[Event "U.S. National High School Championship 2024"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2024.04.05"] [Round "01"] [White "Wang, Leo Q"] [Black "Wang, Isaac"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1904"] [BlackElo "2336"] [TimeControl "5400+10"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B42"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Modern Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/fbYDIs5O/CstBLncL"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 1... c5 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 2... e6 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 3. d4 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 3... cxd4 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 4. Nxd4 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 4... a6 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 5. Bd3 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 5... Nf6 { [%clk 1:27:16] } 6. O-O { [%clk 1:29:41] } 6... d6 { [%clk 1:27:10] } 7. c4 { [%clk 1:27:29] } 7... Be7 { [%clk 1:27:10] } 8. Qe2 { [%clk 1:26:50] } 8... O-O { [%clk 1:26:17] } 9. Nc3 { [%clk 1:26:03] } 9... Qc7 { [%clk 1:23:16] } 10. Rd1 { [%clk 1:24:39] } 10... b6 { [%clk 1:18:56] } 11. b3 { [%clk 1:20:58] } 11... b5 { [%clk 1:12:47] } 12. Bb2 { [%clk 1:20:06] } 12... b4 { [%clk 1:12:07] } 13. Nb1 { [%clk 1:19:56] } 13... Nbd7 { [%clk 1:11:09] } 14. Nd2 { [%clk 1:15:47] } 14... Nc5 { [%clk 1:09:14] } 15. Nf1 { [%clk 1:09:48] } 15... g6 { [%clk 1:01:49] } 16. f3 { [%clk 1:02:58] } 16... e5 { [%clk 0:57:22] } 17. Nc2 { [%clk 1:01:35] } 17... a5 { [%clk 0:53:10] } 18. Nfe3 { [%clk 0:58:46] } 18... Be6 { [%clk 0:52:14] } 19. g3 { [%clk 0:52:52] } 19... Rfb8 { [%clk 0:47:35] } 20. Ne1 { [%clk 0:49:04] } 20... a4 { [%clk 0:39:26] } 21. Bc2 { [%clk 0:45:50] } 21... Qb6 { [%clk 0:31:47] } 22. Kg2 { [%clk 0:42:41] } 22... Bd7 { [%clk 0:28:06] } 23. Nd5 { [%clk 0:37:13] } 23... Nxd5 { [%clk 0:27:34] } 24. exd5 { [%clk 0:37:13] } 24... Re8 { [%clk 0:23:55] } 25. Nd3 { [%clk 0:35:51] } 25... Bf8 { [%clk 0:19:39] } 26. Qf2 { [%clk 0:32:26] } 26... Bf5 { [%clk 0:13:01] } 27. Nxc5 { [%clk 0:27:41] } 27... Bxc2 { [%clk 0:13:01] } 28. Qxc2 { [%clk 0:27:41] } 28... Qxc5 { [%clk 0:13:01] } 29. Qf2 { [%clk 0:25:40] } 29... Qc7 { [%clk 0:11:10] } 30. Qe3 { [%clk 0:24:02] } 30... Bg7 { [%clk 0:07:38] } 31. Rac1 { [%clk 0:18:50] } 31... axb3 { So far, Black has been slightly outplaying his lower-rated opponent from the black side of a Maroczy Bind. } { [%clk 0:06:22] } 32. Qxb3?! { [%clk 0:18:36] } (32. axb3 { looks risky, but the resulting endgame is rather drawish, and there's no obvious way for Black to push for more: } 32... e4 33. Rd2 Ra2 34. Rcc2 Rxb2 35. Rxb2 Bxb2 36. Rxb2 exf3+ 37. Qxf3 Re5 $10) 32... Qa5!? { Black targets the weak point, but an even better move was to create weaknesses on another portion of the board with: } { [%clk 0:06:03] } (32... e4! { was more combative, as Black either activates his e-rook or retains a passed e-pawn. Either way, White's position will now be weak at multiple points, given the already-vulnerable a2-pawn. }) 33. Ra1 { [%clk 0:18:10] } 33... Rec8?! { [%clk 0:04:52] } (33... e4! { Black is trying to stop c4-c5 ideas, but gives up his own opportunities to improve his pieces in the process. }) 34. a3! { An