[Event "U.S. National Middle School Championship 2024"] [Site "Atlanta, Georgia"] [Date "2024.05.10"] [Round "01"] [White "Bellur, Ashton"] [Black "Shangin, Lev"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1724"] [BlackElo "2170"] [TimeControl "5400+10"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B22"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Smith-Morra Declined"] [StudyName "2024 National Middle School Championship"] [ChapterName "Bellur, Ashton - Shangin, Lev"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/O4mAGfsa/JigiezDW"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 1... c5 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 2. c3 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 2... Nf6 { [%clk 1:29:50] } 3. e5 { [%clk 1:29:53] } 3... Nd5 { [%clk 1:29:34] } 4. d4 { [%clk 1:29:45] } 4... cxd4 { [%clk 1:29:24] } 5. cxd4 { [%clk 1:29:41] } 5... d6 { [%clk 1:29:16] } 6. Nf3 { [%clk 1:29:38] } 6... Nc6 { [%clk 1:29:16] } 7. Bc4 { [%clk 1:29:38] } 7... dxe5 { [%clk 1:29:16] } 8. dxe5 { [%clk 1:29:30] } 8... Be6 { Shangin employs a rare line against White's Alapin that has been recommended in GM Sam Shankland's Classical Sicilian course on Chessable and has had a bit of a renaissance since then. } { [%clk 1:29:16] } 9. Qe2 { [%clk 1:27:48] } (9. O-O g6 10. Ng5 Bg7 11. Nxe6 fxe6 12. f4 Qb6+ 13. Kh1 Rd8 14. Qe2 Qc5 15. Qe4 Nxf4 16. Be3 Qxe5 17. Qxe5 Bxe5 18. Bxf4 Rf8 19. Bxe5 Rxf1+ 20. Bxf1 Rd1 21. Kg1 Nxe5 22. h3 Nd3 { and Black went on to win from this slightly better position in Jones – Wei Yi, Chess.com, 2022. }) 9... Qa5+ { A novelty, as far as I can tell. } { [%clk 1:24:58] } (9... g6 { is Shankland's recommendation. } 10. O-O Nc7 { If White does not play for Nf3-g5, forcing Black to demonstrate that the doubled, isolated e-pawns are not so bad (they're still e-pawns, after all), then this nicely solves all of White's problems. } 11. Nc3 Bg7 12. Rd1 (12. Re1 { again saw GM Gawain Jones on the wrong side of this position. This was likely a game GM Wei Yi had studied before their above-cited game. } 12... O-O 13. Bf4 Nd4 14. Nxd4 Qxd4 15. Bxe6 Nxe6 16. Bg3 Rfd8 17. Red1 Qc5 18. Qe4 Rxd1+ 19. Rxd1 Rd8 20. Rxd8+ Nxd8 21. Kf1 Qb6 22. b3 Qa6+ 23. Kg1 Qa3 24. Qe3 Nc6 { when White's e-pawn and a-pawn are both weaknesses, allowing Black to win a lengthy endgame in Jones – Mamedov, Batumi, 2018. }) 12... Qc8 13. Bg5 O-O 14. Rac1 h6 15. Bh4 Bxc4 16. Qxc4 Qe6 17. Qxe6 Nxe6 18. Nd5 g5 19. Bg3 Rfd8 20. b4 a6 21. a4 Kf8 22. h3 Rac8 23. Kf1 Nb8 24. Rxc8 Rxc8 25. b5 Rd8 26. Ke1 Nc5 27. h4 Ne4 28. hxg5 hxg5 29. e6 fxe6 30. Nc7 Rxd1+ 31. Kxd1 Kf7 { shows, in a round-about way, how the doubled e-pawns are not so bad. Black is better, and won in Mammadov – Annaberdiev, Baskent, 2019. }) 10. Bd2 { [%clk 1:25:59] } 10... Qb6 { [%clk 1:23:53] } 11. Bxd5 { [%clk 1:23:47] } (11. Nc3 Qxb2 (11... Nxc3 12. bxc3 (12. Bxc3 Bxc4 13. Qxc4 e6 $10) 12... Bxc4 13. Qxc4 e6 14. O-O $14 { gives White some play on the half-open b-file as compensation for the weakened queenside pawns. }) 12. Rb1 Nxc3 13. Rxb2 Nxe2 14. Bxe6 Ned4 15. Nxd4 Nxd4 16. Bd5 e6 17. Bxb7 Rb8 { is slightly better for White, with the lead in development. }) 11... Bxd5 { [%clk 1:23:48] } 12. Bc3 { [%clk 1:23:35] } 12... e6 { [%clk 1:22:21] } 13. O-O { [%clk 1:22:08] } 13... Be7 { [%clk 1:20:09] } 14. Re1 { [%clk 1:20:07] } 14... O-O { [%clk 1:20:06] } 15. Nbd2 { [%clk 1:11:32] } 15... Rac8 { [%clk 1:15:18] } 16. Ne4 { The game begins in earnest here. Black has finished developing, has the pair of bishops, and does not have to worry about attacks on the b1-h7 diagonal since White's "good" bishop for this structure has been eliminated. But the bishop on c3 and e4-knight combine with the e5-pawn to create attacking threats. If Black can survive the next few turns, outposting a piece on the queenside and playing for an