[Event "SCC 2022 Friday Championship Invitation"]
[Site "Seattle, WA"]
[Date "2023.05.12"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Boey, Chad"]
[Black "van Eerde, Matt"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B21"]
[WhiteElo "1587"]
[BlackElo "1732"]
[Annotator "Chad Boey"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "2023.03.31"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "4"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceVersionDate "2023.07.04"]

{"Keeping the Faith"  This was the fourth and final round of a Swiss. I had a
one-point lead over three other players; so if I drew this game, I would win
the tournament. A loss would mean going to tiebreaks. I briefly considered
trying to force a draw as quickly as possible, but I was advised by better
players that playing for a draw would not suit me and my game could fall flat
and collapse. So I had to treat this like any other game where I play for a
win.  “To play for a draw, at any rate with White, is to some degree a crime
against chess.” ― Mikhail Tal} 1. e4 c5 {Here I had to think for a few
minutes and choose which way to go. My first thought was 2.Nf3 for flexibility
and wait for black to show his hand. My recent adventures in the closed
Sicilian have been mediocre and unsatisfying. I opted for a combative path and
the one I’m most familiar with: the Matulovic gambit.} 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3
{The challenge is accepted. Black has an extra pawn and White’s pieces are
free-flowing.} 4. Nxc3 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Bc4 Ne7 {An unusual move order, but the
ideas are familiar.} 7. Bg5 f6 {I believe black’s idea is correct, because
this gives the black king some important space.} 8. Be3 {Placing the bishop on
its optimal square where it can be most influential.} Nbc6 9. O-O Ng6 $2 {
I think this move is premature and Black should instead take space on the
queenside with 9...b5. Black needs some way to let his pieces play. Regardless,
I had to take a long think here to find my best plan.} 10. Bb3 {This is a
quiet move but it is not a waiting move. The bishop was loose on c4. On b3,
the bishop stands just as effective and will be defended in the skirmish to
follow.} Be7 {This is the last slow move that I can allow. I have sacrificed a
pawn for my accelerated piece development, and now it’s time to prove my
compensation. Black is one move away from castling and winning in the center
with a pawn majority. It’s time to go all-in and test myself and my opponent.
There can be no further delay.} 11. Nd5 {#Diagram Position after 11.Nd5 ^^ 11.
Na4 was also considered.} exd5 {Accepting the sacrifice is the only move that
makes sense. If 11...O-O, then 12.Bb6 Qe8 13.Nc7.} 12. exd5 {Opening the
e-file and the a2-g8 diagonal all at once.} Nce5 {If 12...Na5 then the point
of 10.Bb3 is validated since it saves a tempo and White has time for 13.d6.  
[Nevertheless, 12...Na5 13.d6 was the way to go, e.g., 13...Nxb3 14.axb3 (14.
dxe7 Qxe7 15.Qxb3 d6 is less convincing for White.) 14...Bxd6 15.Qxd6 Qe7,
intending 16...d6, if White’s queen retreats on the d-file or goes to c7,
and 16...d5, if the queen lands on b6, thus freeing the light square bishop.
