Winning Chess

THE U2000 tournament at Hull 4NCL was won by the top seed, Wales' John Fletcher, who notched up four wins, before securing the draw he needed, as Black, in the last round to secure first outright.

Here is his win in round one, which starts with interesting opening play, after which a faulty combination by White gives Black a winning middlegame.

JF nurses it into a winning rook-and-pawn ending, which is where the fun starts, as the endgame becomes a fiendishly difficult series of positions in which first one player, then the other, has to find only-moves to save a half-point (for White) or to bring home the win (for Black).

Even Dragon1 does not understand what is going on, although, to its credit, Stockfish18 does much better.

Robert Kane (1828 ECF/1792 Fide) - John Fletcher (1999 ECF/1955 Fide)

QGD Ragozin

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4

The Ragozin, characterised by the move 4...Bb4, is Black's third-most popular continuation at move four, behind 4...c6 and especially 4...Be7, but is the top choice of Stockfish18, and is Dragon1's equal-first choice, along with 4...c5. But the evaluation-differences between the moves are tiny, and, given more time, 4...dxc4 takes over as Dragon1's top choice, while 4...c6 becomes Stockfish18's second favourite.

5.Qa4+ Nc6 6.Ne5

The engines prefer 6.e3 or 6.cxd5.

6...Bd7 7.Nxc6

Somewhat more popular, at least in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, is 7.Nxd7 - either way, White wins the bishop-pair.

7...Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Bxc6 9.Qb3 0-0

With the immediate tactics having died down, how would you assess the position?

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White has the bishop-pair, and can get rid of his doubled pawns at any time, but Black is well ahead on development. The engines reckon the game gives equal chances.

10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 g5!? 12.Bg3 Ne4 13.e3 Kg7!?

The engines are OK with this apparent-novelty, and prefer it over the known 13...h5, which was played by a 2193 in the 2003 Marseille Open.

14.c5!?

The engines much prefer 14.cxd5 or 14.f3.

14...b6 15.Be5+?

The engines reckon 15.cxb6 axb6 16.Bd3 Nxg3!? 17.hxg3 leaves Black slightly better (Stockfish18) or at best with the upper hand (Dragon1).

15...f6 16.Bxc7?

'Clever', but bad, although Black is also on top after the engines' 16.Bg3 bxc5.

16...Qxc7 17.f3

This is the point of White's combination, but after ...

17...Nxc5 18.dxc5 bxc5

... White has lost a pawn, as well as the bishop-pair.

19.Be2 Qa5 20.0-0 Rab8 21.Qc2 Ba4 22.Qc1 Bb5 23.c4 Ba6 24.f4?!

The engines suggest 24.Re1 or 24.h4!?

24...Qb4 25.fxg5 hxg5 26.Bd3 Bxc4 27.a3 Qa4 28.Bxc4 Qxc4 29.Qxc4 dxc4

How big is Black's advantage in this rook-and-pawn ending?

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Black's two extra pawns are doubled and isolated, but White also has weaknesses, and the engines reckon Black's advantage is roughly the equivalent of being up a minor piece.

30.Rfc1 Rb2!

The engines prefer grabbing the seventh rank over attacking the white isolanis with 30...Rb3.

31.Rxc4 Rd8 32.Rac1 Rdd2 33.Rg4 Kg6 34.Rh4 Kh5 35.Rg3?

White had to play 35.Rcc4, according to the engines.

35...Kxh4 36.Kh2 Rbc2 37.Rb1 Rd7 38.Rb8

Threatening mate in two!

38...Kh5 39.Rg8 Rc4 40.Rf3 Rf7 41.Re8 g4?!

This seriously lessens Black's advantage, whereas, after 41...Re4 or 41...Rh4+, Black is in the region of being the equivalent of a rook up, according to the engines.

42.Rf4?

The engines reckon that after 42.Rf1!? Black's advantage is 'only' about +2.50.

42...Rc3??
Black wins easily after 42...Rxf4 43.exf4 Rc7, eg 44.Rxe6 c4 45.Re1 c3 46.Rc1 c2 47.Kg3 Rc3+ 48.Kf2 Kg6, with an overwhelming position.

White to play and equalise

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43.Rh8+?

After 43.Rxe6, Black's material advantage is reduced to one pawn, and that, as is well-known, is often insufficient in rook-and-pawn endings, this one included, eg 43...Rxa3 can be met by 44.Rf5+ Kg6 45.Rxc5, with complete equality, according to the engines, one line running 45...a5 46.Kg3 Rg7 (defending g4 indirectly) 47.Rc4 Kf5 48.Re8, when it seems Black cannot make progress. The engines prefer 43...f5, but agree White is fine after 44.a4.

