[Event "New York Presidents' Day Norm Invtl"] [Site "New York"] [Date "2024.02.19"] [White "Lev Shangin"] [Black "Vojtech Plat"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B00"] [Opening "Pirc Defense"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/rbSYSN7z/su865AiW"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 d6 2. e4 Nf6 3. Nc3 e5 4. dxe5 dxe5 5. Qxd8+ Kxd8 { A common strategy in these invitationals is for the more experienced invited players to take their (usually) young and prepared opponents out of book, aiming to just "get a game of chess." } 6. Bc4 Be6 { Totally playable! The doubled, isolated pawns will still control a lot of squares. } 7. Bxe6 fxe6 8. f3 Bc5 9. Nd1 Nc6 10. c3 Ke7 11. Be3 Bb6 12. Nh3 Rhd8 13. Ke2 h6 14. Nhf2 Ne8 15. Nd3 Nd6 16. b3 Rd7 17. Nc5 Bxc5 18. Bxc5 { And yet, it is the youngster who has managed to make slow positional gains, now boasting the last remaining bishop. } 18... b6 19. Ba3 a5 20. Ne3 Na7? 21. Nc4 { There is no way to guard the pawn now! } 21... Rdd8 (21... Nc6? { loses to } 22. Bxd6+ cxd6 23. Nxb6) 22. Nxe5 a4 23. Bb2 Ndb5 24. bxa4 Nd6 25. a5 bxa5 26. Rab1 Rdb8 27. c4 Rb4 { White has a huge advantage and manages to nurse it until the end of the game, where we'll pick back up. } 28. Bd4 Kf8 29. Bxa7 Rxa7 30. Nc6 Rxb1 31. Rxb1 Ra6 32. Ne5 Ke7 33. c5 Ne8 34. Ke3 a4 35. a3 Ra8 36. f4 Nf6 37. Nc6+ Kd7 38. Ne5+ Ke7 39. Nc6+ Kd7 40. Nd4 g5 41. c6+ Ke7 42. h3 gxf4+ 43. Kxf4 Rg8 44. g4 h5 45. g5 Nh7 46. h4 Nf8 47. Kg3?! (47. e5! Ng6+ 48. Ke4! Nxh4 49. Rb7 Rc8 50. Nb5 (50. Ra7 { also wins: } 50... Ng6 { but only with the same idea: } 51. Nb5 h4 52. Nd6! (52. Nxc7? h3 { no longer works, with the rook having lost a tempo moving to a7. This holds. })) 50... Ng6 (50... Nf5 51. g6 h4 52. Nxc7 $18) (50... Kd8) 51. Nd6! $18 (51. Nxc7 { is also efficient. })) (47. Nf5+!? { is more dramatic, but also effectively locks up Black's pieces and wins. } 47... exf5 48. exf5 Kd6 49. Re1 Kxc6 50. Re8 $18) 47... Ng6 48. Ne2 e5?! (48... Rf8 49. Rb4 Kd6 $14 { offers realistic chances of holding. }) 49. Nc3?! (49. Rd1! { Cutting off the king was crucial. } 49... Rb8 50. Rd7+ Ke6 51. Rxc7 Rb3+ 52. Kf2 { This clearly required calculation, as Black can now earn a past pawn on either flank. But White's c-pawn is faster. } 52... Rxa3 53. Rh7 Ra2 54. c7 Rc2 55. Rxh5! Kd7 (55... Rxc7 56. Rh6! $18 { is a very nice tactical point. The king cannot come to f7 as it hangs the rook to a skewer. }) 56. Rh7+ Ne7 57. Rh8 Kxc7 (57... Rxc7 58. Ra8 $18) 58. h5 a3 59. Ra8 $18) 49... Kd6 { Activating his king, targeting the weak c-pawn, and holding on. } 50. Nd5 Kxc6 51. Rc1+ Kd6 52. Rd1 Kc6?! { Apparently even this is an inaccuracy: } (52... Kc5! 53. Nxc7 (53. Nf6? Rh8 54. Rd7 Nf4! { when suddenly Black's king is a monster after } 55. Rxc7+ Kd4 56. Kf3 { and Black's rook is ready to re-enter the fight now that the outposted f4-knight has taken over "guard duty" of the h5-pawn. The engine calls this equal. }) 53... Kc4 54. Nd5 Rb8 $16 { and Black can create complications on the queenside with his active king. }) 53. Rc1+ (53. Nf6 { The king on c6 is unable to come to d4 as quickly, explaining why this is more pressing now. } 53... Rh8 54. Rd5 { cutting the king off along the rank, with the additional point that Black loses the e-pawn if he tries any ... Ng6-f4 resources. Compared to 52. ... Kc5 53. Nf6, this is completely winning, and is surely more promising than 52. ... Kc5 53. Nxc7 as well, even if White had some chances there too. }) 53... Kd6 { While Plat was unable to go a perfect "nine out of nine," I'm sure he was more than pleased to remain undefeated after surviving this fight! } 1/2-1/2