[Event "U.S. National High School Championship 2024"] [Site "Baltimore, MD"] [Date "2024.04.06"] [Round "05"] [White "Yesuntumur Tugstumur"] [Black "Derek Clasby"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2358"] [BlackElo "2277"] [TimeControl "5400+10"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D82"] [Opening "Grünfeld Defense: Brinckmann Attack"] [StudyName "2024 NHS"] [ChapterName "Yesuntumur Tugstumur - Derek Clasby"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/fbYDIs5O/OsD1MD16"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 1... Nf6 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 2. c4 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 2... g6 { [%clk 1:29:16] } 3. Nc3 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 3... d5 { [%clk 1:29:11] } 4. Bf4 { [%clk 1:26:47] } 4... Bg7 { [%clk 1:26:46] } 5. e3 { [%clk 1:26:47] } 5... c5 { [%clk 1:22:21] } 6. dxc5 { [%clk 1:21:35] } 6... Qa5 { [%clk 1:16:48] } 7. Qa4+ { [%clk 1:19:00] } 7... Qxa4 { [%clk 1:16:40] } 8. Nxa4 { [%clk 1:19:00] } 8... Na6!? { [%clk 1:07:24] } (8... Bd7 { is the most common, and scores quite well for Black. This is actually the main reason White's line with 4. Bf4 is not more popular. } 9. Nc3 Ne4 10. Nxd5 Na6 11. f3 Nexc5 12. O-O-O e6 13. Nc3 Bxc3 14. bxc3 f6 15. e4 e5 { as seen in Akobian – So, St. Louis, 2018, is a way for Black to equalize with relative ease. }) 9. cxd5 { [%clk 1:15:57] } 9... Nxd5 { [%clk 1:06:23] } 10. O-O-O { [%clk 1:12:28] } 10... Nac7 $146 { Apparently, the path to equalize was very counterintuitive: } { [%clk 0:46:08] } (10... Bd7! 11. Rxd5 Bxa4 { would be more obviously fine for Black if not for } 12. Bxa6 bxa6 { when Black now has both doubled, isolated a-pawns and a pawn deficit. But, the pair of bishops works so well with the open b-file and half-open c-file, so this is still equal! } 13. Nf3 Bc6 14. Rd2 Rc8 15. Rhd1 Be4 $10) 11. Bxc7 { [%clk 1:12:16] } 11... Nxc7 { [%clk 0:46:08] } 12. Bc4 { While Black still boasts the bishop pair, there is less pressure on the extra c-pawn, and White's pieces are quickly activating. So, White should be at least a bit better. } { [%clk 1:12:13] } 12... e6 { [%clk 0:37:15] } 13. Ne2 { [%clk 1:10:49] } 13... Bd7 { [%clk 0:36:21] } 14. Nac3 { [%clk 1:10:13] } 14... Ke7 { Black must get the rooks into the game as quickly as possible. } { [%clk 0:34:05] } (14... Bc6 { is less effective as } 15. f3 { is probably why White played Ng1-e2 anyways, and now } 15... O-O 16. Nd4 $16 { allows White to continue competing for the d-file. }) 15. Rd3 { [%clk 1:07:36] } 15... Rhc8 { [%clk 0:28:57] } 16. Rhd1 { [%clk 1:06:25] } 16... Bc6 { [%clk 0:26:26] } 17. f3 { [%clk 1:03:43] } 17... b5!? { As discussed earlier, Black needs open lines on the queenside to maximize the potential of his bishop pair. But was such a drastic move, committing to a weak b-pawn, necessary? Instead, } { [%clk 0:21:57] } (17... a5! 