43...Kg6 44.Rg8+ Kh7 45.Rfxg4 Rxe3

White's rooks may look menacing, but Black's king is not in serious danger, and meanwhile Black is still two pawns up

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46.Rc8 Re5

There is nothing wrong with 46...Rxa3.

47.Rc4 Kg6 48.R8xc5 Rxc5 49.Rxc5

Now a pair of rooks has been exchanged, how big is Black's advantage?

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Black is not only a pawn up, but has a passed pawn that can easily be made a protected passer; the a7 pawn is easily protected (and cannot be got at by the white king); and Black's king is well-placed to support the black pawn-duo. Black's advantage is almost the equivalent of being a piece and a pawn up, according to the engines.

49...Rb7 50.Ra5 e5 51.Kg3 Kg5 52.Kf3 f5??

Impatient. Correct is 52...Re7, getting behind the passed pawn, while still protecting a7.

53.Rxe5 Rb3+

All three legal moves draw

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54.Kf2 Rxa3

The Syzygy endgame tablebase shows 10 of White's 18 legal moves draw

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55.Re8 Kf4 56.Re2?

There were still eight drawing moves - all seven rook moves along the back rank, and 56.Kg1!?

Black has one winning move

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56...a5!

Stockfish18 works out that this is winning, but Dragon1 does not.

57.Rc2

Again there is only one winning move

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57...Rd3

Syzygy, and Stockfish18, show 57...Ra4! wins. Play might continue 58.Rc5 (Dragon1 erroneously believes this draws) Ra2+ 59.Kg1 (Dragon1's idea) a4 60.Rc4+ Ke3 61.Kh2 (equal, according to Dragon1) f4! 62.Kg1, and only now does Dragon1 realise Black is winning, after 62...a3. Actually, Syzygy shows 62...Ra1+ and 62...Ra3 also win, but the most direct path to victory runs (with White putting up the most dogged resistance) 62...a3 63.Rc3+ Kd4 64.Rc3 Kc5! 65.Kh2 Kb5 66.Kg1 Kb6!? (other moves also win, but Syzygy shows this is the fastest) 67.Rb3+ Ka5 68.Rf3 Ra1+ 69.Kh2 Kb5! 70.Rb3+ Ka4 (70...Ka4 is also a good answer to, for example, 70.Rc3) 71.Rb7 (71.Rf3 Rb1 72.Rxf4+ Rb4 73.Rf2 Rc4 74.Re2 Rb3 etc) Rc172.Ra7+ Kb3 73.Rb7+ Ka2, and the rest is relatively simple, eg 74.Ra7 Rc3 75.Ra8 Ka1 76.Ra7 Rb3 etc.

58.Ra2 Rd5 59.Ra4+ Ke5 60.g3 Kd6

White has one drawing move

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61.Ke3

White had to play 61.g4!, forcing an ending of rook and rook's pawn versus rook - the most drawish of all rook-and-pawn endings.

Black has one winning move

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61...Kc6

An only-move, but is fairly easy to see other moves get Black nowhere.

62.Kf4 Kb5
Six other moves also win.

63.Ra1 a4 64.g4

Too late.

64...fxg4 65.Kxg4 Rd3 66.Kf4 a3 67.Rb1+ Kc4 68.Ke4 a2 0-1

Hull 4NCL Round Four

Spanton (1953 ECF/1997 Fide) - Roger Greatorex (1758 ECF/1754 Fide)

Spanish Cozio

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nge7

For quite some time this is Dragon1's second choice, but the engine comes to agree with Stockfish18 that the best continuation is 3...Nf6, with 3...a6 second-best (!?).

4.Nc3!?

More popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database are 4.c3 and especially 4.0-0, but the text is fashionable, for a reason I will explain after Black's next move.

How should Black proceed?

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4...Ng6!?

The 'normal' Cozio move, 4...g6, is out of favour because of 5.d4 exd4 6.Nd5!? Bg7 7.Bg5, with the upper hand for White, according to the engines.

5.d4 exd4 6.Nxd4

6.Nd5?! makes much less sense without a hole at f6.

6...Bb4 7.0-0 Bxc3?!

Black smashes White's queenside, but the resulting structure is not easy to attack, at least not before an ending, and in the meantime White has the bishop-pair and a lead in development.

