[Event "13TH ANNUAL DES MOINES FALL CLASSIC"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/Kvfo9Uhx/PQ8NqgVW"] [Date "2022.12.19"] [Round "4"] [White "Elam, CJ"] [Black "McEntee, Tim"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1551"] [BlackElo "2223"] [BlackTeam "US"] [Annotator "Elam, CJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A46"] [Opening "Indian Defense: Knights Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/Kvfo9Uhx/PQ8NqgVW"] [Orientation "white"] { I was happy to be +2 after three rounds, but a little nervous to be playing another master. } 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 e6 3. g3 c5 { I did not expect this move; I have little preparation against an early ...c7-c5 without first playing ... d7-d5. } 4. Bg2 Nc6 (4... cxd4 5. Nxd4 d5 { [A frustrating thing about playing 1. d4 with 2. Nf3 is the number of transpositions White must be prepared for.] } 6. O-O e5 { [Clearly, White would prefer to not give Black such a dominant center. But they did spend two tempi with the e-pawn, and are already a tempo down in this reversed Grünfeld position.] } 7. Nb3 Be6 8. c4 { A double-edged position where Black's big center is tenuous at best. } 8... Nc6 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. N1d2 Be7 11. Ne4 b6 12. Nc3 Ndb4 13. Qxd8+ Rxd8 14. a3 Nd5 15. Nxd5 Bxd5 16. Be3 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 Kd7 18. Rfc1 { 1-0 (63) Berkes,F (2648)-Perunovic,M (2611) Zurich SUI 2017 }) 5. O-O d5 6. b3 (6. c4! { [White's most active try, recommended in Christof Sielecki's 1. d4 repertoire.] } 6... dxc4 7. Ne5!? Bd7 (7... Nxe5? 8. dxe5 { [Surprisingly, White is better here, despite the pawn sacrifice.] } 8... Qxd1 9. Rxd1 Nd5 10. Nc3 Nxc3 11. bxc3 Be7 12. a4 { [With lasting pressure on the b7-pawn.] }) (7... Nxd4?? { [An easy trap to overlook if trying to decide whether to play 7. Ne5] } 8. e3 Nf5 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 10. Nxf7+ $18)) 6... Be7 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. Bb2 O-O 9. Nbd2 Qe7 10. e3 { I wanted to prepare c2-c4 and get a square for my queen. } 10... Rd8 11. Qe2 (11. Ne5 Nxe5 12. Bxe5 { [Blockading Black's . ..e6-e5 push might have been the best strategy.] }) 11... Ba3 (11... e5! 12. a3 e4 13. Nd4 Bg4 $17) 12. Bxa3 Qxa3 13. c4 Bd7 14. cxd5 { I wanted the c4-square for my knight. } 14... Nxd5 15. Nc4 Qe7 16. Rac1 Rac8 17. Nfe5 Be8 18. Nxc6 Rxc6?! (18... Bxc6 19. e4 Nb4 { [White would love to push e4-e5, but not at the expense of creating light-squared holes around the king.] }) 19. Rfd1 (19. e4 Nb4 20. e5 { [White can gain space and fight for the d6-square without conceding anything on the light squares.] }) 19... b5 20. Bxd5 { I thought this move weakened his pawn structure, which would compensate for trading off my bishop. } 20... exd5 21. Nb2 d4! { [An important point that White should have been on the lookout for when parting with the Catalan bishop. After this move, Black's bishop looks better than it did before, and there is no longer an isolated pawn hampering it.] } 22. Rxc6 Bxc6 23. Qd2?? { I completely missed Black's next move; the game is pretty much lost here. } (23. Rd2 Qe4 24. f3 Qxf3 (24... Qxe3+?? 25. Qxe3 dxe3 26. Rxd8+ Be8 27. Rxe8#) (24... Qb1+ 25. Nd1 (25. Rd1? Qxa2) 25... d3 26. e4!) 25. Qxf3 Bxf3 26. exd4) 23... Qe4 24. f4 Qh1+ 25. Kf2 Qxh2+ 26. Ke1 Qxg3+ 27. Qf2 Qxf2+ 28. Kxf2 dxe3+ 29. Kxe3 Rxd1 30. Nxd1 h5 31. Nf2 Kh7 32. Nh3 Kg6 33. Nf2 Kf5 34. Nd3 h4 35. Nf2 f6 36. b4 g5 37. a4 bxa4 38. fxg5 fxg5 39. Nh3 a3 40. b5 Bxb5 41. Kf2 a2 42. Kg2 a1=Q 43. Kh2 Bc6 44. Nf2 g4 45. Nd1 { Here was my last chance at any tricks. } 45... Qa2+! 46. Nb2 Qxb2+ 47. Kg1 Qg2# { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1