Opening Lessons From Wrocław IX

IN round nine I had white against Kinga Marczyk (1271)

English Botvinnik

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.e4

More popular are 5.d3 and 5.e3, but there are 2,207 examples of the text in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database. It received a major boost with publication of The Dynamic English by Tony Kosten (Gambit 1999).

5...d6 6.Nge2

The game has reached the basic set-up recommended by Kosten. As he points out, the pawn-formation with a hole at d4 was pioneered by Aron Nimzowitsch and refined by Mikhail Botvinnik, who developed the king's knight to e2 rather than Nimzowitsch's preferred f3.

6...Nge7

Kosten says this is "considered Black's best," and it is the main move in Mega21.

7.0-0 0-0 8.f4!?

There are lines in the Botvinnik system where a quick f4 can inconvenience Black, but that is usually when White threatens to continue with an immediate f5. That is not the case here, so 8.d3 is more flexible, and is very much the main move in Mega21. Basically in the Botvinnik system of the English, White has three possible plans: break on the kingside with f4; break on the queenside by pushing the b pawn; advance in the centre with d4. The last is not often on as Black can drop a knight into d4 at will, and it is probably too early to decide whether to go for a kingside or queenside break, hence 8.d3 is probably better than my choice.

8...exf4!?

Probably a novelty. A 2527 in Mega21 played the standard-type move 8...Be6, while Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 like 8...Bg4. The text makes the f4 square a good post for a white knight, while it is not clear a black piece could remain for long on e5.

9.Nxf4

Stockfish14 narrowly prefers 9.gxf4. My other main analysis engine, Komodo12..1.1 prefers the text, which seems to fit in more with Kosten's general advice.

9...Nd4

Thanks to 8...exf4!?, Black has occupied d4 with  aknight at a moment when White cannot simply swop it off, and the knight is in White's half of the board. On the other hand the white knight is also well-posted, and the half-open f file looks more useful for White than the half-open e file is for Black.

10.d3 Bd7

This is an uninspiring post for the bishop, but the bishop will have to be developed somewhere at some point and it is far from obvious Black will find it a better square.

11.Be3 Nec6 12.Qd2

White has connected rooks in just 12 moves

Komodo12.1.1 at first assesses this position as slightly better for White, while Stockfish14 reckons the position is more-or-less equal. Given more time, the engines swop assessments, and generally fluctuate between having White slightly better or effectively equal. The full game can be seen at https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2021/08/wrocaw-round-nine.html

Opening Lessons From Wrocław VIII

IN round eight I had Black against Konrad Kokurewicz (1715).

Scotch

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5

White scores 54% against this move in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, but only 52% against the main alternative 4...Nf6.

5.Nxc6

This move trails a long way behind 5.Be3 in popularity, but is ahead of the old club-favourite 5.Nb3.

5...Qf6

A well-known intermezzo, although both it and the less-popular alternative 5...bxc6 score 46%.

6.Qf3!?

Magnus Carlsen's choice; Garry Kasparov preferred the awkward-looking 6.Qd2. Vishy Anand and Vasyl Ivanchuk have played both moves.

Black has four ways of meeting the text (discounting a 2002 game in Mega21 where 6...Qd4?? was played).

Least popular is 6...Qxc6?!, which John Emms in Starting Out: The Scotch Game (Everyman 2005) says "loses time and White can gain a further tempo with Nc3 followed by Bb5."

Natural-looking is 6...Qxf3, which has been played by Kramnik, but Emms says that although "compromising White's pawn-structure on the kingside ... certainly looks sensible," adds that White "still managed to achieve an advantage" in a high-level game in 2004, ie the year before his book came out.

Black's most-popular reply - just - is 6...bxc6, which Emms does not mention. Black's queenside is compromised and the queens remain in tension, but Black avoids the Spanish Exchange formation arising after:

6...dxc6

I call this the Spanish Exchange formation because it best-known from the sequence 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 (the black a pawn being on a6 is a minor difference). Black's 4-3 queenside majority will not produce a passed pawn unless White is careless, so endings, particularly pawn-endings, often favour White. Giving up the bishop-pair is the price White pays in the Spanish Exchange for achieving this set-up. In the version of the Scotch seen in this game, White keeps both bishops but Black hopes for compensation from active piece-play.

7.Nc3

This is the normal move, although 7.Bc4!? scores nine percentage points better in Mega21. 7.Qxf6!? has been played by grandmasters, but after 7...Nxf6 Black's development advantage is starting to look significant.

7...Be6 8.Be3 Qxf3!?

This is Komodo12.1.1's choice, but it scores just 20% in Mega21, albeit from a small sample. Stockfish14 prefers 8...Bb6!?, which has been played by a 2520.

9.gxf3 Bxe3 10.fxe3

White has an extra pawn-island, and it will not be easy to create a kingside passed pawn, but the engines are divided in their assessment of the position. Komodo12.1.1 reckons Black has equalised, while Stockfish14 gives White the upper hand.

10...0-0-0 11.Rg1 g6 12.Na4!?

An interesting novelty, or at least a move not in Mega21. The engines like repositioning the white knight via e2 to f4 or d4.

12...b6 13.b3

White's main idea behind 12.Na4!? becomes clear - he plans Nb2 followed by developing the bishop with Bc4.

13...Ne7!?

If Black does nothing in particular, White will catch up in development and start to try to exploit his kingside majority. The text prepares an attack on the white centre with ...f5.

Black has connected rooks and the position is ripe for an interesting middlegame.

The position is not easy to assess. Komodo12.1.1 reckons the game is dead-equal, but Stockfish14 gives an edge of about half a pawn to White. The full game can be seen at https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2021/08/wrocaw-round-eight.html

Opening Lessons From Wrocław VII

IN round seven I had white against Mateusz Ambrosiak (1441).

Benoni

1.d4 c5 2.d5

This 'automatic' reply is not the only choice of strong players, who have also tried e3, c3, Nf3, dxc5, e4, c4 and even Nc3.

2...g6 3.e4 d6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.Nf3 Bg4?!

This seems a little strange in that after 6.h3 Black either gives up a tempo with 5...Bd7 or, as in the game, the bishop-pair. Normal is 5...Nf6, but the text has been played by grandmasters.

6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 Nf6 8.Bg5!?

Usual is 8.Be2. The text is not much liked by the analysis engines Stockfish14 and Komdo12.1.1.

8...0-0 9.Be2 Na6

The knight is headed for c7 to support the queenside thrust ...b5.

10.0-0

White has connected rooks in just 10 moves, and the opening can be thought of as over

White has the bishop-pair and more central space, but Black is well-placed for action on the queenside. The engines give White the upper hand. The full game can be seen at https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2021/08/wrocaw-round-seven.html

Opening Lessons From Wrocław VI

IN round six I had Black against Mikołaj Grobelny (1461).

Sicilian Hyper-Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4

For what it is worth, this scores 56% in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, while 4.Nxd4 scores a disappointing 51%.

4...Nf6 5.Nc3

Naturally 5.e5 is the most-popular move in Mega21; grandmasters have also played 5.Bb5!?

5...Nc6 6.Qa4 Bg7?!

Almost certainly too provocative. The main line runs 6...d6 7.e5!? dxe5 8.Nxe5 Bd7 9.Nxd7 Qxd7 10.Be3, which scores 63% for White in Mega21. The analysis engines Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon White's bishop-pair outweighs Black having the only pawn on the central-two files.

7.e5 Ng8

Forced.

8.Bf4 f6!?

Slightly more popular in Mega21 is 8...Nh6, but the text is preferred by the engines and has been played by Ruslan Ponomariov and other grandmasters.

9.exf6 Nxf6 10.0-0-0!?

There are 21 examples of this move in Mega21, which is preferred by the engines over 10.Bc4, which occurs 22 times in Mega21. Sergei Rublevsky (2667) - Ponomariov (2721), Izmailov Memorial Rapid (Tomsk, Russia) 2006, saw 10.Bc4 Qa5 11.Qb3 d5 12.Bb5 0-0 with an unclear position (0-1, 63 moves).

10...a6?

A poor novelty, which does not even prevent 11.Nb5 as the a pawn is pinned against the queen's rook. Normal, but also not very nice for Black, is 10...0-0 11.Bc4+.

11.Ng5

This is even stronger than 11.Nb5, according to the engines.

11...Qa5

Not 11...0-0? 12.Bc4+ Kh8 13.Ne6.

12.Qb3

Keeping queens on looks natural, considering the state of the black king, but after 12.Qxa5! Nxa5 the engines point out 13.Na4!? is very hard to meet. Their main line continues 13...h6 14.Nf3 d6 15.Nb6 with what they reckon is large advantage.

12...e6 13.Nge4

The engines prefer activating the king's rook with 13.h4!?

13...0-0 14.Bd6 Nxe4 15.Nxe4

15.Bxf8?? loses material, eg 15...Nxc3 16.bxc3 Bxf8.

15...Nd4 16.Qb4!

The dark-square bishop is slightly sidelined after 16.Qa3 Qxa3 17.Bxa3.

