[Event "U.S. National Middle School Championship 2024"] [Site "Atlanta, Georgia"] [Date "2024.05.12"] [Round "07"] [White "Eric Chang Liu"] [Black "Isaac Wang"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2468"] [BlackElo "2326"] [TimeControl "5400+10"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B42"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Modern Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/O4mAGfsa/Ua7V6XoV"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 1... c5 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 2... e6 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 3. d4 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 3... cxd4 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 4. Nxd4 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 4... a6 { [%clk 1:29:54] } 5. Bd3 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 5... Nc6 { [%clk 1:27:22] } 6. Nxc6 { [%clk 1:28:17] } 6... dxc6 { [%clk 1:26:52] } 7. a4 { [%clk 1:22:45] } 7... e5 { [%clk 1:23:16] } 8. O-O { [%clk 1:18:10] } 8... Nf6 { [%clk 1:17:22] } 9. Nd2 { [%clk 1:10:49] } 9... Bc5 { [%clk 1:08:47] } 10. Nc4 { [%clk 1:08:03] } 10... Qe7 { [%clk 1:05:22] } 11. Qf3 { [%clk 0:53:48] } 11... O-O { [%clk 0:58:40] } 12. a5 { [%clk 0:43:42] } 12... Re8 { [%clk 0:55:17] } 13. Be3 { [%clk 0:34:24] } 13... Bg4 { [%clk 0:49:58] } 14. Qg3 { [%clk 0:34:19] } 14... Rad8 { [%clk 0:47:49] } 15. Bg5 { [%clk 0:29:19] } 15... Bh5 { [%clk 0:44:34] } 16. Ne3 { [%clk 0:25:23] } 16... Bg6 { [%clk 0:31:20] } 17. Qf3 { [%clk 0:19:18] } 17... Qe6 { [%clk 0:24:05] } 18. Qe2 { [%clk 0:11:39] } 18... Be7 { [%clk 0:19:29] } 19. f3 { [%clk 0:08:48] } 19... h6 { [%clk 0:15:58] } 20. Bc4 { [%clk 0:07:30] } 20... Qd7 { [%clk 0:14:50] } 21. Bh4 { [%clk 0:06:38] } 21... Nh5 { [%clk 0:14:30] } 22. Bxe7 { [%clk 0:05:47] } 22... Nf4 { [%clk 0:14:03] } 23. Qe1 { [%clk 0:05:47] } 23... Qxe7 { [%clk 0:14:00] } 24. g3 { [%clk 0:05:23] } 24... Ne6 { [%clk 0:12:36] } 25. Bxe6 { [%clk 0:04:29] } 25... Qxe6 { [%clk 0:12:29] } 26. Rd1 { [%clk 0:04:29] } 26... Qe7 { [%clk 0:11:42] } 27. Qc3 { [%clk 0:04:25] } 27... Kh7 { [%clk 0:10:20] } 28. Rxd8 { [%clk 0:04:21] } 28... Rxd8 { [%clk 0:10:20] } 29. Rd1 { [%clk 0:04:21] } 29... Rxd1+ { [%clk 0:07:58] } 30. Nxd1 { The game has been even up until here, with the players reaching a queen-and-knight versus queen-and-bishop endgame with balanced pawns. Who is playing for a win, and how? Well, the queen-knight duo is known to be better than its queen-bishop counterpart, as it the knight complements the queen better. And a bishop can outplay a lone knight in some endgames. But, here, Black's bishop is a bit restricted, and the fixed weakness on b7 (a light square!) suggests that it might actually be White who benefits more from a queen trade. } { [%clk 0:04:21] } 30... f5 { [%clk 0:06:58] } 31. exf5 { [%clk 0:03:46] } 31... Bxf5 { [%clk 0:06:58] } 32. Ne3 { [%clk 0:03:46] } 32... Bg6 { [%clk 0:06:58] } 33. Kf2 { [%clk 0:03:26] } 33... Qe6 { [%clk 0:06:53] } 34. Nc4 { [%clk 0:02:58] } 34... Qh3 { Black's plan was to shed the weak e-pawn once there was sufficient counterplay. } { [%clk 0:05:25] } 35. Kg1 { [%clk 0:02:58] } 35... e4 { This would count as counterplay, as White has to defend mate if they capture on e4. } { [%clk 0:05:15] } 36. f4 { [%clk 0:02:58] } 36... Qg4 { [%clk 0:04:45] } 37. Ne3 { [%clk 0:02:47] } 37... Qe2 { [%clk 0:04:13] } 38. Nf1 { [%clk 0:02:31] } 38... Bh5?! { [%clk 0:04:12] } (38... e3! { Black should be looking for opportunities to improve the bishop, even at a cost of a pawn. } 39. Nxe3 Be4 $15 { is more than enough counterplay. }) (38... Bf5 39. Qd2 Qh5 { If Black does not want to push the e-pawn, this at least helps queens on. }) 39. Qd2 { [%clk 0:02:31] } 39... Qg4 { [%clk 0:03:50] } 40. Ne3 { White blockades the e-pawn, confident that the bishop will be quite ineffective after a queen trade. } { [%clk 0:02:31] } 40... Qf3? { [%clk 0:03:47] } (40... Qe6 { Best, but admitting that dreams of counterplay are dead. } 41. Qd4 $16) 41. Qf2! { White understands the stakes. } { [%clk 0:02:26] } 41... Kg6 { [%clk 0:03:24] } 42. Qxf3 { [%clk 0:01:32] } 42... Bxf3 { [%clk 0:03:24] } 43. Kf2 { The e4-pawn will be a liability the rest of the game and it also drastically slows down Black's bishop. How on Earth will it defend the b7-pawn? } { [%clk 0:01:22] } 43... Kf6 { [%clk 0:03:21] } 44. Nc4 { [%clk 0:01:22] } 44... Ke6 { An important moment: many club players might underestimate the problem of Black's weak b7-pawn here, since White has no clear way to attack it with the knight. Indeed, a player might calculate up to 44. ... Ke6 and say that the knight cannot reach the d6-square, so they should be fine. Let's appreciate how White continues to pose problems over the next 16 moves: } { [%clk 0:01:50] } 45. Nd2 { [%clk 0:01:20] } 45... Bd1 { [%clk 0:01:50] } 46. c4 { [%clk 0:00:45] } 46... Kf5 { [%clk 0:01:40] } 47. Nf1 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 47... Bf3 { [%clk 0:01:26] } 48. Ne3+ { [%clk 0:00:28] } 48... Ke6 { [%clk 0:01:26] } 49. c5 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 49... h5 { [%clk 0:01:10] } 50. h3 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 50... Bh1 { [%clk 0:00:46] } 51. g4 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 51... hxg4 { [%clk 0:00:46] } 52. hxg4 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 52... Bf3 { [%clk 0:00:46] } 53. Kg3 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 53... Be2 { [%clk 0:00:46] } 54. Kh4 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 54... Bd3 { [%clk 0:00:43] } 55. Kg5 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 55... Kf7 { [%clk 0:00:43] } 56. Kf5 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 56... Bb1 { [%clk 0:00:43] } 57. Ke5 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 57... Ke7 { [%clk 0:00:43] } 58. Nf5+ { [%clk 0:00:28] } 58... Kd7 { [%clk 0:00:42] } 59. Kd4 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 59... g6 { [%clk 0:00:38] } 60. Nd6 { If Black only had to defend the b7-pawn, then yes it would be hard to see how White wins. } { [%clk 0:00:28] } 60... e3 { [%clk 0:00:38] } (60... Kc7 61. f5 { is a nice illustration of the principle of two weaknesses! }) 61. Kxe3 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 61... Kc7 { [%clk 0:00:38] } 62. Kd4 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 62... Bc2 { [%clk 0:00:38] } 63. Ke5 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 63... Bb1 { [%clk 0:00:38] } 64. Ke6 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 64... Ba2+ { [%clk 0:00:38] } 65. Ke7 { 1-0 White wins. } { [%clk 0:00:28] } 1-0