8.bxc3 0-0

White has the upper hand (Stockfish18) or possibly a positionally won game (Dragon1, but the evaluation fluctuates, and eventually more-or-less settles on plus-over-minus)

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9.f4!

The engines agree this is best. White takes control of the e5 square, while preparing a kingside attack.

9...a6!?

Apparently a novelty, and preferred by the engines over 9...Nxd4, which was played in games featuring a 2200 and a 2295 as Black.

10.Bd3 d6 11.Rb1 Re8

Not 11...Rb8?? 12.Nxc6.

12.Qh5!? Nxd4?!

Not 12...Qh4? 13.Qxh4 Nxh4 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.f5, after which the black knight has no retreat squares. But, rather than the text, the engines much prefer 12...Qe7.

13.cxd4 Nf8!?

This looks horribly passive, but it is probably best.

14.f5 Qf6

Perhaps a better way to stop White playing f6 is for Black to play 14...f6, or 14...Nd7.

15.c3 h6

White threatened to win the black queen with 16.Bg5.

16.g4

Perhaps 16.Rf3 is strongest.

16...Nh7 17.h4 g5!? 18.fxg6 Qxg6 19.Qxg6+ fxg6

Black has foiled the mating attack, but is losing a pawn

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20.Bxh6 Bxg4 21.Rxb7 Re7 22.Bc4+ Kh8 23.Bxa6??

White is roughly the equivalent of being a rook up after 23.Rf7, according to the engines.

23...Bc8 24.Rfb1

The engines reckon 24.a4!? Bxb7 25.Rxb7 Rxa4 is equal, White having a pair of bishops and a pawn for the exchange. Note that 24...Rxa6!? 25.Rb8 Re8 26.Rf7 may slightly favour White, according to the engines.

24...Bxb7

But here the engines reckon 24...Ra6!? 25.Rb8 Re8 gives Black at least the better part of equality.

25.Rxb7

The engines reckon 25.Bxb7 Rb8 26.Rb3 is completely equal.

25...Rxa6!?

Black has a slight edge after 25...Rxe4, according to Dragon1, but Stockfish18 disagrees.

26.Rb8+ Nf8 27.Bxf8?!

Probably better is 27.Rxf8+ Kh7 28.Bg5.

27...Rxe4 28.Bxd6+ Kh7

Black has at least a slight edge after the somewhat counter-intuitive 28...Kg7!, according to the engines.

White to play and equalise

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29.Be5!

After 29.Bxc7 Rxa2, Dragon1 reckons Black is winning, but Stockfish18 gives Black just a slight edge. The text threatens mate.

29...g5 30.h5!? Rxe5

Forced.

31.dxe5

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

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White is two pawns up, but it is Black to move, and the black king is more active than its white counterpart. The endgame is completely equal, according to the engines.

31...Rc6?

But not any more. Three moves seem to hold the balance: 31...Rxa2, 31...Re6 and 31...Kh6

32.Rb4 Kh6 33.Re4 Re6

The central passed pawn is blockaded, and h5 is about to fall, but the black rook has become passive - White's advantage is again worth about a rook, according to the engines

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34.a4?

The king should be activated, eg 34.Kf2 Kxh5 35.Kg3, when Black is in zugzwang, a possible continuation being 35...Re8 (35...Kg6 36.Kg4; 35...g4 36.Kf4) 36.a4 Re6 (36...Re7 37.e6) 37.a5 Kh6 38.Kg4 Kg6 39.Re2, when Black has to give way.

34...Kxh5 35.a5

Activating the white king also only draws.

35...Kg6 36.a6?! Rxa6 37.e6 Ra8 38.Kf2 Re8

Black has the less-vulnerable passed pawn, and the more-active king, but the ending is still drawn

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39.Kf3 Kf6 40.Rc4 Re7 41.Kg4 Kxe6 42.Kxg5 Kd5 43.Rd4+

The only move to draw, but not so hard to find.

43...Kc5 44.Kf4

Again an only-move, according to the Syzygy endgame tablebase.

44...c6 45.Rb4 Re1 46.Re4!? Rxe4!?

The draw is easy after this, whereas care is still required after 46...Rc1, but one drawing line runs 47.Ke3!? Rxc3+ 48.Kd2, reaching a well-known drawn position, although there is nothing stopping Black playing on.

47.Kxe4 Kc4 48.Ke5 ½–½

48.Ke5 was also an only-move, after which play might have continued 48...c5 49.Kd6 Kxc3 50.Kxc5.