16...Qxb4 17.Bxb4 Rf4 18.f3 d5 19.Bd6 Rf7 20.Nf2?!

Almost certainly too passive; probably best is 20.Ng5.

20...Nf5 21.Bc5?!

The bishop is vulnerable here to pressure down the c file. Probably better is 21.Bb4 or 21.Bf4.

21...Bh6+

The engines much prefer 21...Rc7, keeping the bishop on g7 to support ...d4, which creates a knight outpost at e3.

21.Kb1 Rc7 22.Nd3 Bd7

Position after Black gets his last minor piece off the back rank

White has fewer pawn-islands but Black's pieces are more active. The engines reckon the position is dead-equal. The full game can be seen at https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2021/08/wrocaw-round-six.html

Opening Lessons From Wrocław V

IN round five I had white against Adam Stefański (1447).

Nimzo-Indian

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd2

John Emms in Easy Guide To The Nimzo-Indian (Cadogan, 1998) wrote: "Despite over 15 years' experience of playing the Nimzo-Indian, I cannot remember ever facing 4.Bd2. Indeed, all I can remember is that it has been heavily slagged off in the popular [chess] press. The criticism runs along the lines of 'this move is just too passive'. My opinion is that any move which serves a useful purpose (in this case unpinning) must be treated with some respect. In fact I'd go as far to say that this move is quite deceptive: it looks worse than it is."

Time moves on, and so does opening theory; there are 5,301 examples of 4.Bd2 in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, with 4,920 having been played in 1999 or later. On the other hand, White scores a miserable 39%

4...0-0

Emms recommended 4...c5 or 4...d5, while acknowledging "Black has many playable replies."

5.Nf3 b6 6.e3 Bb7 7.Bd3 0-0 8.0-0

The game had been following the main line for 4.Bd2 in Mega21, but here 8.cxd5 is more popular.

8...Nbd7?!

There are 112 examples of this natural-looking move in Mega21 - just two shy of the most-popular move, 8...dxc4 - but it is probably a mistake, despite having been played by a host of grandmasters, including one John Emms (his game reached the position after 8.0-0 by transposition).

Position after 8...Nbd7?!

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

The problem with Black's last is White has 9.Nxd5!?, when 9...Bxd2 10.Nxf6+ wins a pawn. So Black more-or-less has to play 9...Nxd5, when 10.cxd5 Bxd2 11.dxe6 means White again will emerge a pawn up, eg 11...Bxf3 12.gxf3 fxe6 13.Qxd2 (13...Rxf3?? 14.Be4).

In the game, 9.Rc1 was played, but in view of the above there seems little point, from a theoretical view, of continuing with the moves. However the full game can be seen at https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-most-extraordinary-finish-to-game.html

Opening Lessons From Wrocław IV

IN round four I had black against Maciej Nowak (1483).

Albin Countergambit

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 d4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.g3

This move, which seems to have been first played by Chigorin against Albin in 1896, is the main line in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, ahead of 5.a3 and 5.Nbd2.

5...Nge7

Morozevich is credited with popularising this reply in modern practice.

6.Bg2 Ng6 7.0-0 Ngxe5

Black has won the sacrificed pawn back by fairly unsubtle means and now threatens to go a pawn up by snaffling the c4 pawn.

8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.Qb3!?

The c4 pawn was not hanging after the exchange of knights as ...Nxc4?? loses the knight to Qa4+ etc, but now it is directly defended and White puts pressure on b7.

The main move in Mega21 is 9.b3, after which 9...Bc5 10.Bb2 0-0 11.Nd2 is the most-popular continuation, slightly favouring White, according to Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1.

9...c6

9...Be7 has been played by English grandmaster Simon Williams and future Russian GM Sergei Zablotsky, although both played ...c6 a few moves later.

10.Rd1 Qf6?!

Indirectly defending d4 thanks to the threat of ...Nf3+. The engines much prefer 10...Bc5, although they like White after 11.Nc3!? (but not 11.e3? Bg4, when Black is very active).

11.Nd2 Qe6!?

This apparent-novelty does not solve Black's problems, but is preferred by the engines to the known move 11...Bc5, when 12.Ne4 is strong, eg 12...Qe7 13.Nxc5 Qxc5 14.e3!? Qxc4 15.exd4 Qxb3 16.axb3 Ng6, with White having a large advantage after both 17.Re1+ and 17.d5, according to the engines.

12.Ne4 f5?

Better is 12...Qxc4, but both 13.Qxc4 and 13.Bf4!? are strong, according to the engines.

13.Rxd4! fxe4?

Again Black has a better alternative, this time in 13...Be7, but the engines much prefer White after 14.Ng5 or 14.Bf4.

14.Rxe4 Bd6 15.f4 0-0 16.fxe5 Bc5+ 17.Be3

Position after 17.Be3

White's extra two pawns are doubled and isolated, but even if one falls, White will still be a sound pawn up. The engines agree White is winning.

The full game can be seen at https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2021/08/wrocaw-round-four.html

Opening Lessons from Wrocław III

IN round three I had white against Aleksander Kędzierski (1540).

Caro-Kann Fantasy

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3

The Fantasy Variation scores 58% for White in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, which is higher than the more-popular alternatives.

3...e6

This passive-looking move is Black's commonest reply, introducing the threat of ...Qh4+.

4.Nc3

In the early days of the variation, whites often stayed away from, or at least delayed, this move in favour of 4.Be3 or 4.Bd3, one point being to avoid Black's reply in this game.

4...Bb4 5.Bd2!?

Breaking the pin, and so supporting e4. The main line runs 5.Bf4 Ne7 (5...Ng6 is almost as popular in Mega21, but scores seven percentage points fewer, while 5...dxe4 6.fxe4 Qh4+?! is simply met by 7.g3) 7.Qd3 b6 8.Ne2 Ba6 9.Qe3 with what the analysis engines Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon is a level position.

5...dxe4

More popular is 5...Ne7, when the main continuation 6.a3 Ba5 7.Bd3 is equal, according to the engines.

6.Nxe4 Bxd2+ 7.Qxd2

White's lead in development and possession of the better bishop must be worth an edge.

7...Nf6 8.0-0-0 0-0 9.Nh3!?

This has been played by a 2436, but the engines are not keen, preferring 9.Kb1 (Komodo12.1.1) or 9.h4 (Stockfish14). Note that 9.Bd3?! can be met by 9...Qxd4 as 10.Nxf6+ is answered by 10...Qxf6.

9...Nbd7 10.Bd3

Maxim Lugovskoy (2436) - Aleksey Ivlev (2296), Russian Rapid Championship (Sochi) 2019, continued 10.Nhf2 Qe7 11.Bd3 c5 12.Nxf6+ Nxf6 13.dxc5 Qxc5 14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Bxe4, when White's lead in development made him better (1-0, 47 moves).

Position after 10.Bd3

With White having connected rooks, the opening can be thought of as over.

White has a large lead in development, more central space and the better bishop. However Black has no weaknesses, and while Stockfish14 gives White a slight edge, Komodo12.1.1 reckons the position is almost equal.

The full game can be seen at https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2021/08/wrocaw-round-three.html

Opening Lessons From Wrocław II

IN round two I had Black against Igor Vanduyfhuys (1605)

Sicilian  Hyper-Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6!?

There are 1,220 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, far fewer than for 4...Nc6 and 4...Bg7. The main idea is to induce White to play 5.Nc3, ruling out a Maróczy Bind. After 5.Nc3, which is the main reply, White is threatening to push the e pawn and thus evict the black knight from f6. Commonest is 5...d6, transposing to a normal Dragon. That can be avoided with 5...Nc6!?, when 6.Be3 transposes to a main line of the Accelerated Dragon. But White can put a spoke in Black's plans with 6.Nxc6, when the main line continues 6...bxc6 7.e5 Ng8 (not 7...Nd5? 8.Nxd5 cxd5 9.Qxd5 Rb8 10.e6!, when White's threat of a rook fork on e5 gives a large advantage) 8.Bc4 Bg7 9.Qf3, which the engines reckon is very good for White.

The above proved academic in this game as White played ...

5.e5?!

... which allows ...

5...Qa5+ 6.Nc3 Qxe5

Black is a pawn up and is winning, according to Stockfish14. However, the more positionally sensitive Komodo12.1.1 reckons Black only has a slight edge. Certainly, after ....

7.Be2

... White is going to gain a lead in development thanks to the possibility of harassing the black queen.

7...Nc6 8.Be3 Bg7 9.0-0!?

A combative-looking alternative is 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0.

9...0-0 10.Re1 d6?!

Stockfish14 suggests this is a good time to withdraw the queen, with 10...Qc7. One problem with the text is that it cuts off a retreat for the queen, but ...Qa5 is still available.

11.Bf3 Nxd4?

The engines reckon Black should play 11...Bd7 or 11.d5!?

12.Bxd4

White is getting his pawn back, while keeping the initiative.

12...Qg5!?

