[Event "XXXIII Pan-American Youth U18 Open"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/NdPr3HIs/bFDrNtNh"] [Date "2023.08.12"] [Round "1.1"] [White "Shlyakhtenko, Robert"] [Black "Hu, Merric"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2403"] [WhiteTeam "USA"] [BlackElo "2061"] [BlackTeam "USA"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D80"] [Opening "Grünfeld Defense: Stockholm Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/NdPr3HIs/bFDrNtNh"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Ne4 5. Bh4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. e3 c5 8. cxd5 Qxd5 9. Nf3 cxd4 10. cxd4 Nc6 11. Be2 O-O 12. O-O Bf5 13. Nd2 e5 14. Bf3 e4 15. Be2 Rac8 16. Rb1 Na5 17. Qa4 b6 18. Rfc1 Bd7 19. Qa3 Rfe8 20. Be7 Be6 21. Ba6 Rxc1+ 22. Rxc1 Qd7 23. Bb4 Nc6 24. Nxe4 Nxb4 25. Qxb4 Qd5 26. Nc3 Qg5 27. Bb7 Rd8 28. Rd1 Bg4 29. Rd2 Be6 { So far, everything has been going well for the IM playing the white pieces. He's up a pawn, controls the center, and Black's bishop pair is yet to prove relevant. } 30. g3 (30. Ne4 Qf5 31. h3 h5 32. d5! $16 { was much cleaner, as evidenced by seeing what happens if Black tries to capture: } 32... Bxd5? 33. Qe7!) 30... Rb8 31. Bg2 Rc8 32. Rc2 Qh5 33. Qb2 Qa5 34. Rc1 Bf8! { What was that about an irrelevant bishop pair? Suddenly, the dark squares a battleground. Black threatens both ... Bf8-a3 and ... Bf8-b4. } 35. a4 Bb4 36. Ne4 Rxc1+ 37. Qxc1 Qxa4 38. d5 Bf5 39. Nf6+ Kg7 40. e4?! { At first, it is difficult to believe that this natural central thrust loses the last of White's advantage, but, then again, it does improve Black's dark-squared bishop. } (40. Qb2 Qd1+ 41. Bf1 Bd3 42. Nh5+ Kf8 43. Qxb4+ Kg8 44. Nf6+ Kg7 45. Ne8+ Kg8 46. Nf6+) 40... Kxf6 41. exf5 Bc5 42. fxg6 hxg6 43. h4 Qd4 44. Kh2 (44. Qc2 { would save the pawn, but dooms White to passivity. }) 44... Qxf2 45. Qg5+ Kg7 46. h5 Qf5!? { Black decides that drawing an IM from a game where they were pawn down out of the opening is not the worst result in the world, and, besides, they can still push for a win here with outside passers. } (46... Bd6 { was crushing. Black wants to keep queens on, as the dark squares are weak around White's king and White's light-squared bishop is not joining the queen and h-pawn in the attack on g6 any time soon. }) 47. Qxf5 gxf5 48. Kh3? (48. Bh3! { might have held a draw. } 48... Kh6 49. Bxf5 Kxh5 50. Kg2) 48... Kh6 49. g4 Kg5! { A nice example in the annals of "they don't have to take." } (49... fxg4+? 50. Kxg4) 50. Bf3 a5 { Black has pulled off a major upset to start the tournament. } 51. gxf5 Kxf5 52. Bg4+ Kg5 53. Bd7 Kxh5 54. Be8 Kg6 55. Kg4 Kf6 56. Kf4 Ke7 57. Bc6 Kd6 58. Kf5 Bd4 59. Ke4 Bg7 60. Be8 Ke7 61. Bc6 Ba1 62. Ba4 f6 63. Kd3 Kd6 64. Kc4 f5 65. Bd1 Be5 66. Bf3 Bh2 67. Bg2 Bg1 68. Bh3 f4 69. Bg2 Bc5 70. Kb5 Ke5 71. Bh1 Kd4 72. Bf3 Ke3 73. Bg4 f3 74. d6 Bxd6 75. Kxb6 a4 76. Kc6 f2 77. Bh3 a3 78. Kxd6 a2 { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1