London League Summer Open Round Six

I HAD to take half-point byes in rounds four and five because of other commitments, but I was able to play last night.

David Okike (2242) - Spanton (1949)

Spanish Berlin

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 d5!?

Position after 5...d5!?

As an anonymous annotator in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database states: "Sidestepping some theory here. The normal move is ...0-0 or ....d6, but ...d5 is logical if Black can get away [with] it. Kryvoruchko tried it recently with success against Hansen."

The move sems to have been first played in 2004, but the 10th outing did not come, at least in Mega22, until 2013. The bit about "sidestepping some theory" is dated, but even so there are only 185 examples of 5...d5!? in Mega22. Black scores a semi-respectable 44%, with players rated an average of 2443 turning in a 2409 performance. 

6.Nxe5

Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 like what has become the mainline, ie 6.exd5 Qxd5 7.Bc4!?, eg 7...Qd6 8.b4 Bb6 9.a4 e4!? 10.dxe4, claiming White may have a slight edge. But they also like 6.Nbd2, and other moves seem reasonable, so White has plenty of choice.

6...0-0 7.Bxc6

The 'obvious' 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.Bxc6 allows serious counterplay starting with 8...Bxf2+!

7...bxc6 8.0-0

Not 8.Nxc6? Qe8, but more popular than the text is 8.d4, when the mainline runs 8...Bb6 9.0-0 Nxe4 10.Nxc6 Qd6 11.Nb4!?, with the engines reckoning Black has full compensation for a pawn.

8...dxe4 9.d4 Bd6

Although the move-order is modern, the game has transposed to a line known for more than 150 years.

10.Bg5

Gustav Neumann - Adolf Anderssen, Match (Berlin) 1864, saw the risky 10.Nxc6!? Qe8 11.Na5? (better is 11.Ne5) Qb5 12.Nb3 Bg4 13.Qd2 Bxh2+! 14.Kxh2 Qxf1 (0-1, 18 moves).

10...Bf5?!

Apparently a novelty, but almost certainly not a good one. It develops a piece but carries no threat.

Fritz Riemann - Anderssen, Casual (Breslau - modern Wrocław, Poland) 1877, went 10...Ba6 11.Re1 Bxe5 12.dxe5 Qxd1 13.Rxd1, when 13...Nd5 gives complete equality, according to the engines (the game was drawn anyway).

11.Nd2 h6 12.Bh4 g5?!

This thrust is nearly always weakening in this type of position, and this game is probably no exception. Sensible is 12...Re8, although the engines prefer White after 13.Ndc4.

13.Bg3 Bxe5 14.dxe5 Nd5 15.Re1 Rb8 16.Qc1 h5?

Definitely weakening. Best, according to the engines, is 16...Qe7, which sets a little trap in that 17.Nxe4? runs into 17...Bxe4 18.Rxe4 f5 etc. Even so the engines reckon White retains the upper hand.

17.h3 h4 18.Bh2 f6 19.Nxe4 Bxe4 20.Rxe4 f5 21.Rd4

White is a pawn up, has the better pawn-structure and the safer king - Black's only compensation is a slight lead in development

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21...Qe7 22.f4 g4 23.Kh1 g3 24.Bg1 Qe6 25.b3 Nb6 26.Qa3 Nd5 27.Rc1 Qh6?

Pointless in that the capture ...Nxf4 is not threatened as White has the reply Be3.

28.c4 Nb4 29.Qb2

Also possible is 29.Qxa7.

29...Rfd8 30.Rcd1 Qf8 31.Qe2 Rxd4 32.Bxd4 c5 33.Be3 Rd8 34.a3 Nc6 35.Rd5 Nd4 36.Qh5

Black's position is hopeless.

The game finished:

36...Rxd5 37.cxd5 Nxb3 38.Qxh4 Qg7 39.Qh5 Nd4 40.Bxd4 cxd4 41.Qxf5 Qe7 42.Qg4+ Kf7 43.Qxg3 1-0

Wild One

TURNED out on top board for The Dogs Of Battersea against East London Knights in the 150-average division of London's Summer League. Barring unforeseen circumstances, this will be my last club match of the 2018-19 season.
Oliver Finnegan (160) - Spanton (168)
Barry Attack
1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 e6 3.Bf4
White's opening looks like a cross between the Veresov (1.d4, 2.Nf3, 3.Bg5) and the New London (1.d4, 2.Bf4). I call it the Barry Attack, although that name is usually reserved for when White plays d4, Nc3 and Bf4 against a Black set-up involving an early kingside fianchetto.
3...Bd6 4.e3 Nc6!?
This may be a new move in this position, although it transposes to a known continuation.
5.Nf3 Nge7
5...Nf6 was played in Guillermo Buxade Roca (2201) - Iosif Grinberg (2279), EU Seniors 2007 (½–½, 43 moves).
6.Bg3 Nf5 7.Nb5!?
This somewhat surprised me, but, at least for a while, it is the analysis engine Komodo10's top choice.
7...Nxg3 8.hxg3 Be7
Black has gained the bishop-pair, but the manoeuvre has cost time, and means kingside castling will always be double-edged while White has a rook on the half-open h file.
9.a3 a6 10.Nc3 b6 11.Bd3 Bb7 12.Qe2
On 12.Rxh7?! Rxh7 13.Bxh7 g6 14.Qd3, I planned 14...Kd7!
12...h6
Not immediately necessary, but likely to become so.
13.g4
Stockfish10 and Komodo10 prefer 13.e4, giving White a slight edge.
13...b5 14.Rh5 g6
The threat of White's thrust g5 has been reduced, but the h pawn has been weakened.
15.Rh3 b4 16.Nb1
The engines slightly prefer 16.axb4 Nxb4 17.Na4, but OF was presumably reluctant to give up his light-square bishop.
16...Bf6 17.c3 bxc3 18.Nxc3 e5
It makes sense to open the position for Black's bishops, even though this means danger for both kings.
19.dxe5 Nxe5 20.Nxe5 Bxe5 21.Rc1
Committing the white king to finding shelter on f1, where it does seem as if it will be relatively safe. The black king still has flexibility, which is another way of saying it is hard to work out where it might be safe.