White would still retain a decent edge, though.–-F. Kleist]} 13. Nxe5 fxe5 {
I expected 13...Nxe5, but, in any case, ...d5-d6 is coming next.} 14. d6 Bxd6 {
Giving back the piece makes sense here because of moves like 14...Bf6 15.Qd5
Rf8 16.f4 exf4 17.Rae1!} 15. Qxd6 Qf6 {Another long think is required here. I
feel I have an advantage here, but how do I keep pressing? With many options
to calculate, I settled on Qd2 for the tempo.} 16. Qd2 Nf4 17. Rfe1 Ne6 $1 {
#Diagram Position after 17...Ne6 ^^ The last long think of the game. Black
seems to have solved the light-square problem; so it’s time to move on to
creating a dark-square problem.} 18. Bxe6 Qxe6 {I expected 18...dxe6 instead,
freeing the light-square-bishop and possibly the a8-rook later.} 19. Bc5 {
The only move that keeps the advantage.} Kf7 20. Bd6 Re8 21. Rxe5 Qf6 {Now the
attack flows naturally.} 22. Rxe8 Kxe8 23. Re1+ Kf7 {If 23...Kd8 then 24.Qa5+
b6 25.Qxb6 mate.} 24. Re3 Kg6 {If 24...Kg8 then 25.Qd5+ and Black must give up
the queen or else Re8#.} 25. Rg3+ Kh5 26. Qe2+ Kh6 27. Rh3+ Kg5 28. Qh5# 1-0

[Event "Washington Open (Open)"]
[Site "Redmond, WA"]
[Date "2023.05.27"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Haining, Kyle"]
[Black "Whale, Nicholas"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C60"]
[WhiteElo "2287"]
[BlackElo "1990"]
[Annotator "Kyle Haining"]
[PlyCount "89"]
[EventDate "2023.05.27"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "6"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceVersionDate "2023.07.04"]

{[%evp 0,89,19,38,25,16,14,23,71,49,62,17,38,7,27,19,51,34,45,46,44,40,43,42,
43,42,53,4,45,39,42,39,39,33,52,44,48,45,46,38,43,35,29,17,29,23,19,22,25,33,
29,31,31,4,4,0,4,6,0,0,0,0,16,-48,-47,-52,-52,-49,-55,-80,0,-33,-33,-6,-17,-18,
-29,-18,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 {
Fianchetto Defense. An uncommon move, one which I've never faced in a
tournament game. I faced it in a blitz game before, and my opponent afterwards
explained what to do as White. So I tried hard to remember what I could and
work things out over the board.} 4. d4 exd4 {Ideas came back to me} 5. Bg5 ({
Natural looking play is not very impressive...} 5. Nxd4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nc3
O-O 8. O-O Ne7 {preparing d5, Black is doing fine}) 5... Be7 ({If} 5... f6 {
either option is good for White here} 6. Bf4 (6. Bh4 h5 7. Bg3 Bc5 8. O-O a6 9.
Ba4 d6 10. c3 dxc3 11. Nxc3 $14) 6... Bg7 7. O-O Nge7 8. Nxd4 f5 9. e5 $14) (
5... Bb4+ 6. c3 dxc3 7. Nxc3 {does not actually help Black}) 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7.
O-O Qb4 8. Bxc6 dxc6 ({I was hoping my opponent would go for} 8... Qxb2 $2 {
This wins material but White gets some serious initiative} 9. Bd5 Qxa1 10. c3
$1 {I didn't have this line completely worked out over the board, but I think
c3 was one of the moves I was considering here. White's attack is promising.}
Qb2 11. Qxd4 f6 12. Bb3 $1 d6 13. Qc4 Kd8 14. Qf7 Ne7 15. Qxf6 Re8 16. e5 d5
17. Bxd5 $18) 9. Qxd4 Qxd4 10. Nxd4 Bd7 11. Nc3 O-O-O 12. Rad1 Ne7 13. f4 (13.
b4 $5 {is an interesting idea, since Black has not played c5}) 13... f5 {
a good practical decision by my opponent. Black gives White a passed pawn, but
in return gains activity and a strong blockade} 14. e5 ({Normally White should
be hesitant to exchange the e-pawn for the f-pawn, but White has an
opportunity to activate the knight. Stronger was} 14. Nf3 fxe4 15. Ne5 $1 Be6 (
15... Bf5 16. Rxd8+ Rxd8 17. g4 Be6 18. Nxe4 Bxa2 19. b3 Nd5 20. Nc4 Re8 21.
Ncd2 $16) 16. Nxe4 Rxd1 17. Rxd1 Nd5 18. g3 $14) 14... c5 15. Nf3 (15. Nb3 {
In the game, I regretted not playing this move instead, thinking that I could
attack the pawn and gain time to double rooks. But this is actually not a good
plan. A sample line is} b6 16. Rf2 Bc6 17. Rfd2 Rde8 $1 {White is missing
pieces on the kingside} 18. Nc1 g5 $1 19. fxg5 Rhg8 20. Nd3 Rxg5 $15) 15... Be6
16. Kf2 Bc4 ({I was scared of this line} 16... Nd5 17. Nxd5 Bxd5 {I thought
Black might gain domination on the light squares, but even worst case scenario,
White is fine} 18. a3 Be4 19. c3 Bd3 20. Rfe1 Rd5 $6 21. Rd2 ({White has} 21.