Maybe slightly better is 12...Qa5, but White has the upper hand after 13.Rxe7.

13.Rxe7 Nh5?

This makes matters worse. Probably best is the engines' depressingly passive 13...Rd8.

14.Bxg7

Even stronger seems to be 14.Nd5.

14...Nxg7 15.Re1 Bf5!?

Striving for activity.

Position after 16...Bf5!?

White is winning after 16.g3!? or 16.Qxd6, according to Stockfish14. Komodo12.1.1 also likes those moves, while reckoning Black 'only' has the upper hand. In the game, 16.Nd5 was played, which also leaves White much better.

The full game can be seen at https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2021/08/wrocaw-round-two.html

Opening Lessons From Wrocław

IN round one I had white against Justyna Łochina (1526).

Sicilian ...e6

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3!?

This somewhat unusual move scores 54% in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, which is better than the more-popular alternatives. One of the ideas is, rather as in the Chameleon Sicilian, to hold off on whether to play an open Sicilian with d4 or a closed variation with d3.

3...Nc6 4.Bg2 Nf6

This is easily the commonest reaction, although grandmasters have also played several other moves, including central expansion with 4...d5.

5.Nc3

The main line in Mega21 runs 5.Qe2 d5 6.exd5 Nxd5 7.0-0 Be7 8.Rd1 Bf6!? 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Ne4, when Stockfish14 gives White the upper hand but Komodo12.1.1 reckons White has just a slight edge.

5...d6

The engines' choice 5...d5 is slightly more popular in Mega21.

6.0-0

This is a good time to open the position with 6.d4, according to the engines, although they are also happy with the text.

6...Be7 7.d3

Here the engines again prefer d4. My choice gives the position more of  a King's Indian Attack feel, except in the KIA the white queen's knight is usually less-actively posted on d2.

7...0-0 8.h3!?

Covering the g4 square to allow for Be3 without fearing harassment from a knight on g4. This is the most-popular plan in Mega21, but is arguably a little slow.

8...Rb8!?

As I mentioned in my notes to the game, one of the rules-of-thumb put forward by first world correspondence champion Cecil Purdy is to never place a rook behind an unmoved pawn, even if you intend soon moving the pawn. I suspect there are many cases when this rule should be ignored, and perhaps it suffices to point out in this instance that the text has been played by Alexander Morozevich, Loek van Wely, other strong grandmasters ... and 13-year-old Garry Kasparov.

9.a4 a6 10.Be3 Qc7!?

The immediate ...b5 is consistent and about equally good, according to the engines.

11.Nh4!?

This apparent-novelty is not liked by the engines, who again prefer d4.

11...Rd8

Black anticipates 12.f4 by preparing central counterplay. Queenside expansion with 11...b5 is also sound.

12.f4 d5 13.e5 Ne8

The engines give 13...d4!?, the point being 14.exf6 is simply answered by 14...Bxf6, when Black picks up the white queen's knight (or queen's bishop) and effectively stops White's kingside attack before it properly stars.

14.Bf2

Not 14.d4?? cxd4 15.Bxd4 as 15...Nxd4 16.Qxd4 loses the queen to 16...Bc5.

14...f6

This is Stockfish14's choice, just. Komodo12.1.1 marginally prefers 14...Bxh4!? After 15.gxh4 the question is whether White's attacking chances down the half-open g file outweigh the downside of having a smashed king's position. During the game I felt Black was not well-placed to exploit White's weaknesses, and presumably JŁ felt the same. The engines reckon the game is roughly level after both 14th moves.

15.exf6 Nxf6 16.Re1

A kingside attack no longer has much prospect of success, but Black has a backward e pawn that can be targeted.

16...Nd4!?

The engines strongly dislike this, preferring 16...Re8, 16...Bd6 or 16...Rf8.

17.Nf3

The engines want White to take advantage of Black's last move by pushing the a pawn. After 17.a5!? Nc6 they give 18.Nf3, reckoning 18...Nxa5?! 19.Ng5 is good for White. One line they give instead of 18...Nxa5?! is 18...h6 19.Qd2 d4 20.Ne4 with what they reckon is a slight edge for White.

17...Nxf3+

This is best, according to the engines, because it allows Black to follow-up with ...b6, when a5 is no longer effective.

18.Qxf3

White has connected rooks, and the opening can be thought of as over.

Position after 18.Qxf3

White has a target in the shape of black's backward e pawn, has more space on the kingside and has the more-active pieces, but Black has more space in the centre and on the queenside. The engines reckon the position is equal.

The full game can be seen at https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2021/08/wrocaw-round-one.html

Wrocław Pointers

IF anyone is inspired by my trip to the Polish city of Wrocław to give it a try next year, here are pointers for getting the best out of the experience (hopefully not all these will be relevant in 12 months' time).

1. Wrocław has its own international airport and so is easy to get to.

2. Take the 106 bus from the airport (the fare is about 70p), the last stop being in Centrum (Centre) near the main rail station.

3. The last stop turned out to be even nearer to my hotel, the Ibis Styles. Centrum seems a good location as it is roughly halfway between the venue (Sports Club AZS) and Rynek (Market Square) in Stare Miasto (Old Town).

4. I strongly recommend getting a room with airconditioning. The weather was not particularly hot during my stay. There was lots of cloud and quite a bit of rain, but it was still sultry.

5. The chess festival is very popular with juniors and with young people in general.

6. Mask-wearing is followed fairly strictly on public transport and especially in supermarkets (by customers, rather than staff), but not in most other shops or elsewhere. I saw no one at the chess festival wearing a mask, except for one player in the first-day rapid.

7. Announcements at the festival are only in Polish.

8. Polish prices are very low compared with the UK - an espresso in a smart cafe is about £1.55, and a half-litre of upmarket beer in a bar is about £1.95. Supermarket prices seem, if anything, even cheaper compared with Britain.

9. The Old Town has masses of restaurants, which also serve as bars. However the rest of the city has very few local bars of the type typically found in neighbouring countries such as Germany and Czechia or, for that matter, in Britain. However, the lazy pub-crawler should check out a street called Świdnicka, which is crossed by railtracks. Under the arches are 18 bars side-by-side, interrupted only by a sex shop (closed whenever I visited) and a cosmetic salon (also shut).

10. Getting a covid antigen test before my return flight was easy. I just turned up at a clinic at Powstańców Śląskich 60 (no appointment necessary), paid about £31 for the test, and returned an hour later to collect my certificate.

Wrocław Summary

MY final score of +4=1-4 saw me lose 60.8 Fide elo - quite possibly probably my worst ever tournament performance.

Just as I had finished typing the above last night, and while I wallowed listening to "Greatest Songs of 1950s" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bds9jpIgIKc I received the following email from Joe Skielnik:

I think we have all suffered to some extent from what I believe is a serious fault in the rating system. I found that this had been raised on the ECF forum 

https://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11811 

with the most interesting comments as follows:-

by Roger de Coverly » Fri Jun 11, 2021 12:40 pm

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 11, 2021 12:26 pm

I did raise the question of underrated juniors on here once before (albeit in the particular context of the effect of playing them on one's own rating) and my recollection is that I was informed that it was a non-issue.

FIDE weren't minded to do anything about it.

It's an underlying assumption in the mathematics underpinning Elo methods of rating that there's an underlying concept called "strength" which only changes slowly, also that the method gives a reliable estimate of the same. In the case of players, mostly juniors, whose standard of play improves rapidly, most rating systems struggle to cope. The FIDE system relies almost wholly on variable K factors, rather than the more radical ideas used in other adaptations of Elo methods.

Pitching more adults against juniors with outdated ratings would have the likely effect of deflating adult ratings. That can be seen in Senior events where those players who continue to play in Congresses and 4NCL can have lower ratings than those solely playing other veterans.

by NickFaulks » Fri Jun 11, 2021 8:07 pm

Wadih Khoury wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 11, 2021 11:40 am

The solution is something we all know: organise more FIDE rated tournaments, with loads of adults.

Well, yes, but how many times is there any point in contunuing to state the obvious? If half of the victories scored by juniors over adults around the world were rated, the problem we keep discussing would not exist. Unfortunately, my guess is that for whatever reason 90 per cent go unreported.

FIDE is constantly being pressed to give juniors bonus rating points to compensate for the fact that most of their good results don't count, but surely the better solution is to report them and make them count.

I think the problem is that federations are generally funded by adults who prefer not to see their ratings damaged by losses, but in that case they should stop complaining about the inevitable consequence.

If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face — forever.

What is interesting is that Nick Foulks is the chairman of the FIDE Commission that deals with ratings and he sounds like he is admitting that there is a problem which is unlikely to be corrected. I am not sure why he is quoting George Orwell unless his rating is 1984?

Joe

Wrocław Round Nine

FACED a Polish girl aged 11 or 12.

Spanton (1808) - Kinga Marczyk (1271)

Wrocław B

English Botvinnik

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.e4

This pawn-formation, with a hole at d4, was pioneered by Aron Nimzowitsch, but he used to develop his king's knight at f3. Mikhail Botvinnik refined the system by developing the king's knight to e2.

