[Event "U.S. National Invitational Tournaments"] [Site "Grand Rapids"] [Date "2023.07.29"] [Round "1.15"] [White "Zhao, Erick"] [Black "Malireddy, Karthikeya Datta"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2403"] [BlackElo "1848"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B90"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/w2guu0Vb/JlBwX2og"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Qd3 Nbd7 7. Be2 Nc5 8. Qe3 b5 9. f3 Bb7 10. O-O Qc7 11. b4 Ncd7 12. Nb3 e6 13. Bb2 d5 14. e5 Qxe5 15. Qxe5 Nxe5 16. Nxb5 axb5 17. Bxe5 Bxb4 18. Bxb5+ Ke7 19. a4 Rhc8 20. Rfb1 Bd6 21. Bxd6+ Kxd6 22. Nd4 Ba6 23. a5 Nd7 24. Bxd7?! { This trade leaves Black with more active rooks, as the a-pawn is not a threat. } 24... Kxd7 25. f4 Rc4 26. Rd1 Kd6 27. Rd2 Rb8 28. g3 Rbb4 29. Nf3 Ra4 30. Re1 Rxa5 31. Ng5 Rc7 32. Nxh7 Ra2 33. Ng5 { Here, Black underestimated just how good his position was if he kept pieces on the board. } 33... Rcxc2? (33... Bb7 34. Ree2 Ke7 35. Kf2 Rc3 { and White is still in an awful squeeze. }) 34. Rxc2 Rxc2 35. Nxf7+ Ke7 36. Ng5 Re2 37. Rxe2 Bxe2 { Now, the game should be drawn, but with all the pawns about to be fixed on light squares for Black, there are chances of White finding a decisive pawn break when Black's bishop is out of play. } 38. Kf2 Bh5 39. h3 Bg6 40. Nf3 Be4 41. Ne5 Kf6 42. h4 g6 43. Ke3 Ke7 44. Kd4 Bb1 45. Kc5 Bc2 46. Kd4 Bb1 47. Nf3 Kf6 48. Nd2 Bc2 49. Nf1 Bd1 50. Ne3 Bf3 51. g4 Be4 52. g5+ Ke7 53. Ke5 Bf3 54. Nc2 Bg4 55. Nd4 Bh3 56. Nc6+ Kd7 57. Na5 Ke7 58. Nb7 Bf5 59. Nd6 Bc2 60. Nc8+ Kd7 61. Nd6 Ke7 62. Nb5 Bf5 63. Kd4 Kd7 64. Kc5 Bg4 65. Nd4 { The players have been navigating a good-knight versus bad-bishop endgame since move 38, and Black's passive defense should hold but will require resolve and care. } 65... Kc7?? { Black gets too clever. } 66. Nc6?? (66. f5!! { An incredible motif. } 66... exf5 67. Ne6+ Kc8 (67... Kd7 68. Nf8+ Ke7 69. Nxg6+ Ke6 70. Nf4+ Ke5 71. h5! Kxf4 72. h6 { illustrates just how bad a bad bishop can be in the endgame. })) 66... Bf3?? (66... Bd1!! { Was the only move to hold. Black needs to quickly get to the b1-h7 diagonal. } 67. f5 exf5 68. Ne7 (68. Kxd5?? Bf3+ $19) 68... f4 (68... d4 69. Kxd4 f4! { Again, activity was the only way to hold. }) 69. Nxd5+ (69. Nxg6 f3 { illustrates why the bishop was misplaced on f3. }) 69... Kd7 70. Nxf4 Bc2) 67. Ne7?? (67. f5! exf5 68. Ne7 $18 f4 (68... d4 69. Kxd4 Bh5 { Passive defense loses. Black had to push ... f5-f4-f3 here to keep White's king from leaving the "box" of the f-pawn, but the bishop was in the way, so Black has nothing better than this, and can resign after } 70. Ke5 $18) 69. Nxg6 { and Black cannot push the f-pawn. }) (67. Nd4 Bg4 68. f5 { was just as good. }) 67... Bh5 68. Ng8 Bg4 69. Nf6 Bf5 70. h5 gxh5 71. Nxh5 Kd7 72. Ng3 Bg6 73. Ne2 Ke7 74. Nd4 Be4 75. Nc6+ Kf7 76. Kd6 Bf5 77. Ne5+ Kg7 78. Nf3 Bg4 79. Ne5 Bf5 80. Ke7 Bh3 81. Nf3 Bf5 82. Nd4 Kg6 83. Kf8 Bg4 84. Nc6 Bf5?? (84... Kf5) (84... Bh5 85. Ne7+ Kh7) 85. Ne7+ Kh5 86. Nxf5 exf5 87. Kf7! { and White's pawn is fast enough. Black will also promote, but not in time to stop... } 87... d4 88. g6 d3 89. g7 d2 90. g8=Q d1=Q 91. Qg5# { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0