Lessons From Bad Bertrich IV

MY round-four game, in which I was White against Joachim Hiller (1879), featured an instructive moment in the opening, an Exchange Variation of the Spanish.

I have just played 10.Bc1-f4, and it is up to Black to decide what to do about the attacked c7 pawn

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As is well known, White in the Spanish Exchange gives up the bishop-pair in order to obtain the superior pawn-structure.

White gets a healthy 4-3 kingside majority, from which a passed pawn can be made with normal play, while Black gets a damaged 4-3 queenside majority, which will not produce a passed pawn with normal play, unless White gets careless.

In the diagram position, Black has three plausible ways of saving c7: (i) by castling, (ii) by defending the pawn with the dark-square bishop, (iii) by advancing the pawn.

I suspect most players would pretty quickly dismiss 10...c6 as not helping development, as well as weakening Black on the b8-h2 diagonal, including the square d6.

The overwhelmingly most popular choice in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database is 10...0-0-0, which not only defends the pawn, but gets the king to safety, and develops the rook - three good things for the price of one!

However, I was surprised 10...Bd6 appears only once in Mega26.

After 11.Bxd6 cxd6, Black no longer has the bishop-pair, but also no longer has doubled pawns. However, Black has also contracted a backward pawn on a half-open file.

The engines very much disapprove of 10...Bd6.

Part of the reason, no doubt, is the backward pawn, but there is also the fact that engines rate the bishop-pair as more than cancelling out the disadvantage of having doubled pawns - indeed, engines are not keen on White playing the Spanish Exchange from the get-go.

The move 4.Bxc6 sees Stockfish18 and Dragon1 drop their evaluation of the opening from slightly better for White to a game with equal chances.

Garry Kasparov might well agree, as I recall a John Watson review for The Week In Chess in which he quotes Kasparov as joking that "the bishop is always better than the knight!"

LESSON: the bishop-pair is a major factor in chess, and should not be given up without very good cause.

Bad Bertrich 50+ Game Four

Green lake

Spanton (1997) - Joachim Hiller (1879)

Spanish Exchange

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nc3!?

This trails 5.d4 and especially 5.0-0 in popularity in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.

5...f6 6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4!?

7.Qxd4 would likely transpose to 5.d4 lines.

7...c5 8.Nde2 Qxd1+ 9.Nxd1 Bd7 10.Bf4 0-0-0

Stockfish18 and Dragon1 much dislike 10...Bd6!?, claiming 11.Bxd6 cxd6 leaves White with the upper hand.

11.Ne3 Ne7 12.0-0-0

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

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Black's bishop-pair and White's superior pawn-structure balance each other out, leaving the game completely equal, according to the engines.

12...g5!?

This is narrowly more popular than 12...Re8!? and 12...Ng6 in Mega26.

13.Bg3 h5 14.h4 Bh6?

New and active, but bad. Known moves are 14...g4 and 14...Bg7.

15.hxg5 Bxg5

Or 15...fxg5 16.Rxh5.

16.f4 Bh6 17.Rxh5 b6 18.Rdh1 Bg7 19.Rxh8 Rxh8 20.Rxh8+ Bxh8

How large is White's advantage in this minor-piece ending?

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White is 'only' a pawn up, but Black's 4-3 queenside majority cannot create a passer by itself, while White's 3-1 kingside majority should have little trouble doing exactly that. Black still has the bishop-pair, but the engines reckon White's advantage is the equivalent of being more than a piece up.

21.Kd2

The engines suggest 21.f5!?

21...f5!?

This is also the engines' top choice, but after ...

22.e5

... the position is hardly opening for the bishops.

22...Be6 23.a3 Kd7 24.Bh4 Nd5 25.Bg5 b5 26.Ng3 Nxe3 27.Kxe3 Ke8 28.Nf1 Bg7 29.Kf2 c4 30.c3

The engines prefer 30.g4!?

30...c5?

This is a serious positional error. On c5 the pawn hampers the future scope of Black's dark-square bishop, and becomes a target for the white pieces.

31.Ne3 Kf7 32.g4!? Kg6!?

32...fxg4 33.f5 Bc8 keeps alive Black's faint hope of bringing about an ending of opposite-colour bishops.

However, after ...

33.gxf5+ Bxf5 34.Nxf5 Kxf5

... Black can still hope for a draw by exchanging off as many pawns as possible, and then somehow sacrificing the black bishop to leave White with rook's pawn and wrong-colour bishop.

35.Kf3 Bf8

White to play and win

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36.e6!

Sacrificing White's extra pawn seems the only way to make progress.

36...Kxe6 37.Ke4

Thanks to Black's stifled 4-3 majority, White is effectively still a pawn to the good. The only fly in the ointment, from a White perspective, is that all the white queenside pawns are on the same-colour squares as Black's bishop, and therefore potentially vulnerable.

37...b4 38.f5+ Kf7

Or 38...Kd6 39.Bf4+ etc.

39.Kd5 Bg7!?

This is Stockfish18's top choice, but the position is hopeless for Black. Dragon1 prefers 39...a5.

The game finished:

40.Kxc4 bxa3 41.bxa3 a5 42.a4 Be5 43.Kd3 Bg3 44.Bd8 Be5 45.Bxa5 Kf6 46.Ke4 c4 47.Bd8+ 1-0

European 65+ Team: Game One

Playing hall

England 3 v Finland

Spanton (2003) - Heikki Westerinen (GM 2205)

Spanish Exchange

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7.Nxd4 Bd7 8.Nc3 0-0-0 9.Be3 Bd6 10.0-0-0

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

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As usual in the Exchange Variation of the Spanish, especially in lines with an early d4, the battle has quickly become a queenless-middlegame clash between Black's bishop-pair and White's better pawn-structure. Stockfish18 and Dragon1 reckon Black has the better part of equality, which is more-or-less borne out by the score from this position in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database of +13=38-17, ie Black scores 53% over 68 games.

