Miniatures 18

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

G Wagner (145 BCF) - Spanton (151 BCF)

Hastings Main A 1989-90

Scotch Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5

This is the main alternative to the more popular 4...Nf6. The latter scores a healthy 49% in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, while the text scores 45%. Worth serious consideration is 4...Bb4+!?, which scores a miserable 32%, but is the top choice of Stockfish17 and Dragon1.

5.0-0!?

Most popular in Mega25 is 5.c3 Nf6, which is a transposition to the main line of the Giuoco Piano.

5...d6 6.c3

Offering to make the gambit permanent - how should Black respond?

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6...dxc3

There are 247 examples of the text, and of 6...Bg4!?, in Mega25, but there the similarity ends as the latter scores a magnificent 64%, while the text scores 'only' 49%.

7.Qb3!?

The engines find it hard to decide between this and the more popular 7.Nxc3.

7...Qd7!?

Probably not 7...Qe7?! 8.Nxc3 as the engines reckon the threat of Nd5 means Black has nothing better than 8...Qd7, eg 8...Nf6?! 9.Bg5 renews the threat of Nd5.

8.Qxc3!?

This is overwhelmingly the chief continuation in Mega25, but the engines prefer 8.Nxc3 or 8.Re1.

8...Nf6 9.e5

The engines suggest 9.Bg5, but reckon Black is better after 9...Qe7!?

9...Nxe5 10.Nxe5 dxe5 11.Qxe5+

Gergely-Andras-Gyula Szabó (2518) - Dirk Sebastian (2445), European Club Cup (Kemer, Turkey) 2007, went 11.Bxf7+!? Kxf7 12.Qxc5 Re8 13.Qc4+ Kf8 14.Re1, with a slight edge for Black, according to the engines (½–½, 31 moves).

11...Qe7 12.Re1?

After 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7 Black is a pawn up, but the game continues.

12...Bxf2+! 13.Kf1

Even worse is 13.Kxf2? Ng4+ and 14...Nxe5.

13...Bxe1 14.Qxe1 Qxe1+ 15.Kxe1 0-0 0-1

LESSON: as is well-known, but easily forgotten in the heat of battle, the most vulnerable squares in the opening, especially in double-e pawn games, are f7 and f2.

4NCL Final Weekend: Game Three

PLAYED on board three (of six) for Wessex B against Shropshire & Friends in division four of the Four Nations Chess League today.

Richard Bryant (1912 ECF/1835 Fide) - Spanton (1976 ECF/1937 Fide)

Max Lange Attack

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.0-0 Nf6 6.e5

The first four games to reach this position in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database were won by Max Lange with white

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6...d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.Re1+ Be6

This is the main move, but Dragon1 prefers 8...Kf8!?

9.Ng5!?

Lange - Eugen von Schmidt, Magdeburg 1853, went 9.fxg7 Rg8 10.Ng5 Qe7?! (probably better is 10...Qd5) 11.Nxe6 fxe6 12.Qh5+ Kd7 13.Bh6, when material is level, but Dragon1 and Stockfish17 reckon White is winning (1-0, 23 moves).

9...Qd5
Not 9...Qxf6? 10.Nxe6 fxe6 11.Qh5+ and 12.Qxc5.

10.Nc3!? Qf5

Not 10...dxc3?? 11.Qxd5 as the e6 bishop is pinned.

11.Nce4 0-0-0

Probably not 11...gxf6?! 12.g4!? Qg6 13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.Nxc5.

12.Nxe6

The main line in Mega25 runs 12.g4!? Qe5!? (12...Qd5? 13.fxg7 Rhg8 14.Nf6) 13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.fxg7 Rhg8 15.Bh6 d3 16.c3, with at least a slight edge for White, according to the engines.

12...fxe6 13.fxg7?!

White should probably transpose to the previous note with 13.g4!? Qe5 (forced) 14.fxg7.

13...Rhg8 14.Bh6?!

More common is 14.Nxc5 Qxc5, and now 15.Bh6 or 15.Qg4.

The engines suggest an apparent-novelty, 14.Ng3!?, but reckon 14...Qf6 leaves Black with the upper hand.

How should Black proceed?

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14...Bb4!?

How should White respond?

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15.Qf3!?

This is not satisfactory for White, but it seems there is no good answer.
Csaba Papp Zoltán (2350) - Zoltán Schlusnik (2265), Hungarian Team Championship 1998, saw 15.Re2 Qg6 16.a3 d3 17.cxd3 cxd3 18.Re3 Qxh6 19.axb4 Qxg7, with a winning advantage for Black, according to the engines (0-1, 35 moves).

