[Event "WS/H/923"] [Site "ICCF"] [Date "2022.10.21"] [Round "?"] [White "Smith, Josh"] [Black "Maylott, Peter S."] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D90"] [WhiteElo "1895"] [BlackElo "2087"] [PlyCount "67"] [Beauty "6462046795351"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 d5 5. h4 {[#] I tried this approach to the Grunfeld, but quickly abandoned it for the Exchange Variation (5. cxd5).} dxc4 6. e4 c5 7. d5 b5 8. h5 O-O 9. hxg6 fxg6 10. e5 $2 {[#] I completely forfeit the advantage here. The game is now even and I can never recover.} (10. d6 e6 11. Bg5 $11) 10... Ng4 11. d6 e6 12. Rxh7 $1 {[#] This isn't a true rook sacrafice. If Black takes, White plays 13. Ng5, attacking the king. The knight is defended from Black's queen by White's dark square bishop. Black's knight is under attack on g4, and White's queen will soon infiltrate. Declining to take the rook is Black's only option.} Rf5 (12... Kxh7 13. Ng5+ Kg8 14. Qxg4 Rf5 15. Qh4 $18) 13. Ne4 {[#] Still offering Black the option to take White's rook. Black must still decline.} Nd7 14. Bg5 Qb6 15. Nh4 $1 {[#] White has the option of maintaining the draw by capturing the biship on g7, but I choose to maintain the draw by attacking the rook on f5.} (15. Rxg7+ Kxg7 16. Nh4 $11) 15... Ngxe5 16. Rxg7+ $1 {[#] White can't immediately capture the rook on f5. Instead, I sacrafice the roon to capture on g7 with check. I don't end up capturing the rook until move 20.} (16. Nxf5 exf5 17. Rxg7+ $15) 16... Kxg7 17. f4 Nf7 18. Qg4 Qa5+ 19. Ke2 Nxg5 20. Nxf5+ exf5 21. Qxg5 fxe4 22. Qe7+ Kh8 23. Qe8+ Kg7 24. Qe7+ Kg8 25. Qxe4 Qb4 $1 {[#] The Black rook is hanging on a8, and the pawn on g6 is hanging with check. Instead of moving the rook or defending the pawn (and avoiding check after the pawn is captured), Black plays 25... Qb4! This awkward looking move doesn't protect either the rook or the pawn. Instead, puts the b2 pawn under attack (and the rook on a1 after that).} (25... c3 {Counterattacking allows White to capture the rook on a8. Black doesn't get enough counterplay for the sacrafice.} 26. Qxa8 cxb2 27. Qd5+ $16) (25... Nb6 {Protecting the rook allows White to capture the pawn on g6 with check.} 26. Qxg6+ $16 Kf8 27. Qf6+ $18) (25... Kf7 {Protecting the pawn and avoidng check allows White to capture the rook on a8.} 26. Qd5+ Kg7 27. Qxa8 $18) 26. Qxg6+ {This is the point of 25... Qb4! If White doesn't take the g6 pawn with check, Black's counterplay on the b2 pawn (with check) allows him to take the advantage. I'm unable to squeeze out any more advantage and the game ends in a draw.} (26. Qxa8 Qxb2+ 27. Ke3 $19) 26... Kf8 27. Qh6+ Kg8 28. Qg6+ Kf8 29. Rb1 c3 30. Qf5+ Kg7 31. bxc3 Qc4+ 32. Kd2 Qxa2+ 33. Kc1 Qa3+ 34. Kc2 1/2-1/2