[Event "1000GM Las Vegas Super Swiss"] [Site "Las Vegas"] [Date "2023.06.10"] [White "Hans Niemann"] [Black "Josiah Stearman"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B51"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation"] [StudyName "Vegas June 2023"] [ChapterName "Hans Niemann - Josiah Stearman"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/nvFfMnzT/XUs94I1b"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Nd7 4. O-O a6 5. Bd3 Ngf6 6. Re1 b5 7. a4 Bb7 8. axb5 axb5 9. Rxa8 Qxa8 10. Bxb5 Bxe4 11. Nc3 Bxf3 12. Qxf3 Qxf3 13. gxf3 e6 14. d3 Be7 15. Bg5 Nh5 16. Bxe7 Kxe7 17. Nd5+ Kd8 18. Ra1 exd5 19. Ra8+ Ke7 20. Rxh8 Nf8 21. c3 Nf4 22. d4 f6 23. Bc6 c4 24. h4 g6 25. h5 gxh5 26. Rg8 Kf7 27. Rg2 N8e6 28. Rg3 f5 29. Kh1 h6 30. Rg1 Ng5 31. Ra1 Nxf3 32. Ra7+ Ke6 33. Rh7 h4 34. Bd7+ Kf6 35. Rxh6+ Kg5 36. Rh8 Nd3 37. Rf8 Kf4 38. Kg2 h3+ 39. Kxh3 Nxf2+ 40. Kg2 Ke3 41. Bxf5 Ne1+ 42. Kf1 Ned3 43. Bxd3 Nxd3 44. Rb8 Kd2 45. Rb5 Kc2 46. Rxd5 Kxb2 47. Rxd6 Kxc3 48. Ke2 Nb4 49. Ke3 Nc2+?? (49... Kb2 { Not the only drawing move, but the most clear. } 50. d5 { was the move mentioned in yesterday's workout: } (50. Rb6 { is also an interesting try, pointed out by IM Robert Shlyakhtenko. } 50... Kc3!! { This is counterintuitive (as Robert points out) but the only way. } (50... Kb3?? 51. d5 c3 52. d6 c2 53. Kd2 $18) (50... Ka3?? 51. Rb5! c3 52. d5 { also loses: } 52... c2 53. Kd2 { and Black can resign. }) 51. Ke4 (51. Rh6 { If White's rook leaves the b-file, then now the king is fine to go to b2 again, as the knight is not vulnerable. } 51... Kb2) 51... Kb3 { and only now, when White's king is too far from the c1-square, can Black play this move. } 52. d5 c3 53. d6 c2 { and this is where White needed their king to get to d2 in one move. }) 50... c3 51. Rd8 Nxd5+ 52. Rxd5 c2 53. Rb5+ Kc1 54. Kd3 Kd1 55. Rh5 (55. Ra5?? { The workout mistakenly included this as White's move, claiming it was still a draw, when Black clearly wins after } 55... c1=Q { but of course White could have moved the queen to the long side to hold the draw. }) 55... c1=N+ $10) (49... Kb3 { would also draw in a nice way: } 50. d5 c3 51. Rb6 Kc4! { This now shows the difficulty of Black's task in finding a draw over the board. It would be easy to assume the king needed to control the c1-square to hold the position, whereas here the king actually catches the d-pawn. }) (49... Kc2 { as would staying in front of the pawn, somewhat surprisingly. } 50. Rd8 c3 51. d5 Kb2 52. Rb8 c2 { and now that the pawn is already on the seventh rank, Black can sacrifice the knight as after } 53. Rxb4+ Kc3 { there is no way to stop the pawn, since it promotes with check! } 54. Rc4+ Kxc4 55. Kd2) 50. Ke4 Kd2 51. Rh6 Nb4 52. Rh2+ Kd1 53. Rb2 Nd3 54. Ra2 Nc1 55. Ra3 Kc2 56. d5 Nb3 57. Ra2+ Kc3 58. d6 Kb4 59. Kd5 Nc5 60. Rb2+ { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0