5...d6 6.Nge2 Nge7 7.0-0 0-0

More than 600 games reach this position in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, and the vast majority continue with 8.d3.

8.f4!?

There are lines in the Botvinnik system where a quick f4 can inconvenience Black, but that is usually when White threatens to continue with an immediate f5. That is not the case here, so 8.d3 is more flexible.

8...exf4!?

This is perhaps a novelty. A 2527 in Mega21 preferred 8...Be6, while Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 like 8...Bg4. The text makes the f4 a good square for a white knight, while it is not clear a black piece could remain for long on e5.

9.Nxf4 Nd4 10.d3 Bd7

The engines make various suggestions, including the text, but one slightly surprising move they like is 10...c5!?

11.Be3 Nec6 12.Qd2 Re8?!

Taking the rook off White's half-open file is asking for trouble. The engines suggest 12...a5 or 12...Nb4!?

13.Nd5 f5?

The engines give 13...Ne6 14.Rf2 Ne5 15.Raf1, reckoning White has the upper hand.

14.Bg5 Qc8 15.Nf6+ Bxf6 16.Bxf6

White is positionally winning.

16...Rf8 17.Nd5 Rf7 18.Qg5

Even stronger is the engines' 18.exf5 Bxf5 19.g4! Bxg4 20.Bxd4 Nxd4 21.Rxf7 Kxf7 22.Qg5. If 18...Nxf5, then 19.g4 Ng7 20.Bc3! is overwhelming, while 18...gxf5 19.Qg5+ Kf8 20.Rae1 leads to a quick win.

18...Be6

This lets the rook defend c7. The engines suggest 18...Qf8, when c7 is indirectly defended by pressure on White's dark-square bishop, but the engines agree White has a large advantage.

19.Rae1

Not 19.Rf4? as Black has a fork on e2, but the engines again prefer exf5.

19...Qf8 20.exf5

This is still strong.

20...Bxf5 21.Rf4

White is still winning after this but the engines like 21.Ne7+ Nxe7 22.Bxe7 with Bd5 to come.

21...h6

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22.Qh4??
One of the points of playing ...Rf4 was to follow up with ...Rh4, threatening to sac the queen on g6 in order to mate with ...Rh8. But somehow I forgot this after being shocked by 21...h6, and so what should have been at easy win for White becomes a better game for Black.

22...g5 23.Bxg5 hxg5 24.Qxg5+ Qg7 25.Qh4?!

Exchanging queens is best, according to the engines, but I was reluctant to do that bearing in mind the exposed black king.

Black to play and win

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25...Ne5!

Also strong is 25...Raf8, but the text is winning.

26.Rxd4

Worse, according to the engines, is 26.Rff1 c6 27.Nf4 Raf8, when Black is up a knight for two pawns, has pressure against d3 and it is the white king that is looking more vulnerable.

26...Ng6

The point of Black's 25th move.

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27.Nf6+?!

Almost certainly better is 27.Ne7+ Rxe7 28.Rxe7 Nxe7 29.Rf4, when 29...Ng6?? fails to 30.Bd5+ Kf8 31.Rxf5+. Also probably better is 27.Rg4!? Nxh4 28.Rxg7+ Kxg7 29.gxh4 Bxd3, when White is 'only' the exchange down for a pawn, but has doubled isolanis on the h file.

27...Rxf6

Black gets queens off after 27...Qxf6!?, but the variation is not so clear as White can grab a third pawn (b7) for the missing knight.

28.Qg5 Rf7 29.Qe3 Re7 30.Bd5+ Kf8 31.Be4 Bxe4

Probably even stronger is getting the last piece into play with 31...Rae8!?

32.Rxe4 Rxe4?

Definitely better is 32...Rae8.

33.Qxe4

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33...Ne5

The engines reckon Black has to play 33...Kg8 to keep a sizeable advantage, eg 34.Qxb7 Qd4+ 35.Kg2 Rf8, with the upper hand.

34.Rf1+ Kg8 35.d4

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35...Ng6

Black has a slight edge after 35...Nf7, according to the engines.

36.Qe6+ Kh8 37.Rf6?!

White draws after 37.Qh3+ Kg8 38.Qe6+ etc, and may even have an edge if Black keeps the game going, ie 37...Qh7?! 38.Qxh7+ Kxh7 39.Rf7+.

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37...Rf8?

Black has an edge after 37...Rg8 as now 38.Qh3+ Qh7 39.Qxh7+?! Kxh7 40.Rf7+ is easily countered by 40...Rg7.

38.Rxg6 Qxd4+ 39.Kg2 Qxb2+?

39...Qf2+ 40.Kh3 Qf5+ gives some hope in an admittedly bad rook-and-pawn ending.

40.Kh3 Qf2 41.Rh6+ Kg7 42.Qg6#

Wrocław Round Eight

FACED another Polish grown-up.

Konrad Kokurewicz (1715) - Spanton (1808)

Wrocław B

Scotch

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nxc6

After the game KK said he played 5.Be3 in the rapid event at the start of the festival and was afraid I would have seen the game.

5...Qf6 6.Qf3!?

The main move in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database is 6.Qd2, but the text is also very popular and is preferred by Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1.

6...dxc6

The text,  which stresses speedy development over pawn-structure, 6...bxc6, 6...Qxf3 and 6...Qxc6 are all popular - even 6...Qd4?? appears in Mega21.

7.Nc3 Be6 8.Be3 Qxf3!?

But now I decided to smash up White's kingside. In Mega21 White scores 80% after the text, albeit from only 15 games.

9.gxf3 Bxe3 10.fxe3

In the postmortem KK sd he likes the central control White's structure gives.

10...0-0-0 11.Rg1 g6 12.Na4!?

This seems to be a novelty. Grandmasters have played 12.Ne2!?, 12.Bd3 and 12.h4. KK's idea soon becomes apparent.

12...b6 13.b3 Ne7 14.Nb2 f5 15.Nd3?!

The engines do not hate this, but prefer other moves. Komodo12.1.1 gives 15.Bh3 Kb7 16.Ke2 Rhg8 17.Rad1, claiming equality although Stockfish14 reckons White is slightly better. The latter engine suggests 15.Ba6+ Kb8 16.exf5 Nxf5, giving a slight edge to White, although Komodo12.1.1 reckons Black is slightly better.

15...fxe4 16.fxe4 Rhf8 17.Nf4 Bd7 18.Rd1 Ng8

Targeting e4.

19.Nd3?!

The engines reckon 19.e5!? Bf5 20.Ba6+ Kb8 21.Rxd8+ Rxd8 22.Bd3 is equal.

19...Rde8 20.Nf2?!

This is probably too passive.

The engines give two interesting lines: 20.Nb4!? Rxe4 21.Ba6+ Kd8 22.Nxc6+ Ke8 23.Nxa7 Rxe3+ 24.Kd2 Re5 and 20.Rg5!? Rxe4 21.Ne5 Nf6 22.Ba6+ Kd8 23.Nxc6+ Ke8 24.Re5+ Rxe5 25.Nxe5, in both cases with at best a slight edge for Black.

20...Nf6 21.Bd3 c5 22.Rg5 Bc6 23.Ke2?!

This seems to give up a pawn too easily. One line suggested by the engines runs 23.e5 Nd7 24.Ba6+ Kd8 25.Ng4 Ke7 26.h4, when they agree Black is better but Black is not ahead on material.

23...Bxe4 24.Nxe4 Nxe4 25.Bxe4 Rxe4

This rook-and-pawn ending is very difficult for White

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26.Rgd5?!

This may look natural but probably makes Black's task easier.

Komodo12.1.1 suggests 26.Rg3, giving Black the upper hand, although Stockfish14 reckons Black is winning.

26...Rh4

Possibly more precise is 26...Rfe8 27.R5d3 and then 27...Rh4, meeting 28.Rh1 with 28...Rh3.

27.Rh1

A horrible move to have to make, but White has little choice.

27...Re8 28.c4?

Better is the engines' 28.Rg5 so as to meet 28...Rh3 with 29.Rg3. But instead Black can play 28...c4, getting rid of his doubled pawn (if 29.b4 then 29...Rd8 with ...c3 to come is very strong).

28...Rh3 29.Rd3 Re5 30.Kf2 Rf5+ 31.Ke2

I intended meeting 31.Kg2 with 31...Rhf3.

31...Rfh5 32.a4 a5 33.Kf2 Rxh2+ 34.Rxh2 Rxh2+ 35.Kg3 Rh5 36.e4 Re5 37.Kf4 Re7 38.e5 Rd7 39.Re3 Kd8 40.e6 Rd4+

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Not 40...Re7?, when White draws with 41.Ke5.

41.Ke5

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41...Ke7?

Now White has a draw.

The engines give 41...Rg4 42.Rd3+ Ke8 43.Rd7 Rg5+ 44.Kf4 Rf5+ 45.Kg3! (White loses a tempo with 45.Kg4 h5+) h5 46.Rxc7, when  they reckon 46...g5 47.Rb7 g4 48.Kh4 Rf1 is winning for Black.

