[Event "Brasschaat Open 2025"] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2025.08.24"] [Round "9.1"] [White "Slagboom, Leandro"] [Black "Grochal, Joey"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Annotator "Grochal,Joey"] [ECO "C99"] [WhiteElo "2349"] [BlackElo "2239"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "121"] [GameId "2214416874340364"] 1. e4 e5 {1...e5! I was convinced the opponent had prepared something against the Sicilian so i went for the first surprise.} 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5 {Chigorin variation. I used to play this before Leandro was born...} 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 (12. d5 c4 $6 (12... Nc4 $142 13. b3 Nb6 14. a4 c4 15. bxc4 Bd7 16. axb5 axb5 17. Rxa8 Rxa8 18. cxb5 Bxb5 19. Nfd2 $14) 13. b4 cxb3 14. axb3 Bd7 15. Bd3 Ne8 16. Re2 Nb7 17. b4 $16 {1-0 Slagboom,L (2326)-Van Hesselingen,G (2016) NED-ch U18 op Hoogkerk 2024 (7)}) 12... cxd4 13. cxd4 Nc6 14. a3 {I was unfamiliar with this move. I had had several games with 14.d5 here. Since it is not my repertoire i was out of book here. I figured exd4 had to be the main try but i preferred to keep the position closed even though i realized that gave white some edge.} (14. Nb3 a5 15. Be3 a4 16. Nbd2 Nb4 17. Bb1 Bd7 18. a3 Nc6 {½-½ Vachier Lagrave,M (2734)-Caruana,F (2795) Saint Louis Blitz 2023 (9)}) (14. d5 Nb4 15. Bb1 a5 16. a3 Na6 17. b4 axb4 18. axb4 Bd7 19. Qb3 Qb7 20. Bd3 Bd8 21. Nf1 Bb6 {1-0 Short,N (2663)-Svidler,P (2688) FIDE GP Dubai rapid 2002 (1.4)}) 14... Nd7 $5 (14... exd4 $142 15. Nb3 Re8 16. Nbxd4 Nxd4 17. Nxd4 Bb7 18. Bf4 Bf8 19. Rc1 Qb6 20. Be3 Qd8 21. Bg5 h6 22. Bxf6 Qxf6 23. Re3 {½-½ Ivanchuk,V (2746)-Svidler,P (2726) RUS-chT 16th Dagomys 2009 (5)}) 15. d5 Nd8 16. Nf1 $16 a5 $146 (16... Nb6 17. Ng3 Re8 18. Bd3 Bd7 19. Be3 Rc8 20. Rc1 Qb8 21. Qe2 $16 {½-½ Milic,B-Pirc,V Ljubljana Liberation 1945 (5)}) 17. g4 $6 {Too soon. White should concern himself with a favorable queenside structure first. This plan can always be played, as long as black can not achieve ...f5 there is no rush.} (17. b3 $1 Nc5 18. Bd2 Bd7 19. b4 Na4 20. Ne3 $16) (17. Bd3 Qb8 18. Be3 Nc5 19. Ng3 Nxd3 20. Qxd3 g6 21. Rac1 $16 {also good for white. I feared Bd3 in the game.}) 17... Nc5 18. Ng3 a4 $11 {Black has stabilized on the queenside and white does not have an attack yet on the kingside. The position is roughly equal now.} 19. Kh2 f6 20. Be3 g6 {In hindsight i might not even want to include this move (yet) since the knight can't really be taken anyhow and it weakens a lot of squares not to mention the a1-h8 diagonal as we see in the game.} (20... Nf7 21. Nf5 Bd8 {The bishop has to be preserved and might even be activated on b6 at some point.