[Event "National Middle School Championship"] [Site "Round Rock, TX"] [White "Ishnoor Singh Chandi"] [Black "Eric Chang Liu"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1893"] [BlackElo "2322"] [BlackTitle "CM"] [Annotator "JJ Lang"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B94"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation"] [UTCDate "2023.05.22"] [UTCTime "18:45:28"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/JIs7Thj7/voN41geC"] [Orientation "white"] { Bonus game one: CM Liu's confident third-round Najdorf against the simul participant from ch. 3. } 1. e4 { [%eval 0.36] [%clk 1:30:00] } 1... c5 { [%eval 0.32] [%clk 1:30:00] } 2. Nf3 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 1:30:00] } 2... d6 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 1:30:00] } 3. d4 { [%eval 0.25] [%clk 1:30:00] } 3... cxd4 { [%eval 0.13] [%clk 1:30:00] } 4. Nxd4 { [%eval 0.27] [%clk 1:30:00] } 4... Nf6 { [%eval 0.3] [%clk 1:30:00] } 5. Nc3 { [%eval 0.21] [%clk 1:30:00] } 5... a6 { [%eval 0.39] [%clk 1:30:00] } 6. Bg5 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 1:30:00] } 6... Nbd7 { [%eval 0.18] [%clk 1:30:00] } 7. Bc4 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 1:30:00] } 7... Qb6 { [%eval 0.1] [%clk 1:29:28] } 8. Bb3 { [%eval 0.42] [%clk 1:30:00] } 8... e6 { [%eval 0.3] [%clk 1:29:21] } 9. Qd2 { [%eval 0.34] [%clk 1:29:38] } 9... Be7 { [%eval 0.24] [%clk 1:29:21] } 10. O-O-O { [%eval 0.15] [%clk 1:29:33] } 10... Nc5 { [%eval 0.14] [%clk 1:29:13] } 11. f3 { [%eval 0.06] [%clk 1:29:33] } 11... Qc7 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 1:23:33] } 12. Kb1 { [%eval -0.34] [%clk 1:29:31] } 12... Rb8 { [%eval 0.4] [%clk 1:22:17] } 13. g4 { [%eval 0.24] [%clk 1:28:32] } 13... b5 { [%eval 0.15] [%clk 1:21:08] } 14. a3 { [%eval -0.08] [%clk 1:28:16] } 14... Bd7 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 1:18:20] } 15. Rhe1 { [%eval -0.46] [%clk 1:26:07] } 15... h6 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 1:03:49] } 16. Be3?! { An instructive error: with Black's king still in the center, White wants to play for Nc3-d5 and Nd4-f5 tactical shots. The bishop interferes with that. If White wanted to retreat to this square, then 15. Rhe1 could have been delayed. } { [%eval -0.85] [%clk 1:13:41] } (16. Bh4 Nxb3 17. cxb3 b4 18. axb4 O-O 19. e5 dxe5 20. Bg3 Bd6 21. Nxe6 Bxe6 22. Qxd6 Qb7) 16... a5 { [%eval -0.63] [%clk 1:03:46] } 17. h4 { [%eval -0.57] [%clk 1:08:15] } 17... b4 { [%eval -1.11] [%clk 0:58:28] } 18. axb4 { [%eval -1.12] [%clk 1:05:53] } 18... axb4 { [%eval -0.93] [%clk 0:58:28] } 19. Na2 { [%eval -0.44] [%clk 1:04:34] } 19... e5 { [%eval -0.95] [%clk 0:40:58] } 20. Nf5 { [%eval -1.13] [%clk 1:01:07] } 20... Nxb3 { [%eval -1.14] [%clk 0:39:47] } 21. cxb3 { [%eval -1.03] [%clk 0:59:45] } 21... Bxf5 { [%eval -0.94] [%clk 0:39:43] } 22. exf5 { [%eval -1.43] [%clk 0:57:13] } 22... Qa5 { [%eval -1.38] [%clk 0:32:39] } 23. g5 { [%eval -2.14] [%clk 0:51:23] } 23... O-O!! { I love this opening. } (23... Ra8? { Black has the right idea (that the knight is immaterial to the attack), but does not quite have enough firepower to execute the attack just yet. } { [%eval 0.58] [%clk 0:18:50] } 24. Nxb4 { [%eval 0.37] [%clk 0:47:11] } 24... d5 { [%eval 2.08] [%clk 0:16:53] } 25. Nc2?? { Now, Black is able to break through. The point is that White's king actually needed the path b1-c2-d3, which the knight now obstructs. } { [%eval -5.05] [%clk 0:34:37] } (25. Bb6! { A brilliant deflection: } 25... Qxb6 (25... Qa1+ 26. Kc2 Rc8+ 27. Kd3 { and Black's attack has petered out }) 26. gxf6 gxf6 27. Nxd5 { and White is for choice against Black's exposed king. }) 25... Qa2+ { [%eval -5.01] [%clk 0:16:06] } 26. Kc1 { [%eval -5.16] [%clk 0:34:37] } 26... hxg5 { [%eval -2.75] [%clk 0:12:11] } 27. Bxg5 { [%eval -4.95] [%clk 0:19:55] } 27... Rc8 { [%eval -5.3] [%clk 0:12:11] } 28. Qd3 { [%eval -6.06] [%clk 0:18:51] } 28... Qa1+ { [%eval -4.07] [%clk 0:12:11] } 29. Kd2 { [%eval -4.09] [%clk 0:18:51] } 29... Qxb2 { [%eval -4.34] [%clk 0:12:11] } 30. Bxf6 { [%eval -5.45] [%clk 0:15:06] } 30... gxf6 { [%eval -5.44] [%clk 0:07:38] } 31. Rb1 { [%eval -5.62] [%clk 0:10:16] } 31... Bb4+ { [%eval -5.6] [%clk 0:07:05] } 32. Ke3 { [%eval -5.42] [%clk 0:10:16] } 32... d4+ { [%eval -4.95] [%clk 0:07:05] } 33. Nxd4 { [%eval -4.99] [%clk 0:09:40] } 33... Qxd4+ { [%eval -4.89] [%clk 0:07:05] } 34. Qxd4 { [%eval -4.94] [%clk 0:09:37] } 34... exd4+ { [%eval -4.99] [%clk 0:07:05] } 35. Kxd4+ { [%eval -4.82] [%clk 0:09:37] } 35... Bxe1 { [%eval -4.99] [%clk 0:07:05] }) 24. gxf6 Ra8! 25. fxe7 (25. Nxb4 Rfc8 26. fxe7 Qa1#) 25... Qxa2+ 26. Kc2 Rfc8+ { The point, simply enough, is that Black needed one more rook in the attack. } 27. Kd3 Qxb3+ 28. Ke2 Rc2 $19 0-1