[Event "U.S. National Elementary School Championship 2024 K5"] [Site "Columbus, Ohio"] [Date "2024.04.28"] [Round "07"] [White "Radhakrishnan, Sharath"] [Black "Wang, Ted"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2130"] [BlackElo "2205"] [TimeControl "5400+10"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B31"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack, Fianchetto Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/RWJ340a8/Qv2pzLh1"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 1:29:39] } 1... c5 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 1:29:36] } 2... Nc6 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 3. Bb5 { [%clk 1:29:36] } 3... g6 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 4. O-O { [%clk 1:29:36] } 4... Bg7 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 5. Re1 { [%clk 1:29:36] } 5... Nf6 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 6. c3 { [%clk 1:29:10] } 6... O-O { [%clk 1:29:51] } 7. d4 { [%clk 1:28:50] } 7... d5 { [%clk 1:29:51] } 8. e5 { [%clk 1:28:42] } 8... Ne4 { [%clk 1:29:51] } 9. Nbd2 { [%clk 1:25:49] } 9... cxd4 { [%clk 1:29:51] } 10. cxd4 { [%clk 1:25:46] } 10... Qb6 { [%clk 1:29:51] } 11. Bxc6 { [%clk 1:25:30] } 11... Qxc6 { [%clk 1:29:51] } 12. Nb3 { [%clk 1:23:48] } (12. Nxe4 { is more common, with double-edged play to follow. For instance: } 12... dxe4 13. d5 Qc4 14. Ng5 Bxe5 15. Rxe4 Qc7 16. Nf3 $10) 12... Be6 { [%clk 1:24:46] } 13. Bd2 { [%clk 1:22:25] } 13... Qb6 { [%clk 1:23:14] } 14. Rc1 { [%clk 1:20:18] } 14... Rac8 { [%clk 1:22:00] } 15. Qe2 { [%clk 1:15:17] } 15... Nxd2 { [%clk 1:17:51] } 16. Qxd2 { [%clk 1:13:57] } 16... Bg4 { [%clk 1:17:00] } 17. Nc5 { [%clk 1:13:34] } 17... Bxf3 { [%clk 1:15:23] } 18. gxf3 { [%clk 1:12:50] } 18... Rfd8 { [%clk 1:14:23] } 19. e6 { White's position is making more sense with every move. The c5-knight is strong, and the doubled f-pawns are hard to attack. } { [%clk 1:03:00] } 19... f5 { [%clk 1:12:32] } 20. b4 { [%clk 0:59:57] } (20. h4 { was better: White should use the half-open g-file and the weakened g6-pawn as a point of attack. }) 20... Qc6 { [%clk 1:07:56] } 21. a4 { [%clk 0:57:53] } 21... b6 { [%clk 1:06:45] } 22. b5 { [%clk 0:57:23] } 22... Qc7 { [%clk 1:06:16] } 23. Nd7 { [%clk 0:43:25] } 23... Qd6 { White's knight looks like a menace, but is not actually getting in the way of anybody's play. } { [%clk 1:04:50] } 24. Rc3 { [%clk 0:43:09] } (24. Rxc8 Rxc8 25. Kg2 $10) 24... Rc4! { Black goes after the weak a-pawn as to bait a trade that improves his queen. } { [%clk 1:00:15] } 25. Rxc4 { [%clk 0:40:30] } 25... dxc4 { [%clk 1:00:15] } 26. f4 { [%clk 0:32:04] } (26. Qc3 { Queens are not great blockaders, but this is better than nothing. } 26... Qd5 $17 { But still, White's rook cannot both defend the d4- and e6-pawns. }) 26... Bh6 { [%clk 0:56:55] } 27. Ne5 { [%clk 0:29:05] } 27... Qxd4 { [%clk 0:54:37] } 28. Qxd4 { [%clk 0:29:05] } 28... Rxd4 { [%clk 0:54:37] } 29. Nc6 { A very difficult position to assess. Black is up a pawn and about to win a second, and also enjoys a passed c-pawn. But White is about to create a passed e-pawn that is both further advanced than Black's c-pawn and promoting on a square that Black's bishop cannot cover. Is this enough? } { [%clk 0:29:05] } 29... Rxf4 { [%clk 0:54:15] } 30. Nxe7+ { [%clk 0:29:05] } 30... Kf8 { [%clk 0:53:13] } 31. Nc8 { [%clk 0:26:29] } (31. Nd5 Re4! $17 { was the essential resource. Still, it is a game after } 32. Kf1 Rxe1+ 33. Kxe1 Bg7 34. Kd2 Bd4 { when Black should be winning, but there's work to do, and knights are tricky animals. } 35. f4 $17) 31... Rd4! { Necessary prophylaxis, covering the d6-square. } { [%clk 0:53:02] } 32. Nxa7 { White goes after creating a queenside passer, but now it is Black's c-pawn who is faster! White was lost, but this makes Black's job much easier. } { [%clk 0:22:00] } (32. e7+ Ke8 33. Re6 { was another idea, trying to chase the c-pawn down from behind while also preparing Nc8-d6+ ideas. } 33... c3 34. Rc6 { is testing. The c-pawn is hanging, and the c2-square is undefended. What should Black do? } (34. Nd6+ Rxd6 35. Rxd6 c2 $19 { and Black promotes just in time! }) 34... Bg7 { is essential. } 35. Kg2 (35. Rxc3?? Rd1+ $19 { is the point. }) (35. a5 { attempts to create a passer, but is too slow. } 35... Rd2 36. Nxa7 c2 37. Kg2 Bd4! { Again, we should appreciate how much more difficult it is to find wins for Black here than in the lines after 32. Nxa7. }) 35... Rd2 $19 { and Black covers the c2-square while discovering defense on the c3-square! }) 32... c3 { [%clk 0:51:51] } 33. Nc6 { [%clk 0:18:34] } 33... Rc4 { [%clk 0:51:35] } 34. e7+ { [%clk 0:18:34] } 34... Ke8 $19 { White's knight will need at least four moves to deliver a check. Black's pawn needs only two moves to promote. If White has to sac the rook for the c-pawn, then the knight can no longer check Black's king without losing the e-pawn. Therefore, Black is winning. } { [%clk 0:51:02] } 35. Rd1 { [%clk 0:18:34] } 35... Re4 { [%clk 0:51:02] } 36. f4 { [%clk 0:17:12] } 36... c2 { [%clk 0:50:14] } 37. Rc1 { [%clk 0:15:31] } 37... Rc4 { [%clk 0:50:11] } 38. Ne5 { [%clk 0:14:20] } 38... Bxf4 { [%clk 0:50:02] } 39. Nxc4 { [%clk 0:12:49] } 39... Bxc1 { White resigns, and Ted Wang completes the sweep of the section with a 7/7 score. } { [%clk 0:50:02] } 0-1