[Event "Round 4: Johnson, Donald - Colville, Julian"] [Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/north-american-junior-chess-championship-u20-2025-open/round-4/sOsZAOKH/vOmgUclp"] [Date "2025.11.23"] [Round "4.1"] [White "Johnson, Donald"] [Black "Colville, Julian"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2317"] [WhiteTitle "FM"] [WhiteTeam "USA"] [WhiteFideId "30949122"] [BlackElo "2301"] [BlackTitle "FM"] [BlackTeam "USA"] [BlackFideId "30963273"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B48"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, English Attack"] [StudyName "2025 North American Junior Championship"] [ChapterName "Johnson, Donald - Colville, Julian"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/xDpXfEsg/Gbb5xGIk"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 1:30:58] } 1... c5 { [%clk 1:30:58] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 1:31:27] } 2... e6 { [%clk 1:31:24] } 3. d4 { [%clk 1:31:42] } 3... cxd4 { [%clk 1:31:52] } 4. Nxd4 { [%clk 1:32:09] } 4... Nc6 { [%clk 1:32:19] } 5. Nc3 { [%clk 1:32:35] } 5... Qc7 { [%clk 1:32:46] } 6. Be3 { [%clk 1:33:00] } 6... a6 { [%clk 1:33:13] } 7. Qf3 { [%clk 1:33:26] } 7... b5 { One of the sharpest lines of the Taimanov Variation of the Sicilian Defense. } { [%clk 1:33:40] } 8. Nxc6 { [%clk 1:33:50] } 8... Qxc6 { [%clk 1:34:07] } 9. Bd3 { [%clk 1:33:04] } 9... Ba3!? { Totally playable! Bacrot used this to beat Niemann last year. } { [%clk 1:34:29] } 10. Bc1 { [%clk 1:18:28] } (10. Nd1 { was Niemann's try: } 10... Bb4+ 11. c3 Be7 12. Qg3 g6 13. Bd4 f6 14. f4 Bb7 15. Nf2 Bc5 16. O-O Bxd4 17. cxd4 Qb6 18. Rad1 Ne7 19. Kh1 O-O-O 20. f5 gxf5 21. Rc1+ Bc6 22. d5?! exd5 23. exf5 Rde8 24. Ng4?! Qd4 25. Nh6 Kb7 26. b3 Nc8 27. Rcd1 Qb2 28. a4 d4 $17 { and Black won in 49 more moves in the rapid game Niemann – Bacrot, Paris, 2024. }) 10... Bb7 { [%clk 1:34:39] } 11. Qg3 { Going after the g-pawn is a typical way to punish Black's slow kingside development. } { [%clk 1:12:23] } 11... Be7 { [%clk 1:31:28] } 12. a3 { [%clk 0:56:36] } (12. Qxg7?? Bf6 $19 { is a disaster, as, with the bishop on d3 interfering with the third rank, White's queen has no squares that cover the c3-knight. }) 12... Nf6 { [%clk 1:23:45] } 13. O-O { [%clk 0:54:48] } 13... h5 { [%clk 1:19:24] } 14. h3 { [%clk 0:40:43] } 14... h4 { [%clk 1:07:01] } 15. Qf3 { [%clk 0:39:20] } 15... d6 { [%clk 1:06:33] } 16. Qe2 { [%clk 0:28:00] } 16... Nd7!? { [%clk 0:59:32] } (16... d5! { was promising: } 17. exd5 Nxd5 18. Be4 Qc4 $15 { and the opening of the b-file would give Black some nice endgame chances. }) 17. Re1 { [%clk 0:26:53] } 17... g5!? { A punchy, practical move. } { [%clk 0:53:57] } (17... Ne5 { was simplest. }) 18. a4 { [%clk 0:22:20] } 18... bxa4 { [%clk 0:52:18] } 19. Nxa4 { [%clk 0:19:40] } 19... Ne5 { [%clk 0:32:11] } 20. c4?! { The c-pawn becomes more of a