10....Ne7 11.Nb3!? Ng6

Three games in Mega26 saw 11...b6?, when 12.Bxb6 wins a pawn, but possibly even better is 12.Rxd6!? cxd6 13.Bxb6, when Wilhelm Schönmann - Josef Lokvenc, German Chess Federation Congress (Frankfurt) 1923, continued 13...Rde8 14.Rd1 f5 15.Rxd6 fxe4 16.Nc5 Bf5 17.a4, with much more than enough for the exchange, according to the engines (1-0, 34 moves).

12.Nc5

How should Black proceed?

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12...Rhe8!?

Euwe preserved the bishop-pair with 12...Be8 in a 1920 game, but the engines reckon White is fine after both 13.h4 and 13.Nd3. The text is Dragon1's top choice, at least for a while, and Stockfish18 also comes to rate it highly, but the engines also like 12...h5 and 12...Nh4, and Dragon1 eventually rates Euwe's move and 12...Nh4 as equally good.

13.Nxd7 Rxd7 14.a3!?

An apparent-novelty, played to prevent 14...Bb4, but the engines prefer 14.f3, or another apparent-novelty in 14.h4!?

14...Ne5 15.f3?!

This is probably a mistake. The engines suggest 15.Bf4.

15...Nc4 16.Bf2 Bf4+ 17.Kb1

Black to play and gain at least the upper hand

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17...Bd2?!

Much better, according to the engines, is 17...Red8, when one of their main line runs 18.Bh4!? Rxd1+ 19.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 20.Nxd1 Bxh2, netting Black a pawn, while they agree 18.Rxd7 Rxd7 19.Nd1 Rd2 20.g3 Bh6 leaves White positionally lost.

18.Na4

Not 18.Be1? Red8, when 19.Bxd2 Rxd2 20.Rxd2 Rxd2 21.Rg1 Ne3 leaves Black winning the g2 or c2 pawn.

18...b6

White seems fine after 18...Red8 19.Nc5.

19.Ka2 Red8 20.Kb3?!

Probably better is 20.b3. I was worried that 20...Nxa3!? 21.Kxa3 Bb4+ 22.Kxb2 Rxd1 23.Rxd1 Rxd1 was strong, but the engines give Black at best a slight edge.

20...Be3!? 21.Rxd7 Rxd7 22.Bxe3?!

Almost certainly better is 22.Kxc4, eg 22...b5+ 23.Kb4 Bxf2 24.Nc3, although the engines give Black the upper hand after, for example, 24...Bd4. Black could try the immediate 22...Bxf2, but 23.Nc3 b5+ 24.Kb3 c5 is, according to the engines, only slightly better for Black.

22...Nxe3 23.Kc3

What should Black play?

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23...g6

Possibly best is 23...Nd1+ 24.Kb3 Rd2 25.Re1, and now either 25...g6 or 25...a5, slowly increasing the pressure. The engines also like 23...Rd6, and they agree the text leaves Black positionally winning.

24.g3 c5 25.Re1 Nd1+ 26.Kb3 c4+?!

'Clever', but premature, whereas the engines' 26...Rd2 27.h4 c4+! 28.Ka2 c3! is very strong, eg 29.Nxc3 Nxc3+ 30.bxc3 Rxc2+ 31.Kb3 Rg2 32.g4 Rf2 33.Re3 Rh2, or 29.bxc3 b5 30.Kb1!? bxa4 31.Kc1 Rg2 32.Kxd1 Rxg3.

27.Ka2 g5?!

The engines give 27...b5 and 27...Rd2, in both cases claiming complete equality.

White to play and gain at least a slight edge

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28.g4?!

The engines suggest 28.Kb1, eg 28...Rd6 29.Kc1 Nf2 30.Nc3, when Black's initiative is spent, and White remains with the better pawn-structure.

28...Nf2 29.Re2?!

And here the engines much prefer 29.Nc3.

29...Nh3 30.Nc3 Nf4 31.Rf2 b5 32.Kb1 c5

Perhaps best is 32...Rd6 33.Kc1 Rh6, but White seems fine after 34.Ne2.

33.Kc1 Kc7 34.Rd2?!

The engines strongly dislike this, claiming 34.Ne2 and 34.h4!? give complete equality.

34...Rd4?!

Black has an edge after this, but the engines prefer 34...Rxd2!? 35.Kxd2 b4, eg 36.Nb1 Kc6!? 37.Ke3 Ne6!? 38.h3 Kb5 39.e5!? Ka4 (threatens 40...c3!) 40.axb4 cxb4 41.Ke4 h6!? 42.Kd5 Kb5, when White does not seem to have a good move, eg 43.Nd2 c3 44.bxc3 bxc3 45.Nb3 a5 46.Nc1 Nf4+ 47.Kd4 Nxh3 48.Kxc3 Ng1, after which f3 drops, and White has to contend with a passed a pawn. That is a very long line, with many alternatives along the way, but it illustrates White's difficulties.

35.Nd1

White comes close to equalising with 35.e5!?, according to the engines.

35...Kd6 36.Ne3 Ke5

The engines suggest 36...Ke6!?, and if, as in the game, 37.Nf5, then 37...Rxd2 38.Kxd2 Ng6!?, with what they claim is the upper hand for Black.

37.Nf5 Rxd2 38.Kxd2 h5

Here too the engines suggest 38...Ng6!?, but claim only a slight edge for Black, at best, the difference between the two lines presumably being due to the black king, in the second line, blocking the black knight's access to the e5 square.