} 22. Rg1 Qd7 23. h4 (23. g5 $2 fxg5 $17) 23... g6 {now it's necessary.} 24. Rg3 Kh8 25. Nh6 Nxh6 26. Bxh6 Rf7 27. Be3 Bb6 $11) 21. Rg1 Nf7 22. Nf5 Kh8 (22... Bd8 $5 {Preserving the bishop i never really considered but its the preference of the engine.} 23. Rc1 Qb8 24. Qe2 Bd7 25. h4 Kh8 26. g5 b4 27. Rg3 Bb5 28. Qd1 Nb3 29. Bxb3 bxa3 $1 30. Ba2 axb2 31. Rc3 Bd7 $11) (22... gxf5 $2 23. gxf5+ Kh8 24. Nh4 $1 Ng5 25. Qh5 Kg7 26. Ng6 $1 Bd8 27. Nxf8 Kxf8 28. h4 $18) 23. N3h4 Rd8 (23... Bd8 $142 24. Rc1 Qa7 25. Ng3 Bb6 $15) 24. Rg3 Ng5 (24... Bf8 25. Qd2 (25. g5 $6 Nxg5 (25... gxf5 $2 26. exf5 $18) 26. Bxg5 fxg5 27. Rxg5 Qf7 28. Qg4 gxf5 29. exf5 Nd7 $1 30. Rh5 Bg7 31. Rg1 Nf6 $19) 25... Qa5 26. Qc1 Qc7 $11 {Again the dark squared bishop has to be preserved. it's an important defender}) 25. Nxe7 Qxe7 26. Qh1 $14 (26. f3 Nf7 27. Ng2 Kg7 28. Qe2 Rh8 29. h4 $14) 26... Rb8 (26... Bd7 $142 27. Bd2 Kg7 28. Bc3 Nb3 29. Bxb3 axb3 30. Bd2 Rdc8 31. Rxb3 Ra4 $44) 27. Bd2 Bd7 28. Rf1 Rdc8 29. Bc3 Nf7 30. f4 Na6 31. Rgf3 $6 {Around here i concluded b4 had to be played in order to create counterplay. I calculated the surprising Rxb4 but could not get it working. Nxb4! however seems strong in combination with a3! I could not get it working so i decided to play the 'safe' move Be8.} (31. fxe5 fxe5 32. g5 (32. Rgf3 Ng5 33. R3f2 b4 $19) 32... b4 $1 33. axb4 Nxb4 34. Bb1 Na6 35. Qf3 Rf8 $11) 31... Be8 (31... b4 $1 32. axb4 Nxb4 $1 (32... Rxb4 $5 33. R1f2 (33. fxe5 Nxe5 34. R3f2 a3 $1 35. g5 (35. bxa3 Rbc4 $19) 35... f5 36. Qg2 axb2 37. Bxb4 Nxb4 38. exf5 Ned3 $13) 33... a3 $1 34. bxa3 Rbc4 35. Qa1 Nc5 $11) 33. Bb1 exf4 34. Rxf4 Ne5 35. Rxf6 a3 $1 $17) 32. Qg1 exf4 $2 (32... Kg7 $2 33. R1f2 b4 34. axb4 Nxb4 35. g5 fxg5 36. f5 $1 Qd8 37. fxg6 hxg6 38. Nxg6 $1 $18) (32... b4 $8 {Again the correct idea.} 33. axb4 Nxb4 34. Bb1 Na6 35. Qe3 a3 36. bxa3 Rb3 37. Qd2 Rxa3 $11) 33. Rxf4 Rxc3 {I thought this was working for me but i understimated the strength of the white rooks.} 34. bxc3 g5 35. Rxf6 Qe5+ (35... gxh4 36. Re6 Qc7 37. Qf2 Qxc3 38. e5 $1 Qg3+ 39. Qxg3 hxg3+ 40. Kxg3 b4 41. Re7 $18) 36. Kh1 gxh4 37. Qa7 $6 {This seemed like a really strong idea in time trouble but in fact it gives away the win! Chess is hard!} ({The calm Qe3 was winning:} 37. Qe3 $1 Rc8 38. Re6 Qg7 39. Re7 $18) 37... Qxc3 38. R6f3 Qxc2 39. Qe7 $1 Kg8 40. Rf5 Qd2 41. Rxf7 Bxf7 42. Qxf7+ Kh8 43. Qf6+ Kg8 44. Qe6+ Kh8 45. Qxd6 {After a long series of (more or less) forced moves we get this position. I thought for 16 minutes here but did not play the one move that holds!