Black to make his 21st move

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21...0-0! 22.Kf1
22.Rxh6 d4 is dangerous for White. The engines' main line runs 23.Ne4 dxe3 24.fxe3 Rb8, with lots of play for the pawn.
22...Re8 23.Qc2 d4?!
Defending the h pawn by 23...Bg7 or 23...Kg7 was more prudent.
24.Nd1?!
White probably should have preferred one of two sharper tries, both of which lead to approximately equal positions:
A) 24.exd4 Bxd4 25.Bxg6 Qf6 26.Bd3 Rad8, when Black has very active play for the pawn. This line is not forced, eg Black could sac a second pawn with 25...fxg6 26.Qb3+ (26.Qxg6? Bg7) Kg7 27.Qxb7 Rb8 28.Qxa6, when the engines again reckon Black has full compensation for his material deficit.
b) 24.Bc4!? (this is the engines' suggestion - it did not occur to me) dxc3 25.Qxg6+ Bg7 26.Bxf7+ Kf8 27.Bxe8 Qxe8 28.Qxe8+ Rxe8 29.bxc3, with a better-for-White position similar to one we get in the game. But capturing the knight straightaway may not be Black's best - instead the engines give 24...Qg5!? 25.f4 Bxf4 26.exf4 Qxf4+ 27.Kg1 dxc3, when it is Black rather than White who is temporarily two pawns up. Again the engines reckon the position is roughly even.
24...Qd5?!
Other queen moves were possible, and it seems that best was 24...Qd7, although 24...Qg5!?, 24...Qd6 and 24...Qf6 all at one point become the top choice of Stockfish10 and/or Komodo10.
25.f3?
This safeguards g2, but a better way of doing this was to gain a tempo with 25.f4, when 25...Bd6 26.Bxg6!? fxg6 27.Qxg6+ Kf8 28.Qf6+ Qf7 29.Qh8+ Ke7 30.Qxd4 is better for Black, according to the engines, but they differ as to how much.
25...Rad8?
Black is much better after the simple 25...dxe3.
26.Bc4 Qc6 27.Rxh6?
The en prise h pawn is at last captured, but it was still poisoned.
I expected 27.Bxf7+?! Kxf7 28.Qxc6 Bxc6 29.Rxc6 dxe3, when Black is much better because White's pieces are uncoordinated, eg 30.Nxe3 Bf4 31.Nc4 Rd1+ 32.Kf2 Rde1, winning.
However, the engines find a major improvement in 27.g5! h5 28.Bxf7+ Kxf7 29.Qxc6 Bxc6 30.Rxc6 dxe3 31.Rxe3, with maybe just a small edge for Black, as now …Bf4? is met by Rf6+.
27...Kg7 28.Rh3 dxe3 29.Nxe3 Bf4?
Missing White's reply. Winning was 29...Bd4, when Black has a very strong attack for the pawn.
30.Nf5+! gxf5 31.Qxf5

Black to make his 31st move

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31...Rd1+!
31...Qxc4+!? 32.Rxc4 Rd1+ 33.Kf2 Rd2+ is a draw by repetition.
32.Rxd1 Qxc4+ 33.Kg1 Be3+?
I played this almost automatically, but stronger are the engines' 33...Be5 and 33...Bc8.
34.Kh1 Qf4 35.Rh7+?
The game is equal, according to the engines, after 35.Qh7+ Kf8 36.Rh5 Ke7 37.Rf5 Qh6+ 38.Qxh6 Bxh6.
35...Kg8 36.Qh5 Bd4 37.g5?!
This counters the threat of ...Bxf3!, but the engines reckon a better way of doing that was 37...Qxf7+ (37...Rxf7+ transposes) 38.Qf7 Rxf7+ 39.Kxf7 Rxd4, when Black is better, but there is a lot of play left.
37...Qf5 38.Rh6?!
Again it was probably better to give back the exchange.
38...Bg7
Good enough for a large advantage, but the calm 38...Bxb2! was even better.
39.g6 Qxh5+ 40.Rxh5 fxg6

After the fireworks, the game has reached an ending which the engines reckon Black is winning (Stockfish10) or at least has the upper hand (Komodo10)