39.gxh5 Nxh5 40.Ke3 Nf4 41.Ne7 Kd6 42.Nf5+

Not 42.Nc8+?? as 42...Kd7 traps the white knight.

42...Ke5 43.Ne7 f6 44.Nf5 b4!?

How should White respond?

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45.axb4!?

Also holding is 45.a4, but 45.c3? loses to 45...b3 as Black has ...Nd3 to come.

45...cxb4

Black's queenside pawns are straightened out, but White has enough threats to neutralise them

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46.Ne7 Kd6 47.Ng8

Not 47.Nf5+? as 47...Kc5 is very strong, eg 48.Kd2 Ng6 49.Kc1!? a5 (49...Ne5?! runs into 50.h4! gxh4 51.Nxh4) 50.b3 c3 51.Kd1 Kc6!? 52.Ke2 Nf4+ 53.Kd1 Kb5 54.Nd6+ Kc5 55.Nf5 Ng2 56.Ke2 a4!? 57.bxa4 Kb6 58.Kd1 Ka5 59.Nd4 Kxa4 60.Kc1 Ka3 61.Kb1 Ne3 62.Nb5+ Ka4 63.Nd4 Nf1 64.h3 Nd2+ 65.Ka2 Ka5 66.e5!? fxe5 67.Nc6+ Kb5 68.Nxe5 Ka4, when, at the end of another long engine-generated line, White is suddenly in zugzwang. Again there were lots of alternatives along the way, but Black was having all the fun.

47...Ke5 48.Ne7 Kd6 ½–½

TEAM RESULT

Bo.	13	England 3	Rtg	-	4	Finland	Rtg	2 : 2
4.1		Spanton, Tim R	2003	-	GM	Westerinen, Heikki M.J.	2205	½ - ½
4.2		Freeman, Jon A	1950	-	FM	Henttinen, Markku I.O.	2176	½ - ½
4.3		Guilfoyle, John M	1921	-		Joentausta, Hannu	2092	½ - ½
4.4		Wilson, Edgar	1903	-	FM	Vinke, Dietmar	2042	½ - ½

Magdeburg Round Six

Spanton (2039) - Gerd Niebuhr (1868)

Spanish Exchange

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc4 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7.Nxd4 f6!?

A rare move at this point, but playing ...f6 is common in the Exchange Variation of the Spanish, and is a popular response at move five to both 5.0-0 and 5.Nc3.

Is there any way for White to take advantage of Black's unusual timing?

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8.Be3

Stockfish18 and Dragon1 suggest 8.Bf4!?, the idea being to meet 8...Bd6 with 9.Bxd6 cxd6 and, perhaps, 10.Nc3, when the engines reckon White is slightly better.

8...Bd7 9.Nc3 Bb4 10.Ne2 0-0-0 11.a3 Bd6 12.0-0-0

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

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It is the usual Spanish Exchange battle of pawn-structure versus bishop-pair. The engines call the game equal.

12...Ne7 13.Na4 b6?

Black is fine after 13...Be6 or 13...Be8!?, according to the engines.

14.Nxb6+! cxb6 15.Rxd6 Kc7 16.Rhd1 Nc8 17.Bxb6+??

The engines reckon White has an advantage worth about 4.50 after 17.R6d3.

17...Nxc6

But now Black has an advantage that the engines put at about 2.80

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18.R6d4 Bg4 19.f3 Rxd4 20.Rxd4 Be6 21.Nf4 Bf7 22.Nd3 Nd7 23.Nb4!?

How should Black proceed?

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23...Ra8

The engines like this, but 23...c5!? is also possible, meeting 24.Nxa6+!? with 24...Kc6, when White is more-or-less obliged to play 25.Rxd7!? Kxd7 26.Nxc5+, emerging with four pawns for a rook, when Black is winning, but the material balance is unusual, and could be tricky to play.

24.Rd2 a5 25.Nd3 Ne5!? 26.Nxe5 fxe5 27.Rd3 Rd8 28.Rc3

Objectively better, according to the engines, is swopping rooks.

28...Kb6 29.b3 c5 30.h4 Rd4 31.g3 h5 32.Re3 c4 33.b4 axb4 34.axb4 Rd6!? 35.f4 Rg6 36.f5

The engines are not keen on this, but their suggested 36.fxe5 hardly offers White much hope.

36...Rg4 37.Kd2 Be8 38.Rf3!? Bc6 39.f6 gxf6 40.Rxf6 Rxe4 41.Rf5 Rg4 42.Rxe5 Rxg3 43.Rxh5 c3+!?

Where should the white king go?

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44.Ke2

Both 44.Kc1? and 44.Kd1? lose trivially, so the only alternative is 44.Ke1, but there are many winning lines for Black, eg 44...Rh3 45.Rh8 Be4, or 45.Rh6 Rh2 46.Kd1 Kb5.

44...Bf3+ 45.Kf2 Bxh5 46.Kxg3 Kb5 47.Kf4 Kxb4 0-1

League Chess

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

Spanton (1938) - Tony Niccoli (2285)

Spanish Exchange

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nc3 f6 6.d4 exd4 7.Qxd4 Qxd4 8.Nxd4 Bd7 9.Be3 0-0-0

This position occurs 279 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database

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10.f3

Long castling was played in 222 of those games.

10...Ne7 11.Rd1

Ruling out castling on the queenside - in fact the plan can be to not castle at all.

11...Ng6 12.Kf2!?

Emanuel Lasker often developed his king this way in the Exchange Variation of the Spanish, the idea being the king is well-placed on f2 to later assist an advance of White's pawn-majority. On the other hand, the absence of the king from c1/b1 leaves the white queenside pawns more vulnerable.