target here. } { [%clk 0:13:33] } (20. f3 { was solid, pre-empting ... f7-f5. }) 20... f5 { [%clk 0:29:44] } 21. Nc3 { [%clk 0:12:34] } 21... g4! { Black's making progress now. } { [%clk 0:29:31] } 22. Bc2 { [%clk 0:07:02] } 22... O-O-O { [%clk 0:24:12] } 23. Ba4?! { [%clk 0:05:45] } (23. b4! { was the most practical try. After } 23... gxh3 24. b5! axb5 25. Nxb5 { The threat of Nb5-a7+ buys time. } 25... Kb8 26. Nd4 $13 { Trading the c-pawn for the e-pawn. }) 23... Qc7 { Black's queen is well-placed on the h2-b8 diagonal. } { [%clk 0:24:33] } 24. Bf4 { [%clk 0:03:29] } 24... gxh3 { White's king position is tenuous, but so is Black's. What would you play here? } { [%clk 0:24:00] } 25. gxh3?? { The losing move, surprisingly. } { [%clk 0:03:41] } (25. c5! { It's surprising, but this packs quite a punch. } 25... Rhg8 (25... dxc5 { But what's the reply here? } 26. Bb5!! { Going after the a6-pawn head-first. } 26... axb5 27. Nxb5 { White threatens Nb5-a7+, while Black's queen is stuck defending the knight. } 27... Qb6 { Returning the piece is best. } (27... Qb8? 28. Na7+ Kd7 29. Qb5+ Bc6 30. Qxb8 Rxb8 31. Rad1+ $18 { White still wins back the piece, this time with a skewer on the rooks. } { [%cal Gf4e5] }) 28. Bxe5 Rhg8 29. Na7+ Kd7 30. Red1+ $13) 26. c6 Nxc6 27. Bxc6 (27. Nd5!?) 27... Rxg2+ 28. Kh1 Qxc6 29. Rec1! { White is down three pawns and the engine claims equality! The white monarch is safe, and Black's come under fire after } 29... Kb8 30. Nd5! Qd7 31. Nc7 { when the threat of Nc7xa6+ is so serious that Black ought to play } 31... Qxc7 32. Rxc7 Kxc7 33. Qc4+ $13 { with a messy position. }) 25... Rhg8+ { [%clk 0:22:48] } 26. Kh2? { [%clk 0:03:25] } (26. Kh1! { Counterintuitively, staying on the h1-a8 diagonal was better, as it is harder to crack open than the h2-b8 diagonal. }) 26... Ng6! { [%clk 0:22:45] } 27. Bd2 { [%clk 0:02:03] } 27... d5+ { Breaking through the middle of the board onto the kingside. } { [%clk 0:23:07] } 28. e5 { [%clk 0:02:31] } 28... d4 { [%clk 0:22:57] } 29. Nd5 { Forced, but not pretty. } { [%clk 0:00:35] } 29... exd5 { [%clk 0:21:52] } 30. c5 $19 { The central diagonals are closed, but White had to part with an entire piece. } { [%clk 0:00:46] } 30... d3 { [%clk 0:20:50] } 31. Qxd3 { [%clk 0:01:02] } 31... Kb8 { [%clk 0:19:07] } 32. c6 { [%clk 0:00:50] } 32... Nxe5 { [%clk 0:19:19] } 33. Bf4 { [%clk 0:00:43] } 33... Ng4+! { Tactically simplifying the position. Black is totally winning. } { [%clk 0:19:42] } 34. hxg4 { [%clk 0:01:08] } 34... Qxf4+ $19 { [%clk 0:20:07] } 35. Kh1 { [%clk 0:01:35] } 35... Bd6 { [%clk 0:20:31] } 36. Kg2 { [%clk 0:01:15] } 36... h3+ { [%clk 0:19:34] } 37. Kf1 { [%clk 0:01:40] } 37... h2 { [%clk 0:20:00] } 38. Ke2 { [%clk 0:01:57] } 38... Rde8+ { [%clk 0:20:25] } 39. Kd1 { [%clk 0:02:18] } 39... Rxe1+ { [%clk 0:20:47] } 40. Kxe1 { [%clk 0:02:43] } 40... h1=Q+ { [%clk 0:21:07] } 0-1