41.Rc5 Re7 42.b3 Be5 43.Kg1
Not 43.Re1?? Rh7+ 44.Kg1 Bd4+.
43...Bd6 44.Rg5 Kf7 45.b4 Re3 46.Ra5 Ke6 47.Kf2 Re5?!
When the opponent has two rooks and you have one, it is usually not a good idea to exchange rooks as there is a certain redundancy in having two pieces of the same type (note that the normal bishop-pair is not redundant as the bishops cover different squares, but two dark-square bishops certainly would be).
I forced an exchange here for two reasons: a) two bishops v rook is a larger material advantage, ratio-wise, than two bishops & rook v two rooks, b) we were both short of time, and getting a pair of rooks off reduces the chance of mishaps.
48.Rxe5+ Kxe5 49.g3 Bc6 50.f4+ Kf5 51.Rc1 Bb5 52.Kf3 Kf6 53.g4 c6 54.Rd1 Ke7 55.f5!?
The engines like this move. Early on it is Stockfish10's top choice, before slipping to second place, and becomes Komodo10's top choice after being demonstrated on the board. I guess the point is that if White stands pat, Black will eventually organise his pieces and threaten to win a pawn or pawns, so it makes sense to exchange as many as possible.
55...gxf5!?
Presumably it is for the same reason that Stockfish10 prefers 55...g5, even though White gets a protected passed pawn. Komodo10 rates the two moves almost identically, but with a slight preference for the text.
56.gxf5 Be5 57.Re1 Kf6 58.Kg4?
This loses a pawn. Correct was 58.Ke4, when 58...Bb2 can be met by 59.Rb1!, the point being that 59...Ba3 60.Kd4! Kxf5 61.Kc3 etc is a draw. Black would therefore have to try other manoeuvres with the bishops, but I have not been able to find a win.
58...Bd3 59.Re3 Bxf5+ 60.Kf3 Ke6 61.a4?
Presumably hoping to exchange more pawns, but that is unrealistic, and the main effect of the move is to weaken White's queenside.
61...Bc2 62.a5 Kd5 63.Ke2 Ba4?
Black wins with 63...Bd6 as White cannot save the b pawn.
64.Kd3 Bb5+ 65.Kc2 Bd6 66.Kb3 Kd4 67.Rh3 Bc4+ 68.Ka3 Be5 69.Rf3 Bd5 70.Rh3 Kc4 71.Ka4 Be4 72.Rh4 Kd4 73.Ka3 Kd5 74.Rh5 Bd3 75.Kb3 Be2 76.Rh7 Bd1+ 77.Ka3 Bd4
I have been playing rather aimlessly, hoping to somehow win the b pawn, but maybe there is no way to do it. The engines are convinced Black is winning, but they too seem unable to come up with a winning plan as long as the white rook keeps harassing from the side.
78.Rd7+?
The only playable check, since 78.Rh5?? is a gross blunder, but I believe White is fine if he plays 78.Rh4!?, even though both engines flash red.
78...Kc4 79.Rd8 Bc2 80.Ra8 Bc3 81.Rb8
Objectively better is 81.Rxa6, but Black still wins both white pawns, and therefore the game, eg 81...Bxb4+ 82.Kb2 Ba4 83.Ra8 Kb5 84.a6 c5 85.a7 Kb6 etc.
81...Bd2 82.Kb2 Ba4 83.Ka3 Bb5 (0-1, 105 moves).
East London Knights won the match 3-1.
My updated Battersea statistics for 2018-19
Event...Colour...Grade...Opponent's Grade...Result
CLL........B..........167...….........196...............…D
LL...…….B...…...167...………..159...………….D
CLL...…..B...…...167...………..161...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...167...………..190...………….D
LL...…….W...…..167...………..161...….………W
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..148...………….D
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..165...………….W
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..160...………….D
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..159...………….D
LL...…….B...…...167...………..168...………….D
LL...…….W...…..171...………..159...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..198...……….….L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..169...…………..L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..196...…………..L
LL...…….B...…...171...………..182...…………..D
CLL...…..W...…..171...………..189...…………..L
LL...…….B...…...171...………..178...…………..L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..164...…………..D
LL...…….B...…...171...………..188...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..200...…………..L
LL...…….B...…...171...………..169...…………..L
CLL...…..W...…..171...………..186...…………..D
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..153...…………..D
LL...……W...…...171...………..188...…………..L
LL...……W...…...171...………..159...…………..L
LL...……W...…...171...………..153...…………..L
CLL...…..B...…...171...…….….172...……….....D
LL............B.........171................139..................W
LL...….….B...…..171...…….….214...……....….L
LL...……..B...…..171...………..173...……….….L
LL...…….W...…..171...………..166...…………..L
SL...……..B...…..171...………..167...………….W
LL...…….W...…..171...………..122...………….W
SL...……..B...…..171...………..159...………….W
SL...…….W...…..168...………..140(est)………W
SL...…….W...…..168...………..183...………….W
SL...……..B...…..168...………..160...………….W
Overall this season for Battersea I have scored +12=12-13 for a grading performance of 169.
In season 2017-18 I scored +10=8-9 for a grading performance of 175.
CLL - Central London League; LL - London League; SL - Summer League

Shazam!

TURNED out on top board last night for The Dogs Of Battersea against Shazam Druids in the 150-average division of London's Summer League.

Black has just played 36...Ke8-e7 and offered a draw in Spanton (168) - David Rowson (183)

