[Event "World Junior"] [Site "Mexico City"] [Date "2023.10.02"] [Round "3"] [White "Niemann, Hans Moke"] [Black "Woodward, Andy"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2667"] [BlackElo "2475"] [Annotator "Andy Woodward"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A15"] [Opening "English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Anti-Anti-Grünfeld"] [StudyName "Inside Story: February 2024, Woodward on World Juniors"] [ChapterName "Niemann, Hans Moke - Woodward, Andy"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/5ezlulRC/N0VQ4FQ6"] [Orientation "white"] 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 e5 { The engines tell us that this move is not enough to reach near-equality, but I think it is a good practical try to stop White from getting a strong center. } 5. Nxe5 O-O 6. Nf3 Re8 { Putting pressure on the e4-pawn. } 7. d3 d5! { The point of the pawn sacrifice, breaking White's center down while activating both of Black's bishops. } 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Bd2 { If } (9. Nxd5 { then } 9... Qxd5 { due to the pin. }) 9... Bg4 10. Be2 Nb4 11. Be3 Bxf3 12. gxf3 N8c6 13. h4 { This move took me by surprise. I had only seen 13. a3 previously. } 13... Nd4 { The most logical move, taking control of the dark squares. } 14. Rc1 { This is forced, as otherwise either (a) one of the black knights would end up on c2, or (b) White would have to give up his dark-squared bishop, which would be bad news for him. We see more clearly why this is the case if we examine the position after } (14. Bxd4? { A strategical mis-step. } 14... Qxd4 15. Qd2 Rad8 16. Rd1 h5 { . Here Black has complete control over the dark squares, whereas White has no counterplay. If he tries to go f3-f4-f5, it always runs into ... Bg7-h6. } { [%cal Rf3f4,Rg7h6] }) 14... Qd6?! { White is just slightly better after } (14... Qd7 15. a3 Na6 16. b4 h5 { . }) 15. a3! { White needs to act fast, as Black is threatening ... Nd4xe2 followed by Ra8-d8, leaving the d3-pawn defenseless. } 15... Na6 16. f4 Rad8 { [#] } 17. b4!? { A decent practical choice, forcing Black to make a decision. The engine likes } (17. h5 Nc5 18. Nb5! { , a nice semi-tactic to gain the bishop pair and trade White's passive knight for Black's good one. After } 18... Qb6 19. b4! { , counter-attacking, the position looks really crazy, but White has enough to compensate for all of Black's attacks and get an slight advantage. For example, } 19... Nxe4! 20. dxe4 Nf3+ 21. Kf1 Rxd1+ 22. Rxd1 Qc6! { (keeping an eye on the b6-knight) } 23. Rh3! { (attack and counter-attack!) } 23... a6! 24. Na7 Nh2+ 25. Rxh2 Qxe4 26. Rh3 { . White has a rook, bishop, and knight for Black's queen and pawn, so "objectively" White should be almost winning. In this particular case, however, the white knight is offside on a7, so it is much closer to equal. }) 17... c5! { Now White has to make a decision. Should he push a pawn on the queenside, or in the center? Note that } (17... c6?! { is too slow, as it allows White to block out the black bishop and control the center after } 18. e5! Qe6 19. h5 { . }) 18. e5!? { The best practical move. After } (18. b5?! Nc7 19. e5 Qe7 20. a4 f6 { Black breaks White's center, achieving a slightly better position despite being down a pawn. }) 18... Qe7! { The move } (18... Qe6? { fails to } 19. Bg4! { , targetting Black's queen while improving the bishop's position and removing any ...Nd4xe2 threats. White is significantly better after } 19... Qe7 20. Ne4 cxb4 21. Qa4! { . }) (18... Qc6? 19. Ne4! { , as the e4-square is cleared for the knight. }) 19. b5 { White had to be careful to avoid } (19. Ne4 cxb4 20. Nd6? (20. Qa4 Nf5! (20... Rd5! { aims to play ...Na6-c5, but allows White initiative after } 21. h5!)) 20... Rxd6 21. exd6 Qxd6 { with a winning position for Black. }) 19... Nc7 20. Qa4 { [#] } 20... Qe6 { Here I calculated } (20... Qd7 { for a long time before realizing White could get what he wanted with } 21. b6! { , trading the queens. With White dealing with a weak king in the center, a queen trade is always near the top of the priority list. The position is equal after } 21... axb6 { or } (21... Qxa4 22. Nxa4 axb6 23. Nxb6 Nce6 24. h5) 22. Qxd7 Rxd7 23. h5 { Also equal is }) (20... h5 21. Qxa7 Nce6 { and even }) (20... Nce6 { straightaway. }) 21. Bd1? { The best try was probably } (21. h5 g5! { not } (21... Nxe2?! 