[Event "1000GM Winter GM/IM Invitational 2024"] [Date "2024.01.13"] [Round "4"] [White "Hardaway, Brewington"] [Black "Stearman, Josiah"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2428"] [BlackElo "2455"] [Annotator "Ostrovskiy, Aleksandr"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B92"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Opocensky Variation, Traditional Line"] [StudyName "January New York Norm Invitationals"] [ChapterName "Hardaway, Brewington - Stearman, Josiah"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/sZBlQ3aL/Z7ZvoEbW"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 { White has an unbelievable assortment of sixth-move options against the venerable Najdorf. Some of the wackier options include 6. Rg1!? or 6. h4!? while the main lines remain 6. Bg5 and 6. Be3. Brewington's option is associated with more strategic play as White is most likely signaling a same-side castling approach. } 6... e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Qd3 { The queen supports the e4-pawn so that the c3-knight can jump into the d5-outpost. } { [%cal Gc3d5] } 9... Be6 10. Be3 Nbd7 11. Nd5 { All theory that was certainly known by both players. White craftily waited for ... Nb8-d7 before jumping with Nc3-d5, so that Black would not be able to capture on d5 with f6-knight. } 11... Bxd5 12. exd5 { Brewington has gained the bishop pair advantage as well as a pawn wedge on d5. It appears that White's middlegame aim should be to push the queenside pawn majority forward. } { [%csl Rd5,Ge2,Ge3] } 12... Qc7 13. c4 a5 { Josiah anticipates future queenside advances (such as b2-b4) while establishing a blockade on the dark squares. If the White pawns on c4 and d5 are rendered immobile, the scope of the "extra" light square bishop will be severely diminished. } 14. a4 { This decision is surprising to me as Brewington voluntarily blockades his potential queenside play. } (14. Rac1 { I'm not sure if it works here, but I have seen White engage in a long maneuver of getting the b3-knight to b5 via a1 this way. } { [%cal Gb3a1,Ga1c2,Gc2a3,Ga3b5] }) (14. Nd2 { seems like another possible re-route via b1. } { [%cal Gd2b1,Gb1c3] }) 14... b6 15. Nd2 Nc5 16. Qc2 Na6! { A classy move by Josiah as he skillfully navigates the dark-squared outposts for his knights. } { [%cal Gf6d7,Gd7c5,Ga6b4] } 17. Rac1 Nb4 18. Qb1 Nd7 19. f4 { Having locked up the queenside, Brewington must have been counting on this kingside advance for play. } 19... Qd8 (19... exf4! { This would have prevented Brewington's idea. After } 20. Bxf4 Nc5 $15 { White has succeeded in opening up the f-file, but there doesn't seem to be any serious way to use it. Meanwhile the combination of knights on c5 and b4 exert unpleasant pressure and threaten to jump into White's camp. } { [%csl Ra4][%cal Ga8e8] }) 20. f5! { Perhaps this move was underestimated by Josiah as he relied on the positionally desirable ... Be7-g5 follow-up. However, we will see that dynamically, things are not clear. } 20... Bg5 { Black is happy to trade off the dark-squared bishops as the e7-bishop has been stuck behind the d6- and e5- pawns. Furthermore, Black is dreaming of endgames where White is left with a helpless light-squared bishop against the untouchable knights outposted on dark squares. } 21. Bxg5 Qxg5 22. Ne4 Qe3+ 23. Rf2 { Josiah must be alert here as Brewington is threatening a nasty rook lift with Rc1-c3 as well as disruptive f5-f6 pushes. } { [%cal Rc1c3,Rf5f6] } 23... Nc5 24. Nxc5 Qxc5 25. f6! e4 26. fxg7 { Brewington's idea of f2-f4 has been successful as the pawn has breached Black's defenses! } 26... Rfe8 27. Rf1 Qe3 28. Kh1 Ra7? { This smart-looking defensive move turns out to be a mistake! } (28... Re7 { is more precise due to the following point: } { [%cal Gb4d3] } 29. Bh5 Nd3! 30. Bxf7+ (30. Rxf7? Rxf7 31. Bxf7+ Kxg7 $19 { and there is no rook hanging on e8, compared to 28. ... Ra7. }) 30... Kxg7 31. Rf5 $13) 29. Qd1 (29. Bh5! { [%csl Rf7] } 29... Ree7 30. Qd1 { [%cal Gd1g4] }) 29... Re5 (29... Nd3 { Interestingly enough Black needed to force the trade of his "good knight" for White's "bad bishop." Not only would this prevent any Be2-h5 ideas, but it would also give Black relief with simplifications and the open e-file. } 30. Bxd3 Qxd3 31. Qh5 Ree7 $132 { [%cal Ge4e3] }) 30. Rf6 Rd7 31. Bh5! Ree7 32. Bg4 (32. Bxf7+!! { This would have been a brilliant find, as pointed out by the engine: } 32... Rxf7 33. Qh5! Rxf6 34. Qe8+ Kxg7 35. Qxd7+ Kg6 36. Qe8+ Kg5 37. Qe7 Qd4 38. Qg7+ $18) 32... Rc7 33. Be6! { "The worst bishop is better than the best knight!" } 33... Nd3 34. Qh5 Ne5 35. Bf5 Kxg7 36. Qxh7+ Kxf6 37. Qh8+ Kg5 38. h4# { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0