42.Rf3 h5 43.Rf7+ Ke8 44.Kf6 Rf4+ 45.Kg7 g5

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46.Rxc7?

White is still drawing after 47.Kg6 h44 48.Rh7, according to the engines.

46...h4 47.Kg6

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47...g4?

Winning is 47...h3 48.Kxg5 (48.Rh7 Rh4) Rh4!

48.Kg5 Re4 49.Kf6 Rf4+ 50.Kg5

KK offered a draw.

50...Rf3 51.Kxg4 Rxb3 52.Kxh4 Rb4 53.Kg5 Rxc4 54.Kf6 Rf4+ 55.Ke5 Rxa4

Black is two pawns ahead again but the powerful e pawn means the position is drawn.

56.Rc8+ Ke7 57.Rc7+ Kd8 58.Rf7 Ke8 59.Rb7 Rb4 60.Rb8+ Ke7 61.Rb7+ Kd8 62.Rb8+ Kc7?

A reckless attempt to go for a non-existent win.

63.e7 Kxb8 64.e8=Q+ Kb7 65.Qe7+

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65...Ka6?

Black still has a draw with 65...Kc6, but the text lets the white king close in with deadly effect.

66.Kd5 a4 67.Kc6 Rb3

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68.Qb7+?!

This looks natural but the engines are already finding mating lines, eg 68.Qe1 c4 (not 68...Rb4? 69.Qe8 etc) 69.Qf1 Ka5 70.Qxc4 b5 71.Qc5 a3 72.Qa7+ Kb4 73.Qd4+ Ka5 74.Kc5 Rb2 75.Qe4!, whereas after the text the win becomes tricky.

68...Ka5 69.Qa7+ Kb4 70.Qxb6+ Ka3 71.Qxc5+ Ka2 72.Qc2+ Ka3 73.Qc1+ Ka2 74.Qc2+ Ka3 75.Kc5

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75...Rb5+!

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76.Kc4?

Not 76.Kxb5? as that is stalemate. However the endgame tablebase Syzgy gives the quickest win against best play by Black as 76.Kc6! Rb2 77.Qc4 Rb1! 78.Qa6! Rb2 79.Kc5 Rb3 80.Qa5 Rb2 81.Kc4 Rb3 82.Kd4 Rb1 83.Kc3 Rc1+ 84.Kd2 Rb1 85.Kc2 Rb2+ 86.Kc1 Rb3 87.Qe5 Kb4 (87...Ka2 allows a quicker mate starting with 88.Kc2) 88.Kc2 Kc4 89.Qa5 Rb4 90.Kd2! Kb3 91.Qd5+ Kb2 92.Qc5 Rb3 93.Qd4+ Ka3 94.Kc2 Rb7 95.Qa1+ Kb4 96.Qb1+ etc, but good luck finding all that over the board.

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76...Rc5+! ½–½

Wrocław Round Seven

FACED a Pole born in the same millennium (just - 1997).

Spanton (1808) - Mateusz Ambroziak (1441)

Wrocław B

Benoni

1.d4 c5 2.d5 g6 3.e4 d6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.Nf3

This is the most-popular move in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, and is also the choice of the engines Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1, but at least six other moves have been played by grandmasters.

5...Bg4?!

Normal is 5...Nf6. The text has been played by GMs, but seems a little strange as after ...

6.h3

... Black either has to retreat the bishop along the h3-c8 diagonal or, as in the game, give up the bishop-pair.

6...Bxf3 7.Qxf3 Nf6 8.Bg5!?

More usual is 8.Be2.

8...0-0 9.Be2 Na6

Part of a plan to get in the move ...b5.

10.0-0 Nc7 11.Qe3!?

This clears a path for the f pawn to advance, but White has to be wary of the fianchettoed bishop coming to d4 while the queen is on the same diagonal as the king.

11...Re8 12.Rad1 a6 13.a4 Rb8 14.Qd3?

Played to prevent ...b5, which of course it does not. The engines reckon White has a healthy advantage after 14.f4.

14...Nd7!?

There seems nothing wrong with 14...b5.

15.a5

How should Black proceed?

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15...b5!

Many players would hesitate to play this but the activity Black gets on the queenside more than compensates for contracting an isolated a pawn.

16.axb6

16...b4!? 17.cxb4 is an interesting way to slow Black on the queenside, but the engines slightly prefer the text.

16...Rxb6 17.b3 Rb4 18.f4

The engines suggest the more-circumspect 18.Nb1!? with what they reckon is a slight edge for White.

18...Bxc3!?

Giving up the fianchettoed bishop to win a pawn is a brave decision. The engines prefer 18...Nb5, or moving the queen to support play on the queenside, but they do not flash red at the text.

19.Qxc3 Rxe4 20.Bf3

The engines give 20.Qf3!?, when Stockfish14 reckons White has a slight edge but Komodo12.1.1 rates the position as more-or-less equal.

20...Nb5 21.Qa1 Rd4 22.Qxa6 Qb6?!

Black is equal after 22...Rxd1 23.Bxd1 Nd4, according to the engines.

23.Qa1?!

It was probably time to give up thoughts of mating on g7. Instead 23.Qxb6 Nxb6 24.Rde1 leaves White better.

23...Rxd1 24.Bxd1!?

The engines agree this recapture is a little better than the alternatives.

24...f6?!

This appears unnecessarily weakening. Black is at least equal after the engines' 24...c4+ 25.Kh2 cxb3 26.cxb3 Qe3!

25.Bg4!?

Stockfish14 comes to prefer this over the simple 25.Bh4, but Komodo12.1.1 slightly prefers the latter.

25...Qb7

The engines slightly prefer shutting out the light-square bishop with 25...f5!?

26.Be6+?

White has an edge after 26.Bh6 Nf8 27.Qa4, according to the engines. The text hands the advantage over to Black.

26...Kg7 27.Bh4 Nd4

Even stronger may be 27...Nf8.

28.Rf2?

The engines reckon White has to play 28.Bxd7 Qxd7 29.Qd1. After the text, they rate Black's game as winning.

28...Nf8 29.f5!?

The engines prefer 29.Bg4 or 29.Qe1, but still have Black winning.

29...Nfxe6 30.fxe6 Ra8 31.Qf1 Qxd5 32.Rxf6!?

This is White's best attempt, according to the engines, but not good enough.

The game finished:

32...Ne2+ 33.Kh1 Ng3+! 34.Bxg3 fxe6 35.Qb5 Ra1+ 36.Kh2 Qxe6 37.Qb7+ Kh6 38.Qb8 Rd1 39.Qf8+ Kg5 40.Qg7 h5 41.h4+ Kf5 42.Qb7 Rd5 43.Qa6 g5 44.Qb7 Kg4 45.hxg5 h4 46.Bxh4 Qe5+ 0-1

Wrocław Round Six

FACED a Polish boy aged 10 or 11.

Mikołaj Grobelny (1461) - Spanton (1808)

Wrocław B

Sicilian Hyper-Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4

This is arguably the critical test of Black's 2...g6 move-order. It is less popular than 4.Nxd4, but scores five percentage points better in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database.

4...Nf6 5.Nc3

This is the main alternative to 5.e5.

5...Nc6 6.Qa4 Bg7?!

Ruslan Ponomariov is among grandmasters who have played the text, but it is probably too provocative. Normal is 6...d6, when the mainline in Mega21 runs 7.e5 dxe5 8.Nxe5 Bd7 9.Nxd7 Qxd7, when the bishop-pair gives White a slight edge, according to Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1.

7.e5 Ng8

Three games in Mega21, including one featuring a 2105 with the black pieces, saw the unfortunate 7...Ng4?? 8.Qxg4.

8.Bf4 f6 9.exf6 Nxf6 10.0-0-0

Sergei Rublevsky (2667) - Ponomariov (2721), Izmailov Memorial Rapid (Tomsk, Russia) 2006, saw 10.Bc4 Qa5 11.Qb3 d5 12.Bb5 0-0 with an unclear position. Stockfish14 at first gives White a slight edge, while Komodo12.1.1 gives a slight edge to Black, but they come to agree the position is level (0-1, 63 moves).

10...a6?

A novelty, and a bad one, not least because the a pawn is pinned against the queen's rook and so does not prevent a white piece landing on b5. Having said that, the engines like White after the mainline 10...0-0 11.Bc4+ Kh8, with Stockfish14 claiming White is positionally winning.

11.Ng5

The immediate threat is Ne6 (or Qb3 followed by Ne6).

11...Qa5 12.Qb3

Keeping queens on looks natural, but the engines point out 12.Qxa5 Nxa5 13.Na4!?, which seems very strong.

12...e6 13.Nge4

The engines reckon inserting 13.h4!? h6 makes Nge4 stronger.

13...0-0 14.Bd6

14.Nd6? Ng4 turns the tables and gives Black the advantage, according to the engines.

