king's position looks decidedly shaky.

12.hxg4 Qxg4+ 13.Kf1 Nf5

White's king escapes to the queenside after 13...Qh3+ 14.Ke2.

14.Nbd2 Qh3+!?

Stockfish17.1 is not keen on this, but it is Dragon1's equal-top choice at first. However, possibly ...R(either)e8 is best, eg 14...Rae8 15.Be3 Qg2 16.Kd3 Qg6 17.Ke2, when Black can settle for a repetition with 17...Qg2, or try for more with 17...Bf4. That is why the engines suggest 15.Bd3, when Black can take a draw with 15...Qh3+ 16.Kg1 Qg4+ etc, or again try for more, one line running 15...h6 16.Rxe8 Rxe8 17.Bxf5 Qxf5 18.Be3 Qh3+ 19.Ke2 (19.Kg1?? Re6 etc) Qe6, with equal chances, according to the engines.

15.Ke2 Ng3+?

This works in some lines, but not here. Instead, 15...Rae8+ 16.Kd3 leaves Black slightly worse, according to the engines, but enjoying much the safer king in continuing complications.

16.fxg3 Rfe8+ 17.Be3 Rxe3+!?

This may be best, but White is winning.

18.Kxe3 Re8+ 19.Ne5 Bxe5

What should White play?

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20.dxe5?

Both 20.Bxc6 and 20.Qf3 leave White with a substantial advantage.

20...Rxe5+ 21.Kd3?

White still has an edge after 21.Ne4!, eg 21...Rxe4+? 22.Kd2. However 21...Qh6+! is much less clear, eg 22.Kd3 dxe4+ 23.Kc2 Rxb5.

21...Qf5+

Black is winning

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22.Ne4 Rxe4?

The wrong way to capture. After 22...dxe4+ 23.Kc2 Rxb5 Black has three pawns for the exchange, and a continuing attack.
23.Rxe4?

The engines agree White is winning after 23.Kd2! as Black does not have enough for a rook, even though the extra rook is out of play for the present.

23...dxe4+ 24.Kc2?!

Objectively bad, but 24.Kc4 concedes a draw after a series of only-moves, viz 24...Qe6+ 25.Qd5 Ne5+ 26.Kd4 Nf3+ 27.Kc4 and 27...Ne5+ or 27...Nd2+.

24...Qxb5

Black has emerged from the complications with three pawns for the exchange

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25.Qf1!? Qg5

After 25...Qxf1 (Dragon1's second choice, at least for a while), Black is better, but much less so than after 25...Qc5, according to the engines. They reckon the text also keeps an advantage, but again less so than after 25...Qc5, when the knight threatens both ...Nb4+ and ...Nd4+.

26.Re1 Qg6?!

Black should probably settle for 26...Qxg3 27.Rxe4 Qg6! 28.Qd3 f6, with at least the upper hand, according to the engines.

27.Qb5?

As Dutch player Stef van Kesteren pointed out when we looked at the game later, 27.Qf4 is good, giving complete equality, according to the engines.

27...e3+?

27...Qxg3 28.Rxe4 Qg6! is very similar to the note at move 26, and transposes after 29.Qd3 (29.Qd5 may be a marginal improvement).

28.Qd3 Qxd3+

The engines fluctuate between this and 28...Qf6, but, either way, White wins the e pawn.

29.Kxd3

How would you assess this rook-v-knight ending?

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Black, temporarily, has three pawns for the exchange, but that will soon be reduced to two. A knight and two pawns for a rook is not a material disadvantage by most -point-count systems. Indeed, since computer analysis seems to put a minor piece's average value at 3.25 points, Black could even be thought to have a slight material edge. But this is an ending, which is when rooks are usually strongest, so it is perhaps not surprising that the engines give White the upper hand.

29...Ne5+ 30.Kxe3 f6

The engines much prefer 30...Kf8!?

KW offered a draw.

31.Ke4

Even stronger is 31.Rd1, getting the rook into Black's position, and not worrying about 31...Nc4+ as the rook will wreak havoc against the black queenside.

31...Kf7 32.Rd1 Ke7

The king is in time to keep the rook out, but White can continue probing.

33.Rd5 Nd7 34.Rh5 h6 35.Rh2 c6 36.Rd2 g6 37.c4

The engines do not like this, suggesting 37.b4!?, 37.Re2 or 37.Kd4.

37...f5+

The engines suggest 37...a5 or 37...h5.

38.Kf4 Ke6?

They still prefer ...a5. After the text, which is Dragon1's second choice for a while, the rook can enter Black's position.

39.Re2+ Kf7

Or 39...Kf6 40.Re8.

40.Rh2 Kg7

40...h5 may be the lesser evil, but 41.Rd2, as in the game, is strong.

