Lichess Game of the Month July - Contest

Mate when the opposite king on e5 the center of the board and won in 21 moves with black pieces after some elegant sacrifices with high accuracy:

[Event "rated classical game"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/I6hA4un1"]
[Date "2025.07.22"]
[White "MAssaf62"]
[Black "pct18-2277"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "1801"]
[BlackElo "1806"]
[TimeControl "1800+0"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[Termination "Normal"]
[GameId "I6hA4un1"]
[ECO "C21"]
[Opening "Danish Gambit"]
[StudyName "Game study"]
[ChapterName "MAssaf62 (1801) - pct18-2277 (1806)"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/pct18-2277"]
[ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/Si3UHaxH/5Q6yYG4R"]

1. e4 { [%eval 0.18] [%clk 0:30:00] } 1... e5 { [%eval 0.22] [%clk 0:30:00] } 2. d4 { [%eval -0.11] [%clk 0:29:56] } 2... exd4 { [%eval -0.02] [%clk 0:29:57] } 3. c3 { [%eval -0.28] [%clk 0:29:54] } 3... Nc6 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 0:29:51] } 4. cxd4 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 0:29:51] } 4... Bb4+ { [%eval 0.38] [%clk 0:29:42] } 5. Nc3 { [%eval 0.24] [%clk 0:29:46] } 5... d6?! { [%eval 0.93] } { Inaccuracy. d5 was best. } { [%clk 0:29:32] } (5... d5 6. e5 Nge7 7. Nf3 Ba5 8. Be2 Bb6 9. Be3 O-O 10. O-O) 6. a3?! { [%eval 0.26] } { Inaccuracy. d5 was best. } { [%clk 0:29:42] } (6. d5 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 Nce7 8. Ne2 Nf6 9. Ng3 O-O 10. Bd3 Nd7) 6... Bxc3+ { [%eval 0.34] [%clk 0:29:27] } 7. bxc3 { [%eval 0.25] [%clk 0:29:40] } 7... Nf6? { [%eval 1.75] } { Mistake. f5 was best. } { [%clk 0:29:19] } (7... f5 8. exf5 Bxf5 9. Be2 Nf6 10. Nf3 O-O 11. O-O Qd7 12. a4) 8. Bd3 { [%eval 1.76] [%clk 0:29:35] } 8... h6 { [%eval 2.19] [%clk 0:29:15] } 9. Ne2 { [%eval 2.15] [%clk 0:29:21] } 9... Bd7 { [%eval 2.3] [%clk 0:28:53] } 10. O-O { [%eval 2.31] [%clk 0:29:17] } 10... Qe7 { [%eval 2.29] [%clk 0:28:46] } 11. Ng3 { [%eval 2.06] [%clk 0:29:06] } 11... O-O?! { [%eval 2.91] } { Inaccuracy. O-O-O was best. } { [%clk 0:28:34] } (11... O-O-O 12. Re1 h5 13. h3 h4 14. Nf1 Nh5 15. Ne3 Qg5 16. Nd5 Qg6 17. Qf3) 12. Re1 { [%eval 2.52] [%clk 0:29:04] } 12... Rfe8 { [%eval 2.59] [%clk 0:28:23] } 13. Bb2 { [%eval 2.17] [%clk 0:28:26] } 13... Qf8?! { [%eval 3.01] } { Inaccuracy. b5 was best. } { [%clk 0:27:46] } (13... b5 14. f4 Na5 15. e5 Nd5 16. Qf3 c6 17. f5 dxe5 18. dxe5 Nc4 19. Bxc4) 14. Qd2?! { [%eval 1.93] } { Inaccuracy. c4 was best. } { [%clk 0:27:05] } (14. c4 Qe7 15. f4 Bg4 16. Qd2 