Lessons From Scarborough V

Samuel A Milson (2138 ECF/2069 Fide) - Spanton (1979 ECF/1731 Fide)

Scarborough Round Five

Spanish Berlin

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.0-0 Nd4 6.Bc4!?

Overwhelmingly more popular is 6.Nxd4, but the text is the top choice of the analysis engine Stockfish14 and is also liked by Komodo12.1.1.

6...d6 7.Nxd4 Bxd4 8.c3 Bb6 9.a4 a6?!

Probably better is 9...c6, and if 10.b4 then 10...a5.

10.a5 Ba7 11.Be3 Bxe3!?

This is best, according to the engines.

12.fxe3 0-0 13.Nd2 Be6 14.Qf3 Bxc4 15.Nxc4 Qd7

Stockfish14 likes 15...b5!?

16.h3 Rae8 17.Qg3 Re6 18.Rf5 Ne8 19.Raf1 Rg6 20.Qf2 Qe6 21.b3 Rf6 22.Qh4 Rxf5 23.Rxf5

The engines reckon 23.exf5?! Qd5 is very good for Black.

23...g6 24.Rf3 f6 25.g4 c6 26.g5 d5 27.Nd2

How should Black proceed?

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27...fxg5?!

Komodo12.1.1 reckons Black has a tiny edge after 27...dxe4 or 27...f5, while Stockfish14 recommends 27...dxe4 and 27...Kg7, evaluating the position as equal.

28.Rxf8+ Kxf8 29.Qxh7 g4 30.Kg2 gxh3+ 31.Qxh3 Qxh3+ 32.Kxh3 Kf7 33.exd5 cxd5 34.e4 Ke6 35.Kg4

What should Black play?

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35...dxe4?

The game is equal, according to the engines, after 35...Nf6+ 36.Kg5 Nh5 or 35...Nc7.

36.Nxe4 Kd5 37.Kg5 Nc7?

Better is 37...Ng7, although White is still well on top.

38.Kxg6

Even stronger is the engines' 38.Kf6, putting Black in zugzwang.

38...Ne6 39.Kf5 Ng7+!?

Possibly better is the semi-forced 39...Nf4 40.d4 Nd3 41.Nf6+ Kd6 42.Ke4 Nf2+ 43.Ke3, when the engines want to offer the black knight with 43...exd4+!? 44.Kxf2 dxc3 45.Ne4+ Kc6. Komodo12.1.1 reckons White is winning; Stockfish14 gives White just a slight edge.
40.Kg4 Ne6

How should White proceed?

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41.b4?

White is winning after 41.Kf3, according to the engines.

41...Nf4 42.Nc5

Black to play and draw

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42...Nxd3?

Correct is 42...Ne2, eg 43.c4+ Kd4 44.Nxb7 Kxd3 45.b5 Nd4!

43.Nxd3 Kc4 44.Nc5!

44.Nxe5+ Kxc3 is a draw.

44...Kxc3 45.Nxb7 Kxb4 46.Kf5 Kb5 47.Kxe5 Kc6 48.Nd6 Kc5 49.Ke6 Kc6 50.Ke7 Kc7 51.Nc4 Kc6

White to play and win

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52.Nd2!

The key idea.

52...Kc7

Or 52...Kc5 53.Nb3+ Kb4 54.Kd6 Kxb3 55.Kc5 (55.Kc6? Kc4 draws) Kc3 56.Kb6 Kc4 57.Kxa6 etc.

53.Nb3 Kc6 54.Ke6 Kc7 55.Kd5 Kb7 56.Kd6 1-0

Lessons From Scarborough IV

Spanton (1979 ECF/1731 Fide) - Peter JE Ackley (2142 ECF/2008 Fide)

Scarborough Round Four

Pribyl

1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.Nc3 c6 4.f4

This aggressive continuation is second in popularity in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database to 4.Be3.

How should Black respond?

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4...d5!?

This is easily Black's most-popular reply, despite the loss of tempo in taking two moves to get the d pawn to d5.