Petr Buchníček (2270) - Stanislav Marek (-), Slovak Championship (Prešov) 1997, went 15.Ng3 Qg6, after which White faces ruinous material loss (0-1, 24 moves).

Both 15.Bd2 and 15.Nd2 can be met by 15...c3, again with a winning position for Black.

15...Qxf3 16.gxf3 Bxe1 17.Nf6?!

This probably makes matters worse. Best, according to the engines, is 17.Rxe1, when Black has several strong moves, including 17...Rfd8!?

17...Ne5 18.Nxg8 Rxg8 19.Bf4 Nxf3+ 20.Kf1

Or 20.Kg2 Nh4+ 21.Kh3 (21.Kg3 Nf5+) Ng6.

20...Bd2!? 21.Bg3 Bh6 22.Ke2 Ng5

Black is knight and pawn up, and about to win a second pawn

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23.Be5 Bxg7 24.Bxg7 Rxg7 25.Rg1 e5 26.h4 Ne6 27.Rxg7 Nxg7 28.Kf3 Kd7 0-1

Wessex B won the match 4-1 (Shropshire & Friends suffered a -1 penalty for defaulting late on bottom board).

British 65+ Round Three

Tim Harding (1928 Fide*) - Spanton (1941 ECF/1800 Fide)

Scotch Gambit/Giuoco Piano

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4!?

There are 31,890 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database, where it scores 57% - two percentage points higher than the more popular 4.Nxd4.

4...Bc5!?

Black scores 45% with this in Mega23 - four percentage points lower than with the main move 4...Nf6, which reaches a position that also arises from the Two Knights Defence.

5.c3 Nf6

Very risky is 5...dxc3!? 6.Bxf7+! Kxf7 7.Qd5+, after which White regains at least the sacrificed bishop, eg 7...Ke8 8.Qh5+ Kf8 9.Qxc5+ d6 10.Qxc3 with clearly the better game.

The position after 5...Nf6 frequently arises from the Giuoco Piano via the move-order 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4

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6.e5!?

Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 prefer this marginally - very marginally in the case of the former - over the much more common 6.cxd4.

6...d5

As is well-known, ...d5 is often the best reply in open games when White thrusts with e5.

7.Bb5

Trendy at the elite level in recent years has been 7.Be2!?, although the engines reckon 7...Ne4 is a complete equaliser. Not popular at the top is 7.exf6!? dxc4 8.fxg7 Rg8, which at first glance may look promising for White, but practice strongly favours Black.

7...Ne4 8.cxd4

There are 3,706 games with this position in Mega23

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8...Bb6

This is the mainline in modern times, although grandmasters also play 8...Be7 and especially 8...Bb4+. After the latter White usually offers the bishop-pair with 9.Bd2!?, when 9...Nxd2 10.Nbxd2 0-0 11.0-0 leaves White slightly better, according to Komodo14.1, although Stockfish16 is less sure.

9.Be3!?

More popular are 9.0-0 and especially 9.Nc3.

9...0-0 10.Nc3 Nxc3!?

Komodo14.1 likes this relatively rare continuation, but Stockfish16 prefers the main move 10....Bg4 or 10...f5.

11.bxc3 Ne7!?

Avoiding doubled pawns and preparing to contest the b1-h7 diagonal. The engines prefer attacking the white centre with 11...f6.

12.Bd3 Bf5 13.0-0 Qd7 14.Rb1!?

This useful-looking developing move may be a novelty. Several high-level games have seen 14.Nh4 Bxd3 15.Qxd3 f5, with advantage to White, according to the engines.

14...c6

The engines suggest 14...Rac8!? with the idea of breaking with ...c5.

15.Bg5 Bxd3 16.Qxd3 h6 17.Bc1

The engines reckon White should take the chance to swop off the bad dark-square bishop.

17...Ng6 18.h3 Bd8?!

This is probably too slow. The engines advocate 18...Rac8, again with the idea of trying to get in ...c5.

19.Nh2

White's unchallenged central space advantage, in a position in which the centre is unlikely to open soon, means he has time to launch a kingside attack.

How should Black respond?

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19...b5

Freeing Black's pieces from having to defend the b pawn. The engines prefer sacrificing it with 19...Nh4 20.f4 Qf5!? After 21.Qxf5 Nxf5 22.Ba3 Re8 23.Rxb7 the black knight is active, but that is not sufficient compensation. If instead of giving up a pawn, Black tries 20...Nf5, White has 21.g4 and 22.f5 with promising play.

20.f4 f5 21.exf6 Rxf6 22.Ng4 Rf5 23.Ne3 Rf6

Not 23...Nxf4? 24.Qxf5 Ne2+ as Black gets nowhere enough for a rook after either 25.Kf2!? or 25.Kh2.