Nh5 17. Nxh5 Bxh5 18. Re3 f6 19. Rg3 Nb8) 14... d5?! { [%eval 2.87] } { Inaccuracy. Na5 was best. } { [%clk 0:27:11] } (14... Na5 15. Qd1 b5 16. h3 Rab8 17. Bc1 Qe7 18. Kh2 a6 19. Ra2 Nd5 20. Qh5) 15. e5 { [%eval 2.87] [%clk 0:27:01] } 15... Nh7 { [%eval 2.98] [%clk 0:27:05] } 16. f4?! { [%eval 2.14] } { Inaccuracy. Qc2 was best. } { [%clk 0:26:36] } (16. Qc2 g6 17. a4 Ne7 18. Ba3 c6 19. h3 Qg7 20. Re3 Kh8 21. Rae1 Be6) 16... f6?? { [%eval 4.97] } { Blunder. f5 was best. } { [%clk 0:26:53] } (16... f5 17. h4 Qf7 18. Qc2 Ne7 19. a4 Nf8 20. Qf2 h5 21. Be2 g6 22. Nf1) 17. Qc2 { [%eval 4.93] [%clk 0:26:26] } 17... Ng5 { [%eval 5.08] [%clk 0:26:13] } 18. fxg5 { [%eval 5.12] [%clk 0:26:18] } 18... hxg5 { [%eval 5.41] [%clk 0:26:11] } 19. Bh7+ { [%eval 5.35] [%clk 0:26:08] } 19... Kh8 { [%eval 5.0] [%clk 0:26:05] } 20. Bg6 { [%eval 5.32] [%clk 0:25:20] } 20... Re7 { [%eval 5.54] [%clk 0:25:55] } 21. exf6 { [%eval 4.96] [%clk 0:24:50] } 21... gxf6 { [%eval 5.12] [%clk 0:25:38] } 22. Rf1 { [%eval 4.92] [%clk 0:24:19] } 22... Be8 { [%eval 5.28] [%clk 0:25:13] } 23. Bxe8 { [%eval 4.9] [%clk 0:24:02] } 23... Raxe8 { [%eval 5.04] [%clk 0:25:07] } 24. Nh5 { [%eval 4.61] [%clk 0:22:27] } 24... Rf7 { [%eval 4.6] [%clk 0:24:31] } 25. a4 { [%eval 4.31] [%clk 0:20:53] } 25... Qh6 { [%eval 4.67] [%clk 0:23:37] } 26. Ng3 { [%eval 4.68] [%clk 0:20:39] } 26... Rh7 { [%eval 4.9] [%clk 0:22:51] } 27. h3 { [%eval 4.69] [%clk 0:20:34] } 27... g4 { [%eval 4.98] [%clk 0:22:36] } 28. Qf5?! { [%eval 3.73] } { Inaccuracy. Rae1 was best. } { [%clk 0:19:47] } (28. Rae1 Rxe1 29. Rxe1 Re7 30. Rxe7 Nxe7 31. Bc1 Qh4 32. Kh2 gxh3 33. gxh3 a5) 28... gxh3 { [%eval 3.73] [%clk 0:21:48] } 29. Qxf6+ { [%eval 3.72] [%clk 0:19:27] } 29... Qxf6 { [%eval 3.77] [%clk 0:21:44] } 30. Rxf6 { [%eval 3.82] [%clk 0:19:25] } 30... Rg8 { [%eval 3.8] [%clk 0:21:19] } 31. Rf3 { [%eval 3.75] [%clk 0:19:05] } 31... hxg2 { [%eval 3.63] [%clk 0:21:16] } 32. Kxg2 { [%eval 3.71] [%clk 0:18:58] } 32... Rhg7 { [%eval 4.27] [%clk 0:21:02] } 33. Rh1+ { [%eval 4.28] [%clk 0:18:49] } 33... Rh7 { [%eval 4.06] [%clk 0:21:00] } 34. Rxh7+ { [%eval 3.94] [%clk 0:18:46] } 34... Kxh7 { [%eval 4.05] [%clk 0:20:59] } 35. Rf7+ { [%eval 4.07] [%clk 0:18:37] } 35... Rg7 { [%eval 4.0] [%clk 0:20:56] } 36. Rxg7+ { [%eval 3.88] [%clk 0:18:32] } 36... Kxg7 { [%eval 3.64] [%clk 0:20:56] } 37. Nf5+ { [%eval 3.12] [%clk 0:18:12] } 37... Kf6 { [%eval 3.1] [%clk 0:20:53] } 38. Ne3 { [%eval 3.09] [%clk 0:18:03] } 38... Ke6 { [%eval 3.14] [%clk 0:20:47] } 39. Kf3 { [%eval 3.08] [%clk 0:17:54] } 39... Na5 { [%eval 