14...Nxe4 15.Nxe4

Not 15.Bxf8?? as Black has several ways to get a winning advantage, eg 15...Nxc3 16.Bxg7 Nxd1 wins a piece.

15...Nd4 16.Qb4!

This is best as after 16.Qa3 Qxa3 17.Bxa3 the bishop is less in play.

16...Qxb4

There is nothing for Black in 16...Qxa2?? 17.Rxd4 Bh6+ 18.f4.

17.Bxb4 Rf4 18.f3

Not 18.Bd3? d5 with ...Rxf2 to come.

18...d5 19.Bd6 Rf7 20.Nf2?!

This is probably too passive. The engines give 20.Ng5 Rf5 21.h4 h6 22.Nh3 with an equal position.

20...Nf5 21.Bc5

The engines prefer 21.Bb4!? but reckon Black's more-active pieces more than compensate for having an extra pawn-island.

21...Bh6+?!

The engines much prefer 21...Rc7 22.Nd3 d4.

22.Kb1 Rc7 23.Nd3 Bd7 24.c3 Rac8

Black can claim a slight edge after 24...Ba4!? 25.Re1 Rac8, according to Stockfish14, although Komodo12.1.1 reckons the position is equal.

25. Bb6 Rc6 26.Bf2 Ne3 27.Re1 d4!

This pawn sac seems best, although the engines only marginally prefer it to 27...Nc4. However they agree 27...Nxf1 is better for White after either rook recapture as Ne5 is an unpleasant threat.

28.Ne5!

The best reply.

Not 28.Nb4? Rb6 with ...a5 to come.

Black is also slightly better, according to the engines, after 28.cxd4 Nxf1 29.Rhxf1 R6c7!, despite being a pawn down. Their main line continues 30.Nc5 (trying to prevent ...Rc2) Bb5 31.Rg1 b6! 32.a4 (32.Nxe6? Bd3+ 33.Ka1 Rc2 wins for Black, eg 34.Bg3 Bc1!) Bc4 33.Ne4 Bd3+ 34.Ka2 Rc4 with mounting pressure.

28...R6c7 29.Bxe3

Also equal is 29.Nxd7 Rxd7 30.cxd4 Nc2 31.Rd1 Ne3 as 31.Rxe6? loses to 31...Nxd4 32.Re1 (defending against a mate at c1) Nc2.

29...Bxe3 30.Bc4 Rxc4 31.Nxd7 R4c7 32.Nb6

The engines slightly prefer 32.Nf6+ although after 32...Kg7 (32...Ke7 33.Ne4 Ke7 is also equal) 33.Ne4 e5 Black has consolidated the bishop at e3 with an equal position, according to the engines.

32...Rd8!

Better than the obvious 32...Re8 as 33.cxd4 Bxd4 34.Nd5 Rd7 35.Nf4 Kf7 is level, according to the engines.

33.cxd4 Bxd4

How should White proceed?

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34.Rxe6?

Better is 34.Rd1, although the lack of coordination between the white pieces means Black has a small pull, according to the engines.

The text loses the exchange.

34...Kf7 35.Rhe1 Bf2

A pawn is nowhere enough for the exchange in a position with open files for the rooks.

36.b3 Bxe1 37.Rxe1 Rd2 38.Nc4 Rxg2 39.Nd6+ Kf8

The king has to go to the back rank as otherwise the c7 rook is lost to a knight fork.

40.Re8+ Kg7 41.Rb8 Rd7

The game finished:

42.Rxb7 Rxb7 43.Nxb7 Rxh2 44.Nc5 h5 45.Nxa6 h4 46.Nc5 Re2 47.Nd3 h3 48.Nf4 h2 49.Nxe2 h1=Q+ 50.Kc2 Qxf3 51.Kd2 g5 52.b4 Qa3 53.b5 Qxa2+ 54.Ke3 Qb3+ 55.Kf2 Qxb5 56.Ng3 Kg6 57.Kf3 Qd5+ 58.Kg4 Qd1+ 59.Kh3 Qf3 60.Kh2 g4 0-1

Most Extraordinary Finish To A Game You May Ever See

TODAY I faced a Polish teen aged 18 or 19.

Spanton (1808) - Adam Stefański (1447)

Wrocław B Round 5

Nimzo-Indian

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd2!?

Breaking the pin has become fashionable, but Bd2, which at this point scores just 39% in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, is usually played a little later.

4...0-0 5.Nf3 b6 6.e3 Bb7

Joseph Blackburne reached this position at least twice in the 19th century. Berthold Englisch - Blackburne, London 1883, saw 7.Be2, but James Mason - Blackburne, Paris 1878, continued with ...

7.Bd3 d5 8.0-0

Mason preferred 8.cxd5, which is more popular in Mega21, but Smyslov and Korchnoi are among those who have played the text. Incidentally, Blackburne drew both the games quoted.

8...Nbd7?!

There are 112 examples of this move in Mega21, but it may be a mistake. Can you see why?

Position after 8...Nbd7?!

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9.Rc1

Robert Byrne, in a 1965 game, is the first in Mega21 to have played 9.Nxd5!? After the more-or-less forced 9...Nxd5 10.cxd5 Bxd2 11.dxe6 White is winning a pawn, although Byrne only manged to draw his game. The analysis engines Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 give best-play after 11.dxe6 as 11...Bxf3 12.gxf3 fxe6 13.Qxd2, when Black cannot play 13...Rxf3?? because of 14.Be4.

9...Rc8 10.Qa4

Still playable is Nxd5, although it does not win a pawn as after 10...Bxd5 11.cxd5 Bxd2 the rook on c1 is threatened.

10...a5 11.Rfd1!?

Placing a rook opposite an opponent's queen is usually a good thing to do, but here it gives Black an unbalancing option.

11...dxc4 12.Bxc4 Bxf3!? 13.gxf3

Who stands better?

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The position is difficult to assess. There is no doubt the black king is safer than its white counterpart, but it is not so clear whether Black can get at the white king. Meanwhile White has the bishop-pair, a central pawn-majority and hopes of exploiting Black's queenside light-square weaknesses.

13...Nd5?!

Black should probably attack the white centre, and simultaneously solve the problem of the backward c pawn, by playing 13...c5. The engines continue 14.Ba6 Ra8 15.Bb5 Qe7 with what they reckon is an equal position.

The text looks natural in that it opens the d8-h4 diagonal for the black queen, and it sets a trap: 14.Nxd5 exd5 15.Bxd5?? Bxd2 16.Rxd2 Qg5+ etc. However, after ...

14.e4 Nxc3 15.bxc3

... White has a good game.

But this is not the final word. The engines reckon Black should play 14...c6!?, when the threat of ...b5 gives White at best a slight edge, they conclude. Going further back, they reckon 14.Nxd5 is playable, and may be White's best move, as long as 14...exd5 is met by 15.Bxb4 axb4 and either 16.Bb5 or 16.Bf1.

15...Be7 16.e5!?

Depriving black's pieces, specifically the knight and the king's rook, of use of the f6 square. But I felt wrong playing it, and believed (correctly) the engines would not like it. They reckon White is doing better after 16.Ba6 Rb8 17.Qc6.

16...c6!

This drives White's pieces back and seems to more-or-less solve the problem of Black's light-square weaknesses.

17.Qc2

17.Bd3?! Nxe5! 18.Bxh7+ Kxh7 19.dxe5 probably favours Black.

17...b5 18.Bd3 f5?

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19.Kh1?

I saw 19.Qb3 but did not play it because I thought 19...Kf7? was an adequate answer, missing 20.Bxf5. I played the text instead because it is a useful move and I hoped AS might respond with 19...Kh8, when I felt 20.Qb3 would win the e6 pawn in a simple way.

19...Nb6

But I was wrong anyway as after 19...Kh8 20.Qb3 Black has 20...Nxe5!

20.Rg1?!

The ingredients for a successful kingside attack are probably not there. The engines reckon White should play in the centre-queenside with 20.c4, which one way or another stops the black queen taking up a dominating position on d5, eg 20...bxc4 21.Bxc4 Nxc4 22.Qxc4, when 22...Qd5 can be safely met by exchanging queens or by 23.Kg2.

20...Kh8

This and 20...Qd5 are both good.

21.Rg2

Again the engines prefer c4, and they now also like 21.Be3.

21...Qd5 22.Rg3 c5!?

The white centre is collapsing.

23.Bxb5 cxd4 24.c4 Qxe5

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25.Re1??

The engines give 25.a4, but prefer Black after 25...Nd5 26.Re1 Qd6 27.Bxa5 Nf4 (Komodo12.1.1) or 25...Qd6 26.Bxa5 Nd7 27.Rcg1 Bf6 (Stockfish14).

25...Qd6??
25...Qxb5 wins on the spot.

26.Bxa5 e5?

Black keeps a large advantage after 26...Nd7, according to the engines.

27.Bxb6 Qxd6 28.Bd7

28.Rxe5 Bd6 29.Re6 Qxb5 30.cxb5 Rxc2 31.Rxd6 Rxa2 32.Rxd4 Rb2 is very drawish.