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37.Kd2
Yes, it is a rook-and-pawn ending, and, yes, material is equal, but on putting the game into ChessBase I was surprised that my main analysis engines, Komodo9 and Stockfish10, at first rate the position as about equal. The latter soon changes to giving White a slight edge, but Komodo9 sticks with an equals sign (albeit reckoning White is almost a fifth of a pawn ahead).
37...Ke8
Interesting but double-edged is 37...Rd6!? In order to play it, Black has to be confident the pawn-ending after 38.Rxd6 cxd6 is drawn. It may be, but White is certainly a little better. And anyway White is not forced to exchange rooks; he could play 38.Rd3 instead, and prepare to activate his kingside majority with similar play to the game.
38.g4 h6 39.h4 c6 40.Rd3 Ke7 41.a4 a5 42.Re3?
This gives drawing chances. Correct was 42.Ke3, as we shall see later in the game.
42...Rd6+ 43.Rd3 Re6?
The engines give 43...g5 as drawing, the point being that 44.Rxd6 Kxd6 45.Ke3 Ke5 46.h5 is met by 46...Kd6! (46...Ke6 may also draw, but is a lot more complicated) 47.f4 gxf4+ 48.Kxf4 Ke6, when there is no way for White to make progress.
In the above line, White can try 46.f4+!? gxf4+ 47.Kf3, but it seems Black holds with 47...b5! 48.axb5 cxb5 49.cxb5 c4 (49...Kd6 50.Kxf4 c4 transposes) 50.bxc4 Kd6 51.Kxf4 a4 52.g5 fxg5+ 53.hxg5 hxg5+ 54.Kf5! a3 55.e5+ Kc7 56.e6 a2 57.b6+! Kxb6 58.e7 a1=Q 59.e8=Q Qf1+. This would have been extremely difficult, for both sides, to work out over the board, but the engines are in complete agreement on their analysis.
44.Ke3 f5!
This is the engines' choice. Black cannot try to stay pat, eg 44...Ke8? 45.Kf4 Ke7, when 46.g5 gives White a protected passed pawn.
45.gxf5?!
It seems 45.Rd2!? was better, eg 45...fxg4 46.fxg4 g5 (best, according to the engines) 47.hxg5 hxg5 48.Rh2 Kd6 (Black cannot afford a pawn-ending) 49.Rh8 Rg6, when Black is very passive, but not necessarily lost.
45...gxf5 46.Kf4 fxe4 47.fxe4 Rf6+ 48.Kg4 Re6 49.Re3 Kf6?
Black almost certainly draws with 49...Re5, eg 50.Kf4 Rh5 51.Rh3 Ke6.
50.e5!
Also probably winning, but not so quickly, is 50.Kf4, as now 50...Re5 is met by 51.Rd3 Rh5 52.Kg4 Re5 53.Kf3 Rh5 54.Kg3 Re5 (White's dancing with the king is so Black's rook will capture on e5 without giving check) 55.Rxc6 Rxe4 56.Rxb6.
50...Ke7
Or 50...Rxe5 51.Rxe5 Kxe5 52.Kh5 etc.
51.Kf5 b5 52.Rg3 1-0
If 52...Kf7, then 53.Rg7+! wins.
The Dogs Of Battersea won the match 2.5-1.5.
My updated Battersea statistics for 2018-19
Event...Colour...Grade...Opponent's Grade...Result
CLL........B..........167...….........196...............…D
LL...…….B...…...167...………..159...………….D
CLL...…..B...…...167...………..161...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...167...………..190...………….D
LL...…….W...…..167...………..161...….………W
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..148...………….D
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..165...………….W
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..160...………….D
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..159...………….D
LL...…….B...…...167...………..168...………….D
LL...…….W...…..171...………..159...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..198...……….….L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..169...…………..L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..196...…………..L
LL...…….B...…...171...………..182...…………..D
CLL...…..W...…..171...………..189...…………..L
LL...…….B...…...171...………..178...…………..L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..164...…………..D
LL...…….B...…...171...………..188...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..200...…………..L
LL...…….B...…...171...………..169...…………..L
CLL...…..W...…..171...………..186...…………..D
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..153...…………..D
LL...……W...…...171...………..188...…………..L
LL...……W...…...171...………..159...…………..L
LL...……W...…...171...………..153...…………..L
CLL...…..B...…...171...…….….172...……….....D
LL............B.........171................139..................W
LL...….….B...…..171...…….….214...……....….L
LL...……..B...…..171...………..173...……….….L
LL...…….W...…..171...………..166...…………..L
SL...……..B...…..171...………..167...………….W
LL...…….W...…..171...………..122...………….W
SL...……..B...…..171...………..159...………….W
SL...…….W...…..168...………..140(est)………W
SL...…….W...…..168...………..183...………….W
Overall this season for Battersea I have scored +11=12-13 for a grading performance of 168.
In season 2017-18 I scored +10=8-9 for a grading performance of 175.
CLL - Central London League; LL - London League; SL - Summer League

In The Doghouse

THE Dogs Of Battersea missed a golden chance to consolidate top-spot in the 150-average division of London's Summer League last night.
We were held to a draw (+1=2-1) by a much-outgraded Hammerheads team in the third round of matches at Battersea Labour Club.
The result means we have 7/9 match points (3pts for a won match, 1pt for a drawn one) and 9.5/12 game points. But each division is being run as a nine-round all-play-all, so there is a long way to go.
My game on board one got down to a minor-piece ending that either I seriously misjudged or analysis engines do not understand.

White to make his 27th move in Spanton (171) - Claudio Moni (-)

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White has the superior pawn-structure - it will be relatively easy to make a passed pawn on the queenside, but very difficult for Black to do likewise on the kingside. White also has the better minor piece for coping with rival pawn-majorities.
Black has more kingside space and the more-centralised king. He also has practical chances based on the knight's forking abilities and the fact that White's bishop is restricted to dark squares.
I was fairly confident this should be a win for White, so I was very surprised on quickly putting the game into ChessBase when I got home in the early hours - there was a foul-up on the Waterloo & City line - to find Stockfish10 and Komodo9 have the initial position as equal.
As I inputted the moves, there were points where the engines reckoned Black was better, so it will be interesting, at least for me, to try to discover the truth today, now I have more time to devote to it.
27.f3
Having typed the last few paragraphs while I left the engines running, I returned to the diagram position to find they have changed their view - Stockfish10 has White about 0.4 pawns ahead; Komodo9 about 0.25.
However, neither engine likes my move. Stockfish10 recommends 27.f4!? This is very controversial. True, it gains space on the kingside, but putting pawns on the same-coloured squares as the bishop is very much what White wants to avoid in this sort of ending. White's ideal set-up, I believe, is to have the pawns covering light squares and the bishop covering the gaps, ie the dark squares, to prevent the knight attacking the pawns.
Komodo9 wants to start centralising the king with 27.Kf1 while retaining maximum flexibility with the pawns.
27...Nc6 28.Bc3 b5
The engines do not like this gain of space. Instead they suggest the committal 28...f4!? or the natural 28...Ke6.
29.Kf2
Stockfish10 gives White a slight edge after 29.g3; Komodo9 after 29.f4!? Again I reckon it is a balancing act between the desirability of gaining space and the drawback of putting pawns on dark squares.
29...Ke6
Both engines greeted my last move by flashing yellow (meaning "dubious") and then red (meaning "bad"), settling on the latter. They give 29...f4, at first reckoning Black has a slight edge. But this evaluation soon changes to equal. I then backtracked the last few moves, before going through them again, and this time the engines see nothing wrong with 29.Kf2, keeping to a steady green.
30.Ke3 g5 31.Bd4
Once again the engines strongly prefer the move f4!?
31...a6 32.a3
A dark square, but I felt this was the best way to deal with the threat of ...Nb4.
32...Ne7 33.Kd3
White's winning plan is simple enough - create a passer on the queenside while ensuring Black cannot do anything dramatic on the kingside.
33...Nd5 34.Be3 h5
Most humans, I am sure, would reject 34...Nxe3?? out of hand, and rightly so. However, Komodo9 at first rates the position as equal, before changing to plus-over-minus and eventually to winning for White. Stockfish10 is also slower than I would expect to realise the pawn-ending is hopeless for Black, who will find it impossible to create a passed pawn.
35.b3
CM offered a draw while thinking about his next move.
35...Ke5 36.c3?!
Overly cautious. I could have played c4 straight away, but maybe nothing is spoilt by the text.
36...g4
The engines prefer 36...h4, but that does not really change anything.
More promising, or at least trickier, is 36...Ne7!?, intending to attack White's g pawn, eg 37.c4 bxc4+ 38.Kxc4 Ng6.