e6 {but for demonstration let's consider something else}) 21... Rhd8 22. Red1
c4 23. Ke3 c5 24. Ne1 $14 {White breaks the blockade}) 17. Rfe1 Rxd1 18. Rxd1
Rd8 19. b3 Bg8 20. Rxd8+ ({To keep greater winning chances, White should
probably keep the rook and play on} 20. Rc1 $1 {preparing an eventual c2-c4})
20... Kxd8 21. h3 Nc6 ({I was hoping my opponent would play this move
somewhere around here} 21... h5 $2 22. Kg3 $1 Ke8 23. Kh4 Kf8 24. Kg5 {White
activates the king}) 22. a3 a5 23. g4 c4 24. bxc4 Bxc4 25. gxf5 gxf5 26. Ke3
Kd7 27. Ne2 Bxe2 28. Kxe2 b5 29. Kd3 Ne7 30. Nd4 Nd5 31. Nxf5 $6 {I wanted to
win, so I took this risk. White gives up two pawns but in return gains a
strong passer. Objectively this should still be equal, but practically this
should favor Black} Nxf4+ 32. Ke4 Nxh3 33. Nd4 b4 34. axb4 $2 (34. a4 {was
necessary}) 34... axb4 $2 (34... a4 $1 $19 {this would've been winning. Both
my opponent and I missed this move. Material is equal, but Black has the
outside passers.} 35. c4 a3 36. Kd3 a2 37. Nc2 Ke6 38. Kc3 Kxe5 39. Kb2 Nf4 40.
Kxa2 h5 41. Kb3 Ke4 42. b5 h4 43. c5 Nd5) 35. Kf5 c5 36. e6+ Ke7 37. Nc6+ Ke8
38. Ne5 h6 ({If} 38... Nf2 {White would still need to show some precision} 39.
Nd7 c4 40. Nf6+ Kd8 41. Ke5 $1 {threatening Kd6} Ke7 42. Nd5+ Ke8 43. Nxb4) 39.
Nd3 Ke7 40. Nxc5 Ng5 41. Nd3 Nxe6 42. Kg6 Nd4 43. Nxb4 Nxc2 44. Nxc2 Kd6 45.
Kxh6 {Congrats to Nicholas on a hard-fought and well-played game} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Washington Open (Open)"]
[Site "Redmond, WA"]
[Date "2023.05.29"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Razmov, Valentin"]
[Black "Scholz, Fritz"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A43"]
[WhiteElo "1805"]
[BlackElo "1952"]
[Annotator "Valentin Razmov"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2023.05.27"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "6"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceVersionDate "2023.07.04"]
[TimeControl "40/120+10:0"]

1. d4 c5 {I was hoping to play for a win in the last round after a couple of
solid draws, so this opening direction by my opponent came as welcome news.} 2.
d5 d6 3. c4 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. Qc2 {There are other ways to play here. My goal
was to play active moves, to avoid mainlines, and to be flexible in meeting
various opening line transpositions (Benoni, Modern, Pterodactyl, King's
Indian, Pirc, etc.) that the opponent might have prepared.} a6 6. e4 e5 $2 $146
{A novelty, but a suspicious one - Black closes the center and their own
dark-squared bishop in exchange for unclear benefits.} (6... Nf6) 7. Bd3 Ne7 8.
f4 $5 (8. Bd2 Nd7 9. h4 Nf6 10. f3 O-O 11. Nge2 $14 {would be a more
conventional treatment, which looks promising for White.}) 8... f5 $6 {While
it's clear that this move is part of Black's plans, it's not urgent here - in
fact, it's better to prepare it:} (8... Nd7 9. Nf3 f5 10. Ng5 Nf6 11. fxe5 dxe5
12. O-O $14) 9. fxe5 Bxe5 10. Nf3 {Gaining a valuable tempo in development.}
Bg7 $6 (10... f4 11. Nxe5 dxe5 12. Qf2 $16) 11. O-O ({Even stronger is} 11.
exf5 Bxf5 12. Bxf5 Nxf5 13. Bg5 Qb6 (13... Bf6 14. Qe2+ Kf7 15. Bxf6 Kxf6 (
15... Qxf6 16. Ne4 Qe7 17. O-O) 16. g4) 14. Qa4+ Kf7 15. O-O $18 {Black's
position is very unstable and undeveloped, while White's is highly promising.})
11... O-O {By this point Black had spent all of 4 minutes on their moves,
while White had thought for over 40 minutes altogether. Considering the
position on the board, that additional time investment was well worth it.} 12.
Bd2 {A bit shy of a move; White had more ambitious options available, though I
did not want to open up the position or cause trades just yet.} (12. Bg5 h6 13.