} Kg7 $2 (45... Qg5 $8 46. Qxa6 Qe5 {I did not like removing the queen from an active square (where it threatens the h3-pawn / perpetual) but since the rook ending turns out to be a (move by move)draw this actually just holds. Black threatens Qxe4+! and Re1 is just losing...} 47. Qf6+ (47. Re1 $2 Qc3 $19) (47. Rf3 Qxe4 48. Qf6+ Kg8 49. Qf7+ Kh8 50. Qf6+ $11) 47... Qxf6 48. Rxf6 Kg7 49. e5 b4 50. axb4 Rxb4 51. d6 (51. Rf3 Rb3 $11) (51. Kg2 Rb5 $8 52. Rd6 a3 53. e6 a2 54. Rd7+ Kg6 55. Ra7 Rxd5 56. Rxa2 Re5 $11) 51... a3 52. d7 Rd4 53. Ra6 Rxd7 54. Rxa3 Rd1+ 55. Kg2 Re1 $11 {this is the exact rook ending i was hoping / aiming for in the game and it can actually be reached here...} 56. Ra7+ Kg6 57. Ra6+ Kg7 58. e6 Re3 59. Ra7+ Kg6 60. e7 h6 61. Kf2 Re5 62. Kf3 Re1 63. Ra6+ Kg5 64. Ra5+ Kg6 65. Rh5 Rxe7 66. Rxh4 Re5 $11) 46. Qf6+ $18 Kg8 47. Qxa6 Qc3 48. Qe6+ Kh8 49. g5 $1 {The only winning move. Qf6+ leads to the same ending.} (49. Qf6+ Qxf6 50. Rxf6 Kg7 $11) 49... Qg3 50. Qf5 $6 (50. d6 {is so much easier not allowing the Rg8 defensive construction!} Rg8 (50... Qd3 51. Rf2 Qb1+ 52. Kg2 Qb3 53. Qxb3 axb3 54. e5 $18) 51. d7 Qxg5 52. Qxg8+ Qxg8 53. Rc1 $18) 50... Rg8 51. Rg1 $6 (51. Rf3 $1 Qxg5 (51... Qe1+ 52. Kh2 Qd2+ 53. Rf2 Qxg5 54. Qxg5 Rxg5 55. d6 $18) 52. Qxg5 Rxg5 53. d6 $18 {now the rooks are positioned differently and it's just losing.}) 51... Qxa3 {The position is still winning but the task has become much more difficult.} 52. Qf6+ (52. Rf1 $1 Qg3 53. Rf3 Qd6 (53... Qe1+ 54. Kh2 Qd2+ 55. Rf2 Qd4) 54. Qf6+ Qxf6 55. gxf6 $18) 52... Rg7 53. Kh2 Qd3 54. Qf8+ Rg8 55. Qf6+ Rg7 56. g6 $2 {Only this move gives away the win. The engine produces a long winning line:} (56. Qf8+ Rg8 57. Qf4 $8 Rg6 (57... a3 $2 58. g6 $1 {With the Queen on f4 g6 is a winning move rather than a drawing one!} hxg6 (58... Rxg6 59. Qf8+ Rg8 60. Qxg8#) 59. Qh6#) (57... Qd4 58. d6 $1 ({Of course not:} 58. Qf6+ $4 Qxf6 59. gxf6 Rxg1 60. Kxg1 a3 61. f7 Kg7 {and black wins!}) 58... a3 59. Rf1 $1 a2 60. Qf6+ Qxf6 61. gxf6 $18 b4 62. e5 b3 63. f7 Rf8 64. e6 b2 65. e7 Kg7 66. exf8=Q+ Kxf8 67. d7 b1=Q 68. d8=Q+ Kg7 69. f8=Q+ Kg6 70. Qdf6+ Kh5 71. Q8h6#) 58. Rf1 $1 Qg3+ 59. Qxg3 hxg3+ 60. Kxg3 b4 61. e5 Rxg5+ 62. Kf4 Rg8 63. d6 Rf8+ 64. Ke3 Rxf1 65. d7 Rd1 66. e6 Kg7 67. e7 Re1+ 68. Kd2 Rxe7 69. d8=Q $18) 56... hxg6 $11 57. Qxh4+ Kg8 58. Qd8+ Kh7 59. Qh4+ Kg8 60. Qf4 Kh7 (60... a3 61. Rc1 Qe2+ 62. Kh1 Kh7 63. Rc8 a2 64. Qh4+ Qh5 65. Qxh5+ gxh5 66. Ra8 Re7 67. Rxa2 Rxe4 $11) 61. Qh4+ {With a minute on the clock it's understandable last year's U18 Dutch champion did not 'gamble' with some d6-pushes even though it is still always zeros.} (61. d6 a3 62. e5 a2 63. e6 Qe2+ 64. Rg2 Qxg2+ 65. Kxg2 a1=Q 66. Qh4+ Kg8 67. Qd8+ {still leads to perpetual check.}) 1/2-1/2