Analysis diagram - position after 38...Ng6

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We can dismiss 39.g3?! as 39...f4 lets Black undouble his pawns, and the position seems to be drawn.
For a long time the engines want White to play 39.b4!?, and they keep coming back to this move, but after 39...Nh4 a win is far from clear. One line given by Stockfish10, with both engines' evaluations changing frequently, goes 40.Kc5 Nxg2 41.Bf2 Kf4 42.a4 Kxf3 43.Bg1 Ne3 44.b5 axb5 45.axb5 f4 46.b6 Kg2 47.b7 Kxg1 48.b8=Q Kxh2, when we have the rarely (extremely rarely) seen ending of queen versus knight and four pawns - a dead draw, according to the engines.
That would be somewhat difficult, to say the least, to work out over the board, so perhaps the most sensible continuation is 39.Bf2, which seems to give winning chances after 39...Nf4 40.g3 Nh3 41.Bd4+ (Komodo9 has White almost a full pawn ahead; Stockfish10 reckons White's advantage is worth less than a tenth of a pawn). Black has other options, but in each case the question is whether White is winning or Black can somehow scrape a draw. For practical purposes, which admittedly is not the same as the ultimate truth, White is very likely to win against 36...Ne7!?
37.a4?
A mistake that should have cost me the win. I rejected the natural 37.c4 because after 37...Nxe3? 38.Kxe3 bxc4 39.bxc4 f4+, I thought White had to play 40.Kd2??, losing the c pawn. Somehow, in my mind's eye, I thought the winning 40.Kd3 was illegal.
37...Kd6 38.axb5 axb5 39.c4 bxc4+ 40.bxc4 f4??
The first move all three of us (Stockfish10, Komodo9 and I) agree is bad. Black has a draw after 40...Ne7, eg 41.Kd4 Ng6, intending ...Nh4. Komodo9 gives White either a slight edge or the upper hand after 41.f4, but again 41...Ng6 is a complete answer, eg 42.g3 (42.Kd4 Nh4 43.g3 Nf3+) h4 43.Bd4 h3, when White cannot even win one of Black's doubled pawns (44.Bxf6? Nxf4+!), not that winning the f6 pawn would win for White in any case.
41.Bd2
41.cxd5 also wins.
41...Nb6 42.Bxf4+ Kc6
42...Kc5? 43.Be3+.
43.fxg4 hxg4 44.Kd4 Nd7 45.h4 1-0 (50 moves)
So what are my conclusions?
1. This ending really is one engines find very difficult, presumably because of the myriad of non-forcing possibilities.
2. I was probably right to regard White as having a close-to-winning position in the first diagram.
Major caveat: my understanding of how White should play on the kingside, ie holding back pawns to avoid fixing them on dark squares, may be wrong - the engines' insistence on gaining space with f4 may be the lesser evil.
My updated Battersea statistics for 2018-19
Event...Colour...Grade...Opponent's Grade...Result
CLL........B..........167...….........196...............…D
LL...…….B...…...167...………..159...………….D
CLL...…..B...…...167...………..161...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...167...………..190...………….D
LL...…….W...…..167...………..161...….………W
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..148...………….D
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..165...………….W
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..160...………….D
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..159...………….D
LL...…….B...…...167...………..168...………….D
LL...…….W...…..171...………..159...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..198...……….….L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..169...…………..L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..196...…………..L
LL...…….B...…...171...………..182...…………..D
CLL...…..W...…..171...………..189...…………..L
LL...…….B...…...171...………..178...…………..L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..164...…………..D
LL...…….B...…...171...………..188...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..200...…………..L
LL...…….B...…...171...………..169...…………..L
CLL...…..W...…..171...………..186...…………..D
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..153...…………..D
LL...……W...…...171...………..188...…………..L
LL...……W...…...171...………..159...…………..L
LL...……W...…...171...………..153...…………..L
CLL...…..B...…...171...…….….172...……….....D
LL............B.........171................139..................W
LL...….….B...…..171...…….….214...……....….L
LL...……..B...…..171...………..173...……….….L
LL...…….W...…..171...………..166...…………..L
SL...……..B...…..171...………..167...………….W
LL...…….W...…..171...………..122...………….W
SL...……..B...…..171...………..159...………….W
SL...…….W...…..171...………..140(est)………W
Overall this season for Battersea I have scored +10=12-13 for a grading performance of 166.
In season 2017-18 I scored +10=8-9 for a grading performance of 175.
CLL - Central London League; LL - London League; SL - Summer League