12...Ne5 13.Nb3!?

This may be a novelty, and is not liked by Stockfish17.1 or Dragon1. They suggest 13.h4 or 13.b3.

13...b6 14.h3

Preparing f4, without allowing a black piece to land on g4.

14...Nc4 15.Bc1 Bd6 16.f4?!

But, played this early, the move is probably too loosening.

How should Black exploit White's last?

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16...Rde8

Black can seize the initiative with 16...g5!?, when 17.fxg5?! fxg5 gives White an isolani and an exposed king. Better is 17.f5, and the engines suggest 17.Nd4!?, the idea being to meet 17...gxf4 with 18.b3, when 18...Ne5 allows 19.Bxf4, after the engines still much prefer Black, but they reckon even better is 18...Bb4!?, when 19.bxc4 Bxc3 20.Bxf4 equalises the number of pawns, but both 20...Rhe8 and 20...c5 leave Black much better.

17.Rhe1 Bb4 18.Rd3 Re7 19.a3 Bd6 20.Nd2 Bc5+ 21.Kf3 Be6?

Black should swop knights.

How can White exploit Black's last?

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22.Nxc4?

Missing 22.Na4!?, after which Black loses the bishop-pair, and contracts tripled c pawns, as 22...Bd6? is met by 23.Nxb6!

22...Bxc4 23.Rdd1 Rhe8 24.Be3 Bd6

Swopping bishops may be better.
25.Bxb6 Bxa3

How should White proceed?

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26.bxa3?

This is possibly the worst of the plausible choices. Best is probably the engines' 26.Bxc7!, when 26...Bxb2 27.Ba5!? more-or-less obliges Black to give up the bishop-pair with 27...Bxc3, after which the engines reckon White is at least slightly better. If Black tries to preserve the dark-square bishop with 27...Ba3?, White has 28.Na4!, with very strong play as Black does not seem to have a good answer to the threat of Nb6+, forking king and light-square bishop, eg 28...Bb5 29.Nb6+ Kb7 30.c4.

26...cxb6

Black has lost the bishop-pair, but straightened the queenside pawns, so who stands better?

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No one, according to the engines.

27.Rd6 Kc7 28.Red1 Bf7 29.R6d4 Be6!? 30.g4 a5 31.Ne2 Rd7!?
The engines reckon an exchange of rooks favours White.

32.f5!?

The engines prefer 32.Rxd7+ Bxd7, and now 33.f5!?

32...Rxd4 33.Rxd4 Bf7 34.Nf4 b5

Black has a slight edge after 34...g5!? or 34...c5, according to the engines.

35.Nd3 Rd8 36.Ke3 Ba2

Possibly better is 36...Rxd4 37.Kxd4 Kd6, with what the engines agree is complete equality.

37.Nc5 Rd6?

White has at most a slight edge after 37...Rxd4, according to the engines.

38.Rxd6 Kxd6 39.Nb7+ Ke5 40.Nxa5 c5 41.Nb3 Kd6 42.Nd2 Ke5 43.Nf3+ Kd6 44.h4 Bb1 45.Kd3!? b4 46.axb4 cxb4

White to play and maintain a winning position

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47.g5?

The simple 47.Nd2 snuffs out Black's counterplay, and, after 47...Ba2, the time is right to play 48.g5.

47...b3

Exploiting White's self-pin at move 45.

48.Nd4

An only-move.

48...bxc2

White to play and draw

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49.Nxc2?

White holds with 49.Kd2, eg 49...c1=Q+ 50.Kxc1 Bxe4 51.Kd2 Ke5 52.Ne6, or 49...Ke5 50.Ne6.

Black to play and win

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49...Ke5

But not 49...Bxc2+?? 50.Kxc2 Ke5 51.Kd3 Kf4, as 52.gxf6 gxf6 53.Kd4 wins for White, as does 51...fxg5 52.hxg5 Kf4 53.f6.

50.gxf6 gxf6 51.h5 Bxc2+ 52.Kxc2 Kxe4 0-1

TN: "Sorry."

Me: "It was my fault."

Hammersmith won the match 4-1.

My Battersea Season 2025-6

Date       Event  Colour  Rating  Opp's Rating  Score  Season's Perf

16/9/25   CLL       W       1936         1952             0           1552

18/9/25   CLL       W       1936         1797             =           1675

16/10/25 CLL       W       1889         2047             0           1665

23/10/25 CLL       B        1889         1823             1           1805

18/11/25  LL         W       1891         1980             =           1840

20/11/25  CLL      W       1891         1866             1            1911

25/11/25  BCC     B        1891         1817             1            1955

9/12/25    LL         W       1904         1982             1            2008

16/12/25  LL         B        1904         2046             0            1968

18/12/25  CLL      B        1904         2066             1            2018

6/1/26      CLL      W       1929         2150             =            2066

7/1/26      LL         W       1929         1971             =            2058

8/1/26      CLL      B        1929         1800?           =            2038

13/1/26    LL         B        1929         2035             1            2067

27/1/26    LL         B        1929         2089             0            2041

29/1/26    CLL      B        1929         1882             =            2031

3/2/26      BCC     W       1928         1836             1            2043     

12/2/26    CDL      B        1928        1890              1            2057

25/2/26    LL         B        1928        1863              =            2047

26/2/26    CLL      B         1928        2015             0            2025

3/3/26      CDL      B        1914        1976              1            2043

24/3/26    BCC     W        1921        1780             1            2049

26/3/26    CLL      B         1921        1942             =            2045

31/3/26    CDL      B        1921         2091             0            2030

7/4/26      BCC     B         1938        1505*            1            2030

9/4/26      CLL      W        1938        2012              =           2029

30/4/26    CLL      W        1938        2285              0           2023

CLL: Central London League

LL: London League

BCC: Battersea club championship

CDL: Croydon & District League

I also have a win-by-default in the Central London League

*A win against a 1505 counts as a 1905 performance, so I have excluded this game from calculating my season's performance as it would lower my average despite me winning.