Lessons From Bad Bertrich III

THERE is a fairly well-established hierarchy when it comes to the drawishness of endings.

At the top, and by a considerable distance, are endings with opposite-colour bishops.

Next come rook-and-pawn endings, their drawing tendencies illustrated by the aphorism, usually attributed to Tarrasch or Tartakower, that "all rook endgames are drawn."

Third in the drawishness stakes are queen endings, thanks to the danger of the weaker side escaping defeat with perpetual check.

After that the hierarchy becomes somewhat murky, but I would suggest the list continues with same-colour bishop endings, followed by knight endings, and finally pawn endings (note I am only listing endings where both sides have the same pieces, ie leaving out, for example, rook versus bishop and knight).

All of this is a preamble to the strange finish in my round-three game, where I was Black against Børge Svanholm (1871).

The following rook-and-pawn ending was reached after White's 27th move.

White has just captured on d8, leaving a commonly occurring rook-and-pawn ending in which material is level, but one player has a farside passed pawn

Such positions are normally quickly agreed drawn at high levels, and often at club level too.

However, if the game continues, the normal procedure is that the player with the passed pawn - in this case White - protects it from the front, and advances the pawn to the seventh rank, while the black rook keeps an eye on the pawn from behind.

There are two dangers for Black to avoid, once the pawn has reached White's seventh.

One is to carelessly put the black king in such a position on Black's third rank, or higher, that it can be checked by the white rook, allowing the a pawn to be advanced on the next move.

The other is to let the white king get over to the queenside to safely help promote the pawn, although this is a risky business if it means Black mops up White's kingside pawns.

But if White tries nothing, and Black does not get careless, the game is inevitably drawn.

Here is the position seven moves after the previous diagram

Material is still level, and the ending is still completely drawn. Indeed, the ending would be a tablebase draw even if the h pawn were removed from the board.

Six moves later, the h pawn was removed from the board after Black in this position played 40...Rxh5

The Syzygy endgame tablebase confirms that the position is still drawn, and would remain so after any move by the white rook along the back rank.

Instead, my opponent committed the cardinal sin of leaving a drawn rook-and-pawn ending for a lost pawn ending by playing 41.Rxh5+, resigning 10 moves later.

LESSON: unless you have no other option, never swop off into a pawn ending unless you are certain of the outcome.

Bad Bertrich 50+ Game Six

                                                             Klidinger waterfall

I was upfloated.

Spanton (1997) - Martin Schopf (1909)

Veresov

1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 h6!?

Putting the question to the bishop is somewhat uncommon - sixth-most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, behind ...c5, ...c6, ...Bf5, ...e6 and especially ...Nbd7. But it is Stockfish18's top choice, fractionally ahead of the mainline...Nbd7, while Dragon1 comes to like it almost as much as ...Nbd7.

4.Bh4

The Trompowsky-like 4.Bxf6 is more usual, when the recapture 4...exf6 is the top choice of humans and engines.

4...Bf5

Developing the light-square bishop outside of the pawn-chain becomes a serious option when White cannot attack Black's centre/queenside with a combination of c4, Qb3 and Nc3.

5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 Bxd3

6...e6? can be met by 7.Nxd5!

7.cxd3!?

The engines marginally prefer this over 7.Qxd3.

7...c6 8.Nf3 e6 9.0-0 Be7 10.Rc1 0-0

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

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White is slightly more developed, and has a half-open c file, but the game is equal, according to the engines.

11.Na4 Nh5!? 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.Nc5!?

This may be new. Héctor Rossetto - Miroslav Filip, Mar del Plata (Argentina) 1961, went 13.Qb3 Rab8 14.Qc3!? Nhf6 15.b4 Rfc8 16.Rb1 Nb8!? 17.Rfc1 Nd6 18.h3!?, when Dragon1 prefers White, but Stockfish18 calls the game equal (½–½, 38 moves).

13...Nxc5 14.Rxc5 Nf6 15.Ne5 Nd7 16.Nxd7 Qxd7

How would you assess this heavy-piece middlegame?

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The game is completely equal, according to Stockfish18, although Dragon1 awards White the better part of equality.

17.Qa4 a6 18.Rfc1 Rfd8!?

The engines are fine with this, but it does seem a mysterious rook move.

19.b4 g6 20.h3 Kg7 21.Qa5 Rdc8 22.a4 Qd8 23.Qxd8 Rxd8

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

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Stockfish18 sticks with complete equality, while Dragon1 gives White a miniscule edge of under 0.1.