28...Qb4!

Gaining time by attacking both c4 and e1.

29.Rc1 f4?

It is better to give up the f pawn with 29...Rc7, but better still is the engines' 29...d3! 30.Qxd3 (only move) Rcd8, eg 31.Rcg1 g6 32.Rd1 with a sharp but apparently roughly equal position.

30.Rh3 h6 31.Bxc8 Rxc8

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32.Rh5?

Correct is 32.Qf5. I missed that after 32...Rxc4 White has 33.Rcg1 with what seems to be a winning position.

32...Bf6

The engines reckon Black has more-or-less equal chances with 32...Qa3! 33.Kg2 d3.

33.Qb3?

Very strong is 33.Qg6, the point being that after 33...Rxc4? Black is getting mated, eg 34.Rxh6+! gxh6 35.Qxf6+ Kh7 36.Rg1 etc. Also winning in this variation is 34.Qe8+ Kh7 35.Rg1 etc.

33...Qd2

White to play and lose

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34.Kg2?? Qe2?? 35.Rc2 Qd1 36.Rb2

Black to play and lose

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36...e4?? 1-0

Wrocław Round Four

FACED a Polish boy aged 16 or 17.

Maciej Nowak (1483) - Spanton (1808)

Wrocław B

Albin Countergambit

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 d4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.g3

This is still the main move in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database despite the modern popularity of other moves, especially 5.a3 and 5.Nbd2.

5...Nge7 6.Bg2 Ng6 7.0-0 Nxe5 8.Nxe5

An indirect way of defending the c pawn as after ...

8...Nxe5

... Black is not threatening to capture on c4 because White has Qa4+ etc.

9.Qb3

Leaving the main line, which continues 9.b3 Bc5 10.Bb2 0-0, when White has a slight edge, according to the analysis engines Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1.

9...c6 10.Rd1 Qf6?!

Almost certainly better is 10...Bc5, and if 11.e3 then 11...Bg4, one point being 12.Rd2?! can be met by 12...d3.

11.Nd2 Qe6

I rejected the known move 11...Bc5?! because after 12.Ne4 Qe7 13.Nxc5 Qxc5 14.e3 the position is opening for White's bishop-pair.

12.Ne4 f5?

Better is 12...Qxc4 although White has the upper hand after 13.Qxc4 Nxc4 14.Rxd4.

How should White proceed?

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13.Rxd4! fxe4?!

The engines prefer 13...Be7, but White is much better.

14.Rxe4 Bd6 15.f4 0-0 16.fxe5 Bc5+ 17.Be3 Qe7 18.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 19.Qe3 Qxe3+ 20.Rxe3 Be6 21.b3 Rad8 22.Rd3 Bf5 23.Rd6 Rfe8?

Lack of concentration. I had intended 23...Rde8, eg 24.e4 Bc8 25.Rf1 Rxe5, when White is a pawn up but there is a lot of play left.

24.Rad1 Ra8 25.e4 Bg4 26.R1d2 Rxe5 27.h3 Be6 28.Rd8+ Rxd8 29.Rxd8+ Kf7 30.Rb8 b5 31.Rb7+ Kf6 32.cxb5 cxb5 33.Rxa7

White has restored his two-pawn advantage and is comfortably winning, according to Stockfish14, but Komodo12.1.1 only gives White the upper hand.

33...Rh5

The engines prefer my original thought of 33...Rc5.

34.Ra6 Ke5?

This is a mistake, according to the engines, who still prefer ...Rc5.

35.Ra5 Kd4 36.a4 Bxb3 37.axb5?

Stronger is 37.Rxb5 Rxb5 38.axb5 Kc5 39.Bf1.

37...Rc5

Not 37...Bc4? 38.Ra4 Rxb5 39.Rxc4+ Kxc4 40.Bf1+ Kc5 41.Bxb5 Kxb5 42.Kf2, when White has an easily won pawn-ending, nor 37...Kc5?? 38.b6+.

38.Ra7 Rxb5 39.Rxg7 Rh5?

Better is 39...h5, not least because the black king stops the white bishop effectively attacking the h5 square.

40.Rd7+?

This drives the black king where it wants to go. Much better is 40.g4.

40...Ke3 41.g4 Rh6

Not 41...Rh4? as White gets a tempo for activating his king by 42.Kh2 and Kg3.

42.e5?

Impatient. Best play, according to the engines, is 42.Rb7 Bg8 43.Kh2 Rg6 44.Rb5 with Kg3 to come.

42...Bc2?

Black has good drawing chances after 42...Kf4, eg 43.Re7 Bg8 44.Re8 Bc4, when the white rook is tied to the defence of the e pawn.

43.Rc7

Even stronger seems to be 43.Rd6!? as 43...Rxd6 44.exd6 Ba4 loses to 45.Bd5 Kf4 46.Bg8 h6 47.Be6.

43...Bd3 44.Rc6 Rxc6 45.Bxc6 Kf4

Black's only hope is to try to get down to a position in which White only has an h pawn and the wrong bishop for forcing it through to promotion.

46.e6 Kg3 47.e7 Bg6 48.e8=Q Bxe8 49.Bxe8 Kxh3 50.Bh5

The only winning move (50.Bd7?? Kh4 and ...h5) but plenty good enough.

The game finished:

50...Kg3 51.Kf1 Kf3 52.Ke1 Ke3 53.Kd1 Kd3 54.Kc1 Kc3 55.Kb1 h6 (or 55...Kb3 56.g5 Kc3 57.Bf7 Kd4 58.Bg8 Ke5 59.Bxh7 etc) 56.Kc1 Kd3 57.Kd1 Ke3 58.Ke1 Kf4 (58...Kf3 59.g5+) 59.Kf2 Ke4 60.Kf3 Ke5 61.Kf3 Ke6 62.Ke4 Kf6 63.Kd5 1-0

Wrocław Round Three

MY streak of facing juniors over the board ended at seven when I was paired against a grown-up - albeit one born 39 years later than myself - in the Adolf Anderssen Memorial.

Spanton (1808) - Aleksander Kędzierski (1540)

Wrocław B

Caro-Kann Fantasy

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3 e6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bd2!?

Until now the game had followed the main line of the Fantasy Variation of the Caro-Kann in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database, but here there are more-popular moves in the shape of 5.Bf4, 5.Ne2 and 5.a3.

5...dxe4

And here the most-popular move is 5...Ne7, although the text has also been played by grandmasters.

6.Nxe4 Bxd2+!?

The analysis engine Stockfish14 much prefers 6...Be7. The text achieves a certain amount of simplification, and Komodo12.1.1 is OK with it, but White gets a handy lead in development.

7.Qxd2 Nf6 8.0-0-0 0-0 9.Nh3

The pawn-sac 9.Bd3?! Qxd4 is playable but is not a winner as 10.Nxf6+ is simply met by 10...Qxf6.

9...Nbd7 10.Bd3 e5?!

Opening the position when behind in development is rarely wise.

11.Nxf6+ Qxf6 12.Ng5 g6 13.h4 h6 14.Ne4 Qg7

The engines prefer getting queens off the board with 14...Qf4.

How should White proceed?

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15.dxe5?!

It was almost certainly better to offer up the d pawn and get on with attacking on the kingside with 15.g4 (Stockfish14), or preparing such an attack with 15.Kb1 (Komodo12.1.1).

15...Nxe5 16.Qf4 Nxd3+ 17.Rxd3 Bf5 18.Rhd1 Rae8 19.Rd4 Bxe4 20.Rxe4 Rxe4 21.Qxe4

Komodo12.1.1 prefers, at least for a while, the strange-looking 21.fxe4. Neither move promises White as much as I thought (hoped?) during the game.

21...Qf6 22.Re1?!

I felt (correctly) that 22.Qd4 Qxd4 23.Rxd4 promised White very little, but the text gives up an open file.

22...Rd8 23.g3?

The position is more critical, at least for White, than I realised. The engines like 23.Qb4, 23.c3 or 23.a3, but reckon Black has a slight edge.

23...Kf8?

Missing 23...Qd6, whose strength I only spotted after making my 23rd move. I was more-or-less reconciled to meeting it with 24.Qf4!? Qxf4 25.gxf4, but Black is clearly better.

24.Qe3 Kg7 25.Qxa7?!

Almost certainly a fundamental misunderstanding of the position. I felt clearing a line for my a pawn would help me more than Black's simultaneous clearing of a line for his f pawn, but that is a static evaluation that ignores the dynamics of the position,

25...Qxf3 26.Qxb7?!

Better, according to the engines, is the defensive 26.Qg1, but in my mind I still thought I had an edge.

26...Qxg3 27.Qb4

I had planned 27.Qe7, but got cold feet on seeing 27...Qf4+ 28.Kb1 Qd2?!, but White is probably OK then. However the engines find the almost-certainly superior 28...Qf6 29.Qxf6+ Kxf6, when the black king is much more active than its white counterpart.