Top Dogs

PLAYED top board last night for The Dogs Of Battersea against Richmond Juniors Gligameshs in the 150-average division of London's Summer League. We won the round-two match 4-0 to take us to 7.5/8 game points.
Kennan Kesterson (159) - Spanton (171)
Giuoco Piano
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 a6
Second in popularity only to 5...d6. The point of the text, if you have not seen it before, will soon become clear.
6.Bb3 Ba7
If you are not familiar with the Giuoco Piano, both players' sixth moves may seem a little peculiar. The idea in both cases, I believe, is that bishops are best-placed out of harm's way from enemy pawns and knights while still being able to exert long-range pressure. It is, however, perhaps surprising that Black especially can afford such slow play in a double-e pawn opening.
7.Nbd2 0-0 8.0-0 d6 9.Nc4 Be6 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 Ne7?!
Most popular is 11...g5, but 12.Nxg5!? hxg5 13.Bxg5 Kg7 seemed unclear to me. Stockfish10 and Komodo9 reckon White has full compensation for the material deficit after 14.Qf3. The text has been chosen by players rated well over 2300, but is very suspect.
12.Ne3?!
Possibly a new move - it is Komodo9's second choice. All four games to reach this position in ChessBase's 2019 Mega database saw 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Nh4, with the engines agreeing White is much better.
12...Ng6 13.Nf5?
Now Black will be better. The engines prefer Bg3. either immediately or preceded by Bxe6.
13...Bxf5 14.exf5 Nxh4 15.Nxh4 Kh7 16.Bc2 Nd5!?
Possibly not the best, although it works out very well in the game. The engines find it difficult to come up with a recommendation they are happy to stick with, but eventually more-or-less settle on 16...Re8 or 16...Qd7.
17.Nf3 Qf6 18.Re1 g5?! 19.h3
As I had seen, 19.hxg6+ fxg6 is fine for Black, but the engines' 19.Nd2! is more problematic.
19...Rae8 20.Nd2 Kh8?!
Probably better was 20...Kg7 as 21.Ne4? can be safely met by 21...Qxf5, and if 22.d4, the engines calmly continue 22...exd4, the point being that the knight is pinned, eg 23.Nxd6?? Rxe1+ 24.Qxe1 Qxc2.

White to make his 21st move

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21.g4??
Two question-marks might seem harsh, but after this positional howler, permanently giving up the f4 square to Black's knight, White is as good as lost. The engines like 21.Qf3, with roughly equal chances.
21...Nf4 22.Qf3?
Somewhat better is 22.Ne4, but after, say, 22...Qe7, Black is much better thanks to the dominant knight on f4.
22...d5 23.Bb3 c6 24.Bc2
Komodo9's choice, at least for a while, but it does not give a good impression. I thought White should try to break free with 24.c4, but the engines reckon 24...Rd8 keeps Black in control.
24...Qd6
The time was ripe for getting on with it on the kingside with 24...h5, but nevertheless the text leaves Black well on top.
25.Rf1?
Horribly passive, but neither Stockfish10's 25.Nf1 nor Komodo9's 25.Kh2?! help achieve any real counterplay.
25...f6 26.Rae1 Kg7 27.Rb1?
Completely aimless, but the engines' 27.Bd1 is not much help either - White is simply lost.
27...Rh8 28.Bd1 h5 29.Qg3 hxg4 30.Bxg4 Rxh3 0-1
A lot of people would have played on here but after 31.Bxh3 Ne2+ 32.Kg2 Nxg3 the engines assess Black's advantage as being worth more than a rook.
My updated Battersea statistics for 2018-19
Event...Colour...Grade...Opponent's Grade...Result
CLL........B..........167...….........196...............…D
LL...…….B...…...167...………..159...………….D
CLL...…..B...…...167...………..161...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...167...………..190...………….D
LL...…….W...…..167...………..161...….………W
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..148...………….D
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..165...………….W
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..160...………….D
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..159...………….D
LL...…….B...…...167...………..168...………….D
LL...…….W...…..171...………..159...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..198...……….….L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..169...…………..L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..196...…………..L
LL...…….B...…...171...………..182...…………..D
CLL...…..W...…..171...………..189...…………..L
LL...…….B...…...171...………..178...…………..L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..164...…………..D
LL...…….B...…...171...………..188...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..200...…………..L
LL...…….B...…...171...………..169...…………..L
CLL...…..W...…..171...………..186...…………..D
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..153...…………..D
LL...……W...…...171...………..188...…………..L
LL...……W...…...171...………..159...…………..L
LL...……W...…...171...………..153...…………..L
CLL...…..B...…...171...…….….172...……….....D
LL............B.........171................139..................W
LL...….….B...…..171...…….….214...……....….L
LL...……..B...…..171...………..173...……….….L
LL...…….W...…..171...………..166...…………..L
SL...……..B...…..171...………..167...………….W
LL...…….W...…..171...………..122...………….W
SL...……..B...…..171...………..159...………….W
Overall this season for Battersea I have scored +9=12-13 for a grading performance of 166.
In season 2017-18 I scored +10=8-9 for a grading performance of 175.
CLL - Central London League; LL - London League; SL - Summer League

Summer League

LONDON'S Summer League began last night with 30 teams split into three divisions: open, average grade 150 and average grade 120.
The league is organised by Battersea Chess Club at its regular home venue of Battersea Labour Club, which has a spacious events hall that last night included a staffed bar.
This year the league has been extended by a week to nine weeks, meaning each division is all-play-all, with teams of four and a time limit of 60 minutes with a 30-second increment.
I was on board two last night in the 150-average division for The Dogs Of Battersea against The Hackney Hungry (teams are encouraged, not always successfully, to come up with humorous names).