41.Rd2 Nf6 42.Rd8 b5

This does not help, but Black is lost anyway.

43.Ra8 bxc4 44.Rxa7+ Kg8 45.Ra6

Not 45.Rc7?? Nd5+.

45...Nd5+ 46.Ke5 Nb4 47.Rb6 Nd3+

After 47...Nxa2 48.Rxc6, the other c pawn also falls.

48.Kf6 f4!?

Perhaps the best try - White can still go wrong.

49.Rb8+Kh7 50.Rb7+ Kg8 51.gxf4

Not 51.Kxg6? as 51...Ne5+ draws, eg 52.Kf5 f3 53.Kf6 (53.Kxe5?? f2) f2 54.Rb8+ Kh7 55.Rb7+ Kg8 56.Rb8+ etc.

51...Nxf4 52.a4 g5 53.Kf5 Nd5 54.a5 Ne3+ 55.Kg6 1-0

Calvià Round Two

FACED a Dutchman.

Spanton (1941) - Guido Jansen (2153)

English Symmetrical

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

A controversial move, for obvious reasons - the idea is to play against Black's hemmed-in light-square bishop

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6...bxc6 7.f4 Ne7 8.Nf3 0-0 9.Qc2?!

Probably a novelty, and probably not a good one. Stockfish17 and Dragon1 like the known 9.e4, or 9.0-0.

9...Nf5 10.e3 d5 11.Kf2?!

The king will not be safe here if Black manages to open the position. The engines suggest 11.Na4 or 11.0-0.

11...d4

The engines like 11...Re8, with ...e5 to come, or the immediate 11...e5!?

12.Ne4?!

12.e4 is necessary, according to the engines.

12...dxe3+ 13.Bxe3 Nxe3 14.Kxe3

Black to play and gain what the engines reckon is a winning advantage

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14...Bd4+?

Black has the upper hand after 14...Rb8 or 14...Re8, according to the engines, but they give 14...e5!? as winning, eg 15.Nxe5 Re8 16.Kf2 Bh3!? with a strong attack.

15.Ke2?!

I almost certainly should have captured on d4. After 15.Nxd4 cxd4+ 16.Kf2 the white king looks safe, while 15...Qxd4 16.Kd2!? gives White a slight edge, according to the engines.

15...f5!? 16.Ned2 Bg7?!

The engines like 16...e5!?, when 17.Nxe5?! Bxe5 18.fxe5 f4 gives Black a strong attack. Instead, they reckon 17.Nxd4 cxd4!? leaves Black only slightly better.

17.Rae1!?

Leaving room for the king to go to d1 without disconnecting the rooks.

17...Qd6 18.Kd1 Rb8 19.b3 Rb7 20.Ne5 g5!? 21.Ndf3 gxf4?!

This almost certainly weakens Black's king more than it usefully opens lines for Black's pieces.
22.gxf4 a5

The engines prefer 22...Bd7.

23.a4

White can dispense with this in favour of 23.Rhg1!?, according to the engines.

23...Bd7 24.Rhg1 Be8 25.Rg5 Kh8 26.Qc3!?

Self-pinning, but eyeing the black king and so restricting Black's options.

26...h6 27.Rg3 Bh5 28.Kc2 Rfb8?

Black is more-or-less equal after 28...Bxf3 29.Rxf3 Kh7, according to the engines.

How should White proceed?

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29.Reg1! Rg8?

Even worse are 29...Rxb3?? 30.Nf7+ Bxf7 31.Qxg7# and 29...Bxf3 30.Rxg7 Rxg7 31.Nf7+ with mate next move. However the engines give relatively best as 29...Rf8 30.Rxg7 Rxg7 31.Rxg7 Kxg7 32.Nd7+ Kg8 33.Nxf8 Qxf8 34.Ne5, although they agree the queen-and-minor-piece ending is winning for White, thanks to Black's numerous pawn-weaknesses and less-safe king.

30.Rh3 Bxf3

White to play and win

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31.Rxh6+?

This wins the black queen, but not the game. Winning is 31.Nf7+! Kh7 (31...Rxf7?? 32.Rxh6#) 32.Rxg7+! Rxg7 33.Rxh6+ Kg8 34.Nxd6.

31...Bxh6 32.Nf7+ Kh7 33.Nxd6 Rxg1 34.Nxb7

White has queen, knight and pawn for rook and two bishops, but the vulnerability of the white king means the position is completely equal, according to the engines

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34...Rg2+ 35.Kb1 Rg1+ 36.Kc2

Not 36.Ka2?? Bg7 etc.

36...Bd1+ 37.Kb1?