27...c5! 28.Qe4

Of course the pawn cannot be taken, but also bad is 28.Qa5? as Black has 28...Ra8!

28...Rd4 29.Qe5+ Qxe5 30.Rxe5 Rxh4 31.Rxc5 g5

Black is ahead in the race to queen.

32.Kd2 Rf4?!

The engines much prefer 32...Re4, but this is a very tricky ending to evaluate.

33.Ke3 Kg6 34.b3?!

The engines do not like this, suggesting instead 34.Rc6+ f6 35.Rc8, but Black seems quite a lot better after the engines' 34...h5.

34...h5 35.a4 h4 36.Rc4 Rf6

Certainly not 36...Rxc4?? 37.bxc4, when the a pawn queens.

Less clear immediately is 36...h3? 37.Rxf4 gxf4+ 38.Kf3 Kf5 39.a5 h2 40.Kg2 Ke4 41.Kxh2 Ke3, but the continuation 42.a6 f3 43.a7 f3 48.a8=Q f1=Q 49.Qa7+ seems strong for White.

37.a5

This is not liked by the engines, but White seems to be lost whatever is played.

37...h3 38.Ra4 h2 39.Ra1 g4 40.a6 g3 41.a7 g2 42.a8=Q g1=Q+ 43.Kd2

White is getting mated.

43...Qd4+ 44.Kc1 Qxa1+

Missing 44...Rf1#, but it hardly matters.

0-1

Wrocław Round Two

IN the second of today's two games in the Adolf Anderssen Memorial, I met a boy registered with Belgium and aged 14 or 15, making my seventh junior in a row in over-the-board competition.

Igor Vanduyfhuys (1605) - Spanton (1808)

Wrocław B

Sicilian Accelerated Dragon

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6!?

Position after 4...Nf6!?

The text is much less well-known than 4...Nc6 and 4...Bg7, but it is popular with some grandmasters. Often the main idea is to prevent a Maróczy Bind, but it also sets a rather obvious trap.

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5.e5?!

But apparently the trap is not so obvious. However, all is not lost for White for after ...

5...Qa5+ 6.Nc3 Qxe5+ 7.Be2

... White gets an initiative.

7...Nc6 8.Be3 Bg7 9.0-0 0-0 10.Re1 d6?!

The engines prefer withdrawing the queen with 10...Qc7.

11.Bf3 Nxd4?

11...Bd7 leaves Black slightly better, according to the engines.

12.Bxd4

Now White gets his pawn back, and still has an initiative.

12...Qg5 13.Rxe7 Nh5?

The analysis engines Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon best is the passive 13...Rd8, but White has a large advantage.

14.Bxg7 Nxg7 15.Re1 Bf5 16.Nd5

Probably even stronger is 16.Qxd6 Bxc2 17.Nd5.

16...Rfe8?

Missing how vulnerable f6 is. The engines give 16...Be6, but with a large advantage for White.

17.Qd4 Ne6?

This really was a bad (tactical) day at the office for me. Best, according to the engines, is 17...Rxe1+ 18.Rxe1 Re8 19.Re3 Rxe3, but after 20.Nxe3 Black is losing material.

18.Nf6+ Kf8

Or 18...Kh8 19.Rxe6 fxe6 (19...Rxe6? 20.Ne4+ etc) 20.Nxe8+ e5 21.Nxd6! exd4 22.Nf7+ and 23.Nxg5.

19.Qxd6+ 1-0

Wrocław Round One

TODAY is the double-round day in the Adolf Anderssen Memorial, and this morning I faced a Polish girl aged 15 or 16.

Spanton (1808) - Justyna Łochina (1526)

Wrocław B

Sicilian ...e6

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 Nf6

This is Black's usual response in ChessBase's 2021 Mega database.

5.Nc3

But more popular for White are 5.Qe2 and 5.d3.

5...d6 6.0-0 Be7 7.d3 0-0 8.h3

Preparing Be3 without the possibility of harassment by ...Ng4.

8...Rb8!?

One of the rules-of-thumb put forward by first world correspondence champion Cecil Purdy is to never place a rook behind an unmoved pawn, even if you intend moving the pawn. I suspect there are many cases when this rule should be ignored, and perhaps it suffices to point out in this instance that the text has been played by Alexander Morozevich, Loek van Wely, other strong grandmasters ... and a 13-year-old Garry Kasparov.

9.a4 a6 10.Be3 Qc7

There seems no good reason to avoid the consistent 10...b5.

11.Nh4!?

Preparing like this the pawn-thrust f4 seems to be a novelty, and it is not liked by the analysis engines Stockfish14 and Komodo12.1.1. Known moves are 11.Nh2!?, 11.Qd2 and 11.Kh2.

11...Rd8 12.f4 d5

Countering in the centre is the classic way to meet a flank attack. Black is better, according to the engines.

13.e5 Ne8

The engines give 13...d4!?, which I thought was impossible because of 14.exf6, overlooking that Black can simply reply 14...Bxf6, when 15.Bd2 dxc3 16.Bxc3 Nd4 is better for Black, according to the engines.

14.Bf2

Not 14.d4?? cxd4 15.Bxd4 as 15...Nxd4 cannot be met with 16.Qxd4? as Black wins the white queen with 16...Bc5.

14...f6

14...Bxh4 15.gxh4 seems nothing special for Black, who is left with a bad bishop; White's kingside weaknesses are not easy for Black to get at, and White may develop decent kingside attacking chances.

15.exf6 Nxf6 16.Re1 Nd4 17.Nf3

The engines like 17.a5!? Nc6 18.Nf3, and if 18...Nxa5 then 19.Ng5, when White wins back his pawn and can claim an edge.

17...Nxf3+ 18.Qxf3 b6

The engines prefer this to the more loosening 18...b5 19.axb5 axb5.

19.d4!?

Weakening control over the e4 square but fixing the e6 weakness.

How should Black proceed?

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19...cxd4?!

JŁ goes for liquidation, which is probably the wrong thing to do as White will be left with the superior pawn-structure and the better bishop.

20.Bxd4 Bc5 21.Qe3 Bxd4 22.Qxd4 Qc5 23.Rad1 Kf7!?

Queens are going to come off, so JŁ decides her king should come nearer the centre and, while doing so, it can support the backward e pawn.

24.Kh2 Qxd4 25.Rxd4

This queenless middlegame looks good for White, who has the better pawn-structure, the better bishop and the generally more-active pieces. Even so, the engines reckon it is only a slight edge.

25...Bb7 26.Nb1

Heading for e5, or g5.

26...Rdc8 27.c3 Bc6 28.Nd2 b5?!

Consistent with her last move, but ...

29.a5

... leaves the black bishop looking very bad.

29...h6

The engines suggest the surprising 29...b4!?, when 30.Rxb4 Rxb4 31.cxb4 Bd7!? 32.Nf3 is good for White, but Black has counterchances thanks to her protected passed pawn and active rook. Indeed the engines reckon White should reply 30.c4!? with continuing pressure on the black centre.

30.Nf3 Nd7 31.h4

Freeing the h3 square for the white bishop.

31...Ba8

31...Re8 looks natural, but 32.Bh3 is very good for White, according to the engines.

32.Bh3 Nc5?

Necessary is 32...Re8, but White remains on top, eg 33.g4 Nc5 34.g5 Nb3 35.Rdd1 Nxa5? (the engines give 35...b4 but believe White still has a big advantage) runs into 36.Ra1 and 37.Rxa6.

33.Ne5+ Ke7?!

More natural is 33...Kf6.

34.f5 exf5?!

This looks like a blunder, but it is Komodo12.1.1's choice for a while. The fact is JŁ's position has gone downhill since she took the decision to liquidate at move 19.

35.Nc6+ Kf6 36.Nxb8 Rxb8 37.Rf4?!

Almost certainly better is 37.Rf1, not worrying about a later ...Nb3, and if, as in the game, 37...g6, then 38.h5.

37...g6 38.Re2

Not 38.h5?? Nd3.

I rejected the engines' choice, 38.Ref1, because I did not want to give up the open file, but 38...Re8?! 39.h5 Re2+ 40.R4f2 Rxf2+ 41.Rxf2 keeps White well on top.

38...Nb3?

Better is 38...h5 to stabilise the kingside, when White is better but the game very much continues.

39.g4 Nxa5 40.gxf5 gxf5

Or 40...g5 41.Re6+ Kf7 42.Rf2 etc.

41.Rxf5+ Kg6 42.Re6+

The engines point out two mates-in-four, one starting with 42.Re2+ and the other with 42.Re7+, but the text wins easily enough.

42...Kg7 43.Rxa6 Nc4

The game finished:

44.Ra7+ Kg8 45.Rh5 Bb7 46.Rxh6 Kg7 47.Rh5 Kg6 48.Rg5+ Kf6 49.Rf5+ Kg6 50.h5+ Kh6 51.Rf7 Bc8 52.Rf8 Nb6 53.Bxc8 Rxc8 54.Rf6+ Kxh5 55.Rxb6 1-0