[Event "National K-12 Grade Championships: 12th Grade"] [Site "National Harbor, MD"] [Date "2024-12-07"] [Round "5.1"] [White "Underwood, Toshinori"] [Black "Kaplan, Avi Harrison"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2228"] [WhiteFideId "30941555"] [BlackElo "2378"] [BlackTitle "FM"] [BlackFideId "30934559"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B23"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Closed"] [StudyName "2024 National K-12 Grade Championships"] [ChapterName "Underwood, Toshinori - Kaplan, Avi Harrison"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/BpCvdq2G/r3ALSSxE"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 1... c5 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 2. Nc3 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 2... a6 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 3. Nge2 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 3... d6 { [%clk 1:29:22] } 4. g3 { [%clk 1:29:38] } 4... Nf6 { [%clk 1:26:38] } 5. Bg2 { [%clk 1:27:31] } 5... g6 { [%clk 1:26:38] } 6. d3 { [%clk 1:26:31] } 6... Bg7 { [%clk 1:26:38] } 7. O-O { [%clk 1:26:31] } 7... Nc6 { [%clk 1:26:37] } 8. h3 { [%clk 1:26:26] } 8... O-O { [%clk 1:26:37] } 9. f4 { [%clk 1:26:03] } 9... Nd7 { [%clk 1:26:37] } 10. g4 { [%clk 1:20:29] } 10... b5 { The funny thing about the Closed Sicilian is how one subtle shift in move order can be the difference between a tabiya played dozens of times in the database and a fresh position. } { [%clk 1:26:10] } 11. Qe1!? { While this move is thematic for the opening, preparing Qe1-h4 and a kingside attack, we are apparently in a completely fresh position. The early ... Nf6-d7 makes Nc3-d5 less stable, and it's less clear what the follow-up to Qe1-h4 will be, as f4-f5 is met by Black gripping the dark squares with ... Nc6-d4 and ... Nd7-e5. } { [%clk 1:17:40] } 11... b4 { [%clk 1:18:31] } 12. Nd5 { [%clk 1:15:07] } 12... Bb7 { Without a knight on f6, Black is able to simply "play around" White's knight while keeping ... e7-e6 ideas in reserve to dissuade any Qe1-h4 development. } { [%clk 1:11:15] } 13. f5 { [%clk 1:03:59] } 13... Nd4 { [%clk 0:58:10] } 14. Nxd4 { [%clk 0:51:59] } 14... Bxd4+ { [%clk 0:56:14] } 15. Kh1 { [%clk 0:50:52] } 15... e6 { Black begins to repel White's forces. } { [%clk 0:50:35] } 16. Ne3 { [%clk 0:44:21] } 16... Nb6?! { It seems weird to weaken the f6-square in this way. Black might be playing for ... d6-d5 and opening up the center. But it's not clear why Black was the one who needed to fight for this right now. } { [%clk 0:26:13] } (16... a5 { would be the thematic way to expand on the queenside with ... Bb7-a6 and play for further expansion. White's kingside play is slow, at best, and so the relatively stable center situation should be in Black's favor. }) 17. c3 { [%clk 0:37:06] } 17... bxc3 { [%clk 0:26:13] } 18. bxc3 { [%clk 0:37:06] } 18... Bg7 { [%clk 0:25:23] } 19. Rb1 { [%clk 0:35:49] } 19... Rb8 { [%clk 0:24:27] } 20. Rxb6! { Black's 16th move baited this sac, with the intention of deflecting the queen off the f6-square and pushing f5-f6. White was right to go for it. } { [%clk 0:34:05] } 20... Qxb6 { [%clk 0:24:07] } 21. f6 { [%clk 0:34:05] } 21... Bh8 { [%clk 0:17:28] } 22. Nc4 { [%clk 0:26:33] } (22. g5 { might have been more flexible, leaving Ne3-g4 options open and already freeing the f1-rook from covering the f6-pawn. }) 22... Qd8 { Black pressures the f6-pawn, hoping that g4-g5 clarifies the position in a way that reduces White's options in the future. } { [%clk 0:15:29] } 23. Bf4? { White loses the thread! The intention of this move is clear enough, with the threat of Bf4xd6 forking the b8- and f8-rooks. The