(1) McLaren,Leonard (2267) - Spiller,Paul (1825) [C48]
Fairhurst Four Knights Bardeleben Auckland (5), 10.06.2008
[Richard Taylor]



1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bc5 5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.d4 Bd6 7.f4 Ng6 8.e5 Bb4 9.0-0 Bxc3 10.bxc3 Nd5 11.Qf3 Nde7 12.f5 Nh4 13.Qg4 Nhxf5 14.Rxf5 Nxf5 15.Qxf5 0-0 16.Ba3 d6 17.Qe4 d5 18.Qf3 Be6 19.Bxf8 Qxf8 20.a4 Rd8 21.a5 c5 22.Be2 c4 23.Qf1 Qe7 24.Kh1 Rd7 25.Qb1 Qg5 26.Qc1 Qe7 27.Rb1 h6 28.Rb5 Kh7 29.Bf3 Qh4 30.g3 Qg5 31.Qxg5 hxg5 32.Rc5 Kg6 33.Kg1 g4 34.Bg2 Kg5 35.Kf2 Kg6 36.Ke3 Kg5 37.Rc8 b6 38.axb6 axb6 39.Rb8 Ra7 40.Rxb6 Ra2 41.Kd2 Bf5 42.Bxd5 Rxc2+ 43.Ke1 Rxc3 44.Bxf7 Rc1+ 45.Kd2 Rc2+ 46.Kd1 c3 47.Rc6 Rd2+ 48.Ke1 Rxd4 49.Rxc3 Re4+ 50.Kf2 Rxe5 51.Re3 Rxe3 52.Kxe3 Bc8 53.Bd5 Bd7 54.Ke4 Bf5+ 55.Ke5 Bc2 56.Be6 Bg6 57.Bd7 1/2-1/2

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bc5 (4... Bb4 in this line of the 4 Knights is more popular and perhaps wiser!) 5. Nxe5 (While this is quite an old move, it is unnerving to meet OTB, Paul defends this psychological strike very well - more Nxe5 games are played after White has castled.) Nxe5 6. d4 Bd6 (From here Black seem to have a small but significant advantage - although it certainly doesn't look like it at first sight!! 6... c6 7. dxe5 cxb5 8. exf6 Qxf6 9. 0–0 Qc6) 7. f4 Ng6 8. e5 Bb4 (8... c6 9. exd6 cxb5) 9. 0–0 (9. exf6 Qxf6 10. 0–0 c6 11. Re1+ Kd8 12. Ne4 Qf5 13. c3 Qxb5 14. cxb4 Re8 15. Ng5) 9... Bxc3 10. bxc3 Nd5 11. Qf3 Nde7 12. f5 (12. g4 h5 13. h3 hxg4 14. hxg4 c6 15. Bd3 Nd5 16. c4 Qh4) 12... Nh4 My computer gives a slight plus for Black here.) 13.Qg4? (13. Qf2 seems to be better according to Fritz) 13... Nhxf5 14. Rxf5 Nxf5 15.Qxf5 0–0 (15... c6 16. Bd3 d5 17. Qf3 0–0 18. Qh5 g6 19. Qh6 f5 20. Bg5 Qc7 21. Rb1 (21. h4 Be6 22. h5 Qg7 –+) 16. Ba3 (16. Bd3 g6 17. Qf3 d5 18. Rb1 c6 19. Bh6 Re8 20. Qf4 Re6 and Black still seems to have small plus) 16... d6 17. Qe4 d5 18. Qf3 Be6 19. Bxf8 Qxf8 20. a4 Rd8 21. a5 c5 22. Be2 c4 23. Qf1 Qe7 24. Kh1 Rd7 25. Qb1 Qg5 26. Qc1 Qe7 27. Rb1 h6 28. Rb5 Kh7 29. Bf3 Qh4 30. g3 Qg5 31. Qxg5 hxg5 32. Rc5 Kg6 33. Kg1 g4 34. Bg2 Kg5 35. Kf2 Kg6 36. Ke3 Kg5 37. Rc8 b6 38. axb6 axb6 39. Rb8 Ra7 40. Rxb6 Ra2 41. Kd2 Bf5 42. Bxd5 Rxc2+ 43. Ke1 Rxc3 44. Bxf7 Rc1+ 45. Kd2 Rc2+ 46. Kd1 c3 47. Rc6 Rd2+ 48. Ke1 Rxd4 49. Rxc3 Re4+ 50. Kf2 Rxe5 51. Re3 Rxe3 52. Kxe3 Bc8 53. Bd5 Bd7 54. Ke4 Bf5+ 55. Ke5 Bc2 56. Be6 Bg6 57. Bd7 1/2-1/2

A great try by Leonard but well defended and mostly correctly by Paul = the weakness on c3 and the pawn chain (of both players) meant that the board was cut in 2 - the old problem whether to attack on the K-side or the Q-side so Black was not in danger at any time really it seems. But this doesn't mean it is easy in actual play!