[Event "National Middle School Championships"]
[Site "Round Rock, TX"]
[Date "2023.04.23"]
[White "Cannon Farragut"]
[Black "Brewington Hardaway"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2035"]
[BlackElo "2431"]
[Annotator "FM Sandeep Sethuraman"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[ECO "D35"]
[Opening "Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Positional Variation"]
[Source "https://lichess.org/study/JIs7Thj7/u9XOdneH"]
[Orientation "white"]
{ Annotations by FM Sandeep Sethuraman }
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. e3 Be7 7. Bd3 Nbd7 8. Nge2 { Farragut goes for the mainline. Other interesting options include Qd1-c2,
Ng1-f3, and h2-h3. } 8... h6 9. Bf4?! { The main move by far is 9. Bh4, and I'm not
sure exactly what Farragut saw here. Again I am amazed by the readiness of
these players to part with their bishops, be it for better or worse. } (9. Bh4 O-O 10. O-O Nh5 { This is a common motif, because trading these bishops almost
always favors Black whose knights are much better-suited for the pawn
structure with fixed pawns. } 11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. Qc2 { would be a normal
continuation with an equal position. Black wants to reroute knights to the f6-
and d6- squares, covering White's e3-e4 break and b2-b4-b5 attack. }) 9... Nh5 { Hardaway plays the principled reply. } 10. Bg3?! (10. Be5 { would have been the
critical move. } 10... Nxe5 { Is the only way to justify 9. ... Nh5, but after } 11. dxe5 { Black's knight is sadly out of play. } 11... Qc7 12. f4 g5! { Making a new
life for the knight, and trying to rip apart White's dark square bind. After } 13. Nd4 { both sides have chances. }) 10... O-O 11. O-O Re8?! { There was no
reason not to take on g3, as this allows White to escape. } (11... Nxg3 12. Nxg3 Re8 { was forcing and stronger. }) 12. Qc2?! { Again missing his chance. } (12. Be5 Nxe5 13. dxe5 Bc5 { was probably what Hardaway was counting on, but } 14. Na4 Bb6 15. Nf4! { would have allowed White to keep his pawns defended and given
equality. }) 12... Nxg3 13. Nxg3 Nf6 { Now Black simply has the bishop pair and
a comfortably better position out of the opening. } 14. Rad1 b6 (14... h5!? { is the computer's suggestion, and it does make White's knight feel awkward,
but such a move cannot be made lightly. Now, } 15. h4 { Is never an option as
the pawn is just too weak. } (15. h3 h4 16. Nf5 Bxf5 17. Bxf5 g6 18. Bd3 Bd6 { and Black has more space, and a possible future battery on the b8-h2 diagonal. }) 15... Ng4 16. Nxh5 Qd6 17. Nf4 Bxh4 { and Black has a strong initiative. }) 15. Rfe1 Bb7 16. e4! { This break puts White back into the game, as it activates
every single piece, while Black is still scrambling to finish development. } (16. Nf5?! { would be an example of what not to do here. } 16... Bf8 { and now the
knight on f5 looks nice, but it really doesn't accomplish much, and White has
no clear way forward while Black will complete development and enjoy the
bishop pair. }) 16... dxe4 17. Ncxe4 Nd5 18. a3 Bf8 19. Bc4 Bc8! { An
impressive retreat. Hardaway correctly decides that the bishop would be better
placed on e6. } 20. Bxd5 cxd5 21. Nc3 Rxe1+ 22. Rxe1 Be6 23. f4? { White wants
to attack, but this move is just too weakening, and there is no real dangerous
initiative. } (23. Qd3 { would keep the position compact, and make it extremely
difficult for Black to break through. } 23... Rc8 24. Nf1 Qd7 25. Ne3 { would be a
sample continuation. }) 23... Qf6 24. Qf2 Bd6 25. Rf1 (25. f5 { was the way to
follow through with the previous f2-f4, but Farragut was likely deterred by } 25... Bxg3 26. hxg3 Qxf5 27. Qxf5 Bxf5 { . However, after } 28. Nxd5 Kf8 { Black's edge