4NCL Easter Round Five

FACED an Iranian in the second of today's double-round games.

Spanton (1944 ECF/1908 Fide) - Hooman Honarvarmahalati (1865 ECF/1837 Fide)

Spanish Exchange

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nc3!?

This is third in popularity in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, behind 5.d4 and especially 5.0-0.

5...f6 6.d4 exd4 7.Qxd4 Qxd4 8.Nxd4 Bd7 9.Be3 0-0-0 10.f3 h5 11.0-0-0

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

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As usual in the Exchange Variation of the Spanish, it is a battle between White's superior pawn-structure and Black's bishop-pair. Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 give Black the better part of equality.

11...Nh6 12.a3!? Nf7 13.Nce2 c5 14.Nb3 b6 15.Nf4 Ne5 16.Nd2 Bd6 17.h3 Kb7 18.Nd5 c6

How should White proceed?

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19.Nxb6??

The knight had to retreat, and Stockfish17.1 reckons the better square is c3, although Dragon1 fluctuates between that and f4.

19...Kxb6 20.f4 Kc7??

20...Nf7 wins.

21.fxe5 Bxe5 22.Nc4!?

The engines agree this is better than taking the pawn immediately with 22.Bxc5, but it results in a position with opposite-colour bishops, which engines can have difficulty assessing, at least in an ending.

22...Be6

The engines prefer 22...Be8!?, the point being to get in a quick ...Bg6, attacking d4.

23.Nxe5 fxe5 24.Bxc5 Bc4

The engines suggest 24...Rd7 or 24...h4!?

25.b3 Bf7 26.Bb4

The engines reckon White is winning after 26.Rde1!? or 26.Rdf1 Bg6 27.Re1.

26...Rxd1+ 27.Rxd1 Bg6 28.Bd6+ Kc8 29.Bxe5

Again the engines prefer 29.Re1.

29...Bxe4 30.g3 Rg8

Possibly better is giving up the g pawn for active play, eg 30...Re8!? 31.Bxg7 Bf5 32.Rd4!? Bxh3, when White has a slight edge (Stockfish17.1) or at best the upper hand (Dragon1).

31.Rd4 Rg2 32.h4 g6 33.Ra4 Re8!?

This is almost certainly better than 33...Kb7, when 34.Rb4+ forces the black king to the a file as 34...Kc8?? loses to 35.Rb8+.

34.Bf4 Kb7 35.Rb4+ Ka7

Black's king has been forced to the a file anyway, but at least the black rook is active

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36.Kd2

The engines reckon 36.Bd6!? (threatening 37.Bc5+ and 38.Rb6) is even stronger, eg 36...Re2 37.Kd1 Bf3!? 38.Rf4 Re6+ 39.Rxf3 Rxd6+ 40.Ke2, when White is a pawn up in a rook-and-pawn ending, and has fewer pawn islands.

36...c5!?

The engines like this, along with 36...a5.

37.Rc4 Rd8+?!

Probably better is 37...Kb6, and if 38.Be3, then 38...Re5.

38.Ke2?

Definitely better is 38.Kc3, after which White will win the c5 pawn without allowing rooks to come off.

38...Rd5 39.Be3 Kb6 40.b4 Kb5 41.Rxc5+ Rxc5 42.Bxc5

White is two pawns up, but the ending is drawn

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42...a5 43.Ke3 axb4 44.Bxb4!?

The reason for capturing this way will soon become apparent.

44...Bh3 45.Kd4 Be6

HH offered a draw.

46.Bf8 Ba2 47.c4+!?

This is the point of capturing with the bishop at move 44 - at least White's queenside pawns can be mobile.

47...Kc6

Not 47...Bxc4?? 48.a4+ etc.

48.a4 Bb1 49.a5 Bf5 50.Bc5 Bc8 51.Bb6 Be6 52.c5 Bc8 53.Ke5 Ba6 54.Kf6 Bd3 55.a6 Bxa6 56.Kxg6 Be2 ½–½

Benidorm Bali Round Five

FACED a junior (born 2012).

Spanton (1896) - Tarek Kaji Senas (1711)

Spanish Exchange

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7.Nxd4 Bd6

This is fifth-most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.

How should White respond?

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8.Nc3

Capablanca played the aggressive 8.f4 in what seems to have been an exhibition game in 1911, but the move is not liked by Stockfish17.1 or Dragon1, and the game was drawn.

8...Ne7 9.Be3 0-0!?

Black often castles long in the Exchange Variation of the Spanish, but the text has a specific idea, namely to speedily fully open the centre for the benefit of Black's bishop-pair.

10.f3

10.f4 has been tried, intending to meet 10...f5 with 11.e5, but the engines reckon Black is slightly better after 10...f6 or 10...Re8.

10...f5 11.exf5

The engines suggest 11.0-0-0, 11.Bf2!? or 11.Bg5!?
11...Nxf5 12.Nxf5 Bxf5 13.0-0-0

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

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We have the usual battle in the Exchange Variation of the Spanish between White's superior pawn-structure and Black's bishop-pair. The engines reckon Black is slightly better, or at least has the better part of equality.

13...Rae8 14.Bd2 Rf7

The engines like 14...b5, eg 15.Rde1 Rxe1+ 16.Bxe1 Re8, with a slight edge for Black (Stockfish17.1) or even the upper hand (Dragon1).

