[Event "Cincinnati Tornado Nov 29 2025"] [Date "2025.11.29"] [Round "2"] [White "Alex Cretsos"] [Black "Carl Labanz"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2085"] [BlackElo "1701"] [TimeControl "G45 d5"] [Board "3"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/PathToMaster"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B29"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Closed Variation"] [StudyName "Zwischenzug | Game of the Week"] [ChapterName "Alex Cretsos - Carl Labanz"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/gL3s57BD/JE4AAX2f"] [Orientation "black"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 d5 (3... Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4) 4. exd5 Nxd5 5. d4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 g6 { [%csl Gd4,Gc3][%cal Gf8g7,Gg7c3] } 7. Bc4 Bg7 8. O-O O-O 9. h3 Nc6 10. Be3 Qc7 11. Qd2 cxd4 12. cxd4 Nxd4 (12... Na5 13. Bb3 Bf5 { [%cal Ga8c8] }) 13. Bxf7+ (13. Nxd4 Qxc4) 13... Rxf7 14. Nxd4 { [%csl Gf7,Rg8][%cal Gf7g8] } 14... b6 15. Rad1 Bb7 16. f3 Qc4 17. Nb3 Rc8 18. Rc1 Bb2 (18... Be5) 19. Rb1 Ba6 (19... Qxc2 20. Rxb2) 20. Rf2 Bc3 21. Qd7 e6 22. Qd6 Bf6 23. Rd1 Rd8 24. Qxd8+ Bxd8 25. Rxd8+ Kg7 (25... Rf8 26. Rd7 Rf7 27. Rd8+ Rf8 28. Rd7 { And I didn't have a plan here, so that's why I went Kg7. }) 26. Bd4+ Kh6 27. Rg8 Qd5 28. Be3+ Kh5 (28... g5 29. Rxg5 Qxg5 30. Bxg5+ Kxg5) 29. Rd2 Qc4 30. Kh2 Bb7 (30... Qc7+ { Another move missed. } 31. f4?? (31. Kg1 Rxf3 32. gxf3 Qg3+ 33. Rg2 Qe1+ 34. Kh2 Qxe3 { Getting rid of the bishop will let me start picking off pawns and pieces. }) (31. Kh1 Qg3 32. Bf2 { Not sure what the plan is from here though. }) 31... Rxf4 32. Bxf4 Qxf4+) 31. g4+ Kh4 32. Bf2+ Kg5 33. h4+ Kf6 34. Bd4+ e5 35. Be3 Ke6 36. Bg5 { And here I had 20 seconds on the clock and blundered. I knew I needed to protect against Re8 and so protected the e7 square instead of the e8 square. } 36... Qc7?? { 1-0 White wins. } (36... Bd5 { Good option to block the file and let my king escape to the queenside. }) (36... Bc6 { Protects the e8 square. }) 37. Re8+ Re7 38. Rxe7+ 1-0