endgame where the e5-pawn is vulnerable could be a winning strategy. } { [%clk 1:08:46] } 16... Rfd8 { [%clk 1:11:36] } 17. a3 { [%clk 0:52:59] } 17... Na5?! { It is surprising that this move is a misstep, as ... Na5-c4 is such an obvious way to improve Black's pieces, as b2-b3 would be a significant concession for White's queenside defenses the rest of the game. } { [%clk 1:08:35] } (17... h6 { is probably best, creating "luft" on the h7-square. But, just as importantly, the knight maintains a grip on the e5-square, so it's more about what Black didn't do with this move than what they did do. } 18. Nf6+ gxf6 19. exf6 Bc5 20. Ne5 { is of course not an option here with Black's knight on c6. }) 18. Nfg5 { [%clk 0:49:13] } (18. Nf6+! { is actually justified! It is hard to believe, but the point is that Black must guard against Nf3-e5 in key lines, giving White time to regain material and maintain an initiative. } 18... gxf6 (18... Bxf6 19. exf6 Bxf3 20. Qxf3 Rd5 21. fxg7 $16) 19. exf6 Bxf3 (19... Bf8 20. Ne5 $18) (19... Bc5 20. Ne5) 20. Qe5! Bxf6 21. Qg3+! Kf8 22. Bxf6 Bd5 23. Qg7+ Ke8 24. Qg8+ Kd7 25. Qxf7+ Kc6 26. Bxd8 Rxd8 27. Rac1+ $16) 18... h6 { [%clk 0:58:50] } (18... Bxg5 { Black did not want to part with the bishop pair, but, okay, it is harder for White to attack now: } 19. Nxg5 h6 20. Nf3 Nb3 21. Rad1 Qc6 $15) 19. Nf6+ { The right idea a step too late to be winning, but it is still formidable, and it is certainly White's best hope in this position where Black still has the long-term "trumps." } { [%clk 0:48:10] } 19... Bxf6 { [%clk 0:54:19] } 20. exf6 { Faced with a reasonable attack, Black begins picking off the components of White's counterplay. } { [%clk 0:46:34] } 20... Rxc3 { [%clk 0:49:52] } 21. bxc3 { [%clk 0:46:21] } 21... hxg5 { [%clk 0:49:52] } 22. fxg7? { [%clk 0:45:34] } (22. Qe5 { was better: } 22... gxf6 23. Qxf6 { and there's no good way to save the g-pawn, as } 23... g4 24. Rab1 Qc7 25. Rbd1 Nc4 26. Re4! $16 { keeps up the pressure. }) 22... Kxg7 { [%clk 0:49:44] } 23. Rab1 { [%clk 0:44:08] } (23. Qg4 f6 { note that, after 22. Qe5, the f7-pawn is frozen, keeping the g-pawn more vulnerable than here. } 24. h4 Rh8 25. hxg5 f5! $17 { and Black has rebuffed White's advances and gained an open h-file! }) 23... Qc7 { [%clk 0:45:16] } 24. Qe3 { [%clk 0:42:40] } 24... Qf4 { Black correctly places faith in the minor pieces to beat the redundant rook in an endgame, and forces White's queen to go on a long journey to stay the board. } { [%clk 0:44:41] } 25. Qxa7 { [%clk 0:41:20] } 25... Nc4 { Finally, the a5-knight proves its purpose, attacking one isolated pawn while blockading another. Keeping files closed will drastically reduces the impact of White's rooks, explaining why Black is strategically winning here. } { [%clk 0:40:24] } 26. Rbd1 { [%clk 0:39:24] } 26... Qg4 { [%clk 0:36:56] } 27. Qd4+ { [%clk 0:38:32] } 27... Qxd4 { [%clk 0:36:56] } 28. Rxd4 { [%clk 0:38:15] } 28... Ra8 { [%clk 0:36:35] } 29. Ra1 { [%clk 0:35:41] } 29... Rxa3!? { Black must really be putting faith in the minor pieces, and he is justified, although it is always risky to give up the rook. } { [%clk 0:35:29] } (29... Kf6 { Why not keep the rooks? White's a1-rook is certainly not an asset as of now. }) 30. Rxa3 { [%clk 0:35:30] } 30... Nxa3 { [%clk 0:35:29] } 31. h4 { [%clk 0:35:30] } 31... gxh4 { [%clk 0:35:29] } 32. Rxh4 { [%clk 0:35:30] } 32... Nc4 { [%clk 0:34:11] } 33. Rd4 { [%clk 0:35:16] } 33... b5 { [%clk 0:33:42] } 34. f4 { This only accelerates the end by creating further weaknesses. } { [%clk 0:34:41] } 34... Kf6 { [%clk 0:33:23] } 35. Kf2 { [%clk 0:33:04] } 35... Nb6 { [%clk 0:32:16] } 36. Rb4 { [%clk 0:31:54] } 36... Bc4 { Excellent repositioning. At the end of the day, two pieces are better than one! } { [%clk 0:32:01] } 37. g4 { [%clk 0:31:37] } 37... Nd5 { and White resigned. } { [%clk 0:31:56] } 0-1