24.Kf1 Rd7 25.Ke2 Kf6 26.Kd2 Ke7 27.Kc3 Kd6

It is still possible for either side to blunder, eg 28.h4?? loses 28...b6.

28.Kb3 h5 29.h4 Ra7!?

Another somewhat strange-looking rook move, but again the engines are not bothered.

30.e4 f6 31.Re1 Re7 32.Rc2 b6!?

The engines react badly to this at first, but Stockfish18 comes to view it as OK, although Dragon1 is less sure.

33.e5+ fxe5

Stockfish18 suggests 33...Kd7!?, the engines agreeing 34.exf6 Rf7 is equal. However, Dragon1, but not Stockfish18, reckons 34.f4!? gives White a slight edge.

34.dxe5+ Kd7 35.Rec1 Rc7 36.d4

Black to play and avoid getting a difficult game

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36...b5

Black needed to play 36...Re8!, the point being to meet 37.b5 axb5 38.axb5 with 38...Rec8, giving complete equality, according to the engines.

37.f4?!

Better is 37.axb5 axb5, and now 37.f4, with play similar to the game.

37...Re8?

This is now bad, whereas 37...bxa4+ 38.Kxa4 Rf7 gives Black sufficient counterplay to compensate for having weak a and c pawns, according to the engines.

38.a5

Played to prevent Black getting possible counterplay down the a file after the action switches, as I intended, to the kingside. But the engines much prefer 38.axb5!? axb5 39.Ra2, taking the open file, a sample line continuing 39...Rf8 40.g3 Ke7 41.Kc2 Rd8 42.Kd3 Kf8 43.Ke3 Kg7 44.Rca1 Kf7 45.Ra7 Rdc8 46.Kf3 Kf7 47.Rxc7+ Rxc7 48.g4 Kf7 49.gxh5 gxh5 50.Ra8 Re7 51.Rh8, after which White wins either the h or c pawn.

38...Rf8 39.Rf2 Rcc8 40.Kc3 Rf7 41.Kd3 Rcf8 42.Ke3 Rf5 43.Rf3 R5f7

Black can do nothing but await White's activation of the 4-3 kingside majority, in sharp contrast to Black's immobile 4-3 queenside majority

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44.Rc2 Rf5 45.Rcf2 R5f7 46.Rg3 Rg8 47.Rff3 Rf5 48.Rg5 Rxg5?

This makes White's task easier.

49.fxg5 Ke7 50.Rf6 Rg7 51.Kf4 Rg8 52.g4 hxg4 53.Kxg4 Rg7 54.h5 gxh5+ 55.Kxh5 Rh7+

All three legal continuations win

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56.Kg4 Rh1 57.g6 Rb1 58.Rf7+ Ke8 59.Kg5 c5!?

This is Stockfish18's top choice, at least for a while, and Dragon1 comes to agree.

60.dxc5 d4 61.c6 Rc1 62.Rd7 Rxc6 63.g7!? Kxg7 64.g8=Q Kc7 65.Qf7+ 1-0

Bad Bertrich 50+ Game Three

Much of the walking in this part of the Eifel mountains is in shade, so can be comfortably tackled even on hot days

Faced a Norwegian.

Børge Svanholm (1871) - Spanton (1997)

Queen's Pawn Game

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 c5 4.0-0 Nc6 5.d4

What's in a name?

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Quite a few people would probably describe the opening as a King's Indian Attack, while others might call it a Réti. But to me the former needs to have the move d3, and the latter should have c4. ChessBase labels the opening: "D02: 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 sidelines, including 2...Nf6 3.g3 and 2...Nf6 3.Bf4." It could also be thought of as a Reversed Grünfeld, but to me the most appropriate name is Queen's Pawn Game.

5...e6

Tempting is 5...cxd4 6.Nxd4 e5!?, but after 7.Nxc6 bxc5 8.c4 Black's centre is under a lot of pressure, with White scoring 66% in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.

6.Bg5!?

The main line in Mega26 runs 6.c4!? dxc4 7.Qa4 Bd7 8.Qxc4 b5!? 9.Qd3 c4 10.Qd1, when Dragon1 gives White a slight edge, but Stockfish18 calls the position equal.

6...h6 7.Bxf6!?

Consistent, but White's eagerness to give up the bishop-pair makes a strange impression.

7...Qxf6 8.e3 Bd6

This is the commonest continuation in Mega26, albeit from a small sample, but the bishop is a little loose on d6, and the move does not score well. The engines prefer 8...Be7 or 8...cxd4.

9.c4!?

