[Event "XXXIII Pan-American Youth U18 Female"] [Site "McCormick Convention Center C"] [Date "2023.08.16"] [Round "5.30"] [White "Kelsey Liu"] [Black "Sahana Aravindakshan"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2027"] [WhiteTeam "USA"] [BlackElo "2004"] [BlackTeam "USA"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B31"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack, Fianchetto Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/NdPr3HIs/aBAms7JL"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. c3 Nf6 6. Re1 O-O 7. d4 d5 8. e5 Ne4 9. Be3 Qb6 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. Qc1 c4 12. Na3 Rb8 13. Rb1 Qa5 14. Nh4 f6 15. f3 g5 16. fxe4 gxh4 17. Bh6 Be6 18. Qf4 Bxh6 19. Qxh6 Bf7 20. exf6 exf6 21. Qxf6 { The 3. ... g6 Rossolimo has once again delivered us a fresh, highly imbalanced position. Despite being down a pawn with a bad bishop, Black's position is arguably better thanks to White's misplaced knight and exposed king. } 21... dxe4?? (21... Qd8! 22. Qxd8 (22. Qxc6 Rb6 23. Qc5 h3 $17) 22... Rfxd8 23. exd5 Bxd5!? 24. Nc2 h3 { gives Black enough activity to claim full compensation, especially considering that the rook is tied to the b-pawn. }) 22. Qxh4! (22. Rxe4? { with the same idea of a mating net is too greedy: } 22... Bg6! 23. Qe6+ Kh8 24. Re5 { escaping the skewer with tempo, but } 24... Qd8 25. Rbe1 Rxb2 { gives Black has counterplay! }) 22... Qd5 23. Rxe4 { Now that White's queen is off the open f-file, Black's ... Bf7-g6 is less effective. } 23... Bg6 24. Rg4! Qf7 25. Qe1 Rbe8 26. Qd2? (26. Qg3! Kh8 27. Re1 Bd3 28. h4 Qf6 29. Re5 { brings in too many pieces, forcing Black to trade with } 29... Rxe5 30. Qxe5 Qxe5 31. dxe5 h5 32. Rd4 { when White has a winning endgame. }) 26... Kh8 27. Re1 Bh5! { An excellent move, changing the dynamics of the game. Now White's king is the vulnerable one, and the inefficacy of the a3-knight is coming into focus. } 28. h3 (28. Rg3?? Re2! { is a beautiful interference move. Staving off mate is going to cost White too much material. }) 28... Bxg4 29. hxg4 Rxe1+ (29... Re6 30. Nc2 Rxe1+ 31. Qxe1 Re8 32. Qd2 Qe6 $17) 30. Qxe1 Re8 31. Qf1 Qxf1+ 32. Kxf1 { This endgame should be a draw, but it's not a "dead draw" by any means due to the numerous imbalances. Many strong players would say that each side could play for a win. The rest of us would have a slightly different take: we could lose this position from either side! } 32... c5 33. dxc5 Rc8 34. Nxc4 Rxc5 35. Ne3 Rb5 36. b3 Kg7 37. Ke2 Kf6 38. Kd3 Ke5 39. b4 Rb8 40. a4 (40. g3 Rd8+ 41. Ke2 Ke4 42. Nc4 { was more prudent for White, constructing a fortress such that Black's king cannot make any progress, and the rook cannot penetrate with } 42... Rd3?? { thanks to } 43. Nd2+ $18) 40... Rd8+ 41. Kc4 Ke4 42. Nf5 Rc8+ 43. Kb5 Rxc3 44. Ka6 Rc7 45. Nd6+? { This turned out to be a critical mistake. } (45. a5 Ke5 46. b5 Kd5 47. b6 axb6 48. axb6 Rc1 49. Ka7 Ra1+ 50. Kb8 Kc6 51. b7 Rb1 52. Ne7+ Kb6 53. Nd5+ Kc5 54. Ne7 Kd6 55. Kc8) (45. b5 { would be similar. }) 45... Kd5? (45... Ke5! 