15.Rde1 Rxe1+ 16.Bxe1 Re7 17.Bd2

The engines suggest 17.Bg3.

17...Bg6 18.h3

And here they prefer pushing the h pawn two squares.

18...Bg3 19.Rf1 b5 20.a3

The engines suggest 20.Kd1 or 20.b3!?

20...a5 21.Kd1 b4 22.axb4 axb4 23.Na4

How should Black proceed?

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23...b3!?

A pawn sacrifice to give the light-square bishop more activity.

24.cxb3 Bd3 25.Rg1 Re2 26.Nc3

Probably not 26.Nc5?!, which works fine after 26...Bf2?? 27.Nxd3, but Black instead has 26...Bb5, when 27.b4 Bh2 28.Re1 Rxg2 wins back the sacrificed pawn, and leaves White with four isolanis, two of which are doubled (and Black still has the bishop-pair). Similarly 27.Ne4 Bh2 28.Rf1 Rxg2 29.Rf2 Rg1+ 30.Kc2 also leaves White in a mess.

26...Rf2

How should White proceed?

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27.Ne4

Not 27.Be1?? Bc2+ 28.Kc1 Bf4+.

27...Bxe4 28.fxe4 Bh2 29.Re1 Rxg2

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

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White has four isolanis - two more than Black - but has the only passer. Black has a 2-1 flank majority on the kingside, which could prove powerful in a pawn ending. The engines reckon the game is completely equal.

30.Re2

Passed pawns should be pushed? Not always, even here where the passer is supported by a rook. After 30.e5?! Kf7 31.e6+ Ke7 the pawn is firmly blockaded, and 32.Bb4+? only makes matters worse after 32...Bd6.

30...Rxe2 31.Kxe2 Be5

What should White play?

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32.Kf3!?

The engines reckon 32.Bc1!? also draws, but I was afraid of getting into zugzwang. Definitely bad is 32.Bc3? as 32...Bxc3 33.bxc3 leaves Black with an easily won pawn ending - the white king would have to abandon the centre (and the queenside) to deal with Black's coming kingside passer.

32...Kf7

Or 32...Bxb2 33.Bf4 etc.

33.Kg4 Ke6 34.Bf4!?

The pawn ending is drawn as long as Black cannot exchange bishops and immediately occupy e5 with the king, as would be the case after 34.Bc3?

34...Bxf4 35.Kxf4 c5 36.h4 g6

All reasonable moves leave the position completely equal, according to the engines.
37.Kg5 Kxe5 38.Kh6 Kxe4 39.Kxh7 Kf5 40.Kg7 g5 41.hxg5

After 41.h5, White queens first, but Black queens with check, and the position remains drawn.

41...Kxg5 42.Kf7 Kf5 43.Ke7 Ke4 44.Kd7 Kd3 45.Kc6 Kc2 46.Kxc5 Kxb3 ½–½

Lessons From Cap Negret II

THE modern main line of the Exchange Variation of the Spanish starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 Bg4.

Position after 5...Bg4

Castling by White on move five goes back to at least 1867, but only became popular after it was taken up by Bobby Fischer.

His early games with it elicited the reply 5...f6, but that has been overtaken in usage by the pinning bishop move.

My round-two game, where I had white against Alonso Infante Martín (1556), began 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4.

Emanuel Lasker helped popularise 5.d4, although, at least according to ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, he played 5.Nc3 slightly more often.

The position after 5.d4 occurs 5,222 times in Mega26

In 4,822 of those games, Black continued with 5...exd4, but my game saw 5...Bg4!?

After the further moves 6.dxe5 Qxd1+ 7.Kxd1 0-0-0+ 8.Ke2 Bc5?! 9.Be3 Bxe3 10.Kxe3 White is a pawn up, and Black no longer has the bishop-pair as compensation for having a queenside pawn-majority that cannot make a passed pawn with normal play.

Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 reckon White has a winning advantage.

I do not know why my opponent played 5...Bg4!?, but I suspect he was playing by analogy, knowing it was a sound move against 5.0-0 and thinking it must be right against 5.d4 too.

As a matter of fact, as I pointed out in my blog notes, 5...Bg4!? is playable, but Black must have one of two plans in mind.

Historically, the first plan was to make the game a definite gambit with 8...f6!? (instead of 8...Bc5?!). After 9.exf6!? Nxf6 10.Nc3 Bb4 11.h3 Bh5 12.g4 Bg6 13.e5 Nd7 Black had excellent compensation for a pawn in Kornél Havasi - Alexandru Tyroler, Hungarian Championship (Temesvár - now Timișoara, Romania) 1912, with Black going on to win in 28 moves.

The second plan, apparently introduced by Siegbert Tarrasch against Walter John at the 1914 German Chess Federation Congress at Mannheim, was to immediately go after White's extra pawn with 8...Re8.

That game continued 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Kxf3 Rxe5, with an equal game, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1, although White went on to win in 36 moves.

However, the point is that Black more-or-less must adopt one of those two plans (make the game an out-and-out gambit, or fight to win back the pawn); merely getting on with development is unlikely to be enough.

LESSON: similar positions sometimes require similar plans, but you cannot just play by analogy as there will be occasions when, as in the two lines of the Spanish Exchange given above, an apparently small difference (5.d4 instead of 5.0-0) has a big effect.

Cap Negret Round Two

Spanton (1896) - Alonso Infante Martín (1556)

Spanish Exchange

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 Bg4!?

This is very much second in popularity to 5...exd4, but there are 299 examples of the move in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.

How should White respond?