This is the engines' top choice.

9...dxc4 10.Na3

The engines suggest an apparent-novelty in 10.Nbd2!?, and if, as in the game, Black captures on d4 with the c5 pawn, they reckon 11.Nxd4 gives White a won game after 11...Nxd4 12.Ne4! Qd8 13.Qxd4 Bf8 14.Qxc4. Black should probably prefer 10...Qe7, 10...0-0 or 10...c3, but White enjoys at least a slight edge, according to the engines.

10...cxd4

With the white queen's knight on a3, this is Black's best continuation.

11.Nxc4

Almost certainly good for Black is 11.Nxd4?! Bxa3 12.bxa3 Nxd4.

11...Bc5!?

This seems to be a novelty, and probably improves on the known 11...Be7?!, but I may have done better sticking with my first thought of 11...e5!?, although the engines agree White has full compensation for a pawn.

12.exd4 Nxd4 13.Nxd4 Qxd4 14.Qb3

The engines give 14.Qa4+!?, eg 14...Bd7 15.Qb3 Bc6 16.Bxc6+ bxc6 17.Rac1, again claiming full compensation for a pawn.

14...0-0

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

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White has a lead in development (and can increase that lead by playing 15.Rad1), and has pressure against the black queenside, but, according to the engines, those factors do not quite make up for Black being a pawn up and having the bishop pair.

15.Rad1 Qf6 16.Nd6

How should Black proceed?

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16...Bxd6

Stockfish18 likes 16...Qe7; Dragon1 prefers 16...Bd4.

17.Rxd6 Rb8

This seems a little stronger than 17...Rd8 18.Rxd8+ Qxd8 19.Rd1.

18.Rfd1 b6 19.Qa3 a5

Or 19...Bb7 20.Qxa7 Bxg2 21.Kxg2 Qxb2, when White has enough activity for a pawn, according to the engines.

20.b4 Bb7 21.bxa5 Bxg2 22.Kxg2 bxa5 23.Qxa5 Rb2 24.R1d2

BS offered a draw.

How would you assess this heavy-piece middlegame?

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The position is completely equal, according to Dragon1; Black has a notional advantage of perhaps 0.1, according to Stockfish18.

24...Rfb8 25.Rxb2 Rxb2 26.Qd8+ Qxd8 27.Rxd8+ Kh7

This is quite a common type of rook-and-pawn ending, and is completely equal, according to both engines

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28.Rd7 Kg6 29.Ra7 e5 30.g4!? f6 31.h4!?

BS was highly critical of this in the postmortem, but the engines reckon the game remains equal.

31...h5 32.gxh5+ Kxh5 33.Rxg7 Rxa2

Completely equal, according to the engines, although to my eye Black's position looks easier to play

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34.Rh7+ Kg4 35.h5 Kg5!? 36.Kg3 Ra3+ 37.Kg2 Ra4 38.Kg3 Rg4+ 39.Kf3 Rh4

Black is winning a pawn, but the game remains completely equal (Stockfish18) or White is just 0.13 worse (Dragon1)

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40.Rh8 Rxh5 41.Rxh5+?

Any rook move along the rank draws, although clearly Black would have hopes of somehow winning, but swopping off into a pawn ending loses.

41...Kxh5 42.Ke3

Black has two winning moves, but there is a plausible continuation that only draws

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42...Kg5

Also winning is 42...f5, but 42...Kg4? allows White to get the opposition with 43.Ke4, drawing.

43.Kf3 f5 44.Kg3 f4+ 45.Kf3 Kf5 46.Ke2 Kg4

But not 46...Ke4?, apparently gaining the opposition, as, following 47.f3+ Kd4 48.Kd2, it is White who has the opposition, and after 48...e4 49.fxe4 Kxe4 50.Ke2 the game is a (fairly) trivial book draw, and the try 48...Kc4 49.Kc2 e4 (49...Kb4 50.Kd3) 50.fxe4 f3 is easily answered by 51.Kd2 Kd4 52.e5 Kxe5 53.Ke3.
47.Kf1 Kf3 48.Ke1 Kg2 49.Ke2 f3+ 50.Ke3 e4 0-1

Czech 65+ Round Nine

Wooden carvings

Spanton (2003) - Jan Švub (1910)

Scandinavian

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6

This position occurs 5.756 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, a testament to the rise of 3...Qd6, championed by Tiviakov

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6.g3

This is second in popularity to 6.Ne5, when the main line in Mega26 runs 6...Nbd7 7.Nc4!? Qc7 8.Qf3!? Nb6 9.Bf4, with a slight edge for White, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

6...Bg4 7.Bg2 e6 8.0-0 Be7 9.Re1 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 at some point will probably play Bf4 with tempo, factors that add up to a slight edge, according to the engines.