46. Ne8 (46. Nb5 Rc4 47. Ka5 (47. Nxa7 Kd6 $18) 47... Rxg4 48. Nxa7 h5 49. b5 h4 50. b6 Kd6! $19) 46... Re7 { illustrates the necessity of Black's king being on e5, covering the f6-square, for this refutation of White's Nc7-e8 idea to work. }) 46. Nb5? (46. Ne8! Rc6+ (46... Rc4 47. Nf6+ Ke5 48. Nxh7 { should be equal, thanks to White snapping off the h-pawn via its access to the key f6-square. }) 47. Kxa7 Rc4 48. Nf6+ Kd6 49. Nxh7) (46. Nf5! { with the same idea. }) 46... Rc6+ 47. Ka5 a6 48. Na7 Re6 49. Nc8 Kc6 50. Nb6 Kb7 51. Nc4 { After White's error on move 46, Black should be winning here. White is running out of moves, and pawns and knights are both notoriously awful for "burning" turns. Eventually, Black will scoop up the g-pawns. } 51... Rg6?! { The key word was "eventually," though, as now White's knight can maneuver to a strong square. } (51... Kc7 { , or many other waiting moves, would win for reasons similar to the notes to Black's 55th move. }) 52. Ne3 Rd6 53. b5 axb5?? (53... Ka7! 54. bxa6 Rd4 55. Kb5 Re4 $19) (53... Rd4 54. bxa6+ Ka7 55. g5 Re4 56. Nc2 Rg4 $19 { is similar. }) 54. axb5?? (54. Kxb5 { Intuitively, White's whole point was to make sure she was left with a passed b-pawn and not an a-pawn. However, now she can hold: } 54... Rd4 55. Kc5 Re4 56. Nd5 Rxg4 57. Ne3 Rg3 58. Kd4 { illustrates the point: it was not about the outside passed pawn, but rather about the king's ability to nurse the knight as to hold onto the g-pawn. }) 54... Rd4 55. g5 Re4?? (55... Kc7 { With a series of waiting moves, for instance } 56. g3 (56. b6+ Kc6 { allows Black to control the key d5-square! }) 56... Kb7 57. g4 Kc7 { eventually White must either push the b-pawn, allowing Black's king to come to c6 and cover the d5-square, or move the knight in a way that hangs the g-pawns without reaching Black's h-pawn in time. }) 56. Nd5 { One last trick! } 56... Re5 57. Nf6 Re7 { Black cannot make progress as the win goes away as soon as the h-pawn is captured. } 58. Kb4 Rg7 59. Kc4 Kb6 60. Nd5+ Kb7 61. Nf6 Rxg5 62. Nxh7 Rf5 63. g3 Kb6 64. Kd4 Kxb5 65. Ke4 Rf1 66. g4 Kc6 67. Ke5 Kd7 68. Nf6+ Ke7 69. Nd5+ Kf7 70. Nf4 Ra1 71. Nd5 Ra5 72. Ke4 Kg6 73. g5 Kxg5 74. Ke5 Ra1 75. Ke4 Re1+ 76. Kd4 Kg4 77. Ne3+ Kf3 78. Nd5 Re8 79. Kc5 Re6 80. Kd4 Re1 81. Kc4 Ke4 82. Nc3+ Ke5 83. Kd3 Rh1 84. Kc4 Rh4+ 85. Kd3 Rd4+ 86. Ke3 Rd8 87. Ne2 Ra8 88. Kd3 Ra4 89. Nc3 Rh4 90. Ne2 Rh3+ 91. Kc4 Kd6 92. Kd4 Rh4+ 93. Ke3 Kd5 94. Nf4+ Ke5 95. Nd3+ Kf5 96. Nc5 Rc4 97. Nd3 Rh4 98. Nc5 Rb4 99. Nd3 Rc4 100. Nb2 Re4+ 101. Kd3 Rb4 102. Nc4 Rb3+ 103. Kd4 Rh3 104. Ne3+ Ke6 105. Nc4 { Draw } 1/2-1/2