[Event "Rated Rapid game"] [Site "https://lichess.org/YxDWjdjP"] [Date "2022.12.09"] [White "mbodek"] [Black "Andrii_Baryshpolets"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2751"] [WhiteTitle "IM"] [BlackElo "2586"] [BlackTitle "GM"] [TimeControl "900+5"] [Termination "Normal"] [UTCDate "2022.12.11"] [UTCTime "03:03:53"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C12"] [Opening "French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Dr. Olland Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/kyrongriffith"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/HpgElys8/RAWNvfUp"] [Orientation "white"] { This round 9 game features IM Michael Bodek of Lyft playing white against GM Andrey Baryshpolets of PWC } 1. e4 { [%clk 0:15:00] } 1... e6 { [%clk 0:15:00] } 2. d4 { [%clk 0:15:00] } 2... d5 { [%clk 0:15:04] } 3. Nc3 { [%clk 0:15:03] } 3... Nf6 { [%clk 0:15:07] } 4. Bg5 { [%clk 0:15:06] } 4... Bb4 { [%clk 0:15:05] } 5. e5 { [%clk 0:15:09] } 5... h6 { The MacCutcheon variation of the French has seen play thousands of times. Initially it looks like black is losing the knight on f6, but this h6 and g5 resource keeps the balance. } { [%clk 0:15:09] } 6. Bc1 { [%clk 0:15:11] } (6. Bd2 { is more common }) 6... Ne4 { [%clk 0:14:59] } 7. Qg4 { A thematic idea in the French for white. Black usually needs to make some sort of concession to defend g7. } { [%csl Gg7] [%clk 0:15:14] } 7... Kf8 { [%clk 0:14:25] } 8. Ne2 { [%clk 0:14:58] } 8... c5 { black strikes at white's center } { [%csl Gd4] [%clk 0:13:43] } 9. a3 { [%clk 0:13:55] } 9... Ba5 { [%clk 0:12:09] } 10. dxc5 { [%clk 0:13:05] } 10... Nc6 { [%csl Ge5] [%clk 0:10:28] } 11. b4 { [%clk 0:11:47] } 11... Nxe5 { [%clk 0:10:02] } 12. Qh3 { [%clk 0:10:56] } 12... Bc7 { The position has quickly become unbalanced. While material is equal, white has a strong pawn chain on the queenside while black has a bit more central control. White is a tad better due to black's awkward king. } { [%clk 0:08:39] } 13. Nxe4 { [%clk 0:09:42] } 13... dxe4 { [%clk 0:08:42] } 14. Bb2 { [%clk 0:07:40] } 14... b6 { [%clk 0:04:58] } 15. Nc3 { [%clk 0:04:43] } 15... bxc5 { [%clk 0:02:54] } 16. Nxe4 { [%clk 0:03:47] } 16... cxb4 { [%clk 0:02:58] } 17. axb4 { [%clk 0:03:36] } 17... Bb7 { [%clk 0:02:43] } 18. Nc5 { White is now significantly better with the powerful Nc5 and Bb2. Once white is able to play Be2 and 0-0, black will be close to lost. } { [%csl Gc5,Gb2][%cal Gb2h8] [%clk 0:03:31] } 18... Bd5 { [%clk 0:01:57] } 19. Rd1? { [%clk 0:02:44] } (19. Be2 { was simple and very strong }) 19... Qe7? { [%clk 0:01:36] } (19... Qg5 { is a strong anticipatory move. Now white cannot develop Be2 due to the weakness on g2 } { [%csl Gg2] }) 20. c4 { [%clk 0:02:16] } 20... Bc6 { [%clk 0:01:24] } 21. Qc3 { [%clk 0:01:41] } 21... a5 { [%clk 0:00:31] } 22. b5 { [%clk 0:01:24] } 22... a4 { [%clk 0:00:34] } (22... Qxc5 23. Ba3 { is a nice trick }) 23. Na6 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 23... Rxa6 { black is forced to sacrifice an exchange to relieve some of the pressure, but things are still quite difficult for him } { [%clk 0:00:21] } 24. bxa6 { [%clk 0:00:18] } (24. Ba3 { does not work due to } 24... Ba5!) 24... Qf6 { [%clk 0:00:10] } 25. a7 { [%clk 0:00:16] } 25... Kg8 { [%clk 0:00:12] } 26. Be2 { [%clk 0:00:11] } 26... Qg5 { [%clk 0:00:12] } 27. Qg3?? { A massive oversight! I'm not sure what white missed here, but unfortunately this is a blunder of a queen! } { [%clk 0:00:12] } 27... Nf3+ { [%clk 0:00:10] } 28. Bxf3 { [%clk 0:00:12] } (28. Qxf3 Bxf3 29. Bxf3 Qa5+ { Perhaps this was the move that was missed by white }) 28... Bxg3 { [%clk 0:00:14] } 29. hxg3 { [%clk 0:00:06] } 29... Qa5+ { [%clk 0:00:16] } 30. Kf1 { [%clk 0:00:09] } 30... Bxf3 { [%clk 0:00:19] } 31. gxf3 { [%clk 0:00:12] } 31... Qxa7 { White is only down two points of material, but in