[Event "U.S. National Elementary School Championship 2024 K6"]
[Site "Columbus, Ohio"]
[Date "2024.04.28"]
[Round "07"]
[White "You, Eden"]
[Black "Jammalamadaka, Vihaan"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "1930"]
[BlackElo "2055"]
[TimeControl "5400+10"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[ECO "B22"]
[Opening "Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"]
[Source "https://lichess.org/study/RWJ340a8/fndkgTBE"]
[Orientation "white"]
1. e4 { [%clk 1:25:59] } 1... c5 { [%clk 1:29:56] } 2. c3 { [%clk 1:25:54] } 2... d5 { [%clk 1:29:56] } 3. exd5 { [%clk 1:25:12] } 3... Nf6 { [%clk 1:29:56] } 4. d4 { [%clk 1:23:41] } 4... cxd4 { [%clk 1:29:56] } 5. cxd4 { [%clk 1:22:37] } 5... Nxd5 { [%clk 1:29:56] } 6. Nf3 { [%clk 1:20:02] } 6... Nc6 { [%clk 1:29:52] } 7. Be2 { [%clk 1:18:53] } 7... Bf5 { [%clk 1:29:30] } 8. a3 { [%clk 1:17:31] } 8... e6 { [%clk 1:29:07] } 9. O-O { [%clk 1:16:35] } 9... Be7 { [%clk 1:28:51] } 10. Nc3 { [%clk 1:14:56] } 10... O-O { [%clk 1:28:20] } 11. Be3 { [%clk 1:13:22] } 11... Bf6 { [%clk 1:27:08] } 12. Qd2 { [%clk 1:11:20] } 12... Na5 { [%clk 1:23:44] } 13. Nxd5 { [%clk 1:05:08] } 13... Qxd5 { [%clk 1:23:15] } 14. Qb4 { [%clk 1:04:12] } 14... Rac8 { [%clk 1:20:01] } 15. Rac1 { [%clk 1:02:10] } 15... Rfd8 { [%clk 1:10:48] } 16. Bg5 { [%clk 0:57:13] } 16... Bxg5 { [%clk 1:08:37] } 17. Nxg5 { [%clk 0:57:13] } 17... Bc2 { [%clk 0:44:40] } 18. Qe7 { [%clk 0:36:17] } 18... Bg6 { [%clk 0:38:45] } 19. h4 { [%clk 0:34:04] } 19... h5 { [%clk 0:21:08] } 20. Bd3 { [%clk 0:28:05] } 20... Nc6 { [%clk 0:07:37] } 21. Rxc6 { [%clk 0:20:47] } 21... Rxc6 { [%clk 0:07:14] } 22. Bxg6 { [%clk 0:20:47] } 22... fxg6 { [%clk 0:07:07] } 23. Qf7+ { [%clk 0:20:39] } 23... Kh8 { [%clk 0:07:07] } 24. Qxg6 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } { The first of two draws on the top boards of the K-6 section that left the commentators speechless. At this time, Khanbutaev should already be looking much better on board four, so it's not as if White could think this was clinching a share of the championship.
Because White is only equalizing materially after winning the h-pawn, and there is no obvious forced mate, perhaps White thought a draw was a fair result. But after, e.g. } { [%clk 0:20:36] } 24... Kg8 { What else? } (24... Qf5 { looks stubborn, but White wins with } 25. Nf7+! { since } (25. Qxh5+?! Kg8 { is indeed closer to holding, but White can keep pushing after } 26. g4! { as Black's queen can no longer cover both the f7- and h7-squares. }) 25... Kg8 26. Nh6+ { picks up Black's queen. }) 25. Qf7+ Kh8 26. Qxh5+ Kg8 27. Qh7+ Kf8 28. Qh8+ Ke7 29. Qxg7+ { White wins a third pawn and wins material, to boot: } 29... Kd6 (29... Ke8 30. Qf7#) 30. Nf7+ 1/2-1/2