[Event "Orjan Lindroth Memorial"] [Site "Nassau, Bahamas"] [Date "2024.06.09"] [Round "7"] [White "McDonald, Jhustice-Dimonte"] [Black "Melekhina, Alisa FM"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1902"] [WhiteTeam "Jamaica"] [BlackElo "2198"] [BlackTeam "USA"] [Annotator "FM Alisa Melekhina"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B00"] [Opening "Pirc Defense"] [StudyName "Orjan Lindroth Memorial"] [ChapterName "McDonald, Jhustice-Dimonte - Melekhina, Alisa FM"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/TnADDz3F/0ndLgUJT"] [Orientation "white"] { I was playing a talented Jamaican junior. Round seven was the last of six consecutive double-round games, and everyone was starting to feel the weight of the tournament. Up to this point, my games with the black pieces were not faring too well. I was proud of this game because of the unexpected attack and piece sacrifice that emerged, despite queens coming off the board very early on. } 1. d4 d6 2. e4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e5 { This transposed into a "Lion" which would normally start with 1. e4. Catching my opponent off-guard with the tricky move order, he thought for a while and opted for what he thought would be a tame version with queens exchanged. } 4. dxe5 dxe5 5. Qxd8+ Kxd8 6. Bg5 (6. Bc4 { is the other main move, which forces Black to deal immediately with the loose f7-pawn. }) 6... Be6 { Many moves are playable here for Black, including 6. ... Nbd7, 6. ... Bd6, or 6. ... c6. They all aim to reach the same consolidation pattern, which involves controlling the d5-square and ultimately bringing the king to either e7 or c7. } 7. Nd5 { This appears, on the surface, to be an active move, but it actually ends up over-extending White's pieces against this hypermodern set-up. Since Black is aiming to play ... c7-c6 anyway, the knight on d5 is now attacked with a tempo. If White wanted to capture on f6, this might be fine, but after the f6-knight is defended, trades on f6 open up Black's g-file while increasing their central control. } (7. f4 exf4 8. Nge2 { f4 should be considered, with this idea of Ne2xf4, even if the e4-e5 push is still fruitless. } (8. e5 h6 { does not net White anything. })) 7... Nd7 8. O-O-O Kc8 { Easily side-stepping any pins by the bishop or rook while suddenly bringing attention to the loose e4-pawn. } 9. f3 { There isn't really a better way to defend the pawn, but I was pleased to see this move nonetheless. White's kingside is temporarily immobilized and the dark squares become weak. } 9... c6 10. c4?! { This move admittedly came as a surprise, but turned out to be more bark than bite. I won't take the knight immediately due to my bishop getting trapped on e6. Yet, now White has to be vigilant on every subsequent move, just in case I have a freeing tactic that exposes the d5-knight. } 10... Bc5 11. Ne2 h6 12. Bh4 { The knight has amazingly been hanging but in the clear for the past three moves. I see my chance now to activate both of my bishops while White's are diverted. } 12... cxd5 13. cxd5 Nxd5 14. exd5 Be3+! { The point of the sequence, which was made possible after White retreated the bishop to h4. } 15. Kc2 (15. Kb1 Bf5+ 16. Ka1 Bc2 { traps the rook. White will have to lose the Exchange. }) 15... Bf5+ 16. Kb3 (16. Kc3 { I was expecting this move, as it avoids an uncomfortable check. But it only avoids this for one move, before I bring my rook to the dangerous c-file: } 16... Kb8 17. Ng3 Rc8+ 18. Bc4 Bh7 { Now, either ... b7-b5 or ... g7-g5 win one of the bishops in the next few moves. }) 16... Nc5+ 17. Kc3 Kd7 { The idea of Rh8-c8 is imminent. The tables have turned and now White's king is tangled in the center. } 18. Ng3 Bh7 { It is important to retreat to the h7-square, rather than the g6-square, in order to keep the option open of trapping White's bishop with ... g7-g5. } 19. b4 { So far White has defended quite well. This shot would have worked if it weren't for a stunning piece sacrifice. } (19. Bb5+ Kd6 20. Nf1! Bf4 21. g3 Bg5 22. Bxg5 hxg5 23. Ne3 a6 24. Be2 b5 { Black still has the momentum, but White would have parried the more lethal threats and could hold. }) 19... Rhc8! 20. bxc5 Rxc5+ 21. Kb2 Rc2+ 22. Ka1 (22. Kb3 Rac8 23. Bb5+ Kd6 24. Ne2 (24. Nf1 { leads to a forced mating line thanks to the combined power of the two rooks. } 24... R8c3+ 25. Ka4 Bc5! 26. Ka5 Bb6+ 27. Ka4 (27. Kb4 a5+ 28. Ka4 Rxa2#) 27... Rxa2+ 28. Kb4 Ba5#) 24... a6 25. Bd3 Bxd3 26. Rxd3 Rxe2 $19) 22... g5 { This resource has been at the ready since Black's 18th move! } (22... Rc1+ { For a good few seconds, I thought my opponent walked into a beautiful mate. But alas, Ka1-b2 allows him to escape scot-free. } 23. Rxc1 (23. Kb2 Rxd1 24. Bb5+! Kd6 25. Rxd1) 23... Bd4+ 24. Rc3 Bxc3#) 23. Bb5+ Kd6 24. Ne4+ (24. Nf1 Rc1+ { would work now, as the d1-rook is no longer protected. } 25. Kb2 Rxd1) 24... Bxe4 25. fxe4 gxh4 { It seems that the dust has settled and White has sidestepped the mating threats of Black's two bishops while also doubling my extra pawn. Yet this position is "minus-three" according to the engine, mainly because of the still-weak white King, my control of the dark squares, my rook on the second rank, and my own active deceptively active king. } 26. Rhf1 Rf8 (26... Bd4+ 27. Rxd4 exd4 28. Rxf7 Rxg2 29. Rd7+ Ke5 30. Re7+ Kd6 { The computer thinks Black is better than ever (-6.5), but I didn't want to win the Exchange under these circumstances when I could consolidate first. }) 27. Rf6+ Ke7 28. Rf5 Bd4+ { Now is the right time, as White has no counterplay. } 29. Rxd4 exd4 30. e5 Rc1+ 31. Kb2 Rc5 32. d6+ (32. e6 Rxb5+ { The point of checking on c1 first was to allow this capture with a check, just in case White tries to get fancy with pushing the e- and d-pawns. }) 32... Ke6 33. Bd7+ Kxd7 34. e6+ { One last "hail Mary," but it's too late. } 34... Kxd6 35. e7 Re8 { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1