10.h3 Bh5

The engines prefer 10...Bxf3!? 11.Bxf3 Rd8!?

11.Bf4 Qd8 12.g4!?

Going after the bishop-pair. The weakening of White's kingside does not seem serious.

12...Bg6 13.Ne5 Nbd7 14.Nxg6 hxg6 15.Qe2

The engines suggest an apparent-novelty in 15.Qd3!?

15...Nb6

Not, as occurred in a Mega26 game, 15...Nd5? 16.Nxd5 cxd5 17.Bxd5!

16.Rad1 Nbd5 17.Nxd5 Nxd5!?

Stockfish18 reckons this is better than 17...cxd5; Dragon1 is less sure.

18.Bg3 Bd6 19.c4!? Nf6

JS spent more than 25 minutes over this move, presumably calculating the consequences of 19...Nf4, when the engines at first reckon 20.Bxf4 Bxf4 21.d5 gives White a slight edge, but they come to be less enthusiastic about White's position.

20.Be5 Qc7 21.Bxf6?!

The engines strongly dislike this, reckoning it switches the position from slightly favourable for White to slightly favourable for Black.

21...gxf6 22.d5 exd5 23.cxd5 cxd5

The engines prefer creating a queenside majority with 23...c5!? That gives White a passed pawn, but it is a passer that is well-blockaded, and it obstructs the action of the white bishop.

24.Bxd5 Be5 25.Rc1 Qb6 26.Qe4!? Kg7

White threatened 27.Qxg6+!

27.Kg2 Qxb2!? 28.Rb1 Qd4 29.Qxd4 Bxd4 30.Rb7 Rab8 31.Ree7 Rxb7

JS offered a draw.

How would you assess the rook-and-bishop ending?

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After 32.Rxb7 White will have the more-active rook, but the position is completely equal (Stockfish18), or White has a purely notional advantage of +0.1 (Dragon1).  On the other hand, Black's rook and king are tied to defending f7, and by playing on it is hard to see how White can lose, bar a catastrophic blunder.

32.Rxb7 Kg8 33.f4 Kg7 34.h4 Bc5 35.Kg3 Bd4 36.h5 gxh5

The engines prefer 36...f5 as, after ...

37.gxh5

... they reckon White has a slight edge.

37...Bc5 38.Kg4 Bb6 39.Kf5 Bd4 40.Rd7 Bc5 41.Bb3 Bb6 42.a4 Bf2 43.Rd2 Rb8!?

This comes to be the engines' top choice, but it involves a pawn sacrifice that requires precise play from Black. Meanwhile, 43...Bb6 also involves a pawn sacrifice, but after, for example, 44.Rg2+ Kh6 45.Kxf6 Bc7 46.Bxf7 Bxf4, the position may be easier to defend. Perhaps it comes down to a matter of taste.

44.Bxf7 Kxf7

Not 44...Be3?? 45.Rd7.

45.Rxf2 Rc8

Not 45...Rb4? 46.Rc2 Rxa4 47.Rc7+ Kg8 48.Kg6.

46.Rh2 Rc5+ 47.Kg4 Kg7 48.Rb2 Ra5 49.Rb7+ Kh6 50.Rf7 Rxa4 51.Rxf6+

One move draws, the other loses

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51...Kg7?

The Syzygy endgame tablebase shows 51...Kh7! draws. The reason for the difference will soon become clear.

52.Kg5

52.Rg6+? only draws.

52...Ra1 53.h6+

If the king were on h7, White's 53rd move would not come with check, and that makes all the difference as Black would have 53...Rg1+, when play might continue 54.Kf5 Rh1 55.Ra6 Rxh6 56.Rxa7+ Kg8, with a standard draw.

53...Kg8 54.Rg6+ Kf8

Or 54...Kh8 55.f5 Rg1+ 56.Kf6 Rf1 57.Rg7 a5 58.Kg6 a4 59.f6 a3 60.Rh7+ Kg8 61.f7+ Rh8+ 62.f8=Q+ Rxf8 63.Rxf8 Kxf8 64.h7.

55.h7 Rh1 56.Rg8+

Also winning is 56.Rh6.