White offered a draw as I was thinking about my 22nd move in Jeff Leung (167) - Spanton (171)

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Black has the superior minor piece (a rook usually cooperates better with a bishop than with a knight) and the more centralised king, but I felt these advantages were slightly more than cancelled out by Black's multiple pawn weaknesses. Nevertheless, bearing in mind my glass-half-empty attitude to draws and the fact that as per normal I was well ahead on the clock, I decided to play on. My main analysis engines, Komodo9 and Stockfish10, agree White is about half a pawn ahead.
22...Rd8
Activating the rook and impeding the development of White's king seemed obvious to me, but the engines prefer to grab kingside space with 22...h5.
23.Ne3 h5 24.b4?!
I expected 24.Ra4 Rd7 25.Ra6 Rc7, when Black's rook is passively tied down.
The text is part of a plan to activate White's pawn-majority (and to stop Black playing ...c5), but the main effect is to make Black's a pawn virtually unreachable by White's pieces.
24...Bf7?!
I was torn between this and the almost certainly superior 24...g5, which has the merit of restricting White's rook.
25.c4?
Continuing with his plan, but the move is a mistake. In the post-mortem JL favoured 25.Rf4+, which more-or-less forces the black king to retreat to f7. Also good is 25.Nc4, one point being that 25...Bxc4 26.Rxc4 leaves Black on the worse side of a rook-and-pawn ending.
25...Rd3?!
The engines much prefer 25...e5, preventing White's rook using the f4 square, with ...Rd3 likely to come later.
26.Nc2?
In the postmortem we looked at 26.a4 Ra3, when JL's suggestion of 27.b5!? seemed dangerous for Black, but the engines reckon Black is fine after 27...Be8. However, this is academic as the engines meet 26.a4 with 26...g5, controlling the f4 square before going after White's vulnerable queenside. All of which suggests that, again, Rf4+ was White's best, which the engines indeed agree is close to dead equal (but with plenty of play in the position).
26...Rc3?
By now ...e5, or ...g5, was essential to maintain Black's advantage.
27.Rf4+
At last one of the players makes a good move. The game should now be drawn.
27...Kg7
Not 27...Ke6?? 28.Kd2.

White has a simple draw, and another one that also sets a trap

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28.Kd2?
JL hoped to get his knight to c5 with his king attacking my queenside pawns, but it does not work.
28.Re4 was good enough for a simple draw, while 28.c5! also draws while setting a trap, ie 28...Bb3? 29.Kb2! Rxc2+ 30.Kxb3 Rxh2? (30...Rc1 keeps the game going, but Black's pawn weaknesses will probably tell in the long run) 31.b5 and wins.
28...Rxc4 29.Rxc4 Bxc4 30.Kc3 Bd5 31.h4
On 31.Kd4 I intended 31...Kf6, when 32.Kc5 can be met by 32...Ke5, and 32.b5 by, among others, 32...Bb3 33.Na1 Ba4.
The game finished:
31...Kf6 32.Ne3 Ke5 33.Kd3 Kd6 34.g4 hxg4 35.Nxg4 Be6 36.Nf2 Ke5 37.Ke3 Bf5 38.Nd1 Ke5 39.Nb2 Bb1 40.Na4 Kc4 41.Nc5 a5 42.Nb7 axb4 43.Na5+ Kb5 0-1
My updated Battersea statistics for 2018-19
Event...Colour...Grade...Opponent's Grade...Result
CLL........B..........167...….........196...............…D
LL...…….B...…...167...………..159...………….D
CLL...…..B...…...167...………..161...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...167...………..190...………….D
LL...…….W...…..167...………..161...….………W
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..148...………….D
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..165...………….W
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..160...………….D
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..159...………….D
LL...…….B...…...167...………..168...………….D
LL...…….W...…..171...………..159...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..198...……….….L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..169...…………..L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..196...…………..L
LL...…….B...…...171...………..182...…………..D
CLL...…..W...…..171...………..189...…………..L
LL...…….B...…...171...………..178...…………..L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..164...…………..D
LL...…….B...…...171...………..188...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..200...…………..L
LL...…….B...…...171...………..169...…………..L
CLL...…..W...…..171...………..186...…………..D
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..153...…………..D
LL...……W...…...171...………..188...…………..L
LL...……W...…...171...………..159...…………..L
LL...……W...…...171...………..153...…………..L
CLL...…..B...…...171...…….….172...……….....D
LL............B.........171................139..................W
LL...….….B...…..171...…….….214...……....….L
LL...……..B...…..171...………..173...……….….L
LL...…….W...…..171...………..166...…………..L
SL...……..B...…..171...………..167...…………..W
Overall this season for Battersea I have scored +7=12-13 for a grading performance of 164.
In season 2017-18 I scored +10=8-9 for a grading performance of 175.
CLL - Central London League; LL - London League; SL - Summer League

Gr-eight!