Bxe7 Qxe7 14. exf5 Bxf5 15. Bxf5 Rxf5 16. Rae1 $16) (12. exf5 Nxf5 13. Bg5 Qc7
14. Rae1 $16) 12... fxe4 $6 {This move seems rushed, only helping White in
their central control.} (12... Nd7 13. Rae1 Ne5 14. Nxe5 Bxe5 15. Bh6 Rf7 16.
Qd2 $14) 13. Nxe4 Bg4 (13... Nf5 14. Bg5 Qb6 15. Rae1 $16) 14. Nfg5 $1 {
Going after the weakened light squares in Black's position...} Bf5 (14... Nd7)
15. Rae1 h6 16. Nf3 $6 {Backing off for a moment after not seeing a clear path
forward. That path existed nonetheless:} (16. Ne6 $1 Bxe6 17. dxe6 Nbc6 18.
Rxf8+ Qxf8 19. Rf1 Qc8 20. Nf6+ $16 {and White's position looks nearly winning.
}) 16... Bg4 17. Ng3 Bxf3 18. Rxf3 $6 {Ironically, now was a moment for White
to hold off on extra trades.} (18. gxf3 Nd7 19. Bxg6 Nxg6 20. Qxg6 Ne5 21. Qe6+
Kh7 22. f4 Ng6 23. f5 Ne5 24. Ne4 $18 {All of White's pieces are actively
involved, while Black struggles to give their pieces good employment.}) 18...
Rxf3 19. gxf3 Nd7 20. Bxg6 Ne5 $6 {Allowing White's light-squared bishop to
maintain control over that b1-h7 diagonal ultimately led to more troubles for
Black. It was better for Black to exchange that bishop while still possible.} (
20... Nxg6 21. Qxg6 Qf6 22. Qxf6 Bxf6 23. b3 b5 24. Ne4 $16 {The position is
much simplified yet Black continues to experience problems due to their many
weaknesses.}) 21. Be4 (21. Bh5 $5) 21... Qd7 22. Kg2 b5 23. b3 bxc4 24. bxc4
Rb8 25. Nh5 Bh8 26. Nf4 Bf6 27. Kh1 $1 {Improving two worst-placed pieces at
the same time - extra safety for the White king and an open file for White's
heavy pieces.} Kh8 28. Ne6 $6 {A move that looks tempting at a glance 
(occupying a juicy outpost while opening an attack on the h6-pawn), but it
lacks compelling continuations. White had 5 minutes left for the 13 moves till
the time control; in turn, Black had 72 minutes $1} (28. Bc3 Qe8 29. Qg2 Qg8
30. Qh3 Qg5 31. Nh5 Qh4 32. Qxh4 Bxh4 33. Rg1 $18) (28. Rg1 Rg8 29. Rg3 Rxg3
30. hxg3 Bg5 31. Kg2 $18) 28... Ng8 $6 {Defends the h6-pawn, but reduces
Black's knight to passive defense-only.} (28... Qe8 $5 {It's easy to suggest
sacrificing other people's pawns, yet after} 29. Bxh6 Qh5 30. Bf4 Rg8 31. Qe2
$16 {Black has at least some (perceived) initiative in exchange for the
missing material.}) 29. Rg1 Qf7 30. f4 ({Even stronger is} 30. Qc1 $1 Qh5 31.
Nf4 Qh4 32. Be1 $18 (32. Rg4 {in both cases trapping the Black queen or else
winning that h6-pawn.})) 30... Nd7 31. Bg6 Qe7 32. Re1 {With 1 minute left 
(plus increment) and 9 moves to complete, White sets up a discovered attack.}
Rb2 33. Qd3 {Although this move is fine, it has a hidden tactical problem in
the way White plans to use it...} ({Stronger is} 33. Qc1 Rxa2 34. Bb1 Rb2 35.
