[Event "59th Chess.com Tournament (1800-1999) - Round 3"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2022.12.01"] [Round "?"] [White "Harwood"] [Black "diagonalL"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C00"] [WhiteElo "2027"] [BlackElo "1799"] [Annotator "Harwood,Paul"] [PlyCount "107"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] {This is one of the toughest games I can remember against someone rated several hundred rating points less than me. I lost to him in a previous game where I spaced out and allowed Nf7# - one of the only times I missed a mate in one in an email game. This game was a challenge from start to finish, and I mean that literally. The ending was complicated and difficult to defend.} 1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 Be7 5. g3 O-O 6. Bg2 c5 7. O-O Nc6 8. Re1 b5 9. e5 Nd7 10. Nf1 a5 {For someone rated 1700, he is playing with remarkable accuracy.} 11. h4 Ba6 12. N1h2 b4 13. Bf4 a4 14. Qd2 $6 {White should probably play a3 before black does.} (14. Ng4 Nd4 15. Nxd4 cxd4 16. b3 Qb6 $11) 14... a3 (14... a3 15. b3 Bb7 16. Ng4 Rc8 17. h5 Kh8 $15) 15. b3 Rc8 {There is also the idea of re-routing the knight. Na7-b5-c3.} ({Relevant:} 15... Nd4 16. Nxd4 cxd4 17. Nf3 Qb6 18. Bg5 Bc5 19. h5 Rfc8 20. h6 g6 21. Rac1 Rc7 22. Qf4 Rac8 23. Bf1 Qa7 24. Red1 Bb5 25. Rd2 Nb8 26. Nxd4 Be8 27. Nf3 Nc6 28. d4 Bf8 29. Bd3 Qb6 30. Re1 Na7 31. Nh2 Bb5 32. Ng4 Bxd3 33. Rxd3 Nb5 34. Ree3 Qb7 35. Kg2 Rxc2 36. Rf3 R2c7 37. Bf6 Nc3 38. Bg7 Be7 39. Qxf7# {1-0 Petrosian,T (2598)-Tang,A (2487) PRO League Stage Chess.com INT rapid 2019 (8)}) 16. Rad1 $146 ({Predecessor:} 16. Bh3 Nd4 17. h5 Nxf3+ 18. Nxf3 c4 19. h6 g6 20. dxc4 dxc4 21. Rad1 cxb3 22. Qxd7 bxc2 23. Qxd8 Rfxd8 24. Ra1 Bc4 25. Nd2 Bxa2 26. Rxa2 c1=Q 27. Rxc1 Rxc1+ 28. Bf1 Rxf1+ 29. Kxf1 Rxd2 30. Rxd2 b3 31. Rd7 a2 {0-1 Arribas Lopez,A (2505)-Pichot,A (2565) Saint Louis Fall-B 2017 (5)}) 16... Nd4 $6 {Giving away his slight advantage. This is a commital move. Stockfish likes the non-commital Rc7 or the deeper Rh8 with ideas of Rg8, which anticipates the opening of the g-file.} 17. c4 $2 Nxf3+ (17... bxc3 {This capture clears the b4 square for future occupancy by the d7 knight or some other piece.} 18. Qxc3 Nb8 $1 19. Rc1 Nbc6 20. Qd2 Nf5 21. Bh3 Nb4 $17) 18. Nxf3 Nb6 19. h5 {Gaining more space with the idea of disrupting Black's kingside with h6.} dxc4 20. dxc4 Qxd2 21. Rxd2 Rfd8 {Black is quick to trade with the hope that simplification will lead to a draw.} 22. Red1 {Instead, I make the human move of contesting the open file.} ({The very deep} 22. Rc2 $1 {stops the Nc4 sacrifice idea. This is what computers are so strong, most humans would neve find such an important defensive move.}) 22... Rxd2 23. Rxd2 Rd8 24. Ng5 $4 {I simply did not calculate the threat that now is very obvious.} (24. Rxd8+ Bxd8 25. Nd2 $11) 24... Rxd2 25. Bxd2 Bxg5 $2 {He misses his chance.} (25... Nxc4 $3 {and Black is winning.} 26. Ne4 Nxe5 27. Bf4 Nd3 28. Bf1 f5 29. Nd2 Nxf4 30. Bxa6 Nd5 31. Nb1 Bf6 32. Bd3 $19) 26. Bxg5 Bxc4 {The sacrifice is still good but not winning. Black is just up a pawn. White must play very accurately to avoid getting mated.} 27. Be3 Nd7 $4 ({The difficult to find} 27... Bxb3 {was needed but even this is slightly better for Black.} 28. Bxc5 Nc4 29. Bxb4 Bxa2 30. Bf1 Bb3 31. Bxc4 a2 32. Bc3 Bxc4 $17) 28. bxc4 b3 {Black miscalculates his advantage.} 29. Bd2 b2 30. Be4 $1 Nxe5 31. Be3 f5 32. Bb1 Nxc4 33. Bxc5 Nd2 34. Bxa3 Nxb1 35. Bxb2 {After all the captures, White is winning. He has a better minor piece coupled with an outside passed pawn. Still, he will need to convert this to a win.} Nd2 36. a4 (36. Bc3 {I call this a creepy-crawly move because it slowly maneuvers the bishop to d4 where it will exert maximum pressure across the board.} Ne4 37. Bd4 {[%csl Rc3,Rc5][%CAl Gd4a7,Gd4g7,Gd4a1]} Nd2 38. Kg2 g5 39. a4 e5 40. Bxe5 Nb3 $18) 36... Nc4 37. Bc3 Kf7 {Black's king will try to run defense but he has too far to travel.} 38. f4 g6 39. hxg6+ hxg6 40. a5 Ke7 41. a6 Nb6 42. a7 Kd6 43. Kf2 Kd5 44. Ba5 Na8 {The knight cannot move.} 45. Ke3 e5 46. fxe5 Kxe5 47. Bc3+ Ke6 48. Kf4 Nc7 49. Kg5 Kd5 (49... Kf7 50. Bd2 Na8 51. Kh6 Nc7 52. Ba5 Na8 53. Kh7 $18) 50. Kxg6 Ke4 51. Bd2 Na8 52. Kf6 Nb6 53. Ke6 Nd5 $4 {Black thought that after a8Q he had the fork with Nc7, but the knight is pinned.} 54. a8=Q {Black resigns.} 1-0