[Event "Piermont Open 2/26/2022"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/a4SmMLw2/f9Ilnf4e"] [Date "2022.02.26"] [Round "4.1"] [White "Aleksenko, Artem"] [Black "Blomquist, Timothy"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1512"] [BlackElo "0"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A21"] [Opening "English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ArtemAleksenko"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/a4SmMLw2/f9Ilnf4e"] [Orientation "white"] 1. c4 { [%emt 00:03:19] } { The English is on the board. Artem is too predictable. } 1... e5 { [%emt 00:00:04] } 2. Nc3 { [%emt 00:00:02] } 2... f5 { [%emt 00:00:05] } { Laying claim to the light squares in the center, the Dutch discourages the normal c4-e5 setup by White } 3. g3 { [%emt 00:00:04] } 3... Nf6 { [%emt 00:00:04] } 4. Bg2 { [%emt 00:00:04] } 4... Bb4 { [%emt 00:59:14] } 5. e3 { Already a mistake by White. Black has an opportunity to play e5 himself (after trading away the bishop) and dominate the light squares, restrict White's development and create a backward d-pawn for White. } 5... Bxc3 6. bxc3 d5 { This is only helping White by undoubling White's pawns and making e5 less potent. } 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Ba3 { Takes away castling rights } 8... Be6 9. Rb1 { White chooses a direct approach to stifle Black's development and the light square weakness } 9... Nd7 10. Rxb7 Qc8 { Here White's priority should be to finish development, and retreat the rook to b2 or b3. } 11. Qb1 { A crucial error. } 11... N7b6 { The rook is trapped! A horrible blunder by White, and Black takes advantage. } (11... Rb8 12. Rxb8 Qxb8 13. Qxb8+ { is a winning endgame for White, if Black chooses to trade, but black had a different plan. }) 12. c4 Qxb7 13. Qb5+ c6 { It's all but lost for White. White doesn't have any concrete counter-play, and there's insufficient compensation for the rook } 14. Qc5 O-O-O 15. cxd5 Bxd5 16. Nf3 { Black correctly identifies White's biggest problem: back-rank issues and king safety, laying the groundwork to infiltrate on the back rank. } 16... Na4 17. Qc2 { Now White is in big big trouble. However, Black must play one very accurate move to put the final nail into White's position. } 17... Be4 { The last mistake by Black, and out of completely winning position! The queen can block the back-rank checks, and this is just a free knight. } (17... Qb5 { or Qa6 } 18. Qxf5+ Kb7 19. Qc2 { Perhaps Black was worried about his own king safety in this variation, but there's only danger for White here, as the White's King is NEVER castling without major problems. } 19... Rhe8 20. d3 e4) 18. Qxa4 Bxf3 (18... Qb1+ 19. Qd1) 19. Bxf3 e4 20. Be2 Qb1+ 21. Qd1 Qxa2 22. Bc5 Rd5 23. Bd4 c5 24. Bxg7 Rhd8 25. Bc3 R8d6 26. Qa1 { That's a bit of a panic move by White } { Black Queen should take white queen here. Black would be up two rook and no threat of queens } 26... Qc2 { Allows White to castle, and regain better piece coordination by finally developing the rook. } (26... Rxd2 27. Qxa2 Rxa2 { and Black has decent chances with an outside passed pawn and lack of coordination by White }) (26... Qxa1+ 27. Bxa1 Ra6 28. Bc3 Ra1+ (28... Ra3 29. Bb5 Kb7 30. d4 cxd4 31. Bxd4 Rxd4)) 27. O-O f4 28. exf4 e3 29. fxe3 h5 30. Qxa7 h4 31. Ra1 (31. Ba5 { A faster path towards mate, but Black's King is too exposed. }) 31... Kd8 32. Qg7 Rd7 33. Ra8+ Kc7 34. Ba5+ Kc6 35. Qf6+ R5d6 36. Bf3+ Kb5 37. Rb8+ Kxa5 38. Qa1+ Qa4 39. Ra8+ Ra6 40. Rxa6+ Kxa6 41. Qxa4+ Kb6 42. Qxd7 { By Resignation } { Black resigns } 1-0