[Event "2026 National Middle School K-8 Championship"] [Site "Round Rock, Texas, United States"] [Date "2026.05.16"] [Round "5.2"] [White "Karthi, Jashith"] [Black "Kandikayala, Srikar"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2293"] [WhiteTitle "CM"] [WhiteFideId "30983029"] [BlackElo "2123"] [BlackFideId "30993938"] [TimeControl "G/90;d10"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D38"] [Opening "Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense"] [StudyName "2026 National Middle School Championship"] [ChapterName "Karthi, Jashith - Kandikayala, Srikar"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/nsU8iwvi/qflHOnAX"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] { Editor's note: I (JJ Lang) had to jump in here and take a look at this upset, both because of its relevance for the standings and because I've learned firsthand how hard it can be to maintain the alleged initiative White is supposed to have in these scary Ragozin lines. } 1. d4 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 1... d5 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 2. c4 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 2... e6 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 3. Nc3 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 3... Nf6 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 4. Nf3 { [%clk 1:29:50] } 4... Bb4 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 5. cxd5 { [%clk 1:29:50] } 5... exd5 { [%clk 1:29:55] } 6. Bg5 { [%clk 1:29:50] } 6... h6 { [%clk 1:28:36] } 7. Bh4 { The Ragozin Defense is a very daring way to play against White's Queen's Gambit setup, and indeed it is a major reason why players delay Ng1-f3 and prefer Carlsbad setups with e2-e3 and Ng1-e2. } { [%clk 1:29:49] } 7... c5 { One of the sharpest lines, but White already has to be prepared for a number of alternatives that can transpose into each other but also each carry their own independent idiosyncrasies: } { [%clk 1:27:57] } (7... O-O { is the main move, and }) (7... g5 { can transpose into either of the above lines, while }) (7... Nbd7 { and }) (7... Bf5 { are flexible moves played with some regularity. }) 8. e3 { [%clk 1:28:50] } (8. dxc5 Nbd7 { has a more drawish reputation. }) 8... c4 { [%clk 1:25:38] } 9. Be2 { [%clk 1:28:11] } (9. Nd2 { is the alternative: } 9... g5 10. Bg3 Bf5 11. Be2 $13) 9... g5 { [%clk 1:19:58] } 10. Bg3 { [%clk 1:28:10] } 10... Ne4 { [%clk 1:15:40] } 11. Rc1 { [%clk 1:26:23] } (11. Nd2? { is an idea in other variations, but here } 11... Bxc3 12. bxc3 Nxc3 13. Qc2 Nxe2 14. Kxe2 O-O $17 { is strong. White should remember that Bf1-e2 and the pawn sac with Nf3-d2 don't mix so well. }) 11... Qa5 { [%clk 1:11:22] } 12. O-O { [%clk 1:24:55] } (12. Ne5! { White should always be looking for ways to sac a pawn for the initiataive in these lines. } 12... Nc6 (12... Nxc3?! 13. bxc3 Bxc3+ 14. Kf1 { is actually really good for White! } 14... Nc6 15. h4 { The king is awesome on f1, where it is perfectly safe, and the rook is awesome-er on the h-file. } 15... g4 { Black has nothing better than returning the pawn. } 16. Nxc6 bxc6 17. Bxg4 $16) 13. O-O Bxc3 14. bxc3 O-O (14... Nxc3?! 15. Rxc3! { The idea, as tried by GM Veselin Topalov in 2011 (albeit unsuccessfully). } 15... Qxc3 16. Bh5 O-O (16... Nxe5?! 