[Event "Live Chess"] [White "GothamChess"] [Black "Dewa_Kipas"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Round ""] [Annotator "Tim Antonelli"] [Result "0-1"] [Date "2021.03.02"] [WhiteElo "2371"] [BlackElo "2311"] [PlyCount "70"] [TimeControl "600"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 {Right away I would be 'out of book.' I think this is the Ragozin opening.} (2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 {The Nimzo-Indian, which I usually play. This game might transpose to it.} )e6 3. g3 {Perhaps this is the Catalan. I believe it's supposed to be super solid for white.} b6 {Preparing a face-off with the bishops on the long diagonal.} 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. 0-0 c5 {The ...c5 pawn break usually happens at some point in these positions, and so far, to me, there is nothing suspicious.} 6. c3 Be7 {I don't think White needs to fear moving the f3 knight.} 7. b3 {Preparing Ba3 I guess.} (7. Ne5 Bxg2 8. Kxg2 { This looks fine once the light-squared bishops are off the board. In fact, the King on g2 makes the h2-h4 push look safer.} )(7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. Bg5 {I would be tempted to play this since it causes Black's bishop to waste a tempo.} )0-0 8. Bb2 {The tension is palpable. It feels like things will open up very soon.} (8. Ba3 {Hoping to trade dark-squared bishops} d5 {Stockfish recommends this over ...cxd5 however.} )cxd4 9. cxd4 Nc6 10. e3 Ba6 11. Re1 d5 12. Bf1 Bxf1 13. Kxf1 {These all seem like very natural moves so far, keeping the rook on the more useful e-file. I imagine Kg2 and Nc3 at some point.} Ne4 14. Kg2 (14. Nbd2 {I would feel nervous with the knight on e4 and play this immediately. I don't see any immediate tricks with the king on f1 since the black queen is relatively quiet on d8 and the light-squared bishop is off the board.} Nb4 {Stockfish recommends this follow-up.} )Rc8 15. a3 { Preventing ...Bb4. Rozman: 'To prevent Nb4'} Na5 {This is a very nice move, opening the c-file and exploiting the weak b3 pawn.} 16. Qd3 (16. Nbd2 { I'm very confused as to why no Nbd2 here. I must be missing something. Stockfish: Nbd2 is the best move.} f5 17. Rc1 )f5 {I feel that black's position is way better, but it seems White can also exploit the weakened dark squares. I will try and start guessing the next moves, and see if now is when the moves become less 'human-like.' I know that engines are fearless in double-edged positions since they can calculate many 'only-moves' ahead needed to defend a position that would make a mere mortal squeamish. I'm going to guess Nbd2 here, since I feel it just has to happen at some point.} 17. Nbd2 { Yay!} (17. h4 {Stockfish actually prefers this to prevent ...g5} )g5 { This might raise my suspicion, unless it was over the board (obviously) or I was playing Hikaru, who is deadly with such kingside attacks. Especially in a 10-minute game, this seems overly risky and necessitates a lot of calculations for the ways in which White can attack here. The knight will be forced off f3 soon because of ...g4. White is in a pickle methinks.} 18. Rab1 {Instead, White gives up the b-pawn but avoids the knight fork on b3.} (18. Ne5 {This was my first thought but it doesn't work because of} Nxd2 19. Qxd2 Nxb3 { forking the queen and rook} )g4 {Rozman: 'Black is going to go ... g4 but needs to spend the necessary 7–10 seconds'} 19. Ne5 (19. b4 gxf3+ { White obviously cannot counterattack since gxf3+ comes with check, the downside to the natural seeming Kg2.} )Nxd2 20. Qxd2 Nxb3 {White at least has some space now. Rozman: 'This is black's whole point with Nxd2 but he spends 10 seconds to do this'} 21. Qd3 Na5 {Rozman: 'The only move, and he spends 10 seconds yet again'} 22. h3 {This might be better so that the rook can come to h1. Guess: ...gxh3.} Bd6 (22... gxh3+ 23. Kxh3 {This seems more natural. Interestingly, Stockfish thinks it is also the best move.} )23. hxg4 Bxe5 24. dxe5 {White's pawns are a hot mess. Black's knight can get back into the action with ...Nc4 as well.} fxg4 25. Rh1 {The most natural move.