Correct is 37.Kc1, and if, as in the game, 37...Bxb3+, then 38.Kd2 Bxf4+ 39.Ke2 Bd1+ 40.Kf2 Rh1 41.Qf6 Rxh2+ is completely equal, according to the engines, although tricky for both sides to play. Instead 37...Bxf4+ 38.Kb1 draws because Black no longer has the potential skewer ...Bg7.

37...Bb3+ 38.Kb2 Bg7 39.Kxb3 Bxc3 40.Kxc3 Ra1

Even stronger are 40...Rf1 and 40...e5!?, according to the engines.

41.Nxa5?!

Objectively better may be 41.Nxc5!?, but after 41...Kg6 42.Nxe6 Black gets a passed pawn with 42...Rxa4. White can instead play 42.Kd4, but the engines reckon Black has several winning lines, eg 42...Kf6 43.h4 Rf1 44.Ke3 Rh1 45.Nb3 Rh3+!? 46.Ke2 Rxh4 47.Nxa5 c5 48.Nb3 Rxf4 49.Nxc5 e5!? 50.a5 Rh4 51.Nd7+ Ke6 52.Nc5+ Ke7 53.Ke3 Rh2 54.Nb7 Ra2 55.Kf3 Rb2 56.a6 Ra2 57.Nc5 Ra5 etc - a long line, but Black is winning fairly comfortably throughout, according to the engines.

41...Rxa4

The engines show 41...e5! is much stronger.

42.Nb3?

Better is 42.Nb7, with the same idea of attacking c5 while preventing ...Ra5.

42...Ra2?

Winning is 42...Ra3 43.Kb2 Rxb3+! 44.Kxb3 Kg6 45.Ka4 Kh5 46.h3 e5!

43.Nxc5 Re2 44.Kd4 Kg6 45.Nd7

An only-move, but easy enough to find.

45...Rxh2 46.Ne5+ Kf6 47.Nxc6 Rh4 48.Ke3 Rh3+ 49.Ke2

Not 49.Kd4? Rf3.

49...Rh4 50.Ke3 Rh3+ ½–½

Civil War

PLAYED on board three (of five) for Battersea against Battersea Galacticos in Central London League Division Two last night.

Spanton (1936) - Christopher Rawlinson (1952)

French Exchange

1.Nf3 e6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.d4 Bg4 5.Bd3 Bd6 6.0-0 h6!?

Not a popular continuation.

7.Re1+ Ne7 8.h3 Bh5 9.g4!? Bg6 10.Bxg6 fxg6 11.Qd3

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 do not like this apparent-novelty, preferring another move not in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, 11.c4!? However the text seems better than the known moves 11.Ne5?! and 11.g5?

11...0-0

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

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Black's pressure down the half-open f file, where White has a backward pawn, helps give at least a slight edge, according to the engines.

12.Nc3 c6 13.g5!? Qd7!

The queen takes the square that the Black queen's knight probably wants to go to, but the engines agree it is the best move.

14.Ne5 Bxe5 15.Rxe5 Nf5 16.gxh6 gxh6 17.Bd2 Qf7!?

Freeing the d7 square and adding to the pressure down the f file.

18.Rae1 Nd7 19.Re6 Nf6

How should White proceed?

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20.Bxh6?!

This comes to be Dragon1's top choice, but Stockfish17 is almost certainly correct in condemning the move.

20...Nxh6 21.Re7 Rae8 22.Rxf7 Rxe1+ 23.Kh2

Dragon1 prefers 23.Kg2?!, missing that after 23...Kxf7 24.Qd2 Ree8 25.Qxh6 Black traps the white queen with 25...g5!

23...Kxf7 24.Qd2 Ree8 25.Qxh6 Ng4+! 26.hxg4 Rh8 27.Rxh7 Rxh6+

How would you assess this ending?

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White has a pawn for the exchange, but Black is winning comfortably as the rook is so strong.

28.Kg2 Re8 29.Kf1 Kf6 30.f3 b6 31.Kf2 Ke6 32.Ne2 Kd6 33.Nf4 Rg8 34.Kg3 c5 35.Ne2 Re8 36.Kf2 cxd4 37.Nxd4 Kc5

Either the black king or rook will penetrate White's position.

38.Nb3+ Kc4 39.Nc1 Rh8 40.Kg2 Kd4 41.Nd3 Rc8 42.Ne1 Ke3 43.c3 Kd2 44.Kf2 Re8 45.Ng2 g5 46.f4 Kc2 47.f5 Kxb2 48.Ne3 Kxa2 49.Nxd5 Kb3 50.f6 Kc4 51.Ne7 Rf8 52.Ke3 Rxf6 53.Nf5 Kxc3 0-1
Battersea Galacticos won the match 3.5-1.5.