[Event "U.S. Senior Chess Championship 2024"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2024.07.23"] [Round "07"] [White "Kaidanov, Gregory"] [Black "Kraai, Jesse"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2548"] [BlackElo "2356"] [TimeControl "7200+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E36"] [Opening "Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Noa Variation"] [StudyName "2024 National Championships (Junior/Girls' Junior/Senior) Rds 7-9"] [ChapterName "Kaidanov, Gregory - Kraai, Jesse"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/kt4PLoQ4/ByGgcZfR"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%clk 2:00:57] } 1... Nf6 { [%clk 2:00:51] } 2. c4 { [%clk 2:01:21] } 2... e6 { [%clk 2:01:16] } 3. Nc3 { [%clk 2:01:47] } 3... Bb4 { [%clk 2:01:34] } 4. Qc2 { [%clk 2:02:13] } 4... d5 { [%clk 2:01:47] } 5. a3 { [%clk 2:02:36] } 5... Bxc3+ { [%clk 2:02:00] } 6. Qxc3 { [%clk 2:03:01] } 6... O-O { [%clk 2:02:15] } 7. e3 { [%clk 1:59:53] } 7... b6 { [%clk 2:00:57] } 8. Nf3 { [%clk 1:58:53] } 8... Ba6 { [%clk 1:59:56] } 9. b3 { [%clk 1:58:47] } 9... Nbd7 { [%clk 1:56:56] } 10. Bb2 { [%clk 1:53:00] } 10... c5 { [%clk 1:56:56] } 11. Be2 { [%clk 1:46:45] } 11... cxd4 { [%clk 1:53:11] } 12. exd4 { [%clk 1:42:16] } 12... Rc8 { [%clk 1:53:22] } 13. Qb4 { [%clk 1:26:31] } 13... dxc4 { [%clk 1:48:33] } 14. bxc4 { [%clk 1:26:10] } 14... b5 { Boom! Objectively not the best, but Kraai's idea of planting a knight on d5 at the cost of a key pawn is certainly courageous. } { [%clk 1:45:02] } 15. cxb5 { [%clk 1:20:48] } 15... Nd5 { [%clk 1:45:08] } 16. Qd2 { [%clk 1:18:55] } 16... Bb7 { [%clk 1:45:12] } 17. O-O { [%clk 1:18:29] } 17... Qf6 { [%clk 1:39:10] } 18. Rfc1 { [%clk 1:16:50] } 18... Nf4 { [%clk 1:30:54] } 19. d5! { A good reaction by Kaidanov, sacrificing the pawn back to open the minor pieces. } { [%clk 1:14:25] } 19... Qf5 { [%clk 1:17:54] } 20. Bf1 { [%clk 0:59:11] } 20... Bxd5 { [%clk 1:15:13] } 21. Ne1 { [%clk 0:48:10] } 21... h5 { [%clk 0:49:22] } 22. Qd4 { [%clk 0:42:57] } 22... Qg4 { [%clk 0:37:42] } 23. f3 { [%clk 0:40:34] } 23... Qg5 { [%clk 0:36:57] } 24. g3 { [%clk 0:39:12] } 24... e5 { [%clk 0:36:27] } 25. Qxa7 { [%clk 0:36:18] } 25... Nf6 { [%clk 0:34:55] } 26. Qf2 { [%clk 0:29:17] } (26. Rxc8! { The cold silicon machine suggests that White can simply ignore the four pieces around his king and push the b-pawn pawn home! Easy for the engine to say, but hard for any human to do. } 26... Rxc8 27. b6 h4 28. b7 Bxb7 29. Qxb7 Rd8 30. g4 $18) 26... h4 { [%clk 0:34:43] } 27. Rxc8 { [%clk 0:11:31] } 27... Rxc8 { [%clk 0:35:04] } 28. Rd1 { [%clk 0:11:23] } 28... N6h5 { The "knightmare" has started! } { [%clk 0:22:25] } 29. g4 { [%clk 0:11:13] } 29... f5 { [%clk 0:22:43] } (29... e4! { Is deadly. } 30. h3 (30. fxe4 Qxg4+ 31. Kh1 Bxe4+ $19) (30. Bd4! h3 $19) 30... e3 31. Qh2 Ng3 $19) 30. Rxd5! { Great judgment. Black's bishop is definitely worth a rook here due to how much damage it can cause on the kingside. } { [%clk 0:08:52] } 30... Nxd5 { [%clk 0:22:32] } 31. b6 { [%clk 0:09:19] } 31... fxg4 { [%clk 0:09:20] } 32. b7 { [%clk 0:09:40] } 32... Rf8 { [%clk 0:09:37] } 33. Qc5 { [%clk 0:09:02] } 33... gxf3+ { [%clk 0:05:49] } 34. Kh1 { [%clk 0:09:25] } 34... e4 { [%clk 0:05:27] } 35. Qxf8+ { [%clk 0:09:30] } 35... Kxf8 { [%clk 0:05:51] } 36. b8=Q+ { [%clk 0:09:54] } 36... Ke7 { [%clk 0:05:24] } 37. Bb5 { [%clk 0:06:01] } 37... Nhf6 { [%clk 0:04:32] } 38. Qa7+ { [%clk 0:03:21] } 38... Ke6 $10 { As scary as this position looks, it's actually dead equal! However, time pressure immediately ends the game here. } { [%clk 0:04:14] } 39. Nc2?? { [%clk 0:02:15] } (39. Bxf6 Kxf6 40. Qc5 Qd2 41. Qd6+ Kf5 42. Bf1 Qxe1 43. Qxd5+ $10) 39... Qg2# { 0-1 Black wins. } { [%clk 0:03:49] } 0-1