is smaller than what happened in the game. White's pawns being on dark squares
makes it easier for him to hold Black's entry points and gives good drawing
chances. }) 25... g6 26. Nge2 Re8 27. h3 h5 28. Qf3 h4! { Farragut's slip with
27. h3 didn't go unnoticed, and Hardaway immediately fixes the kingside pawns,
a phenomenon that is especially important with the bishop pair. } 29. Qd3 Qf5 30. Qxf5 Bxf5 31. Kf2 Bd3 { Now the bishop pair will tell in the endgame, and
Hardaway shows superb technique. } 32. Rd1 Bc4 33. Kf3 { Waiting will bring no
fruit for White, but there really isn't any good alternatives. This is the
problem with having two knights against two bishops in a position lacking in
outposts. } 33... Re6 34. Rd2 a5 35. a4! { The best chance. White must stop Black's
pawns from advancing before he is overrun on the queenside. However all moves
have a downside, and this one weakens the b4-square. } 35... Bb4 { Hardaway
immediately capitalizes. } 36. Rd1 Bb3 37. Rc1 Kg7 38. Rf1 { White is reduced to
waiting for Black to exhaust his breakthroughs while simply hoping that he can
hold, but Hardaway has no intention of giving his opponent the easy way out. } 38... Bc4 39. Rd1 Kf6 40. Rd2 (40. g3!? { The human instinct in these positions is
to lash out, so I'm surprised this wasn't played. Farragut had to create
counterplay of some kind. } 40... hxg3 41. Nxg3? { would have failed to } (41. Rg1 { was what Farragut had to spot. } 41... Bxe2+ 42. Nxe2 Rc6 43. Rxg3 { Even here Black
should be winning, but White has activated his pieces. } 43... Rc2 44. Rg5 Rxb2 45. Rxd5) 41... Bxc3 42. bxc3 Bb3 43. Ra1 Rc6 { and White's position quickly falls
apart. }) 40... Kf5 41. Rd1 Bb3 42. Rd3 Bxc3 { Hardaway spots a way to simplify
the position, but it seems that he missed a move. } 43. Nxc3 Bc2 44. g4+! { Farragut finds the only way to stay in the game. } (44. Rd2? { would have lost
a pawn after } 44... Be4+ 45. Kf2 (45. Nxe4 Rxe4 { and now the pawn on f4 is
indefensible, highlighting the utility of the pawn on h4 }) 45... Kxf4) 44... hxg3 45. Rd2 Bb3 (45... Be4+ { Now White can simply take on g3. }) 46. Kxg3? { Too hasty. Allowing the rook to enter is fatal. } (46. Rg2 { As ugly as this
looks, it is necessary! } 46... Re1 47. Rxg3 f6! { preventing any shenanigans with
Rg3-g5+. } 48. Kf2 Rh1 { and Black is much better, but White is still kicking. }) 46... Re3+ 47. Kg2 f6 48. Rf2 Rd3 49. Ne2 Rd1? { A strange move. I'm not sure
what the purpose here was or what was missed after the simple capture. } (49... Bxa4 { was natural and strong. } 50. Ng3+ Ke6 51. f5+ gxf5 { is really nothing.
Black's queenside majority will decide the game. }) 50. Ng3+ Ke6 51. Re2+?? { Missing a golden opportunity. } (51. f5+! { was so natural. Between two move
orders, the forcing one is almost always best. } 51... gxf5 52. Re2+ Kf7 53. Nxf5 { and White's pieces suddenly come back from the dead. }) 51... Kf7 52. f5 { But now Black doesn't have to take. } 52... Rxd4! { Creating a passed pawn and
effectively shutting down White's drawing chances. } (52... Bxa4?! 53. fxg6+ Kxg6 54. Rf2 Rxd4 55. Ne2 { would have left some chances, as surprisingly the
d5-pawn is indefensible. } 55... Rd3?? (55... Rd2?? 56. Nf4+) (55... Rd1 56. Nc3 Rd4 57. Ne2) (55... Rb4 56. Nf4+) 56. Nf4+) 53. fxg6+ Kxg6 54. Re6 Rb4 { Now Black
is consolidated and White's pawns will drop like flies. } 55. h4 Kf7 56. Rd6 Bxa4 57. h5 Rxb2+ { The rest is a show of technique by the young FM. } 58. Kh3 Bc2 59. Rd7+ Ke6 60. Rc7 a4 61. h6 a3 62. Ra7 a2 63. Kh4 Bg6 64. Kg4 b5 65. Nh5 Bb1 66. Nf4+ Ke5 67. Nh3 Rb4+ 68. Kg3 Ra4 69. h7 Bxh7 70. Re7+ Kd6 { 0-1 Black
wins. } 0-1