[Event "Speed Chess Super Swiss"] [Site "chess.com INT"] [Date "2020.10.03"] [Round "9"] [White "Xiong, Jeffery"] [Black "Livaic, Leon"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2709"] [BlackElo "2507"] [Annotator "USER"] [Variant "From Position"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [FEN "2n5/8/5p2/5K2/1P4N1/7p/5k2/8 b - - 0 65"] [SetUp "1"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/xvNWRvku/xBNjARyA"] [Orientation "black"] { Even though Ivanchuk is definitely one of the highest-rated players Leon has beaten in OTB chess, when it comes to playing online, Leon is definitely no stranger when it comes to beating the strongest players in the world. In the following game - played in one of the qualification events for Chesscom's Speed Chess Championship in 2020, he beat a very promising American talent Jeffery Xiong - a former 2700 player who is even today on the verge of that exclusive Chess club. --- We join the action on move 65 and we have a won knight endgame for Black. However, some calculation/creativity is required. Let's see how Leon converted to a full point. } 65... Kg3 { The first step is to avoid the check and move the king. Now Nd6 is threatened so White has to move the knight again. } { [%cal Gc8d6] } (65... Kf3 { Is also winning, but Leon's choice is the most direct. }) 66. Ne3 Nd6+ { A very nice decision - giving a pawn at the first glance. But the knight intends to continue the journey and divert the White knight. } 67. Kxf6 Nc4 { A nice diversion! } { [%csl Rc4][%cal Re3c4] } (67... Kf3 { The computer says Black is winning more convincingly in the following manner: } 68. Nf1 Kf2 69. Nh2 Kg1 70. Ng4 Ne4+ 71. Ke7 Nf2 { but it is only due to the fact that after the text move, White can give up the knight and play on that endgame - which should nevertheless be lost. Therefore, from a human standpoint, Leon's choice is perfectly reasonable and arguably even the best. }) 68. Nf5+ (68. Nxc4 h2 { Is arguably more resistant, but there is no denying that this is utterly lost for White. }) 68... Kf2 { And the h-pawn is unstoppable and Black, therefore, wins. A very nice scalp! } 0-1