[Event "U.S. Senior Chess Championship 2024"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2024.07.21"] [Round "06"] [White "Root, Douglas"] [Black "Benjamin, Joel"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2463"] [BlackElo "2490"] [TimeControl "7200+30"] [Annotator "Matt Clibanoff"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D37"] [Opening "Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation"] [StudyName "2024 U.S. National Championships (Junior/Girls' Junior/Senior)"] [ChapterName "Root, Douglas - Benjamin, Joel"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/HdJRwKaQ/MnMhy5RQ"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%clk 2:00:56] } 1... Nf6 { [%clk 2:00:53] } 2. c4 { [%clk 2:01:19] } 2... e6 { [%clk 2:01:10] } 3. Nf3 { [%clk 2:01:43] } 3... d5 { [%clk 2:01:07] } 4. Nc3 { [%clk 2:02:05] } 4... a6 { [%clk 2:01:23] } 5. cxd5 { [%clk 2:00:20] } 5... exd5 { [%clk 2:01:45] } 6. Bg5 { [%clk 2:00:35] } 6... Be6 { [%clk 2:02:09] } 7. e3 { [%clk 2:00:16] } 7... Nbd7 { [%clk 2:01:19] } 8. Bd3 { [%clk 1:58:25] } 8... Bd6 { [%clk 2:00:08] } 9. O-O { [%clk 1:57:53] } 9... c6 { [%clk 1:59:31] } 10. Bh4!? { Up to this point we were in well-worn Queen's Gambit Declined theory, but 10. Bh4 has only been tried a few times. } { [%clk 1:50:06] } (10. Bf4 { This is the more traditional line. White is happy to open up the e-file, and the isolated d-pawn will be hard for Black to target. }) 10... h6 { [%clk 1:43:30] } 11. Bc2?! { Sort of an odd retreat. } { [%clk 1:40:11] } (11. e4! dxe4 12. Nxe4 { Seems to me much stronger. }) 11... Qc7 { [%clk 1:38:56] } 12. Bg3 { [%clk 1:39:51] } 12... O-O { [%clk 1:28:35] } (12... Bxg3 13. fxg3 O-O { Black can be said to have a small edge here but not much more. }) 13. Qd3 { [%clk 1:38:03] } 13... Rfe8 { [%clk 1:22:34] } 14. Nh4 { [%clk 1:35:23] } 14... Nf8 { [%clk 1:17:09] } 15. Rae1 { [%clk 1:23:06] } 15... Rad8 { [%clk 1:11:00] } 16. Nf5 { [%clk 1:14:50] } 16... Bxf5 { [%clk 1:10:58] } 17. Qxf5 { [%clk 1:15:15] } 17... Bxg3 { [%clk 1:07:17] } 18. hxg3 { It's sort of unclear why Black waited so long to take on g3. It may have been a case of "well, I've got nothing better, so let's do it now." I think this move would have been fine five moves ago as well. } { [%clk 1:12:16] } 18... Ne6 { [%clk 0:59:42] } 19. f4? { Not ideal. The e-pawn is going to be a long-term target. White's pawns are starting to look rough. } { [%clk 1:12:29] } 19... c5 { [%clk 0:49:08] } (19... Nf8! 20. g4 N8h7 { Preparing ... g7-g6. I like the idea of doing something other than pushing ... c6-c5. I have no interest in improving White's e-pawn. } { [%cal Bg7g6] }) 20. Rd1 { [%clk 1:07:52] } 20... cxd4 { [%clk 0:45:51] } 21. exd4 { [%clk 1:08:14] } 21... Qc4 { [%clk 0:45:22] } 22. Qd3! { A smart move. Queens off the board could slow this down and give White better drawing chances. } { [%clk 1:06:27] } 22... b5 { [%clk 0:42:37] } 23. a3 { [%clk 0:58:28] } 23... Qxd3 { [%clk 0:41:29] } 24. Rxd3 { [%clk 0:58:50] } 24... Ne4 { [%clk 0:37:21] } 25. Bb3 { [%clk 0:57:37] } 25... Nxc3 { [%clk 0:34:42] } 26. bxc3 { A fantastic sequence by Black, creating a serious weakness on c3. The computer says this is still even, but White is going to have a very hard time trying to reconcile his weak pawns. } { [%clk 0:57:53] } 26... Nc7 { [%clk 0:33:54] } 27. Kf2 { [%clk 0:56:46] } 27... Kf8 { [%clk 0:30:34] } 28. Re3 { [%clk 0:54:37] } 28... Rxe3 { [%clk 0:25:50] } 29. Kxe3 { [%clk 0:55:00] } 29... Rd6 { [%clk 0:24:27] } 30. Rh1 { [%clk 0:52:09] } 30... Ke7 { [%clk 0:18:20] } 31. Rh5 { [%clk 0:50:08] } 31... Re6+ { [%clk 0:17:28] } 32. Re5?! { There's an old endgame saying: if you're behind, trade