[Event "2023 NHS Championship Under 800"] [Site "Washington D.C."] [Date "2023.04.02"] [White "Andrew Warmenhoven"] [Black "Xavier Chen"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "624"] [BlackElo "594"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B90"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/gWVmQS5K/1HnxzZza"] [Orientation "white"] { Annotations by JJ Lang } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nf3 Be7 8. Be2 Nbd7 9. Qd2 O-O 10. O-O-O b5 11. Nh4 Bb7 12. f3 g6 13. Bg5 b4 14. Nb1 Nxe4 15. Bxe7 Qxe7 16. Nxg6 fxg6 17. fxe4 Rf2 18. Bc4+ Rf7 19. Bxf7+ Qxf7 20. Qxd6 Nf8 21. Qxb4 Qf4+ 22. Nd2 Bc8 23. Rhf1 Qh6 24. Rxf8+ Qxf8 25. Qxf8+ Kxf8 26. Nf3 Bb7 27. Rf1 Re8 28. Nxe5+ Kg8 29. Nc4 Bc6 30. Re1 Kf8 31. c3 Ke7 32. e5 Bxg2 33. Kc2 Bd5 34. Kd3 Rd8 35. b3 Ke6 36. Nd6 h5 37. c4 Bc6 38. h4 Rg8 39. b4 (39. Rf1 Kxe5 40. Nf7+ Ke6 41. Kd4 $18 { White's king breaks through, and the pawns still protect each other on the queenside. }) 39... g5! { Activity over material! Black is back in the game. } 40. hxg5 Rxg5 41. b5 axb5 42. cxb5 Bd5 43. a4 Rg3+ 44. Kd2 Rg2+ 45. Kc3 h4 46. Nc4 h3 47. Ne3 Rg3 48. Kd4 Bb7 49. Re2 { Perhaps the most challenging endgame of the final day took place in the Under 600 section! } 49... Rf3?? (49... Bg2! { Now Black is threatening ...h3-h2. } 50. Re1 Bf3 { Black renews the h-pawn's menacing potential. The pawn will never go anywhere, but White pays the great price of any possible winning chances to keep it caged. } 51. Nf1 Rg4+ 52. Ke3 Bb7 53. a5 Ra4 54. a6 Bxa6 55. bxa6 Kxe5) 50. a5 Rf4+ 51. Kc5 Re4 52. Kb6 Bd5 53. Nxd5! { An easy idea to overlook at the end of a tense and important battle! } 53... Rxe2 54. Nf4+ Kxe5 55. Nxe2 Kd6 56. a6 Ke5 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0