practice this is completely losing. Black's passed a-pawn and white's weak c-pawn should spell the end. However, both players were down to under 20 seconds on the clock at this point so anything can happen! } { [%clk 0:00:17] } 32. Kg2 { [%clk 0:00:14] } 32... Kh7 { [%clk 0:00:17] } 33. Rd3 { [%clk 0:00:17] } 33... Rc8 { [%clk 0:00:16] } 34. Rc1 { [%clk 0:00:17] } 34... Qb7 { [%clk 0:00:12] } 35. Ba3 { [%clk 0:00:19] } 35... g5 { [%clk 0:00:11] } 36. c5 { [%clk 0:00:16] } 36... Kg6 { [%clk 0:00:08] } 37. Rdc3 { White has done a great job consolidating: the a-pawn is completely blockaded while the c-pawn is always threatening to advance further } { [%clk 0:00:19] } 37... Qc6 { [%clk 0:00:11] } 38. Rc4 { [%clk 0:00:21] } 38... h5 { [%clk 0:00:14] } 39. R1c3 { [%clk 0:00:23] } 39... Rd8 { [%clk 0:00:15] } 40. Rb4 { [%clk 0:00:26] } 40... g4! { A great idea - black begins an attack on white's king which should be unstoppable due to black's material superiority } { [%clk 0:00:15] } 41. Rb6 { [%clk 0:00:22] } 41... gxf3+ { [%clk 0:00:15] } 42. Rxf3 { [%clk 0:00:19] } 42... Qxf3+?? { A move of panic - it even happens to GMs when the time gets low. Black saw a way to simplify to a better rook endgame, but it is not a winning one. } { [%clk 0:00:08] } 43. Kxf3 { [%clk 0:00:22] } 43... Rd3+ { [%clk 0:00:13] } 44. Ke4 { [%clk 0:00:21] } 44... Rxa3 { [%clk 0:00:17] } 45. Ra6 { [%clk 0:00:25] } 45... Ra2 { [%clk 0:00:15] } 46. Kf3 { Black is a pawn up but white's c-pawn will cause enough problems for white to make a draw } { [%clk 0:00:28] } 46... Kf6 { [%clk 0:00:17] } 47. c6 { [%clk 0:00:31] } 47... Ke7 { [%clk 0:00:17] } 48. Ra7+ { [%clk 0:00:32] } 48... Kd6 { [%clk 0:00:21] } 49. c7 { [%clk 0:00:32] } 49... Kd7 { [%clk 0:00:14] } 50. c8=Q+ { [%clk 0:00:36] } 50... Kxc8 { [%clk 0:00:18] } 51. Rxf7 { [%clk 0:00:39] } 51... Rc2 { [%clk 0:00:09] } 52. Ra7 { [%clk 0:00:38] } 52... Rc4 { [%clk 0:00:10] } 53. Ke3 { [%clk 0:00:38] } 53... Kb8 { [%clk 0:00:12] } 54. Ra5 { [%clk 0:00:42] } 54... h4 { [%clk 0:00:15] } 55. gxh4 { [%clk 0:00:45] } 55... Rxh4 { [%clk 0:00:19] } 56. f4 { [%clk 0:00:49] } 56... a3 { [%clk 0:00:22] } 57. Ke4 { [%clk 0:00:51] } (57. Rxa3 { Not this of course! } 57... Rh3+) 57... Rh3 { [%clk 0:00:25] } 58. Ke5?? { Another huge oversight! Both players actually have banked up quite a bit of time by now so this one should have been seen by black. } { [%clk 0:00:55] } 58... Re3+ { [%clk 0:00:29] } (58... Rh5+ { wins on the spot! }) 59. Kd4 { [%clk 0:00:59] } 59... Rb3 { [%clk 0:00:31] } 60. Ke5 { [%clk 0:01:01] } 60... Kb7 { [%clk 0:00:21] } 61. Kxe6 { [%clk 0:00:56] } 61... Rb6+ { [%clk 0:00:15] } 62. Ke7 { [%clk 0:00:40] } 62... Ra6 { [%clk 0:00:17] } 63. Rxa6 { [%clk 0:00:33] } 63... Kxa6 { [%clk 0:00:21] } 64. f5 { [%clk 0:00:37] } 64... a2 { [%clk 0:00:24] } 65. f6 { [%clk 0:00:41] } 65... a1=Q { [%clk 0:00:28] } 66. f7 { [%clk 0:00:46] } 66... Qe5+ { A queen versus a 7th rank pawn is a win 50% of the time and a draw 50% of the time. If the pawn is a rook pawn or bishop pawn, it is a draw, otherwise it is a win for the player with the queen. This one of course is a draw. } { [%clk 0:00:13] } 67. Kf8 { [%clk 0:00:48] } 67... Qh8+ { [%clk 0:00:12] } 68. Ke7 { [%clk 0:00:51] } 68... Qg7 { [%clk 0:00:15] } 69. Ke8 { [%clk 0:00:55] } 69... Qg6 { [%clk 0:00:15] } (69... Qe5+ 70. Kd7 Qf6 71. Ke8 Qe6+ 72. Kf8 Kb6 73. Kg7 Qg4+ 74. Kh7 Qh5+ 75. Kg7 Qg5+ 76. Kh7 Qf6 77. Kg8 Qg6+ 78. Kh8! { This is the reason why the bishop pawn is a draw - white has this stalemate trick and is threatening to queen. Black cannot win a tempo to bring the king closer }) 70. Ke7 { [%clk 0:00:59] } 70... Qxf7+ { [%clk 0:00:13] } 71. Kxf7 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } { The GM doesn't make the IM play it out since this draw is so well-known. A very back and forth game! } { [%clk 0:00:58] } 1/2-1/2