excellent move from White. Suddenly, Black's pieces make less sense on the a-file, as the a-pawn is about to get itself off the board. } { [%clk 0:17:31] } 34... Rab8 { [%clk 0:04:08] } 35. a4? { Or not! } { [%clk 0:14:58] } (35. axb4 Rxb4 36. Rxa5 Rxb3 37. Ba3 $10 { should make White happy: the weak c4-pawn is counterbalanced by the weak d6-pawn. White's stronger bishop compensates for his slightly less active d1-rook. The position is balanced. }) 35... Ra8 { [%clk 0:03:28] } 36. f4!? { Another strange move, trading off Black's bad bishop and making the d6-pawn harder to attack. } { [%clk 0:11:57] } 36... exf4 { [%clk 0:03:06] } 37. Bxg7 { [%clk 0:11:27] } 37... Kxg7 { [%clk 0:03:06] } 38. gxf4 { [%clk 0:11:23] } 38... Qc5 { [%clk 0:02:38] } 39. Rac1 { [%clk 0:11:10] } 39... Re8 { [%clk 0:01:55] } 40. Re1 { [%clk 0:11:10] } 40... Qd4 { There is no "bonus time" at move 40, and Black is down to 90 seconds compared to White's 11 minutes. That said, the position is full of holes for White. This is a nice example of the "space advantage disadvantage," where the trading off of several pieces turns a "space advantage" into "swiss cheese" full of easily exploitable holes and vulnerable pawns for the "disadvantaged" side. } { [%clk 0:01:28] } 41. Qxb4 { [%clk 0:10:23] } 41... Rab8 { [%clk 0:00:56] } 42. Qa3 { [%clk 0:08:54] } 42... Rb2+ { [%clk 0:00:47] } 43. Kh1 { [%clk 0:07:54] } 43... Rxe1+ { [%clk 0:00:14] } (43... Qd2 { was even better, as White cannot successfully trade off queens with } 44. Qc3+?? (44. Qg3 Rc2! 45. Rb1 Rxe1+ 46. Rxe1 Rc3 $19) 44... Qxc3 45. Rxc3 Rxe1#) 44. Rxe1 { [%clk 0:07:54] } 44... Qd2 { [%clk 0:00:04] } 45. Qg3 { The good news: Black is winning thanks to his devastating pressure and the ease of picking up the c-pawn, with both the a- and d-pawns to fall shortly. The bad news: White still has counterplay, and Black only has four seconds! } { [%clk 0:07:51] } 45... Qc2? { [%clk 0:00:04] } (45... Rc2! 46. f5 g5! { was the absolutely essential defensive point, keeping the queen on defense of the g-pawn. }) 46. f5! { White has created a real problem for Black's previously safe king! } { [%clk 0:06:13] } 46... Qxf5 { One of several ways to trade into a drawn ending. } { [%clk 0:00:04] } (46... Qxc4 47. Qxd6 { threatens Qd6-e5+ winning the rook, as well as f5-f6+ and possible infiltrations of the rook, while Black has no attack. } 47... Qc3 48. Qe5+ Qxe5 49. Rxe5 Kf6 50. Re8 $10 { and White's pawn weaknesses should make it easy for Black to hold, but near-impossible to do much more than that. }) 47. Qc3+ { [%clk 0:06:13] } 47... Qf6 { [%clk 0:00:04] } 48. Qxf6+ { [%clk 0:05:55] } 48... Kxf6 { [%clk 0:00:04] } 49. Rf1+ { [%clk 0:05:28] } 49... Ke7 { [%clk 0:00:04] } 50. Ra1 { The best move. Rooks belong behind passed pawns. Black has to figure out whether he has time to grab the c-pawn. } { [%clk 0:03:53] } 50... Rb4 { Yes! There is time! } { [%clk 0:00:04] } 51. a5 { [%clk 0:03:51] } 51... Rxc4 { Although it looks like Black ran out of time before completing this move. White won here. The position is drawn after } { [%clk 0:00:00] } 52. a6 Rc8 53. a7 Ra8 { and, for instance } 54. Ra6 $10 { , where White will not be able to win because of Black's three-versus-one majority on the kingside, but certainly will be able to keep the pawns at bay. } 1-0