} Rc7 { Black has to defend against Qxh7# but this doesn't strike me as the most natural. I remember hearing that another suspicious element of this game was that Subur consistently took the same amount of time for his moves. Presumably, such a strong player would have long seen the mate threat on h7 and had something ready, though I suppose one could still be deliberating which rook (or queen) to bring to the 7th rank (and where). Rozman: 'The reason ... Rc7 is so important here is that the computer is going to end up stacking the rooks on the f-file' (and he indicates ...Qg5 with an arrow)} (25... Qc7 26. Rbc1 Nc4 {I expected something more like this with the Queen preparing to come to the f-file.} )26. Bd4 {I briefly looked at this move, preparing to sac the bishop for two pawns and getting the rook to b6.} (26. Rh4 Qg5 {This was my guess, but it seems to justify 25...Rc7} )Qg5 {Getting the queen to f7 looks scarier so I think ...Qd7 or ...Qe7 make more sense, but what do I know!? } (26... Rf3 27. Rxb6 axb6 28. Bxb6 {I was thinking Black could sac the bishop but take with the rook first to achieve this pin, but the fanciness doesn't really amount to anything.} )27. Rbc1 {This seems useful at first, but I just think ...Nc4 (play it already Subus!) shuts it down. It fully validates ...Qg5 for Black too since he'll almost certainly win the e5 pawn now.} (27. Bxb6 axb6 28. Rxb6 {This is actually terrible. I guess I'm running out of patience. Certainly if I were low on time I would just sac the bishop, but perhaps that's why I'm terrible at shorter time controls.} )(27. Rh4 {This is no longer a threat since there is no Qd4.} )Nc4 {Finally. There are still some tricks for White. Namely the knight is now pinned since the rook on c7 is hanging. I have to think ...Rff7 just shuts down all of White's ideas though. Hopefully we all remembered the en passant rule when f4 crossed our minds... I know that Rozman ends up running out of time. I'm sure that here he thought about resigning. I see no chance for White, but then again I'm nowhere near as strong as Rozman. I'm very curious to see what he came up with. The plan seems straightforward enough. Find a way to distract the rook from the 7th rank to mate on h7. I just don't see how he can accomplish it.} 28. Qe2 {I like it. Delays...Nxe5 due to Rxc7. Kudos to Rozman for finding good moves.} (28. e4 Nxe5 29. Bxe5 Rxc1 {This was my guess, which Stockfish recommends, but only because of the follow-up which I didn't see:} 30. Bf4 {an awesome move that is tough to see when considering e4.} )Qf5 {Oof. Gutsy. Now...Qf3+ forces a queen trade. The downside (that I also missed) of Qe2. Rozman: 'Computers find very obscure ways to add pressure to your position. I want to go Rh6 and Rf6 and trade rooks, even if it means damaging my position.'} (28... Rff7 {This was my guess and also what Stockfish recommends. If Subus is using an engine, it's interesting that it doesn't always agree with Stockfish's top choice} )29. Rh6 {Ok. Hoping to pick up a pawn after Kh3. Seems like a pipe dream.} (29. Rh4 Qf3+ 30. Qxf3 gxf3+ {This was my guess} )Qe4+ {Beautiful move.} 30. Kg1 { Black's queen is devastating! This is way stronger than the queen trade which may have been drawable I suppose.} Rf5 {Black obviously doesn't care about that his other rook is hanging. Rozman: 'Wow. This completely counteracts Rf6 because of ...Rh5. Oh, but then f3.'} 31. Rf6 {Cute.} (31. a4 Nxe5 32. Rxc7 Nf3+ {This is why I suspect Black doesn't mind that his rook is hanging.} )Nxe5 $1 {Wow! Removing the defender of the rook (and blocking the other one). The next few moves feel forced. I know that Rozman ran out of time, so perhaps he has saw a fighting chance. There are checks on the back rank and a discovery of the bishop but I don't see how White avoids mate without giving up the queen. Maybe he does give up the queen?} (31... Rh5 {This is what Rozman anticipated.} )(31... Rxf6 32. exf6 e5 {This was my guess, and also winning for Black.} )32. Rxc7 (32. Rxf5 Rxc1+ {This loses for White.} )Nf3+ 33. Qxf3 {I believe every king move leads to mate:} (33. Kg2 Nh4+ )(33. Kf1 Qb1+ )(33. Kh1 Qb1+ )Qb1+ (33... Qxf3 {I think most humans would take the queen, but I guess seeing the forced mate on h1 isn't unreasonable.} )34. Kg2 {White gets counterplay with Qxg4+ now. Ok, so let's try to guess what this genius had in mind. See if you can find Mate in 3.} gxf3+ 35. Kh3 Qh1+ { Dewa_Kipas won on time Impressive.} 0-1