Nxc5 $18) 33... Rxa2 34. Nxc5 $4 {Finally, drama arrives. Instead of finishing
things smoothly, White rushes and accidentally offers Black a surprising
chance to fully get back into the game.} (34. Bc3) 34... Ra1 $2 {Black misses
their chance. In retrospect, Black made the practical mistake of playing for
White's time deficit, rather than carefully looking for what might be served
on the platter.} (34... Nxc5 $1 35. Rxe7 Nxe7 $1 {Suddenly the White queen is
overloaded} 36. Qe3 Nxg6 37. f5 Nf8 38. Qe8 Kg7 $13) 35. Ne6 $1 {Promptly
closing the door on the opportunity that Black could have used.} Rxe1+ 36. Bxe1
Nc5 37. Qe2 a5 $6 {Unnecessarily impulsive, likely playing for White's time
trouble.} (37... Nxe6 38. dxe6 Qg7 39. Bc2 $1 {Preparing a battery along the
diagonal while keeping an eye on that a-pawn.} Bd4 40. Bg3 $16 (40. Qg2)) 38.
Bxa5 Qa7 39. Be1 Qa1 40. Kg2 {Time control successfully reached. White's
position remains winning.} Bh4 $4 {Curiously, with 68 minutes on the clock,
Black played this move instantly, greatly accelerating the end of this
interesting game.} (40... Nxe6 41. dxe6 Qd4 42. Be4 Be7 43. Qd3 $18 {White
should be able to convert from here due to their active bishops, two extra
pawns, and advanced passed pawns.}) 41. Bxh4 1-0

[Event "Washington Open (Premier)"]
[Site "Redmond, WA"]
[Date "2023.05.28"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Davies, Cedric"]
[Black "Merrikin, David"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B13"]
[WhiteElo "1636"]
[BlackElo "1731"]
[Annotator "Cedric Davies"]
[PlyCount "95"]
[EventDate "2023.05.27"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "6"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceVersionDate "2023.07.04"]

{[%evp 0,95,28,30,56,77,74,62,40,23,23,32,32,32,44,47,40,40,55,60,67,49,52,52,
65,64,62,54,54,41,41,16,60,52,65,48,54,37,48,46,30,7,16,6,116,128,150,163,172,
112,232,168,347,346,433,343,596,590,1533,1695,1695,1711,1693,1889,1896,1896,
1896,1112,1583,2009,29975,29976,29977,1800,2028,2010,29979,715,1223,1199,1344,
1234,1234,622,627,795,1060,877,1706,1936,29989,29990,29991,29992,29993,29994,
29995,29990]} 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bf4 Qb6 {
He thought a long time on this move. I haven't seen anyone play it this way.
Usually Black plays Bg4 which I follow with Qb3. This ruins my Qb3 plans,
unless I want to trade Queens.} 7. Qc2 Bg4 8. Nd2 {[%mdl 32]} Rc8 {...Nxd4! is
the strong threat.} 9. Ngf3 {White is slightly better.} Nd7 {[%cal Oc6b4]} 10.
a3 {Prevents Nb4.} g6 11. O-O Bxf3 (11... Bg7 $14 {feels stronger.} 12. h3 Bxf3
13. Nxf3 {Winning the d-pawn does not help Black} Nxd4 14. Nxd4 Bxd4 15. Qa4
Bf6 16. Bb5 $14) 12. Nxf3 $14 Bg7 13. Qe2 ({Computer prefers} 13. Qd2 {I
played the game move because my focus was on controlling e5}) 13... O-O {
[%cal Oe7e5]} 14. Rfe1 {White has an iron grip on e5 and plans to use it to
build a kingside attack} a6 {Not very constructive. My thought in the game was,
is Black out of ideas?} ({Computer likes} 14... Rfe8 $11) 15. h4 {The start of
softening up Black's kingside. White is gaining the initiative} Nf6 $6 {
The knight moves back to f6 to prevent h5. The knight has spent 3 moves to go
g8-f6-d7-f6} (15... e5 $11 {remains equal.} 16. dxe5 (16. Nxe5 Ndxe5 17. dxe5
Rfe8 $11) 16... Rfe8) 16. Ne5 $16 {With the knight moved away from d7, the e5
square is very juicy and so I hop right in. Black doesn't want to capture as a
pawn on e5 drives away the f6 knight and cramps Black's entire kingside.} e6
17. Rab1 Rfe8 18. Qf3 {Bg5 is now looking unpleasant which probably led to
Black's decision to chop the e5 knight. But it's replacement, a pawn on e5 is
also unpleasant.} Nxe5 19. dxe5 ({And not} 19. Bxe5 $6 Nd7 $11) 19... Nd7 20.