5.Nf3

The main line runs 5.e5 h5 6.Nf3 Bg4 (also popular is 6...Nh6) 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3, when White has a slight edge, according to Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1.

5...Bg4 6.Be2 dxe4 7.Nxe4 Bxf3?!

Giving up the bishop-pair without being provoked by h3 looks strange in what is a relatively open position.

8.Bxf3 Bg7 9.c3 Nd7 10.0-0 Ngf6 11.Be3

The engines prefer 11.Nf2!? or a queen move, ie 11.Qe2 or 11.Qb3.

11...Qc7 12.Qd2 Nd5 13.Rae1 0-0

This is probably better, and certainly safer, than 13...0-0-0?!

14.g3 Nxe3 15.Qxe3 Nf6 16.Ng5!?

Hoping to maintain winning chances by avoiding a further exchange, but the engines prefer 16.Nc5 (Komodo12.1.1) or 16.h4!? (Stockfish14).

16...e6 17.Kg2 Rac8 18.Re2 b6 19.Rd1 Rfd8 20.Red2 h6 21.Ne4 Nxe4 22.Bxe4 Bf6 23.Rd3 c5 24.d5 exd5 25.Rxd5 Rxd5 26.Rxd5 Rd8 27.Qd4 Rxd5 28.Qxd5 Qd8 29.Qxd8+ ½–½

After the game PA said the system he chose leads to an interesting game IF White makes it interesting; otherwise White just has a slight edge. He had expected me to want to make it interesting, he said, but had been proven wrong.

Lessons From Scarborough III

Raymond J Gamble (1885 ECF/1871 Fide) - Spanton (1979 ECF/1731 Fide)

Scarborough Round Three

Colle

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 Bd6 4.Bd3 Nc6!?

The main line in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database runs 4...f5 5.c4 (also popular is 5.0-0) c6 6.0-0 Nf6 7.b3, reaching a Dutch Stonewall position from which White scores an impressive 64%.

5.Nbd2 Nf6 6.c3!?

This is a popular continuation, narrowly eclipsed by 6.0-0, but it is arguably too slow. The analysis engines Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 prefer 6.c4, seeking to inhibit ...e5. Black can try 6...e5!? anyway, but 7.cxd5 (much better than 7.c5 e4, according to the engines) Nxd5 8.Be4!? Nde7 9.dxe5 Nxe5 10.0-0 favours White, according to the engines.

6...e5 7.dxe5 Nxe5 8.Nxe5 Bxe5

How should White proceed?

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9.f4?!

Seeking to gain the initiative, but almost certainly too weakening. The engines reckon 9.0-0 and 9.Qc2 give equality but 9.Nf3 Bd6 gives Black a tiny edge.

9...Bd6 10.0-0 0-0 11.Kh1

Getting rid of the backward pawn with 11.e4? runs into 11...Bc5+ 12.Kh1 Ng4.

11...Re8 12.Qf3?!

Probably better is 12.Nf3.

12...Qe7 13.Re1 Ne4 14.Bxe4!?

This is Stockfish14's choice - Komodo12.1.1 prefers 14.Qf1 - but the move is horrible from a positional view.

14...dxe4 15.Qf2

White's backward pawn is no longer on a half-open file, but to achieve this White has had to give up his better bishop and permanently concede central space.

15...c6!?

The engines suggest 15...a5 (or 15...Rad8) and if 16.Nc4, which I was afraid of because Black would lose the bishop-pair, they reckon 16...a4!? 17.Nxd6 Qxd6 is very good for Black.

16.b3

Now 16.Nc4 can be met by 16...Bc7, preserving the bishop-pair and preventing 17.Ne5. The knight would later be vulnerable to being hit by ...b5.

16...a5 17.a3 b5 18.Bb2 Bf5 19.Nf1 Be6 20.Nd2 f5

I was slightly concerned that ...f5 gave White a pawn-lever in the shape of g4, but arranging that with advantage is no easy task.

21.Rec1 Rab8 22.Qe2 Bc5!?

The engines strongly prefer 22...Red8.