24.Ng4 Rf5 25.Ne3 Rf6

Should White take the draw or play on?

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26.f5

White is winning, according to the engines.

26...Ne7

After 26...Nh4?! White can go after the knight immediately with 27.g3 Qd6 28.Ng4, but even stronger, according to the engines, is to first play 27.Bd2.

27.Ng4?!

This seems to let most of White's advantage slip. Best, according to the engines, is 27.Ba3!?, eg 27...h5 28.Rbe1 Nc8 29.g4 Rf7 30.gxh5!? Be7 31.Bc5 Nd6 32.Bxd6 Bxd6 33.Ng4 Raf8 34.f6 with a very strong attack.

27...Rxf5 28.Bxh6!? Bc7

Very bad is 28...gxh6?? 29.Nxh6+ and Nxf5(+). Black is also in trouble after 28...Rxf1+? 29.Rxf1 as in effect Black's active king's rook has been swopped for White's inactive queen's rook.

29.Rbe1 Raf8 30.Bc1 Rxf1+ 31.Rxf1 Rxf1+ 32.Kxf1!?

The engines reckon this is playable, but the king was safer where it was.

32...Nf5 33.Qf3?!

Probably better is 33.Ne5!?, or continuing to run to the queenside with 33.Ke1!?

33...Ng3+ 34.Ke1

It is perhaps too late to go back as 34.Kg1 can be met by 34...Qe6, eg 35.Bd2 Qg6 36.Qe3 Qb1+ 37.Qe1 Qf5!? 38.Nf2 Bd6 with continuing pressure.

34...Qe7+ 35.Qe3

The engines suggest 35.Kd1, but with a slight edge for Black (and with practical difficulties thanks to the exposed white king).

35...Ne4 36.Kd1 b4 37.cxb4?

This loses. White has to play 37.Kc2!?, according to the engines, but a tough defensive task lies ahead as White seems to have no counterplay.

37...Qxb4 38.a3?!

Best, according to the engines, is giving up the a pawn with 38.Qd3!? Qa4+ 39.Ke2 (39.Qb3 Qxd4+) Qxa2+ 40.Kf3, but Black is winning.

38...Qa4+ 39.Ke2

39.Ke1 Ba5+ is not an improvement.

39...Qc4+ 40.Kf3

Slightly better is 40.Kd1, but 40...Bd8!, among other moves, is deeply unpleasant.

40...Qf1+ 41.Nf2 Bg3 0-1

*No ECF rating.

Bregenz Round Eight

WAS upfloated against a junior (born 2007) this afternoon.

Rear view of the 'floating' opera stage

Jonas Loretz (1320) - Spanton (1860)

Scotch Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5

Most popular is transposing to the Two Knights Defence with 4...Nf6.

5.c3 Nf6

White scores 71% in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database after 5...dxc3?! The position reached after the text also arises in the Giuoco Piano, ie 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4.

6.e5

Much more popular is 6.cxd4, but it scores only 52% in Mega22, five percentage points lower than the move played.

6...d5 7.cxd4?!

A rare sideline. The main continuation is 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb6 (8...Bb4+ is also common) 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Be3 Bg4 11.h3 Bh5 12.Qc2 Bg6 13.Qb3 Ne7 14.0-0 c6 15.Bd3, when Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon the chances are equal.

How should Black respond?

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7...dxc4

Possibly even stronger is 7...Bb4+ 8.Bd2 dxc4!?

8.exf6

Only three games reach the position after 7...dxc4 in Mega22, and two of those saw the inferior 8.dxc5? Qxd1+ 9.Kxd1, when 9...Ng4 is very good.

8...Nxd4

Also strong is 8...Bxd4

9.Qa4+??

White should settle for 9.fxg7, when 9...Rg8 10.Be3 is good for Black, but the game goes on.

9...Bd7?

Much stronger is 9...b5, eg 10.Qd1 Bg4 11.fxg7 Rg8 12.Be3 bxf3 13.gxf3 Qh4 with what the engines reckon is a winning attack for Black.

10.Qxc4 Nxf3+?!

Probably stronger is 10...Bb4+ 11.Nbd2 (11.Qxb4?? Nc2+; 11.Bd2?! Nxf3+ 12.gxf3 Bxd2+ 13.Nxd2 Qxf6) Bxd2+ 12.Bxd2 (12.Nxd2?! Bb5) Nxf3+ 13.gxf3 Qxf6.

11.gxf3 Bd6

Possibly best is the engines' 11...Bf8!?, and if, as in the game, 12.Qe4+ then 12...Be6 13.Qxb7 may slightly favour Black after both 13...Bd5 and 13...Rb8.