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6.dxe5

Playing to win a pawn like this is the commonest continuation, and is the top choice of Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1, but they reckon Black gets sufficient compensation.

6...Qxd1+ 7.Kxd1 0-0-0+ 8.Ke2 Bc5?!

Early games with this variation featured the out-and-out gambit line 8...f6!?, but then Siegbert Tarrasch introduced 8...Re8, which has become the main line, and is the engines' preference. The text is between the two moves in popularity, but is much inferior, according to the engines.

9.Be3 Bxe3 10.Kxe3

It is not often a king voluntarily goes to the third rank inside 10 moves, but with queens off the board, and no dark-square bishops, the white king looks safe on e3

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10...h6!? 11.Nbd2 Ne7 12.h3 Be6 13.Nd4 Bd7 14.f4 g6 15.g4 b6 16.Rae1!? c5 17.N4f3 Kb7 18.c3 Bb5 19.c4 Bd7 20.f5 Nc6 21.h4

The engines prefer 21.Ref1!?

How should Black proceed?

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21...Rhe8

The engines' 21...h5!? leads to sharp play, when best may be 22.e6!? gxf5!? (if 22...hxg4, then 23.Ng5!? seems strong, while 22...fxe6!? 23.fxg6 hxg4 24.Reg1!? gxf3 25.g7 Rhg8 26.h4 etc also looks very good for White) 23.exd7 fxg4 24.Ng5 Rxd7 25.Rhf1, with only a slight edge for White (Dragon1) or at best the upper hand (Stockfish17.1).

22.Kf4 Nb4

Black threatens both 23...Nxa2 and the forking 23...Nd3+

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23.Re3 Reg8

If 23...Nxa2, then 24.e6!? fxe6 25.fxg6 looks strong.

24.a3 Nc6 25.Rd3 Kc8 26.Nb1!? Rde8 27.g5 Ne7?!

The engines suggest 27...Rh8, or capturing on either f5 or g5 and then ...Rh8.

28.Rhd1

Maybe even stronger is 28.Rxd7!? Kxd7 29.e6+ fxe6 30.Ne5+, with f6 to come.

28...Red8 29.e6!

Giving back the extra pawn, but preparing to crash through.

29...fxe6 30.Ne5

Also strong is 30.f6.

30...hxg5+

Not 30...Bc6 31.Rxd8+ Rxd8 32.Rxd8+ Kxd8 33.gxh6 and queens.

31.hxg5 Rh8

If 31...Bc6, then 32.Rxd8+ Rxd8 33.Rxd8+ Kxd8 f6.

32.Nxd7?!

Capturing with the rook is much simpler.

32...Rh4+ 33.Ke5 Nc6+ 34.Kf6 Nd4 35.Rxd4!?

Also strong is 35.fxe6 as 35...Rf4+ can be met by 36.Ke5 (and not, for instance, 36.Ke7?? as that allows 36...Nc6#).

35...cxd4 36.fxe6 Rxe4 37.Kf7 Rf4+ 38.Nf6 Rh8 39.Kxg6 c5 40.e7 Rxf6+!? 41.gxf6 Kd7 42.Nc3!? Ke8 43.f7+!? 1-0

Benidorm Round Four

FACED a Norwegian junior (born 2008) after taking a halfpoint bye in the first of today's double-round games.

Spanton (1941) - Tord Albrigtsen (1717)

Spanish Exchange

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7.Nxd4 Bd7 8.Nc3 0-0-0 9.Be3 Bb4

This is the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, and dates back to at least 1912.

10.Ne2 Re8!?

A little more popular is 10...Ne7, but Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 fluctuate between the two moves.

11.a3 Bxc3+!?

The engines prefer 11...Bd6, but the text was Svetozar Gligorić's choice when he reached the position.

12.Nxc3 f5!?

This may be a novelty. Gojko Laketić (2425) - Gligorić (2585), Yugoslav Championship (Kladovo) 1990, went 12...Nf6 13.f3 Nd5!? 14.Bd2 f5 15.0-0 Nxc3 16.Bxc3 fxe4 17.fxe4 Rxe4 18.Rae1!? Rxe1 19.Rxe1 Bf5!? 20.Bxg7 Rd8 21.Bf6 Rf8 22.Be7, when a draw was agreed.

13.exf5 Bxf5 14.0-0-0

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

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Stockfish17.1 calls the game completely equal, but Dragon1 reckons White has at least the better part of equality.

14...Nf6 15.h3 h5 16.Rhe1 h4?!

The engines dislike this, suggesting 16...Ne4 or 16...b6.

17.Bd4

The engines reckon 17.Bg5 gives White at least the upper hand, the point being the black h pawn is weak.

17...b6 18.Bxf6!?

White is slightly better after 18.f3 or 18.Be3, according to the engines.

18...gxf6 19.Ne2 Re4

The engines prefer 19...Rhg8.

20.Nd4 Rxe1 21.Rxe1 Bd7

How would you assess this rook-and-minor-piece ending?

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Black has the better piece for working with a rook, especially with rival pawn-majorities, but that is outweighed by White's better pawn-structure, according to the engines.

22.Ne2?!

Better is 22.Nf3, targeting the weak h pawn.

22...Rh5?!

The pinning 22...Re8 equalises, according to the engines.

23.f4?!

Almost certainly the wrong idea. The engines reckon White has an edge after 23.Nf4.

23...c5!?

Not just taking away the d4 square from the knight, but preparing to target the backward g pawn.

24.Rf1 Bc6 25.Rf2 Rh7 26.f5 Rg7 27.Nf4 Rg5 28.Ng6?!