23.b4 Bb6 24.c4

How should Black proceed?

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24...axb4?!

The engines strongly dislike this at first, although it comes to be Komodo12.1.1's second-choice. They reckon Black should keep the position closed with 24...a4!?

25.cxb5!?

I expected 25.axb4, when 25...Qxb4?? 26.Ba3 is a disaster for Black, and other moves give little more than equality, eg 25...bxc4?! 26.Nxc4 Qxb4 27.Nxb6 Qxb6 28.Bd4 gives White a strong initiative for the pawn, one line running 28...Qb5 29.Qxb5 cxb5 30.Ra7.

25...cxb5 26.axb4 Red8 27.Bc3 Rd3 28.Nc1 Bc4 29.Qe1 Rbd8 30.Rd1?!

The engines prefer 30.Be5 or 30.h3, but reckon Black is well on top.

30...Rxd1 31.Rxd1 Rxd1 32.Qxd1

What is Black's best continuation?

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32...Qa7?

This throws away Black's advantage. Also no good is 32...Bxf1? 33.Qxf1 Bxe3 34.Qxb5, but the engines reckon Black wins with 32...Qd8 33.Qxd8+ (more-or-less forced) Bxd8, when pawns are equal, materially, but Black's bishop-pair, space advantage and better-placed king give a large advantage.

33.Ng3 Be6 34.h3!?

White has to be careful about falling into a back-rank mate, but also playable is 34.Bd4.

34...Bxe3 35.Qd8+ Kf7

White to play and draw

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36.Nh5?

White draws with 36.Qg5, when the engines reckon Black has nothing better than 36...Qa2 (36...g6?? loses to 37.Qf6+) 37.Qxg7+ Ke8 38.Be1! Qb1 39.Qh8+ Kd7 40.Qg7+ (not 40.Qxh7+?? Kc6) with a draw by repetition as 40...Kc6?? loses to 41.Qc3+ etc.

Also better than the text is 36.Bxg7!? Qe7 (36...Kxg7?? loses to 37.Nh5+) 37.Qh8 Qe8 38.Qxh7 Qg8 39.Qxg8+ Kxg8 40.Bc3, although the black position is certainly easier to play after 40...Bxf4.

36...Qd7 37.Qxd7+

Forced, as otherwise the threat of ...Qd1+ wins, eg 37.Qh4 Qd1+ 38.Qe1 Qxe1+ 39.Bxe1 g6 40.Ng3 Bxf4, when Black is two pawns up and has much the better pieces.

37...Bxd7 38.Nxg7 Bxf4 39.Nh5 Bd6 40.Nf6 Be6 41.Nxh7

White restores material equality (in pawns) but the knight will be out of play for several moves.

41...Kg6 42.Nf6 Be7 43.Ne8 f4 44.Kg1 e3 45.Be1 Bc4 46.Nc7 Kf5 47.Na6 Bf6 48.Nc5 Bb2 0-1

Lessons From Scarborough II

Spanton (1979 ECF/1731 Fide) - James M Wheeler (1938 ECF/no Fide)

Scarborough Round Two

French Classical Steinitz

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Nf3!?

This move, recommended by Tarrasch, scores just 45% in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, while 5.Nce2 scores 56% and 5.f4 scores 57%.

5...c5 6.dxc5

The engines give 6.Ne2!? as an interesting alternative to the overwhelmingly more-popular text.

6...Nc6 7.Bf4 Bxc5 8.Bd3 a6 9.0-0 b5 10.Qe2 h6 11.Rfe1 Nb6

Can you find a winning combination for White?

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No.

12.Rad1

Not 12.Bxb5? axb5 13.Qxb5 Qe7 14.Qxc6+ Bd7, when the engines reckon best is 15.Qb7 0-0 16.Be3 Rfb8 17.Qc7 Bxe3 18.fxe3 Nc4 19.a4 (19.b3 Rc8 20.Qb7 Na5 etc) Rxb2, which they rate as giving Black much the better game.

12...b4 13.Nb1 Na4 14.Bc1?!