12.Qe4+ Be6 13.fxg7 Rg8 14.Qxh7 Kd7?!

Probably better is 14...f6 or 14...f5.

15.Nc3 Qf6 16.Rg1?!

Maybe best is 16.Be3, when 16...Rxg7? 17.Qe4 is very good for White, according to the engines, but 16...Qxf3 17.Rg1 may favour White.

16...Bf5 17.Qh5 Rae8+?

This lets the white king escape to the queenside. Best is 17...Bb4 18.Bd2 Rae8+, after which White is two pawns up but Black is better, according to the engines.

18.Be3 Kc8 19.0-0-0 Be6?

Also bad is 19...Bg6? 20.Qg4+ Kb8 21.Qa4 a6 22.f4, but better is 19...Be5, although the engines like White after both 20.Rd5 and 20.Rg5.

20.Ne4 Qe5 21.Qh6?!

Simpler and stronger is 21.Nxd6+ cxd6 22.Qxe5 dxe5 23.h4 etc.

How should Black proceed?

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21...Ba3?!

Desperate stuff. Probably objectively best is 21...Be7, but White is well on top.

How should White reply?

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22.Bd4!

Not 22.bxa3?, Qa1+ 23.Kc2 Qxa2+, eg 24.Kd3 (24.Kc1?? Bb3 wins for Black) Bc4+ 25. Bb5 Rc1 26.Rc3 c5+ 27.Kxc5 Rxe4 28.fxe4 Qxc3+ 29.Kxb5 a6+ 30.Kb6 Qc7+ 31.Ka7 Qb8+ 32.Kb6 Qc7+ with a draw by repetition.

22...Qb5 23.Nf6??

23.bxa3 is one of several winning moves.

23...Qc4+ 24.Bc3??

24.Kb1 Qxa2+ 25.Kc1 almost certainly draws.

24...Qxc3 0-1

Doncaster Round Three

Nigel Birtwistle (2167) - Spanton (2042)

Scotch Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.0-0 Nf6!?

Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 do not like this alternative to the more-popular 5...d6.

6.e5 d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.fxg7!?

Much more common in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database is 8.Re1+, but the engines narrowly prefer the text, although Stockfish14.1, at least for a while, switches between the two moves.

8...Rg8 9.Re1+ Be6 10.Bg5 Be7

The fairly popular 10...Qd5? is a mistake, although it has been tried by players rated well over 2500. After 11.Nc3 Qf5 (probably best) 12.Ne4 White is well on top, eg 12...Rxg7 13.Nh4! wins the black queen.

11.Bxe7 Qxe7!?

The more-popular 11...Ke7 hangs on to the d pawn but looks very risky.

12.Nxd4 Rd8

Not 12...0-0-0? as 13.Nxc6 Rxd1?? loses to 14.Nxe7+ etc, so Black has to play 14...bxc6, when White must be better.

13.c3

How should Black proceed?

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13...Nxd4

Alexei Shirov played this in an online blitz game in January 2021, but later the same month he switched to the possibly superior 13...Rxg7!? Ironically the first game, against a 2450, he won, while the second game, against a 2169, he lost.

14.cxd4 Qd7?

Preventing a check on a4 and increasing pressure against d4, but better is 14...Rxg7, and if 15.Qa4+ then 15...Kf8 more-or-less equalises, according to the engines. They prefer 15.Nc3, giving White a slight edge.

15.Nc3 Qxd4 16.Qh5 Qxg7!? 17.g3

Also possible is 17.Rxe6+!? Kd7 18.Rd1+ Kxe6 (not 18...Kc8 19.Rxd8+ Kxd8 20.Qd5+ Kc8 21.Re7)  19.Re1+ Kf6 (forced) 20.Nd5+ Rxd5 (only move) 21.Qxd5, when Black is temporarily a pawn up but the exposed king means White has a large advantage.

17...Kd7

Komodo12.1.1 for a while believes this equalises, but it does not.

18.Qc5 b6 19.Qb5+ Ke7 20.Nd5+ Rxd5!?

Or 20...Kf8 21.Nxc7, eg 21...Qf6 22.Nxe6+ fxe6 23.Qxc4, when White is a pawn up with a continuing attack.

21.Qxd5 Rd8!?

21...Qxb2 may be a little better, but still horrible for Black after the simple 22.Qxc4.

22.Qxc4 c5 23. Qh4+ Ke8?!

Objectively better is allowing a queen swop after 23...Qf6.

24.Rad1 Rd4 25.Rxd4 cxd4 26.Rd1 Bg4 27.f3!? Bxf3 28.Rxd4 f6 29.Qf4 Qb7 30.Qxf6 1-0