[Event "U.S. National Elementary School Championship 2024 K5"] [Site "Columbus, Ohio"] [Date "2024.04.28"] [Round "06"] [White "Wang, Ted"] [Black "Vivan Prakash Mulay"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2130"] [BlackElo "1978"] [TimeControl "5400+10"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B50"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/RWJ340a8/3pvuV8E5"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 1:29:59] } 1... c5 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 1:29:59] } 2... d6 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 3. d3 { [%clk 1:29:20] } 3... Nf6 { [%clk 1:29:48] } 4. g3 { [%clk 1:29:20] } 4... g6 { [%clk 1:29:48] } 5. Bg2 { [%clk 1:29:20] } 5... Bg7 { [%clk 1:29:48] } 6. O-O { [%clk 1:29:20] } 6... O-O { [%clk 1:29:45] } 7. Qe2 { [%clk 1:29:12] } 7... Nc6 { [%clk 1:29:45] } 8. c3 { [%clk 1:29:11] } 8... e5 { [%clk 1:29:30] } 9. Nbd2 { [%clk 1:28:47] } 9... Re8 { [%clk 1:29:17] } 10. Ne1 { [%clk 1:28:35] } 10... d5 { [%clk 1:23:27] } 11. Nc2 { [%clk 1:26:24] } 11... Be6 { [%clk 1:12:35] } 12. f4 { [%clk 1:23:46] } 12... exf4 { [%clk 1:06:58] } 13. gxf4 { [%clk 1:23:46] } 13... Qb6 { [%clk 1:02:14] } 14. Kh1 { [%clk 1:22:40] } 14... c4 { [%clk 1:02:07] } 15. dxc4 { [%clk 1:21:05] } 15... dxe4 { [%clk 1:00:58] } 16. Ne3 { [%clk 1:20:24] } 16... Ne7 { [%clk 0:51:55] } 17. Nb3 { [%clk 1:18:19] } 17... Rac8 { [%clk 0:50:59] } 18. Nd4 { [%clk 1:17:49] } 18... Nc6 { [%clk 0:50:25] } 19. Nxe6 { [%clk 1:17:23] } 19... Rxe6? { [%clk 0:50:25] } (19... fxe6! { A sad necessity, as the alternative allows the rooks to be skewered. But what's surprising is that this position is actually about equal. For instance: } 20. Ng4 Nxg4 21. Qxg4 Na5! $10 { White has the bishop pair, pressure on the weak e6-pawn and its weak e4-counterpart, and yet Black enjoys serious pressure on the queenside. Black's position is very much playable. } 22. Bxe4 Nxc4 $10 { and Black's knight can come to the kingside, if needed, with ... Nc4-d6-f5. It's hard to suggest moves for White, especially without f4-f5, as the dark-squared bishop is stuck on defense and short on squares. It's not that Black's position is easy to play or Black's pieces are good. Instead, it's that Black can do just enough to stop White's position from being easy to play or White's pieces from being good, either. }) 20. Bh3 { [%clk 1:17:12] } 20... Rce8 { [%clk 0:49:33] } 21. Bxe6!? { [%clk 1:16:57] } (21. Nd5! { It is very hard to play for positional dominance when the extra material is right there. But this grips the d5-square, prepares f4-f5 to improve the dark-squared bishop, and creates a powerful passer if Black captures. } 21... Nxd5 (21... Qd8 { is even worse, as now White picks up the Exchange and a pawn! } 22. Bxe6 Rxe6 (22... fxe6 23. Nxf6+ Bxf6 24. Qxe4 $18) 23. f5 $18) 22. cxd5 $18 { and it's always easier to play piece-up than Exchange up. With an extra Exchange, you have to prove that the rook is more valuable than the minor you gave up for it. With an extra piece, you have to prove it's more valuable than a pawn, which is a much easier task. }) 21... Rxe6? { [%clk 0:49:19] } (21... fxe6! $16 { This is the move both players underestimated. By covering the d5-square, White's knight is awkward in the short-term and, more future-forward, stops f4-f5 and keeps White's dark-squared bishop stuck at home. White is