[Event "CCCR"] [White "Jim Attaya"] [Black "Eric Piato"] [Site "RCC"] [Round "1"] [Annotator ""] [Result "1-0"] [Date "2021.03.31"] [WhiteElo "1600"] [BlackElo "1767"] [PlyCount "97"] [TimeControl "80"] {This was an interesting game played between Jim Attaya and Eric Piato, let's have a look. Annotations by TJ} 1. e4 d6 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 {This is an unorthodox response to the Pirc, and it doesn't give Black much difficulty out of the opening, but white is comfortable.} g6 4. f3 Bg7 5. Nge2 c5 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Kh1 Nc6 8. a3 a6 {Both sides are just developing and doing their own thing.} 9. Ng3 $6 {The knight isn't spectacular on g3. It's not really going anywhere from here and at least on e2 it covered the d4 square.} b5 $1 10. Be2 {Blacks expansion on the queenside combined with whites pieces stepping on each other's toes give Black the advantage.} d5 $6 {This lets white clear the e4 square for his pieces and untangle a bit, black should prefer h5 to make fun of the knight on g3, threatening to trap it with h4.} (10... h5 11. Rf2 h4 12. Nf1 )11. exd5 Nxd5 12. Nge4 {Black is still a bit better, but white is probably ok now} Nxc3 $6 {This move gets rid of one of whites redundant knights (2 knights that want the same squares), and it allows white to open up the diagonal for his bishop, not too clever.} 13. dxc3 Qb6 $6 {This isn't a great move either because it allows white to target c5, now white has an advantage after the move played in the game} 14. Be3 $1 Rd8 15. Qe1 Ne5 16. Bxc5 Qe6 17. Bg1 Nc4 18. b3 {Kicking the knight off of the good c4 square} Nd6 19. Rd1 Bb7 20. Nc5 Qc8 21. Bd3 e5 22. c4 bxc4 23. Nxb7 Qxb7 24. bxc4 {White's extra passed c pawns are killer} Qc7 25. c5 Nb7 26. Be4 Rac8 27. Rxd8+ Nxd8 28. Qc3 Bf8 29. f4 $2 {White was sailing to victory the easy way before this move, which hangs a pawn. I'm not sure the motivation behind this, perhaps it was just an accident, but now black has equal material and counterplay with the kingside majority. Black should be absolutely fine now.} exf4 30. Qf6 $6 {The coming exchange favors Black} Bxc5 31. Qxa6 Ne6 32. Rb1 Bxg1 33. Kxg1 Nc5 $1 {With this move, it will now be black who has the extra pawn, and the advantage} 34. Qc4 Nxe4 35. Qxe4 Qxc2 36. Qb7 Qc5+ 37. Kf1 Qc4+ 38. Kg1 Qd4+ 39. Kh1 Rd8 {Black missed an opportunity here, after Rc2 the white king could be in hot water. After Rd8 white is still probably ok.} (39... Rc2 40. Rg1 g5 )40. h3 Qd6 41. a4 Qa3 42. Qe4 Qe3 43. Qc6 Qe8 44. Qc4 {White could've made it a drawn rook ending by exhcanging queens, objectively that would've been best because Black still has some advantage with the extra pawn.} (44. Qxe8+ Rxe8 )Ra8 {This should peter out to a draw now} (44... f3 {Sacrificing the extra pawn to open whites king is one way for Black to try to keep an advantage} )45. Ra1 Qe5 46. Rf1 Kg7 47. Rxf4 Ra7 {This should be drawn} 48. Rf1 Qe8 $4 {A terrible blunder that loses instantly} 49. Qd4+ {A nice game overall from both players, both sides had chances but unfortunately Eric blundered in the 11th hour.} 1-0