22. Kxe2! Qg4+ 23. Kd2! Nd5 24. hxg6 hxg6 25. Rhg1 Qe6 26. Ne4 b6 27. Ng5 Qf5 28. Qe4 { with a White advantage }) 22. fxg5! Bxe5 23. Qc4 b6 24. a4 { when we reach an unclear position. }) (21. Qxa7?! { is met with } 21... Nxe2 22. Nxe2! (22. Kxe2 Qg4+ 23. Kd2 (23. f3? Qg2+ 24. Bf2 Ne6 { and Black is winning }) 23... Ne6 { gives Black the advantage, as White's king is very weak, and Black threatens all sorts of things, including ... Qg4-f5, ... Ne6xf4, and ... c5-c4. }) 22... Qd5! 23. Rg1 (23. O-O?! Qf3 24. Qxc5! (24. Ng3 Rxd3 25. Qxc5? Ne6 { wins for Black }) 24... Qxe2 25. Qxc7 Qg4+ { peters out to a draw. }) 23... Nxb5?! { . This looks like a natural human move, but it turns out that Black puts his knight in a precarious position after } (23... Ne6 { is equal }) 24. Qxc5 Qxd3 25. a4 Na3 26. Qc3! { . White successfully trades queens and remains a pawn up. }) 21... Qf5 { Targeting the d3-pawn. } 22. Qc4?! { Human, all too human, but not the best. Instead White should have played } (22. Ne2! Qxd3 23. Bxd4 Rxd4! 24. Qb3 (24. Nxd4? Qe4+ { wins }) 24... Ne6 25. Qxd3 Rxd3 { . Black will soon win one or two of the white pawns, and probably later the game, but this remained the best practical chance for White to survive. }) 22... Bh6! { With the f4-pawn in the crosshairs. } 23. Ne4 { [#] The best/only chance for white to try to keep the game going. } 23... Bxf4! { I calculated } (23... Nd5?! { for awhile, before realizing that White could keep practical chances with the temporary queen sacrifice } 24. Qxd5! Rxd5 25. Bg4 Qxf4! (25... Rexe5? 26. Bxf5 Rxf5 27. Ng3! Rf6 28. Ne4 Rb6 29. Nxc5 Rxb5 30. Ne4 { and White is back in the game }) 26. Bxf4 Bxf4 27. Nf6+ Kh8! 28. Nxd5 Bxc1 29. f4 h5 30. Bh3 { . While Black will be a pawn up after nabbing the a3-pawn, White has decent holding chances. }) 24. Nf6+ Kg7 25. Nxe8+ Rxe8 26. Qxc5 Ncxb5?! { Giving White more chances; now Hans finds the resource I missed. More precise was } (26... Nce6! { as it deprives White of the necessary time to castle. Black is winning after } 27. Qd5 (27. Qc4 Qxe5 28. Rh3 Qf5) 27... Bxe3 28. fxe3 Qxd3 { . }) 27. O-O! { In the middle of a storm, and on move 27!, White finally gets his king to safety. Now he has chances to hold the draw. } 27... Rxe5 28. Bxd4 Nxd4 29. Qxd4 Bxc1 { [#] Black is up a pawn, and has a much safer king. Is it enough to win? } 30. Re1 { Not } (30. f4?? Be3+ { . }) 30... Bf4 31. Re4 Qf6! { I was very lucky to have this resource, unpinning the rook, to keep control of the position. } 32. h5 { It may look like White has decent drawing chances after } (32. Rxf4!? Re1+ 33. Kg2 Qxd4 34. Rxd4 Rxd1 35. Rd7 a5 { , having entered a rook and pawn endgame down just one pawn, but White's pawns are split and very weak. Black should win this in the long run. }) 32... Rg5+ 33. Kf1 Be5 { [#] King safety is often a determining factor in opposite-colored bishop middlegames. This is why I decided to keep the queens on the board - to keep the attacking opportunities alive. } 34. Qxa7 { Even if White had not taken the pawn, Black would still have had a great position after something like } (34. Qe3 gxh5 35. f4 Bd6 { . }) 34... b6! { I suspect this is what Hans missed. Black cuts the white queen off on the g1-a7 diagonal, and now Black is ready to attack with ... Be5-d4 or even ... Be5-h2, threatening ... Rg5-g1. } 35. Qa8!? { Setting one last trap. } 35... gxh5 { Avoiding } (35... Bd4?? 36. h6+! Kxh6 37. Qf8+ Qg7 38. Rh4+ Rh5 39. Qxg7+ Bxg7 40. Bxh5 { , winning for White. }) 36. Re3 Bh2! { The final touch, enforcing ... Rg5-g1+ followed by ... Qf6-b2+ and then grabbing the bishop on d1. } 37. Re8 Rg1+ 38. Ke2 Kh6?! (38... Qb2+ 39. Kf3 Kh6! { , but it looks risky to the human eye. If } 40. Qc6+ Rg6 { . }) 39. Bc2?! { Getting low on time, White errs, although the best move loses as well: } (39. d4! Qxd4 40. Qc6+ Kg7! { and wins. } (40... Rg6? 41. Qe4 { gives White hope })) 39... Qc3 40. Rc8 { Now it is mate by force. } 40... Re1+ 41. Kf3 Qf6+ 42. Kg2 Rg1+ { Mate is inevitable; to wit, } (42... Kh3 43. Qf5+! Kh4 (43... Kxh2 44. Qxf2+ Qg2 (44... Kh3 45. Qg3#) 45. Qxg2#) 44. Qg4#) (42... Kxh2 43. Qxf2+ Qg2 (43... Kh3 44. Qg3#) 44. Qxg2#) 0-1