Re2 {Aimed to double rooks, overprotecting e5 ala Nimzovich} ({Computer prefers
} 20. h5 $1 $16) 20... Qc7 (20... d4 $1 $14 {This would have been an
interesting try instead of staying passive as in the game}) 21. Rbe1 h5 $2 {
[%mdl 8192] This move doesn't make a lot of sense to me. As I can followup
with g4, it seems to only hasten the weakening of Black's kingside.} (21... Nc5
$142 $16) 22. g4 $18 hxg4 23. Qxg4 Nf8 24. Re3 {[%cal Be2e3,Be3g3,Bg3h3,Bh3d3]
[%mdl 32] The Rook lift! The Rook can now swing to g3 or h3 as needed. I'm
carefully building the pressure rather than rushing the attack. My King can go
to either g2 or h2 so the other Rook can also swing into the attack.} Re7 25.
h5 gxh5 26. Qxh5 Rd7 27. Bg5 {Threatening mate with Bf6. I want to plant my
Bishop on f6 where it holds back the f-pawn and any chance Black has of
defending his 2nd rank laterally.} d4 {Black starts looking for counterplay...}
28. Rg3 {White wants to mate with Bf6. I had thought a lot about Rh3 here. If
I can land my Bishop on f6, then there will be a strong mate threat on h8. But
I was worried here that Black might play f6 or f5 and in that case figured my
Rook was better on g3. I wasn't worried about dxc3 as the followup Bf6 looking
winning.} (28. Rh3 $1 dxc3 $2 (28... f5 $142 29. exf6 {I couldn't see clearly
in my head how this would turn out. The computer says White can mate in 14
moves. At the board I took the safer practical approach of playing 28. Rg3.})
29. Bf6 Ng6 30. Qh7+ Kf8 31. Qxg7+ Ke8 32. Rh8+ Nxh8 33. Qxh8#) 28... dxc3 29.
Bf6 {[%csl Gf6][%cal Rg3g7] Continuing to ignore Black's moves as I setup my
attack. Now that my Bishop is on f6 it feels like the end is near.} Ng6 30. Rh3
{Now with the Bishop on f6, my Rook moves to the open h-file, which is what I
had wanted to do on move 28 (see the notes to that move). I'm a move behind
though and Black ruins the mate I had calculated by sacrificing the exchange.}
Rxd3 $5 ({Interesting is} 30... Bxf6 31. exf6 Rxd3 32. Qh7+ Kf8 33. Qh8+ $1
Nxh8 34. Rxh8#) 31. Qh7+ Kf8 32. Qxg7+ Ke8 33. Rxd3 ({Better than the game is
Qg8. I didn't see at the board that Black can't block with the knight} 33. Qg8+
Kd7 (33... Nf8 34. Qxf8+ $3 Kxf8 35. Rh8#) 34. Qxf7+ Kc6 35. Qxe6+ Kb5 36. Qb3+
Kc6 37. Rxd3 $18 {White is clearly better than in the game. The computer
claims mate in 12.}) 33... cxb2 {I am up a whole Rook, but Black has a
dangerous passed pawn, so I need to be careful. I see that there is a
potential mate on d8 with my Rooks doubled so I do that. I was in slight time
pressure at this point.} 34. Red1 Qc1 {Black played this move quickly,
slamming the piece down. I think he thought he had won the game. It looks like
Black is about to Queen and the mate on d8 doesn't work because the d1 Rook is
pinned, but....} 35. Qg8+ ({And not} 35. Rd7 $2 Qxd1+ $1 36. Rxd1 Rc1 $17) ({
And obviously not} 35. Rd8+ $4 Rxd8 $19 {The White rook is pinned and can't
deliver mate on d8. White loses.}) 35... Nf8 36. Kg2 {[%cal Bg1g2,Bg2g3,Bg3g4,
Bg4g5,Bg5h6][%mdl 32] I simply move my King breaking the pin and renewing the
mate threat. Now Black can queen their pawn but then they are mated. The Queen
has to retreat to the defense.} Qc6+ 37. Kg3 Qc7 {Black is immobilized to the
defense of d8. At the same time my attacking pieces are positioned excellently.
I just need another piece to throw into the attack, and there is such a piece
my King! I saw this idea years ago while reading a chess book that had the
famous king-walk of the Nigel Short - Timman 1991 game. My plan is to walk my
King to g7 where it adds into the attack of the pinned knight. I need to be
careful of checks though. My next move f4 is amied at blocking checks along
the 4th rank.} 38. f4 $1 (38. Kg4 $2 Qc4+ 39. Kg5 Qxd3 $1 40. Rxd3 b1=Q $19)
38... a5 {Black admits he has no moves} 39. Kg4 b1=Q {Black decides to not
wait for White's plan to come to fruition. Instead he mixes it up by giving up
his passed pawn to temporarily break the coordination of White's Rooks} 40.