17. Bxe5 Rf8 18. Qf3 { is a powerful attack. }) 17. Qf3 Nd8?! (17... Kg7 $146) 18. Qf6 Qc2 19. Ng4 Bxg4 20. Be5 Qh7 21. Bxg4 Ne6 { All of this has been forced. } 22. f4?? { lost the entire advantage in Topalov – Aronian, Monte Carlo, 2011 (blindfold). } (22. Bf5 { was the right approach. } 22... Qg7 23. Qe7 { The queen is trapped, so Black's best bet is } 23... Rfe8 24. Qxb7 Qf8 25. Qxd5 $18 { when White has cracked open Black's center while maintaining the glorious bishop pair. })) 15. Bf3 Nxg3 16. fxg3 $14 { offers White some attacking prospects. }) 12... Bxc3 { Black is right to go for material here. } { [%clk 0:54:25] } 13. bxc3 { [%clk 1:24:55] } 13... Nxc3 { [%clk 0:53:42] } 14. Qe1 { [%clk 1:24:31] } 14... Nxe2+ { [%clk 0:53:24] } 15. Qxe2 { [%clk 1:24:31] } 15... Nc6 { White's lead in development might offer some compensation for the pawn. But there's minimal pressure on the d-pawn, no pressure on the kingside, and, with ... c5-c4 already achieved, no activity along the half-open c-file. } { [%clk 0:44:12] } 16. Ne5 { [%clk 1:19:27] } 16... Nxe5 { [%clk 0:36:07] } 17. Bxe5 { [%clk 1:19:21] } 17... Rg8 { Keeping Black's king in the center like this is the source of White's compensation. } { [%clk 0:32:19] } 18. Rb1!? { [%clk 0:54:51] } (18. f4! { was the right approach. } 18... Bf5! 19. fxg5 Be4 $146 { is the only way to hold the balance. } (19... Rxg5? 20. h4 Bd3 21. Qb2 { illustrates two problems with 18. Rb1. First, provoking ... b7-b6 takes away this resource. Second, giving Black tempo when the bishop comes to f5 slows down White's counterplay. }) 20. Qh5 Rg6 21. Rf2 Qa3 22. Rcf1 Qxe3 23. h4 $13 { White intends Kg1-h2. }) 18... b6 { [%clk 0:23:00] } 19. Qf3?! { [%clk 0:52:44] } (19. Qc2 { also discouraged ... Bc8-f5, but now } 19... Rg6 { is well-met by } 20. f4 $13 { demonstrating why White's queen had to stay off the f-file. }) 19... Rg6 { Black activates. The king is perfectly safe in the center now that White is unable to crack the board open with f2-f4. } { [%clk 0:20:53] } 20. a4 { [%clk 0:45:02] } 20... Be6 { [%clk 0:19:54] } 21. Bf6?! { White is trying to play the imbalances by making the most of the dark-squared domination. But there's nothing here! } { [%clk 0:43:48] } (21. e4 { , aiming to open up the center, was White's best bet, but after } 21... Rc8 22. Qa3 dxe4 23. Rb5 Qd2 { White is still struggling to make inroads. Further aggression with } 24. d5 { is required, but } 24... Bxd5 25. Bc3 Qd3 $17 { and White can't possibly have enough compensation for the three (!) sacrificed pawns. But with the dark squares cleared, White does have genuine counterplay. }) 21... Qxa4 { Fearless! } { [%clk 0:18:14] } 22. Rfc1 { [%clk 0:40:56] } 22... Qd7 { [%clk 0:16:12] } 23. Be5 { [%clk 0:38:22] } 23... f6! { The knockout. } { [%clk 0:14:56] } 24. Bxf6 { [%clk 0:35:08] } (24. Bg3 Bg4 $19 { is bye-bye queenie. }) 24... Bg4 { [%clk 0:14:48] } 25. Qg3 { [%clk 0:35:08] } 25... Rxf6 $19 { Excellent play from Black: grabbing the pawns, shutting down the counterplay, and concretely closing things out. } { [%clk 0:14:48] } 26. e4 { [%clk 0:35:08] } 26... dxe4 { [%clk 0:12:12] } 27. Rxc4 { [%clk 0:35:06] } 27... Rc8 { [%clk 0:10:51] } 28. Rxc8+ { [%clk 0:31:46] } 28... Qxc8 { [%clk 0:10:51] } 29. h4 { [%clk 0:31:43] } 29... Kf7 { [%clk 0:09:16] } 30. hxg5 { [%clk 0:31:34] } 30... hxg5 { [%clk 0:09:16] } 31. Qb3+ { [%clk 0:31:19] } 31... Kg7 { [%clk 0:08:30] } 32. d5 { [%clk 0:30:45] } 32... Qf5 { [%clk 0:08:18] } 33. Rb2 { [%clk 0:30:45] } 33... Bh5 { [%clk 0:06:25] } 34. Rd2 { [%clk 0:30:42] } 34... Bf7 { [%clk 0:06:24] } 35. Qa3 { [%clk 0:30:27] } 35... Qf4 { [%clk 0:05:57] } 36. Re2 { [%clk 0:29:36] } 36... Bxd5 { [%clk 0:05:35] } 37. Qxa7+ { [%clk 0:29:36] } 37... Bf7 { [%clk 0:05:33] } 38. Ra2 { [%clk 0:28:43] } 38... Qc1+ { 0-1 Black wins. } { [%clk 0:05:33] } 0-1