[Event "2022 Cadet Championship"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/P3ZiUgaP/qeBMaP4i"] [Date "2022.07.10"] [Round "6"] [White "Lu, Ming"] [Black "Chasin, Nico"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2382"] [BlackElo "2285"] [Annotator "Nico Chasin & Danial Wilson"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A28"] [Opening "English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Quiet Line"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/P3ZiUgaP/qeBMaP4i"] [Orientation "white"] { [%evp 0,54,29,-13,-13,-35,-33,-24,-22,-15,-15,-22,-7,-29,-3,-22,1,1,7,0,0,0,0, 0,0,10,36,46,60,20,87,87,87,68,133,101,102,94,93,93,189,75,54,61,61,58,100,32, -125,-154,-220,-487,-482,-495,-538,-516,-516] } 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e3 Bb4 5. Qc2 Bxc3 6. Qxc3 Qe7 7. b3 { I found out after the game that Ming more recently started playing 4.e4, but I prepped for 4.e3, as most of his games in the database were older and showed him playing 4.e3. I was also ready for 4.e4 in case he changed it up. Interestingly, Ming played this 7.b3 earlier in the tournament, which is not the best, but I did not see why he would change it here. } 7... d5 8. d4 Bf5 { This move was prepped and White went into a 21 minute think. } 9. Nxe5 Nxe5 10. dxe5 Ne4 { [#] } 11. Qb2 (11. Qd4 c5 12. Qb2 { I was expecting 11.Qd4, because after I play 11....c5, white can play 12. Qb2. Then long castle does not look as good with my pawn on c5, and I lose the ability to play ...Qe7-b4+. } (12. Qxd5 Rd8 $19)) 11... O-O-O 12. b4 { Here, White went into another long think, this time for 35 minutes. This left me up 45 minutes on the clock. } 12... Bg6 { It was during this move that I saw Arthur draw his game. I knew if I won mine, it would put me in clear first. So naturally I went into a long think and played a series of non-losing bad moves. Better was } (12... dxc4 { [#] } 13. Bxc4 Nxf2! 14. Qxf2 (14. Kxf2 Qh4+ 15. g3 Qxc4 $19 { Here, Black's pieces are more active and White's king is exposed. Black looks much better, as it will be hard for White to get their pieces out. }) 14... Qxb4+ 15. Bd2 Rxd2! 16. Qxd2 Qxc4 17. Rc1 Qh4+ 18. g3 Qe4 $13 { This position is equal, as Black is getting a pawn back amd the white king will remain exposed to attack. }) 13. c5 (13. f3 { This was the move I was expecting Ming to play and at the end I would have gotten my pawn back and an equal position. } 13... Qh4+ 14. g3 Nxg3 15. Qf2 Nf5) 13... Qg5? 14. Qd4 Qf5 { I offered a draw here and Ming turned it down, as he clearly has the better position. } 15. f3 Ng5 16. c6 Kb8 { The idea is to not open the king and use white's own pawn as a blockader if he takes. Taking the pawn would have been a mistake as it opens my king to attack. } (16... bxc6 17. Ba6+ Kd7 { This king move takes away a square from the queen and white goes up a piece. } (17... Kb8 18. O-O Ne6 19. Qc3 Qc2 20. Qa3 Qf5 21. Bb2 $16) 18. e4 Ne6 19. exf5 Nxd4 20. fxg6 $18) 17. Bb2 { Looks like a good move in this position, but it allows Black to press the game. } 17... Ne6 18. Qd2 d4 19. exd4 f6!! 20. exf6 Rhe8 { White is up three pawns, but this matters little as black's pieces have come to life and white's king is stuck in the center and the other pieces are not active. On top of all this, white only has 11 minutes to black's 45 minutes. } 21. Kf2 Qxf6 22. Rd1 Ng5 23. Bd3 { There are two moves that nearly lead to equal for White: Kf2-g1 and Qd2-c1. Of the two, Kf2-g1 looks the most logical. } (23. Kg1 Bh5 24. h4 Nxf3+ 25. gxf3 Bxf3 26. Rh2 Bxd1 27. Qxd1) 23... Be4!! { After 23. Bd3, the position is lost and I already had this calculated and played the next 5 moves in 5 seconds to end the game. } 24. d5 Nh3+ 25. Kg3 { If white moves their king back, Black can trade down into an early endgame where White has lots of pawns to attack and an exposed king. } (25. Kf1 Bxd3+ 26. Qxd3 Qxb2 27. gxh3 $19) 25... Qg6+ 26. Kxh3 Rxd5 { The white king is stuck on the side of the board and after this move I have two threats. 1) ... Rd5-h5 mate, and 2) ... Rd5xd3. } 27. g4 Rxd3 { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1