Almost certainly too passive. White has an advantage after 14.c4, which seeks to open lines for White's better-developed pieces.

14...Qb6 15.c4 bxc3 16.Nxc3 Nxc3 17.bxc3 a5 18.Bf4?!

The engines like 18.Nd4!?, the point being 18...Nxd4 19.cxd4 Bxd4 20.Ba3 looks promising for White.

18...0-0

JW explained after the game that he changed his mind about playing 18...Ba6 because of Rb1 followed by Bb5, but the engines show 19.Rb1? is punished by 19...Bxf2+!

19.Rb1

This looks natural, but quite possibly better is 19.Bb1!?, the point being to threaten to set up a bishop-queen battery on the b1-h7 diagonal. The engines continue 19...Ne7 20.Nd4, claiming a slight edge for White.

19...Qc7 20.Qd2 Be7?!

A better defensive try may be 20...Ba6.

Can you find a winning combination for White?

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21.Bxh6! gxh6 22.Qxh6 f5 23.Qg6+ Kh8 24.Re3 Bc5

This is Black's best move, according to the engines, but White is winning.

25.Nd4 Qg7?!

Probably better is 25...Qh7!? 26.Rh3 Qxh3 27.gxh3 Rg8, but 28.Qxg8+ Kxg8 29.Nxc6 leaves White with two extra pawns, albeit all the white pawns are isolated and two of them are doubled. Black also has the bishop-pair, but the engines reckon Black is lost.

26.Rh3+ Kg8 27.Qh5?

Much better is the simple 27.Qxg7+ Kxg7 28.Nxc6, when White is up two good pawns.

27...Nxe5 28.Rg3 Qxg3??

Black should play 28...Ng4, when best-play, according to the engines, runs 29.h3 Bd6 30.Nxf5! exf5 31.Rxg4! fxg4 32.Qxd5+ Rf7 33.Qxa8 with what they reckon is a balanced position, although it is one in which it would be easy for either player to go wrong.

29.hxg3 Nxd3 30.Rd1

Missing a mating attack with 30.Qg6+ Kh8 31.Rb7! Bxb7 32.Nxe6 etc.

30...Nb2?

Better is 30...Ne5, although the engines reckon White is better after 31.Re5.

31.Qg6+ Kh8 32.Qh6+ Kg8 33.Nxe6 Bxe6 34.Qxe6+ Kg7 35.Rxd5

Materially Black is doing OK with rook, bishop and knight for queen and three pawns, but the black pieces are uncoordinated and the black king is wide open to attack.

35...Rad8!?

Setting a trap. All other continuations also lose easily, according to the engines.

36.Rxd8

Not 36.Rxc5?? Rd1+ 37.Kh2 Rh8+ and mate.

36...Rxd8 37.Qe5+ Kg6 38.Qxc5 Rd1+ 39.Kh2 Nd3 40.Qxa5 Nxf2 41.Qb6+ 1-0

Lessons From Scarborough

Joe Kilshaw (2050 ECF/1974 Fide) - Spanton (1979 ECF/1731 Fide)

Scarborough Round One

English

1.c4 e6 2.e4!?

There are 2,207 examples in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database of this move, which has been played by strong grandmasters.

2...d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.exd5 Nf6 5.Bb5+

White usually does not try to hold the extra pawn, so the idea of the text is to make it awkward for Black to restore material equality.

5...Nbd7

Also popular, but scoring much less successfully percentagewise in Mega21, is 5...Bd7, which is normally met by 6.Bc4.

6.Nc3 Be7 7.d4 0-0 8.Nf3 a6

Just one of 32 games in Mega21 saw the text; in the rest 8...Nb6 was played.

9.Bd3 Nb6 10.h3 Nbxd5

Position after 10...Nbxd5 - material equality has been restored, but who stands better?

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In many ways the diagram shows a classic IQP (isolated queen's pawn) position. Neither player can really complain about the set-up, and perhaps it is not surprising the analysis engines Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 rate it as even.

11.0-0 Re8 12.Re1 h6 13.Bd2 Be6

How should White proceed?

