[Event "SouthWest Class Champs"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/1LK2x3ba/mBLXw4xW"] [Date "2024.02.19"] [Round "8"] [White "Adewumi, Tanitoluwa"] [Black "Wang, Tianqi"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2280"] [BlackElo "2358"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B03"] [Opening "Alekhine Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Main Line"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/1LK2x3ba/mBLXw4xW"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. d4 d6 5. f4 dxe5 6. fxe5 Nc6 7. Be3 Bf5 8. Nc3 e6 9. Nf3 Be7 10. Be2 O-O 11. O-O f6 12. exf6 Bxf6 13. Qd2 Qe7 14. Rad1 Rad8 15. Qc1 Bg6 16. Kh1 e5 17. d5 Nd4 18. Nxd4 exd4 19. Bxd4 Bxd4 20. Rxd4 Na4 21. Bf3 Qe5 22. Rdd1 Nc5 23. Rfe1 Qd6 24. Qe3 Rde8 25. Qd4 Nd3 26. Rxe8 Rxe8 { White has achieved a strong space advantage in the center against Black's Alekhine's Defense. } 27. Rf1?! (27. Nb5 Qe5 28. Qxe5 Rxe5 29. Kg1 Nxb2 30. Rd4 $16 { would be a nice way to keep the edge into an endgame. }) (27. b3 { is also logical: the knight has no immediate threat from d3 now that the b-pawn is not en prise. }) 27... c5! { Black must kick White's queen from the indirect defense of the b2 pawn before capturing. } (27... Nxb2?! 28. Nb5 Qe5 (28... Qf6 { is even worse: } 29. Qxf6 gxf6 30. Nxc7 { but the knight on b2 hangs after other moves from Black. }) 29. Qxe5 Rxe5 30. d6! $16 { secures a better endgame for White: } 30... cxd6 31. Bd5+! $16) 28. Qh4 Qe5?! (28... Nxb2) 29. Bg4 h6 30. Bd7! Rb8 31. Be6+ Kh7 32. Qg3! Qxg3 33. hxg3 Nxb2 { Black has regained the pawn, but now the ...c7-c5 move makes no sense given that White has managed to trade queens off, increasing the value of the passed d-pawn. } 34. d6 Rd8 35. d7 Nd3 36. Rf5? { What in the puzzle rush?! A very clever idea, but wholly unnecessary. } (36. Kg1 Ne5 37. Re1! { with the point that the d7-pawn is not actually hanging, since the knight would be pinned to a hanging rook. } 37... Nf7 38. Nd5 $18) 36... Bxf5 37. Bxf5+ g6 38. Bxd3 Rxd7 { The position is objectively equal, but it is much easier to play with two pieces than a rook. } 39. Nd5 Kg7 40. a4 Rd6 41. Kg1 Re6 42. Kf2 Re5 43. Nc3 h5 44. Nb5 a6 45. Nd6 b6 46. Bc2 Kf6 47. Ne4+ Kg7 48. Nc3 Kh6 49. Be4 Re7 50. Ke3 Kg5 51. Nd5 { White has improved his pieces. Black has not, and now the rook is tethered to defense. } 51... Re6 52. Kf3 Rd6 53. Nf4 (53. Bc2! Re6 54. Bd3 a5 (54... Rd6? 55. Nf4! { with White's king ready to make an entrance, and the rook unable to prevent it via ... Rd6-d4 due to Nf4-e6+. }) 55. Be4 Rd6 56. Bc2 Re6 57. Bd3 { and, eventually, Black has to give up the b-pawn: } 57... Re1 (57... Rd6? 58. Nf4! $18) 58. Nxb6 Ra1 59. Ke3 Kg4 60. Nd7 Rxa4 61. Nxc5 $16 { although the game is far from over. }) 53... Rd2! { The rook needed to take the opportunity to activate. White wins the g-pawn, but Black can try to force repetition. } 54. Bxg6 Ra2 55. Be8 Rc2 56. Bf7 Ra2 57. Be8 Rc2 58. Bf7 Ra2 59. Nd5! { Objectively, the position is still equal, but Tani shows fighting spirit that is rewarded. } 59... Rxa4 60. Nxb6 Rb4 61. Nd7 Rb7? (61... a5! 62. Nxc5 a4 { every advancement of the a-pawn increases Black's chances of preserving a draw. } 63. Ne4+ Kf5 64. Nd6+ Ke5 65. c5 Rb1 { Sure, White keeps the passed c-pawn, but the centralized king, active rook, and outside passer provide far more problems for White than Black's passive play did in the main game. }) 62. Be6 Rc7 63. Ke4 a5 64. Kd3! { The only non-losing move. The a-pawn is now within the king's grasp, and since Black's rook is so docile on c7, there is no way to slow down White's king. } (64. Kd5?? a4 $19) 64... h4 65. gxh4+ Kxh4 66. g4 { White has a clear plan and executes it: } 66... a4 67. Kc3 a3 68. Kb3 Ra7 69. Ka2 Ra6 70. Bd5 Ra5 71. Bc6 Kxg4 72. Bb5 Kf5 73. Nxc5 { The a3-pawn is blockaded, the c5-pawn is no more, and Black's king is still far away. } 73... Ke5 74. Na4 { There goes the a-pawn! White is winning. } 74... Kd4 75. Kxa3 Ra7 76. Kb4 Rh7 77. Nc5 Rh1 78. Nb3+ Ke5 79. Kc5 Rb1 80. Nd4 Rc1 81. Nc6+ Ke6 82. Nb4 Rc3 83. Kb6 Kd6 84. Na6 Rc1 85. c5+ Rxc5 86. Nxc5 { Tani now has 50 moves to show his stuff. } 86... Kd5 87. Nb3 Kd6 88. Bc4 Ke5 89. Kc5 Ke4 90. Nd4 Ke5 91. Nc2 Ke4 92. Be2 Ke5 93. Bd3 Ke6 94. Ne3 Ke5 95. Nc4+ Ke6 96. Be4 Kf6 97. Kd5 Ke7 98. Ke5 Kf7 99. Bf5 Ke7 100. Nd6 Kf8 101. Kf6 Kg8 102. Nf7 Kf8 103. Bh7 Ke8 104. Ne5 Kf8 105. Nd7+ Ke8 106. Ke6 Kd8 107. Kd6 Ke8 108. Bg6+ Kd8 109. Bf7 Kc8 110. Nc5 Kd8 111. Nb7+ Kc8 112. Kc6 Kb8 113. Kb6 Kc8 114. Be6+ Kb8 115. Bh3 Ka8 116. Nc5 { Now that Tani has 20 moves left to execute a mate-in-two, Black resigns! } 1-0