18. Nd4 Be8 19. Kb1 a4 { promises some space-gain for Black while keeping the b-pawn further away from the action. } 20. g4 Ra5 21. Ne4 Rb8! $14 { is a way to fight for ...b7-b5 with a more dangerous queenside pawn remaining. }) 18. cxb6 { [%clk 1:03:41] } 18... axb6 { [%clk 0:21:57] } 19. Nd4 { [%clk 0:56:27] } 19... Be8 { [%clk 0:20:21] } 20. Kb1 { [%clk 0:53:51] } 20... Ra5 { [%clk 0:16:45] } 21. Bb3 { [%clk 0:52:06] } 21... Na6 { [%clk 0:15:44] } 22. Ne4?! { A subtle inaccuracy that highlights the complexity of this typical Grünfeld struggle. White's best play was the prophylactic } { [%clk 0:49:42] } (22. R3d2! Nc5 23. Bc2 { , when he threatens b2-b4. As a result, Black has nothing better than } 23... Nb7 { when the knight is much worse on b7 than it would have been had Black been able to trade it off. } 24. Ne4 Nc5 25. Ng3 Raa8 26. f4 $14) 22... Nb4?! { The knight does not have a long-term home here, and will struggle to repurpose itself. } { [%clk 0:13:50] } (22... Nc5! { was far more annoying. Black aims to trade his worst piece. } 23. Rc3 Rca8 24. Rdc1 Nxe4 25. fxe4 Be5 $10 { is the sort of position that more clearly provides compensation for the pawn due to the dominant, unopposed dark-squared bishop. }) 23. Rc3 { [%clk 0:46:04] } 23... Rxc3 { [%clk 0:13:48] } 24. Nxc3 { [%clk 0:45:45] } 24... Re5 { [%clk 0:11:29] } 25. e4 { [%clk 0:44:39] } 25... Rh5 { [%clk 0:10:56] } 26. h3 { [%clk 0:44:35] } 26... Rg5 { [%clk 0:10:44] } 27. g4 { [%clk 0:44:35] } 27... Rc5 { [%clk 0:09:56] } 28. Na4 { [%clk 0:42:06] } 28... Bxa4 { [%clk 0:07:12] } 29. Bxa4 { Black's choice to give up the bishop pair was committal, but could be justified with } { [%clk 0:42:06] } 29... Rc4? { [%clk 0:05:57] } (29... Ra5 30. Bb3 Bxd4 31. Rxd4 Nc6 $14 { , when the knight re-routes to e5 and White's light-squared bishop is very restricted on the kingside. }) 30. Ne2 { By allowing White's bishop to stay on the a4-e8 diagonal for even one more turn, the threats of Rd1-d7+ put Black on the back foot. } { [%clk 0:41:25] } 30... Rc7 { [%clk 0:03:29] } 31. a3 { [%clk 0:40:02] } 31... Nc6? { [%clk 0:02:02] } (31... Na6 { was best, but after } 32. b4 { , Black's knight is still struggling to find a purpose. }) 32. Rc1! { The problem with Black's natural-seeming retreat is that now Black is at White's mercy, stuck defending pieces as White makes small, improving moves. } { [%clk 0:39:59] } 32... Kd6 { [%clk 0:02:02] } 33. Bxc6!? { With 40 minutes on the clock compared to Black's two minutes, it seems a bit odd to clarify the position, even though the resulting knight-versus-bishop endgame should still be won due to White's extra pawn. Instead, } { [%clk 0:39:59] } (33. f4! $16 { is a terribly cruel move. Black does not want to move the knight as the pawn-down endgame is much less favorable when White still has a bishop (unless of course Black can force a trade of knights and achieve a pure opposite-colored bishop endgame, which does not seem likely here). But then the king and rook are stuck, giving Black only two minutes to choose between less obvious alternatives like kingside pawn pushes or shuffling the dark-squared bishop. }) 33... Rxc6 { [%clk 0:02:02] } 34. Rxc6+ { [%clk 0:39:59] } 34... Kxc6 { [%clk 0:02:02] } 35. Kc2 { [%clk 0:39:59] } 35... Kc5 { [%clk 0:01:58] } 36. b3 { [%clk 0:39:56] } 36... Be5 { [%clk 0:01:49] } 37. Kd3 { [%clk 0:39:56] } 37... Bb2 { Another critical moment. Should White push b3-b4+, which keeps pawns on the same color as Black's bishop, or a3-a4, which makes the bishop less effective but the b-pawn harder to advance. And, as a meta-question, should White use a decent chunk of their 40 minutes deciding this, or continue to "push the clock" against a player down to 77 seconds? } { [%clk 0:01:17] } 38. a4?! { Played