still up an Exchange, of course. }) 22. Nd5 { [%clk 1:16:52] } 22... Qd8 { [%clk 0:47:55] } 23. Rd1?! { [%clk 1:16:26] } (23. f5! { comes crashing through. } 23... gxf5 (23... Nxd5 24. fxe6 $18 { is a non-starter. }) 24. Rxf5 $18 { is dominating, with the threat of Bc1-g5 coming. }) 23... Nd7 { [%clk 0:43:22] } (23... Qc8 { was more stubborn, but White is still better: } 24. f5 gxf5 25. Rf1 Ne5 26. Rxf5 Nf3 27. Nxf6+ Bxf6 28. Bf4 $16) 24. Be3 { White's last piece enters the game, meaning that f4-f5 is no longer required to untangle. } { [%clk 1:15:13] } (24. f5! gxf5 25. Qh5 $16) 24... f5 { Too little, too late. Black has finally frozen White's f-pawn, but his own center is immobile, while White can continue to press on the queenside and through the d-file. White is much better, and the 32-minute difference in clock times reflects that White's position is also much easier to play, practically speaking. } { [%clk 0:43:22] } 25. Qf2 { White's plan is to make concrete threats while preparing the forces to liquidate into a winning endgame: } { [%clk 1:14:42] } 25... a6 { [%clk 0:42:55] } 26. Nb6 { [%clk 1:14:29] } 26... Re7 { [%clk 0:42:55] } 27. Rd5 { [%clk 1:14:09] } 27... Qe8 { [%clk 0:42:46] } 28. Nxd7 { [%clk 1:14:09] } 28... Rxd7 { [%clk 0:42:46] } 29. Rad1 { [%clk 1:14:09] } 29... Rxd5 { [%clk 0:42:46] } 30. cxd5 $18 { The way White has improved his position over the past half-dozen moves is instructive. White is still up an Exchange, has managed to trade off his redundant extra rook, undouble his c-pawns, and create a central passer. White is winning. } { [%clk 1:14:03] } 30... Qd7 { [%clk 0:42:46] } 31. Qe2 { [%clk 1:14:03] } 31... Ne7 { [%clk 0:42:35] } 32. c4 { [%clk 1:14:03] } 32... Kf7 { [%clk 0:42:00] } 33. b3 { [%clk 1:13:56] } 33... Bf6 { [%clk 0:40:56] } 34. Qf2 { [%clk 1:13:49] } 34... Qd6 { [%clk 0:40:23] } 35. c5 { [%clk 1:13:49] } 35... Qd7 { [%clk 0:40:23] } 36. Qd2 { [%clk 1:13:48] } 36... h5 { [%clk 0:40:17] } 37. a4 { [%clk 1:13:19] } 37... h4 { [%clk 0:40:17] } 38. h3 { [%clk 1:13:19] } 38... Qe8 { [%clk 0:40:11] } 39. Qe2 { [%clk 1:13:16] } 39... Qd7 { [%clk 0:40:11] } 40. Qc4 { [%clk 1:13:16] } 40... Kf8 { [%clk 0:40:11] } 41. d6 { [%clk 1:13:02] } 41... Nc6 { [%clk 0:39:45] } 42. b4 { [%clk 1:12:54] } 42... Qh7 { [%clk 0:39:45] } 43. b5 { [%clk 1:12:00] } 43... Qh5 { [%clk 0:39:45] } 44. Rf1 { [%clk 1:12:00] } 44... Nb4 { [%clk 0:38:05] } 45. Qxb4 { [%clk 1:11:45] } 45... Qe2 { One last shot, but White had planned ahead: } { [%clk 0:38:05] } 46. Qe1 { This ties everything together. } { [%clk 1:11:42] } 46... Qc4 { [%clk 0:38:05] } 47. Qc1 { [%clk 1:11:16] } 47... Qxa4 { [%clk 0:37:58] } 48. c6 { [%clk 1:11:16] } 48... bxc6 { [%clk 0:37:58] } 49. bxc6 { [%clk 1:11:16] } 49... Bd8 { [%clk 0:37:56] } 50. c7 { [%clk 1:11:16] } 50... Qd7 { [%clk 0:37:56] } 51. c8=Q { [%clk 1:11:10] } 51... Qxc8 { [%clk 0:37:56] } 52. Qxc8 { [%clk 1:11:09] } 52... Ke8 { [%clk 0:37:56] } 53. d7+ { [%clk 1:11:09] } 53... Kf7 { [%clk 0:37:56] } 54. Qxd8 { [%clk 1:11:06] } 54... Ke6 { [%clk 0:37:56] } 55. Qe8+ { [%clk 1:11:06] } 55... Kd5 { [%clk 0:37:56] } 56. d8=Q+ { [%clk 1:11:05] } 56... Kc4 { [%clk 0:37:56] } 57. Qd4+ { [%clk 1:11:05] } 57... Kb3 { [%clk 0:37:56] } 58. Qb5+ { [%clk 1:10:51] } 58... axb5 { [%clk 0:37:56] } 59. Rb1+ { [%clk 1:10:51] } 59... Kc2 { [%clk 0:37:55] } 60. Qc3+ { 1-0 White wins. } { [%clk 1:10:51] } 1-0