2.97] [%clk 0:20:42] } 40. Kf4 { [%eval 2.75] [%clk 0:17:26] } 40... c6 { [%eval 3.0] [%clk 0:20:01] } 41. Ba3 { [%eval 2.79] [%clk 0:17:14] } 41... a6?! { [%eval 3.75] } { Inaccuracy. Nb3 was best. } { [%clk 0:19:56] } (41... Nb3 42. Kf3 Nd2+ 43. Ke2 Ne4 44. Kd3 Nf2+ 45. Kc2 Kd7 46. Nf1 Ng4 47. Nd2) 42. Bb4 { [%eval 3.95] [%clk 0:17:07] } 42... Nb3 { [%eval 3.92] [%clk 0:19:40] } 43. a5 { [%eval 3.78] [%clk 0:17:02] } 43... Nc1 { [%eval 3.91] [%clk 0:19:33] } 44. Kf3 { [%eval 3.78] [%clk 0:16:00] } 44... Nd3 { [%eval 4.67] [%clk 0:19:29] } 45. Nc2 { [%eval 3.85] [%clk 0:15:50] } 45... Nxb4?! { [%eval 6.11] } { Inaccuracy. Nb2 was best. } { [%clk 0:19:01] } (45... Nb2 46. Ke2 Kd7 47. Ne3 Na4 48. Kd3 b6 49. axb6 Nxb6 50. Kc2 Ke6 51. Kb3) 46. Nxb4 { [%eval 5.94] [%clk 0:15:27] } 46... Kd6 { [%eval 5.71] [%clk 0:18:57] } 47. Nd3 { [%eval 6.51] [%clk 0:15:16] } 47... Kc7 { [%eval 6.36] [%clk 0:18:55] } 48. Nc5 { [%eval 6.21] [%clk 0:14:55] } 48... Kb8 { [%eval 8.24] [%clk 0:18:26] } 49. Ke3 { [%eval 6.89] [%clk 0:14:53] } 49... Ka7 { [%eval 7.69] [%clk 0:18:19] } 50. Na4 { [%eval 7.65] [%clk 0:14:41] } 50... Kb8 { [%eval 7.64] [%clk 0:18:12] } 51. Kd3 { [%eval 6.56] [%clk 0:14:39] } 51... Kc7 { [%eval 6.71] [%clk 0:18:10] } 52. c4 { [%eval 7.8] [%clk 0:14:37] } 52... dxc4+ { [%eval 10.39] [%clk 0:18:08] } 53. Kxc4 { [%eval 9.86] [%clk 0:14:35] } 53... Kd6 { [%eval 9.75] [%clk 0:18:02] } 54. Nb6 { [%eval 7.66] [%clk 0:14:30] } 54... Kc7?! { [%eval 18.49] } { Inaccuracy. Ke6 was best. } { [%clk 0:17:57] } (54... Ke6 55. Kc5 Kf5 56. Nc4 Ke4 57. Nd6+ Ke3 58. Kc4 b5+ 59. axb6 a5 60. b7) 55. Kc5 { [%eval 11.26] [%clk 0:14:28] } 55... Kb8 { [%eval 16.92] [%clk 0:17:47] } 56. d5 { [%eval 12.71] [%clk 0:14:16] } 56... cxd5 { [%eval 6.48] [%clk 0:17:46] } 57. Kxd5 { [%eval #20] [%clk 0:14:15] } 57... Kc7 { [%eval #23] [%clk 0:17:42] } 58. Kc5 { [%eval 63.84] [%clk 0:14:13] } 58... Kb8?! { [%eval #14] } { Checkmate is now unavoidable. Kd8 was best. } { [%clk 0:17:39] } (58... Kd8) 59. Kd6 { [%eval #13] [%clk 0:14:07] } 59... Ka7 { [%eval #13] [%clk 0:17:37] } 60. Na4 { [%eval #14] [%clk 0:13:54] } 60... Kb8 { [%eval #16] [%clk 0:17:34] } 61. Kc5 { [%eval #19] [%clk 0:13:51] } 61... Kc7 { [%eval #22] [%clk 0:17:32] } 62. Nb6 { [%eval #19] [%clk 0:13:46] } 62... Kb8 { [%eval #16] [%clk 0:17:31] } 63. Nd7+ { [%eval #22] [%clk 0:13:37] } 63... Kc7 { [%eval 58.91] } { Black offers draw } { [%clk 0:17:27] } 64. Nb6?? { [%eval 0.0] } { Blunder. Ne5 was best. } { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } { [%clk 0:13:18] } (64. Ne5) 1/2-1/2