in under a minute, Tugstumur's strategy is clear! } { [%clk 0:39:22] } (38. b4+! { was better: } 38... Kb5 39. Nc3+ { is the point. Black absolutely cannot trade down into a pure pawn endgame when down a pawn like this. But any king move, such as } 39... Kc6 { allows } 40. a4 $18 { when White has solved the problem of a backwards b3-pawn that he now has in the game, and can continue to push for an outside passer. }) 38... g5 { A good move, with one black pawn fixing three of White's. } { [%clk 0:00:49] } 39. Kc2?! { [%clk 0:39:06] } (39. f4! { White should have tried to do something about the impending blockade. }) 39... Be5! { White's pawns are now frozen for real! } { [%clk 0:00:47] } 40. Nc1 { [%clk 0:37:55] } 40... Kd4 { [%clk 0:00:46] } 41. Nd3 { [%clk 0:37:55] } 41... Bd6?! { [%clk 0:00:37] } (41... Bc7 $10 { was more accurate, both avoiding the gain of tempo with e4-e5 and keeping the b-pawn covered from various forking threats. More importantly, the bishop is less likely to get forked here. White's knight needs four turns to get from d3 to b5, and, if Black plays the intended ... Kd4-e3, the knight can't get to d5. }) 42. Kd2 { [%clk 0:37:55] } (42. Nb2! { was the way to exploit Black's inaccuracy. The e3-square is now mined, due to Nb2-c4+ with a fork! } 42... Bc7 43. Nc4 { and Black's king is frozen. } 43... f6 44. Kd2 Bf4+ 45. Kd1 Bc7 { although it is still hard to suggest a plan for White to make progress, despite the computer's optimistic evaluation. }) 42... Be7 { [%clk 0:00:16] } 43. e5 { [%clk 0:36:10] } 43... Bf8?! { Under ten seconds, Black separates the bishop from the proper defensive path of the b-pawn. } { [%clk 0:00:08] } 44. Nb2 { [%clk 0:32:20] } 44... Bb4+ { [%clk 0:00:08] } 45. Ke2 { [%clk 0:32:20] } 45... Kc3 { [%clk 0:00:03] } 46. Nc4 { [%clk 0:32:20] } 46... Bc5 { [%clk 0:00:02] } 47. a5 { [%clk 0:31:55] } 47... bxa5 { [%clk 0:00:02] } 48. Nxa5 { [%clk 0:31:55] } 48... Bb4 { [%clk 0:00:02] } (48... Bd4 { had to be played, going after the e-pawn immediately. } 49. Nc4 Kxb3 50. Kd3 Bc3! $10 { and White cannot go after the f7-pawn without hanging the e5-pawn, and the king cannot defend the e-pawn without hanging the knight. A hard configuration to conceive of with mere seconds on the clock! }) 49. Nc6 { [%clk 0:31:55] } (49. Nb7 { also wins. } 49... Kxb3 50. Nd6 Kc3 51. Nxf7 Be7 52. Ke3 Kc4 53. Ke4 Kc5 54. f4 gxf4 55. Kxf4 Kd5 56. g5 $18 { and White creates a kingside passer. }) 49... Kxb3 { [%clk 0:00:02] } 50. Nd8 { [%clk 0:31:55] } 50... Kc4 { [%clk 0:00:02] } 51. Nxf7 { [%clk 0:31:55] } 51... Be7 { [%clk 0:00:02] } 52. f4 { The key maneuver, creating a kingside passer! } { [%clk 0:31:55] } 52... gxf4 { [%clk 0:00:02] } 53. Kf3 { [%clk 0:31:55] } 53... Kd4 { [%clk 0:00:02] } 54. Kxf4 { [%clk 0:31:55] } 54... Kd5 { [%clk 0:00:02] } 55. g5 { [%clk 0:31:55] } 55... Ba3 { [%clk 0:00:02] } 56. Kg4 { [%clk 0:31:46] } 56... Bf8 { [%clk 0:00:02] } 57. h4 { [%clk 0:31:46] } 57... Ke4 { [%clk 0:00:02] } 58. h5 { [%clk 0:31:23] } 58... Kd4 { [%clk 0:00:02] } 59. Kf4 { [%clk 0:31:20] } 59... Kd5 { [%clk 0:00:02] } 60. h6! { [%clk 0:31:20] } 60... Kd4 { [%clk 0:00:02] } 61. g6 { [%clk 0:31:13] } 61... Bxh6+ { [%clk 0:00:02] } (61... hxg6 62. h7 Bg7 63. Kg5 { is clearly winning. }) 62. Nxh6 { [%clk 0:31:13] } 62... hxg6 { [%clk 0:00:02] } 63. Nf7 { [%clk 0:31:13] } 1-0