pawns not pieces. Root would have done better to heed that adage. That said, this is not a lost endgame after the trade of rooks by any means. } { [%clk 0:37:54] } (32. Kd2 Rg6 33. Rh3 { Presumably, this is what Root wanted to avoid, as the h3-rook is much more passive than its black counterpart. The opportunity to trade rooks, then, is understandable. However, the engine insists Black has no way to make progress here, while Bb3-c2 can 'repel' the rook in most lines. } 33... a5 34. Bc2 Rb6 35. g4 $132 { and the rook is not so bad on h3 anymore! }) 32... f6 { [%clk 0:17:34] } 33. Rxe6+ { [%clk 0:38:18] } 33... Kxe6 { [%clk 0:18:00] } 34. g4 { [%clk 0:32:08] } 34... g5 { [%clk 0:14:46] } 35. g3 { [%clk 0:25:07] } 35... Kd6 { [%clk 0:14:54] } 36. a4 { [%clk 0:24:19] } 36... bxa4 { [%clk 0:11:49] } 37. Bxa4 { [%clk 0:24:43] } 37... Na8 { [%clk 0:12:15] } 38. Bd1 { [%clk 0:21:05] } 38... Nb6! { The knight is coming into the game, has a nice outpost on c4 and will help the a pawn push forward. } { [%clk 0:12:35] } 39. Be2 { [%clk 0:21:19] } 39... a5 { [%clk 0:12:31] } 40. Kd2 { [%clk 0:21:41] } 40... Kc6 { [%clk 0:10:07] } 41. Kc2 { [%clk 0:21:59] } 41... Nc8 { [%clk 0:07:50] } 42. Kb3 { [%clk 0:18:21] } 42... Nd6 { [%clk 0:05:07] } 43. fxg5 { [%clk 0:17:40] } 43... hxg5 { White now has ugly doubled pawns on the g-file. If Black is so inclined, he can abandon the passed pawn and attack the other side of the board. } { [%csl Bg3,Bg4,Bc3] [%clk 0:05:12] } 44. Bf3? { Ne4 is coming regardless. Bxe4 just gives Black another passer. } { [%clk 0:15:42] } (44. Ka4! Ne4 45. Kxa5 Nxc3 46. Bd3 { An important move, preventing the knight from moving to any square that attacks the weak d4-pawn. } 46... Nd1 47. Bb5+ Kd6 48. Be2 Ne3 49. Kb4 { If White can defend the d4 pawn with the king and hold onto at least one of his g pawns he has a good shot at holding here. }) (44. Bd3 { also holds, as now White still has the opportunity to play Kb3-a4 after } 44... Ne4 45. Ka4! Nxc3+ 46. Kxa5 $10 { as Black cannot play ... Nc3-b5 with White's bishop still on the f1-a6 diagonal. }) 44... Ne4 { [%clk 0:05:14] } 45. Kc2 { [%clk 0:15:34] } (45. Ka4? Nxc3+ 46. Kxa5 Nb5! { is the point. The d-pawn falls, and Black wins. }) 45... Kd6 { [%clk 0:04:20] } 46. c4 { [%clk 0:15:31] } 46... Nxg3 { [%clk 0:04:01] } 47. cxd5 { [%clk 0:12:40] } 47... Nf1 { [%clk 0:03:06] } 48. Kd3 { [%clk 0:10:22] } 48... a4 { [%clk 0:03:23] } 49. Kc3 { [%clk 0:06:36] } 49... Nh2 { [%clk 0:03:27] } 50. Bd1 { [%clk 0:05:33] } 50... a3 { [%clk 0:03:48] } 51. Kb3 { [%clk 0:05:45] } 51... Kxd5 { [%clk 0:04:09] } 52. Kxa3 { [%clk 0:06:11] } 52... Kxd4 { And Black gobbles up two pawns for the price of one, and will certainly win the g4-pawn. This game is now down to endgame technique Benjamin likely mastered in the 70s. } { [%clk 0:04:33] } 53. Kb3 { [%clk 0:06:15] } 53... Kd3 { [%clk 0:04:22] } 54. Bc2+ { [%clk 0:05:45] } 54... Ke3 { [%clk 0:04:44] } 55. Bf5 { [%clk 0:06:01] } 55... Kf4 { [%clk 0:05:09] } 56. Kc3 { [%clk 0:06:19] } 56... Nxg4 { [%clk 0:05:35] } 57. Bc8 { [%clk 0:06:42] } 57... Ne3 { [%clk 0:04:52] } 58. Bb7 { [%clk 0:06:26] } 58... f5 { [%clk 0:03:04] } 59. Kd3 { [%clk 0:06:48] } 59... g4 { [%clk 0:03:09] } 60. Ke2 { [%clk 0:07:09] } 60... Nc4 { [%clk 0:03:22] } 61. Kf2 { [%clk 0:07:24] } 61... Kg5 { [%clk 0:03:40] } 62. Kg3 { [%clk 0:07:27] } 62... f4+ { [%clk 0:04:07] } 63. Kg2 { [%clk 0:07:48] } 63... Ne5 { [%clk 0:04:32] } 64. Bc8 { [%clk 0:08:00] } 64... Kh4 { [%clk 0:04:46] } 65. Bb7 { [%clk 0:07:54] } 65... Nd3 { [%clk 0:04:54] } 66. Be4 { [%clk 0:08:00] } 66... f3+ { [%clk 0:04:45] } 67. Kf1 { [%clk 0:08:19] } 67... Nc5 { 0-1 Black wins. } { [%clk 0:05:01] } 0-1