desire to provoke ... e6-e5 makes some sense, too, forcing Black to make decisions about pawn placement rather than committing to g4-g5. But the ... e6-e5 push improves Black's light-squared bishop, and if White can't get g4-g5 in safely, then the f6-pawn remains a target. } { [%clk 0:24:03] } (23. g5 Bc6 24. Qg3 e5 $44 { Still, Black's h8-bishop is completely out of play, so White should be at least equal. }) 23... e5 { [%clk 0:09:17] } 24. Bg5 { [%clk 0:22:45] } 24... d5!? { This is less complicated than the alternative. } { [%clk 0:05:46] } (24... h6 { was another way to solve the dark-squared bishop's problems; } 25. Bxh6 Bxf6 26. Bxf8 Bh4! { This was a key intermezzo. } 27. Qd2 Qxf8 $17 { White can't break in on the kingside, and the d-pawn is solidly covered. Black's position is easier to play with the bishop pair. }) 25. Ne3?! { It's not clear what was wrong with } { [%clk 0:16:53] } (25. Nxe5 { when } 25... dxe4 26. dxe4 Qe8 27. Qg3 Qe6 $15 { when Black's pieces are activating but White has a pawn for the Exchange and a good knight. }) 25... dxe4 26. dxe4 { [%clk 0:16:53] } 26... Qd3! { The d3-square is often an infiltration point in the Sicilian after g2-g3 and Bf1-g2. The weak c- and e-pawns are exposed. } { [%clk 0:05:13] } 27. Nd5 { [%clk 0:09:15] } 27... Bxd5 { White threatened Nd5-e7 mate, so this seems prudent! } { [%clk 0:05:13] } 28. exd5 { [%clk 0:09:15] } 28... Rfe8 { [%clk 0:05:13] } 29. Qe3 { [%clk 0:08:48] } 29... Qc4 { [%clk 0:04:35] } (29... e4 30. Qxd3 exd3 31. Rd1 c4 $19) 30. Rf2 { [%clk 0:05:34] } 30... Rb1+ { [%clk 0:04:34] } 31. Kh2 { [%clk 0:05:34] } 31... Rd1 { [%clk 0:03:37] } (31... e4! { was even stronger, with prophylaxis against 32. Be4. }) 32. Qe2? { Down the Exchange, it might seem odd to offer the queen trade. But White still has the passed d-pawn and Black still has an invisible bishop in the corner. } { [%clk 0:03:28] } (32. Be4! { It was necessary to stop the e-pawn immediately. } 32... Rf1 { Black might try to trade off their superfluous rook, both so the remaining rook is unopposed and so the f6-pawn is less protected and ... h7-h6 becomes more of an idea. } 33. Rb2 { But allowing the f6-pawn to drop is actually not the worst thing for White! } 33... Bxf6!? (33... Ra1 $17 { is another option, but the h8-bishop is still a problem. }) 34. Qd3! Qxd3 35. Bxd3 Rf3 36. Be4 { Black has to return material somehow. } 36... Rf4 { is the best of many options. } 37. Bxf4 exf4 38. Re2 Bxc3 { Black is two pawns up, but } 39. Bd3! $132 { keeps White alive. The opposite-colored bishop endgame without rooks offers drawing chances, but keeping rooks on leaves the a6-pawn exposed. }) 32... Qxe2 { [%clk 0:03:12] } 33. Rxe2 h6 { [%clk 0:03:02] } 34. Be3 { [%clk 0:03:08] } 34... Bxf6 { But, suddenly, the bishop is very visible, and Black is up an Exchange for real. } { [%clk 0:02:51] } 35. Bxc5 { [%clk 0:02:46] } 35... e4 { [%clk 0:02:51] } 36. Rxe4 { [%clk 0:02:01] } (36. Bxe4 Rxd5 $19) 36... Be5+ { [%clk 0:02:30] } 37. Rxe5 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 37... Rxe5 { [%clk 0:02:30] } 38. Bd4 { [%clk 0:01:42] } 38... Re2 $19 { The two Exchanges are too much for the central pawns. } { [%clk 0:02:29] } 39. Kg3 { [%clk 0:00:58] } 39... Rxd4 { [%clk 0:02:15] } 40. cxd4 { [%clk 0:00:58] } 40... Rd2 { [%clk 0:02:15] } 41. Kf4 { [%clk 0:00:49] } 41... Rxg2 { [%clk 0:02:15] } 42. Ke5 { [%clk 0:00:49] } 42... Kf8 { [%clk 0:02:15] } 43. Kd6 { [%clk 0:00:49] } 43... Ke8 { [%clk 0:02:15] } 44. Kc7 { [%clk 0:00:49] } 44... Rc2+ { [%clk 0:02:15] } 45. Kd6 { [%clk 0:00:49] } 45... Rxa2 { [%clk 0:02:15] } 46. Ke5 { [%clk 0:00:49] } 46... Kd7 { 0-1 Black wins. } { [%clk 0:02:15] } 0-1