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14.a3

The engines like 14.Rxe6!? fxe6 15.Bg6 Rf8 16.Qe2, giving White a small edge.

14...Qc8!?

The engines reckon 14...Bd6 is dead-equal.

15.Ne5 Nxc3!?

Changing the pawn-structure like this is always very committal. The engines reckon that here it is Black's best choice, albeit they give White a small edge.

16.bxc3

The engines reckon the text and 16.Bxc3!? are of roughly equal value.

16...Bf5?

Better are 16...c5 and 16...b5!?

What is White's best continuation?

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17.Bc4?

Very strong is 17.Bxf5 Qxf5 18.Qb3, hitting f7 and b7. I was thinking of replying 18...Ne4?!, but 19.Rxe4! Qxe4 20.Qxf7? Kh7 21.Re1 Qc2 22.Nf3 seems to leave Black in big trouble. The engines suggest 18...Qe6 19.Qxb7 Bd6, but White is on top.

17...Be6 18.Qb3 b5 19.Bxe6 Qxe6 20.Qxe6 fxe6 21.Nc6 Bd6 22.a4

How should Black proceed?

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22...bxa4?

I thought 22...Nd5 23.axb5 axb5 was bad for Black, but White has to be careful not to be worse, eg 24.Rxa8 (24.Rab1 Ra2) Rxa8 25.Rb1 Ra3.

23.Rxa4 Nd5 24.Rea1 e5 25.Rxa6?!

Almost certainly better are 25.dxe5 and the engines' 25.Ra5!?

25...Rxa6 26.Rxa6 exd4 27.Nxd4 Rb8

White's back-rank weakness gives Black some counterplay.

28.Kf1 Rb2 29.Ke1?

White is still quite a bit better after 29.Nf3, according to the engines.

29...Bf4 30.Bxf4 Nxf4 31.Rc6 Nd3+

Also equal, according to the engines, is 31.Nxg2+ Kf1 32.Nf4.

32.Kf1 Rxf2+ 33.Kg1 Rf7!?

Dead-equal is 33...Rb2 34.Rxc7 Nf4, according to the engines.

34.Ne6!?

This allows a simple draw. More promising is 34.Nb5 Nf4 35.Nxc7 (35.Rxc7 Rxc7 36.Nxc7 Ne2+ etc), but 35...Re7 seems to hold, eg 36.Kf2 Nd3+ 37.Kg3 (37.Kf3?? Ne5+) Re3+.

34...Rf6 35.Nd4 ½–½

Summing Up Scarborough

I CALCULATE my score of +2=2-1 in the Scarborough Open saw me gain 16.8 ECF elo and 24 Fide elo.

Scarborough Round Five

LOST this afternoon in 56 moves with black on board 11 against Samuel A Milson (2138 ECF/2069 Fide).

Looking towards Scarborough old town 

Scarborough Round Four

DREW this morning in 29 moves with white on board seven against Peter JE Ackley (2142 ECF/2008 Fide).

Scarborough Round Two

WON this morning in 41 moves with white on board 27 against James M Wheeler (1938 ECF/no Fide).

Scarborough Round One

DREW this evening in 35 moves with black on board 26 against Joe Kilshaw (2050 ECF/1974 Fide).

Scarborough Fair

AM traveling to Scarborough on the North Yorkshire coast today for the town's 2021 congress, which is split into five sections: open, U1851, U1701, U1551 and U1351.
There are five rounds - one this evening, two on Saturday and two on Sunday - with a time limit of 110 minutes and a 10-second increment.

As I understand it, the point of a 10-second increment is to rule out draw claims based on players trying to flag an opponent on time.

A record of the score does not have to be kept once your clock dips below five minutes, even if it should subsequently go above five minutes.

Several past participants have told me Scarborough is a particularly enjoyable congress, and I am interested in seeing a town I have not previously visited but is supposed to be attractive.

There are 95 entries in the open alone, and the full lists can be found at http://chess-results.com/tnr575745.aspx?lan=1&art=0