56...Kf7 57.h8=Q Rg1+ 58.Kf5 Rxg8 59.Qf6+ Ke8 60.Qe6+ Kf8 61.Kf6 1-0

Czech 65+ Round Three

Mausoleum built by the Czechoslovak-Yugoslav League to honour soldiers from what would become Yugoslavia who were killed in WW1

The second of today's double-round games.

Spanton (2003) - Jindřich Papay (1945)

French Winawer

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.Bd2 Bd7!?

Several other continuations are more common, including 5...cxd4 and especially 5...Ne7, but the text has been played by grandmasters.

6.a3!?

The engines agree this is stronger than the more popular moves 6.Qg4 and 6.Nb5.

6...cxd4?!

Black should probably prefer 6...Bxc3.

7.axb4 dxc3 8.Bxc3

Black has ceded the bishop-pair and given White a useful half-open a file, factors which add up to White having a positionally won game, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1

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8...Ne7 9.Bd3 Ng6 10.Nf3 Nf4!? 11.Bf1!? g5?!

This type of thrust is rarely good, and this position is almost certainly not an exception.

12.Qd2 Rg8 13.h4 h6 14.h5 d4!?

Giving up a pawn, so the king's knight has a retreat square in the event of White playing g3.

15.Bxd4 Bc6!?

The engines agree this active move is the best chance in a bad position.

16.b5!? Be4 17.c4!? Kf8?

The engines reckon Black should play 17...Bxf3!? 18.gxf3 Nd7, or 17...a6, with ...Nd7 to come.

18.Bc5+

Even stronger are 18.Rd1, 18.Qe3 and 18.0-0-0.

18...Kg7 19.Bd6 Nd7?!

Exchanging on f3 is probably better.

20.Qe3 f5?!

And here the engines reckon Black should settle for 20...Bxf3 21.Qxf3 a6!?, despite White having 22.g3.

21.exf6+ Nxf6 22.Be5 Nd3+ 23.Bxd3 Qxd3

How should White proceed?

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24.Qxd3

Even stronger is the engines' 24.Qc5!, when Qe7+ and Rd1 cannot both be met.

24...Bxd3 25.0-0-0 Rgd8

Not 25...Bxc4?? 26.Rd7+.

26.b3 Kf7 27.Bc7!? Rdc8

Not 27...Rd7?? 28.Ne5+.

28.Ne5+ Ke8 29.Rxd3 Rxc7 30.f3!?

Restricting the black knight.

30...Nd7 31.Nxd7 Rxd7 32.Rhd1 Rxd3 33.Rxd3

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

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White is a pawn up, has the open file, and has fewer pawn-islands, advantages worth more than +4.00, according to the engines.

33...Ke7 34.Kc2 a6!?

This lets White undouble the b pawns, but activating the black rook is the engines' top choice.

35.bxa6 Rxa6 36.Kc3 Rc6 37.b4 Ra6 38.c5 b5 39.Kd4

The engines agree with not taking en passant.

39...Ra4 40.Rb3 Ra1 41.Rd3 Rb1 42.Kc3 Rc1+ 43.Kb2 Rg1

What should White play?

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44.c6?

Impatience, throwing away nearly all of White's advantage. Best is 44.Rd2, but 44.g4 also wins.

44...Rxg2+ 45.Kb3 Rg1 46.c7!?

There is no longer any win, whatever White plays.

46...Rc1 47.Rc3 Rxc3+ 48.Kxc3 Kd7 49.Kd4 Kxc7 50.Ke5!?

Or 50.Kc5 e5!, when 51.Kxb5? loses to 51...e4!, so White has to play 51.Kd5 Kd7 52.Kxe5, but 52...Kd7 draws.

50...Kd7 51.Kf6 Kd6 52.Kg6 Ke5

This draws easily enough, but the engines reckon Black has at least a slight edge after 52...e5!? 53.Kxh6 e4!? 54.Kxg5 (54.fxe4? g4 wins for Black) exf3 55.h6 f2 57.h7 f1=Q, although 58.h8=Q gives White a tablebase draw.

53.Kxh6 Kf6 54.Kh7 Kf7 55.Kh6

Not 55.h6? e5 etc, eg 56.Kh8 e4! 57.fxe4 g4 58.e5 g3 59.e6+ Kxe6 60.Kg8 g2 61.h7 g1=Q 62.Kh8 (hoping for stalemate) Qa7 63.Kg8 Qf7+ 64.Kh8 Qf8#.

55...Kf6 ½–½

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

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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?

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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?

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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

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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

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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?

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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

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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 

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63.Rh2 Rg8 64.Kd1

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

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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

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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