Probably better is 28.Ne6 Rxg2 29.Rxg2 Bxg2 30.Nf4 Be4 31.Ng6 Kd7 (not 31...Bxf5?? 32.Ne7+ and 33.Nxf5) 32.Nxh4, although Dragon1, but not Stockfish17.1, for quite some time reckons the line wins for Black.

28...Bxg2 29.Nxh4 Bxh3

Black has won a pawn and is winning the game, according to the engines

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30.Kd2 Rg4?!

The engines reckon 30...a5, or advancing the king with 30...Kb7 or 30...Kd7, is stronger.

31.Ng6 Kd7 32.Nf4 Rg3
Black is still at least slightly better after 32...Rh4, according to the engines.

33.Nd5 Rg5 34.Nxf6+ Kc6

Not 34...Kd6?? 35.Ne4+ and 36.Nxg5.

35.Ne4 Rxf5 36.Rxf5 Bxf5

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

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With pawns all on one side of the board, Black's extra pawn should not prevail, but Black can play on with little risk.

37.Ng3 Bg6 38.c3 Kb5 39.Ne2 a5 40.Nf4 Be4 41.Ne6 Kc6 42.c4!?

Putting a pawn on the same colour complex as the bishop, making it a possible target, but the engines are fine with the move, which gains space.

42...Kd6 43.Ng5 Bg2

White to play and hold the draw

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44.Ke3?

The engines show 44.a4!? or 44.b3!? is necessary.

Black to play and gain a winning advantage

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44...Bf1

It seems the only winning move is 44...a4!, a possible continuation being 45.Kf4 (this is White's best try, according to the engines) Ke7! (if 45...Bf1, then 46.Ne4+ and 47.Nd2) 46.Ke5 c6, after which the c4 pawn falls. If 45.Kd3, then 45...Ke5 46.Nf7+ Ke6!? 47.Ng5+ Kf5 48.Nf7 Bf1+ 49.Kc3 Kf6! 50.Nd8 Bg2 traps the knight.

45.Ne4+ Kc6 46.Nd2 Bg2 47.a4!?

Not the only drawing move.

47...Kb7!? 48.Kf4 Bc6 49.b3

All white pawns are on the same colour complex as the bishop, but the position is drawn

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49...Be8 50.Kc5 Bh5

White to play and hold the draw

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51.Kd5?

Three king moves draw (51.Ke6, 51.Ke4 and 51.Kf6!?), but the text is not one of them, and 51.Ne4? also loses, according to the engines.

Black to play and win

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51...Bd1

The winning move is 51...Kc8!, when play might run 52.Ke6 Kd8 53.Ne4 Bd1 54.Nd2 Bc2 55.Kf6 Kd7 56.Ke5 c6!? 57.Kf4 (57.Kf6 Kd6) Ke6 58.Ke3 Ke5 59.Nf3+ Kf5 60.Nd2 Bd1 61.Kd3 Kf4 62.Kc3 Bg4! (if 62...Ke3 then 63.Nb1!? seems to hold) 63.Kd3 Bf5+ 64.Ke2 Bc2! 65.Kf2 Bd3 66.Nf3 Ke4 67.Nd2+ Kd4 with ...Kc3 etc to come.

However, if White had played, for example, 51.Ke6, the plan with 51...Kc8 does not work, as Black has 52.Ke7. Similarly, 51.Ke4 Kc8 is also fine for White, eg 52.Kd3 Kd7 53.Kc3 Kd6 54.Nf1 Ke5 55.Ne3 c6 56.Nc2 Kf4 57.Kd3!? Bg6+ 58.Kd2 Bxc2 59.Kxc2 Ke3 60.Kc3, and the pawn ending is drawn. 

[I do not suppose it needs stating, but, just in case, this is all engine analysis.]

After 51...Bd1, White has one drawing move

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52.Ke5

Only 52.Ke6! draws, as after the text the ...Kc8 plan again works. 52.Ke4 also loses to 52...Bc2+, followed by the ...Kc8 plan.

52...c6 53.Kd6 Bc2 54.Kd7 Bh7 55.Nf3 Bf5+ 56.Kd6 Be4 57.Nd2 Bg2 58.Kd7 Bh3+ 59.Kd6 Bf5 60.Ke5 Bg4 61.Kd6 Bd1 62.Kd7 Be2 63.Kd6 Bg4 64.Ne4 Be2 65.Nd2 Bd3 66.Nf3 Be2 67.Nd2 Bd1 68.Kd7 b5

The final try

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69.axb5

The engines show 69.Kd6!? bxa4 70.bxa4 Bxa4 71.Kxc5 also draws, while 69.cxb5 transposes to the game.

69...cxb5 70.cxb5 Kb6 71.Nc4+ Kxb5 72.Kd6

An only-move, but there was little real choice.

72...Bxb3

Or 72...a4 73.Na3+ Kb4 74.bxa4 Bxa4 with similar play as in the game.

73.Nxa5! Bf7 74.Nc6

Not 74.Nb7? c4 75.Nc5 c3 76.Ne4 c2 77.Nc3+ Kc4 78.Ne2 Kd3 79.Nc1+ Kc2 80.Nc3+ Bxc3.

74...c4 75.Nd4+ Kb4 76.Nc2+ Kb3 77.Nd4+ Kc3 78.Kc5 Kd3 79.Nc6 c3 80.Nb4+ Ke3 81.Nc2+ Ke4!?

Nothing wins - it is a tablebase draw.

82.Ne1 Bg8 83.Kb4 Kd4 84.Nf3+ Kd3 85.Ne1+ Kd2 86.Nf3+ Kc2 87.Ne1+ Kb2 88.Nd3+ Kc2 89.Ne1+ Kd2 90.Nf3+ Ke3 91.Kxc3 Kxf3 ½–½