[Event "US Open 2024"] [White "Failon,Nick"] [Black "Gilruth,Peter"] [Site ""] [Round "8"] [Annotator "PGilruth"] [Result "0-1"] [Date "2024.08.03"] [WhiteElo "2007"] [PlyCount "94"] {Round 8. After 2 draws, a win would be nice to improve my average score a bit.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Nc3 Nc6 7. Bb5 Bd7 {I didn't mind playing this seemingly passive move because the pawn structure makes it difficult to generate an attack.} 8. O-O e6 9. Ne5 $5 Nxe5 {I felt I had to take on e5. Otherwise, White play f4 to get a Pillsbury knight.} 10. dxe5 Bxb5 11. Nxb5 Qb6 12. Nd4 $5 (12. exf6 Qxb5 13. fxg7 Bxg7 $15 )(12. Qa4 Nd7 13. Bd2 a6 14. Nd6+ Bxd6 15. exd6 Qxd6 16. Rfc1 $14 )Nd7 13. f4 g6 {to discourage 14. f5} 14. Rf2 $6 {I didn't understand this move. Is the Rook going to c2?} Be7 15. Qa4 Rd8 {A key move if I can get away with it. 15...Qb4 was my other choice.} 16. Bd2 {I expected this because he wants to skewer me on Ba5. However, 16.Rc2 was correct.} O-O 17. Ba5 $2 {Although I underestimated this move, it is still not sound.} Qa6 {forced.} 18. b4 Nb6 {not the only move, but a good one.} ({also good is} 18... b6 19. Nc6 Bh4 20. g3 b5 21. Qb3 Qxc6 22. gxh4 Nb6 23. Rc2 Qb7 24. Bxb6 Qxb6 25. Rc5 d4 $17 )19. b5 Nxa4 20. bxa6 b6 $1 {this works.} 21. Nc6 $2 (21. Bd2 Rc8 22. Nb5 )Bc5 {the threat ...Bxe3 gives Black the edge.} 22. Bd2 Rd7 23. Nd4 $6 Bxd4 {I can't let the Knight sink in on b5. And I get the c file.} 24. exd4 Rc8 $17 25. g4 {White needs to mount some kind of attack or he will lose on the Q-side.} Rc4 26. Be3 Nc3 27. f5 Ne4 {a better knight you will never see.} 28. Rf3 g5 29. fxe6 fxe6 30. h4 h6 31. hxg5 hxg5 32. Raf1 Ra4 $2 {pawn grabbing should come later. I let him invade on the c file, but he didn't take the opportunity.} (32... Kg7 {was correct.} )33. Rh3 $6 {fishing around, but leading to a lost position.} (33. Rc1 $1 {was his best chance.} )Rxa6 34. Rh6 Re7 35. Rg6+ Kh7 36. Bxg5 Kxg6 37. Bxe7 Rxa2 $19 38. Rf8 Rc2 (38... Ra4 39. Ra8 b5 {should win.} )39. g5 $2 Rc7 $1 {I like this technical manouever to put the rook on b7, although the engine wants me to keep grabbing pawns.} 40. Bf6 Rb7 41. Rg8+ Kf5 42. Rh8 b5 43. Kg2 b4 44. g6 Kxg6 45. Rg8+ Kf5 46. Bh4 b3 47. Kf3 b2 0-1