EXTENDED my unbeaten streak for Battersea to eight games with a backs-against-the-wall draw tonight with a 205 in the Summer League in what will almost certainly be my last game for the club before the new season starts..
My updated first-season stats (CLL is Central London League; LL is London League; SL is Summer League):
Event..............Colour...Grade...Opponent's Grade...Result
CLL................White.....169.........183............................L
CLL................White.....169.........197............................L
LL...................Black.....169.........158............................W
CLL................White.....169.........158............................W
LL....................Black.....169........204............................L
CLL................White......169........203.............................L
CLL..................Black.....169........180............................L
Eastman Cup...Black......169.......199............................D
CLL.................Black.....163.........172*...........................L
CLL.................White.....163.........153...........................W
LL...................White.....163.........188............................D
CLL.................Black.....163.........166............................L
LL...................White.....163.........150............................D
CLL.................Black.....163.........175............................D
CLL.................White.....163.........174............................L
LL....................White.....163.........169............................D
CLL.................White......163........159............................D
LL....................Black......163........165............................W
LL....................Black......163........172............................L
CLL.................White......163........161............................W
LL....................White......163........177............................W
LL....................White......163........167............................W
CLL....…….…..Black...…163...….148...…..…………….W
SL...…..……….Black......163...…..176...………….…….W
SL...…………...White......163...…..186^...………………D
SL...…………...Black...…163...…..120...……………….W

SL...............…..White......167.........205...…...................D

*Opponent has no official grade. Last published grade was 172 in 1997, which was pre-recalibration, and he was in the 180s before then .
^Opponent has no official grade. 186 is a conversion of his Fide rating (he also has an ECF rapid of 185).
Overall for Battersea I am +10=8-9 for a grading performance of 175.

In The Black

TURNED out for Battersea in the Summer League tonight, beating a 120.
That means I at last have more wins than losses for Battersea, and my unbeaten streak for the club has reached seven games.
My updated first-season stats (CLL is Central London League; LL is London League; SL is Summer League):
Event..............Colour...Grade...Opponent's Grade...Result
CLL................White.....169.........183............................L
CLL................White.....169.........197............................L
LL...................Black.....169.........158............................W
CLL................White.....169.........158............................W
LL....................Black.....169........204............................L
CLL................White......169........203.............................L
CLL..................Black.....169........180............................L
Eastman Cup...Black......169.......199............................D
CLL.................Black.....163.........172*...........................L
CLL.................White.....163.........153...........................W
LL...................White.....163.........188............................D
CLL.................Black.....163.........166............................L
LL...................White.....163.........150............................D
CLL.................Black.....163.........175............................D
CLL.................White.....163.........174............................L
LL....................White.....163.........169............................D
CLL.................White......163........159............................D
LL....................Black......163........165............................W
LL....................Black......163........172............................L
CLL.................White......163........161............................W
LL....................White......163........177............................W
LL....................White......163........167............................W
CLL....…….…..Black...…163...….148...…..…………….W
SL...…..……….Black......163...…..176...………….…….W
SL...…………...White......163...…..186^...………………D
SL...…………...Black...…163...…..120...……………….W
*Opponent has no official grade. Last published grade was 172 in 1997, which was pre-recalibration, and he was in the 180s before then .
^Opponent has no official grade. 186 is a conversion of his Fide rating (he also has an ECF rapid of 185).
Overall for Battersea I am +10=7-9 for a grading performance of 174.

Win Streak Ends

TURNED out for Battersea in the Summer League last night, drawing with a player whose Fide rating translates to an ECF grade of 186 (he does not have a standard grade, although he does have a rapid one of 185).
That ended my five-game win streak for the club, but I now have a six-game unbeaten streak …
My updated club stats (CLL is Central London League; LL is London League; SL is Summer League):
Event..............Colour...Grade...Opponent's Grade...Result
CLL................White.....169.........183............................L
CLL................White.....169.........197............................L
LL...................Black.....169.........158............................W
CLL................White.....169.........158............................W
LL....................Black.....169........204............................L
CLL................White......169........203.............................L
CLL..................Black.....169........180............................L
Eastman Cup...Black......169.......199............................D
CLL.................Black.....163.........172*...........................L
CLL.................White.....163.........153...........................W
LL...................White.....163.........188............................D
CLL.................Black.....163.........166............................L
LL...................White.....163.........150............................D
CLL.................Black.....163.........175............................D
CLL.................White.....163.........174............................L
LL....................White.....163.........169............................D
CLL.................White......163........159............................D
LL....................Black......163........165............................W
LL....................Black......163........172............................L
CLL.................White......163........161............................W
LL....................White......163........177............................W
LL....................White......163........167............................W
CLL....…….…..Black...…163...….148...…..…………….W
SL...…..……….Black......163...…..176...………….…….W
SL...…………...White......163...…..186^...………………D
*Opponent has no official grade. Last published grade was 172 in 1997, which was pre-recalibration, and he was in the 180s before then .
^Opponent has no official grade. 186 is a conversion of his Fide rating (he also has an ECF rapid of 185).
Overall for Battersea I am +9=7-9 for a grading performance of 174.

Levelling Up

THIS is usually a quiet time for club chess, but the new Summer League - its inaugural season was last year - meant I played one game for Battersea this month.
By beating a 176, I finally levelled my first-season number of wins and losses for Battersea.
My updated club stats (CLL is Central London League; LL is London League; SL is Summer League):
Event..............Colour...Grade...Opponent's Grade...Result
CLL................White.....169.........183............................L
CLL................White.....169.........197............................L
LL...................Black.....169.........158............................W
CLL................White.....169.........158............................W
LL....................Black.....169........204............................L
CLL................White......169........203.............................L
CLL..................Black.....169........180............................L
Eastman Cup...Black......169.......199............................D
CLL.................Black.....163.........172*...........................L
CLL.................White.....163.........153...........................W
LL...................White.....163.........188............................D
CLL.................Black.....163.........166............................L
LL...................White.....163.........150............................D
CLL.................Black.....163.........175............................D
CLL.................White.....163.........174............................L
LL....................White.....163.........169............................D
CLL.................White......163........159............................D
LL....................Black......163........165............................W
LL....................Black......163........172............................L
CLL.................White......163........161............................W
LL....................White......163........177............................W
LL....................White......163........167............................W
CLL....…….…..Black...…163...….148...…..…………….W
SL...…..……….Black......163...…..176...………….…….W
*Opponent has no official grade. Last published grade was 172 in 1997, which was pre-recalibration, and he was in the 180s before then.
Overall for Battersea I am +9=6-9 for a grading performance of 173.