Spanton (2013) - Pedro José Maria Chidichimo (1867)
Amateur Chess Organization 50+ World Championship Group C
English v Dutch
English v Dutch
1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 f5 3.e4!?
More popular are 3.Nf3, 3.d4 and especially 3.g3.
3...fxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Qc2!?
A rare continuation.
5...Nc6 6.Nf3 e5!?
Apparently a novelty. It discourages a quick d4, but costs a tempo.
6.Be2 Be7 8.0-0 d6 9.b3 Bg4 10.Bb2 Qd7 11.d3!?
Stockfish17 and Dragon1 much prefer 11.Ng3 or 11.d4.
11...0-0-0!?
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| Now both sides have castled, who stands better? |
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As usual with openings in which there is opposite-side castling, it is difficult to be sure whose chances are better, but the engines give White a slight edge.
12.Rab1
12.Rab1
The engines like 12.h3!?
12...Nh5 13.b4?!
The engines call this a mistake, still preferring h3!?
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| How can Black take advantage of White's last move? |
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13...Nf4
Both engines like the text, but Dragon1 prefers 13...Rhf8!?, and Stockfish17 prefers 13...Nxb4!? After the latter I intended 14.Qb3, but then comes 14...Nf4 15.Bd1 (even worse are 15.Rfe1? Nxe2+ 16.Nxe2 Bxf3 and 15.Qxb4? Nxe2+ 16.Kh1 Bxf3) Nfxd3 16.Bc3 d5!?
14.b5 Nxe2+?
The king's knight is too valuable to swop for a passive bishop, unless something major is achieved. So better is 14...Nb8, but strongest is the engines' 14...Nb4!, virtually forcing 15.Qd1, after which the engines reckon 15...Rhf8!? gives Black the upper hand.
15.Qxe2 Nd4!? 16.Bxd4 exd4 17.h3!?
A key move, more-or-less forcing Black to give up the bishop-pair.
17...Bxf3
Possible is 17...Bh5 18.Ng3 Bg6?!, when 19.Nxd4 d5!? comes close to equalising, but instead the engines give 19.Qc2! Bf6 20.Rb3, claiming White's queenside attack is going to come long before Black can muster anything on the kingside.
18.Qxf3 h5 19.Rfe1 Rdf8 20.Qg3?!
The queen is vulnerable here, whereas 20.Qe2 gives White the upper hand, according to the engines.
20...Qf5?!
The position is unclear after 20...g5.
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| How should White proceed? |
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21.b6!?
A pawn sacrifice that was highly praised by ACO resident grandmaster Spyridon Skembris, but the engines reckon even stronger is 21.Qxg7!?, which I did not seriously consider, believing it to be foolhardy in the extreme. However concrete analysis seems to support the engines' recommendation, the point being Black has to do something about the attacked bishop. As 21...Re8? 22.Qxd4 Kb8 23.Ng3 is just about hopeless, Black has to try 21...Bh4, but then 22.Qxd4 Rhg8 23.Qe3 (or 23.Kh1) holds, although the position looks hairy, at least to this human.
21...axb6 22.Rb5
The engines still prefer, albeit this time only slightly, Qxg7!?
22...Qf7 23.Rd5
Skembris's suggested 23.a4!? may be stronger.
23...Rh6 24.h4!?
Skembris praised this for gaining space, but possibly 24.Ng5 is better.
24...Rg6 25.Ng5 Bxg5 26.hxg5?!
Probably the wrong way to recapture.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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26...c5
Strong is 26...c6! 27.Rxd4 Rxg5!, the point being 28.Qxg5? fails to 28...Qxf2+ 29.Kh2 Qxd4, when Black is, at least temporarily, two pawns up and has much the safer king. So White has to play 28.Qe3, but 28...Re4 leaves Black a safe pawn up. During the game I was considering 27.Rxd6?? Rxd6 28.Qxd6, but 28...Qxf2+ 29.Kh2 Qh4+ 30.Kg1 Qxe1+ 31.Kh2 Rf1 wins as White does not have perpetual check (indeed, White cannot give a single check without losing the queen).
27.f3 Kc7 28.Qh3?
The queen should maintain its pin on the d6 pawn, so the engines suggest 28.a4 or 28.Re4.
28...Re8!
This is much better than the passive 28...Rh8.
29.Rxe8 Qxe8 30.Qxh5 Qe3+
Also good is 30...Qe1+ 31.Kh2 Re6.
31.Kh2 Re6?
Black is on top after 31...Qxd3.
32.Rf5
Perhaps best is 32.Qf7+ Re7 33.Qg6 Qe6 34.Qxe6 Rxe6 35.f4 with a complicated rook-and-pawn ending that the engines reckon gives equal chances.
32...Re7
The engines' 32...b5!? looks very promising.
33.Qh8?!
This may be losing, whereas 33.Qg6 gives complete equality, according to the engines.
33...Qe6
The engines reckon 33...b5!?, giving luft for the black king, is winning, eg 34.Rf8 bxc4 35.dxc4 Kb6, although the position remains sharp.
34.Rf8 g6?!
White seems better after this, whereas 34...Qe5+ 35.f4 Qe3 36.Rc8+ Kd7 37.Rd8+ Kc7 etc draws. Possibly also OK is 34...b5!?, although the engines reckon 34. gives White a slight edge.
35.Rf6
The engines reckon 35.a4!? gives White an edge.
35...Qd7?
Black has complete equality after 35...Qe5, 35...Qe3, 35...Qe2 and 35...Qe1, according to the engines.
36.Qf8
This is good enough for an advantage, but stronger is 38.Qg8!?, according to the engines.
36...Re8 37.Qh6 Qe7
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| What should Black play? |
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38.Qxg6??
White should not surrender the h file. Instead 38.Kg3, planning to meet a queen check with Kg4, allows the g6 pawn to be safely captured. Also winning, according to the engines, is 38.Kh3.
38...Rh8+ 39.Kg3
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| Black to play and mate in three |
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39...Qe5+??
Correct is 39...Qe1+ 40.Kg4 (or 40.Kf4) Rh4+ 41.Kf5 Qe5#.
40.Kg4
Black is lost.
40...Rh2 41.g3 Rg2 42.Qf7+ Kb8
Or 42...Kc6 43.Qd5+ Qxd5 44.cxd5+ Kxd5 45.g6 etc.
43.Rf4!?
Other moves also win.
43...Qe1 44.Qg8+ Ka7 45.Rf8 Qxg3+ 46.Kh5 Rh2+ 47.Kg6 b5
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| White to play and mate in three |
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48.Ra8+ Kb6 49.Qd8+ 1-0