Rxb1 Qc2 41. Rbb3 ({Better is} 41. Rbd1 Qg2+ 42. Kh5 (42. Rg3 Qe2+ 43. Kg5 Qxd1
$14) 42... Qg6+ ({Skewering White's Queen doesn't work} 42... Qxg8 43. Rd8+
Rxd8 44. Rxd8#) (42... Qh2+ 43. Bh4 Qe2+ 44. Kh6 $18) 43. Kh4 Qh6+ 44. Kg4 Qg6+
45. Kf3 Qh5+ 46. Qg4 $18) 41... Qg2+ 42. Rg3 Qc2 43. Kg5 {White mates.} Qf5+
44. Kh6 Kd7 {Instead of waiting for Kg7 and Qxf8+, Black runs in desperation}
45. Qxf7+ Kc6 46. Qxb7+ Kc5 47. Qxc8+ Kd5 48. Rbd3+ {Weighted Error Value:
White=0.18 (very precise) /Black=0. 59 If Black doesn't give up his Queen he
is mated next move. Black resigns} 1-0

[Event "Washington Open (Premier)"]
[Site "Redmond, WA"]
[Date "2023.05.28"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Razmov, Gabriel"]
[Black "Frederick, Benjamin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C54"]
[WhiteElo "1589"]
[BlackElo "1501"]
[Annotator "Gabriel Razmov"]
[PlyCount "121"]
[EventDate "2023.05.27"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "6"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
[SourceVersionDate "2023.07.04"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 {An alternative to the normal
Italian setups, this system called the Center Attack is a bit sharper to begin
with. However, if Black knows it, the position can quickly dry out. Little did
White know, Black had gone over how to play this exact line with his coach the
previous day and his coach also plays this line for White $1} exd4 6. e5 d5 $1
7. Bb5 Ne4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Nc3 Bg4 10. Be3 O-O 11. Be2 (11. h3 {is okay here.
Play might continue} Bh5 12. Qc2 Nxc3 13. bxc3 f6 $1 {when White maintains a
slight edge.}) 11... f6 $1 {Black shows great understanding of these positions
- clearly frustrating for White, who was looking for an opening edge in a
potentially less well-known line.} 12. exf6 Nxf6 13. O-O Qd6 14. a3 a5 $6 $146
{An interesting, yet slightly inaccurate novelty. During the game, White was
definitely surprised by this move, as it doesn't accomplish much. Black might
have been trying to retreat the dark-squared bishop to safety or be safe
against 15.Na4, but it turns out that this move was somewhat time wasting.} ({
A much better choice would be simply} 14... Rae8 15. h3 Bh5 16. Na4 Na5 17.
Nxb6 axb6 18. Qc2 Nc4 $1 {with a strong knight. White must now play for
equality with} 19. Bxc4 Bxf3) 15. Qd3 Rae8 16. Rad1 Ne4 17. Qc2 $4 {A very
sophisticated mistake. White, undoubtedly not having a clear middlegame plan,
opts for a cheeky trap via 18.Nxd5, but Black can throw an unpleasant surprise
there.} (17. Qb5 {maintains equality with pressure on the center. Black might
try} Kh8 18. Na4 (18. Qxd5 $4 Nxc3 {is a classic tactic that White shouldn't
fall for}) 18... Ba7 19. Qxb7 Bxf3 20. Bxf3 Rxf3 21. gxf3 Qg6+ 22. Kh1 Qh5 {
Black has an obvious draw in hand and no clear way to play for a win, so they
might take it.}) 17... Qg6 $2 {A natural move, but now Black loses their
winning advantage and only has a slight edge.} (17... Bxf3 18. Bxf3 {and now
the classical} Rxf3 $1 {would have won directly. White can try} 19. Nxe4 {
but then} (19. gxf3 Qg6+ 20. Kh1 Ng3+ 21. hxg3 Qxc2 $19 {wins as well}) 19...
Qg6 $1 {with some beautiful geometry. However, this is difficult to see and
calculate despite being only 2 moves deep into the line, as the positions
arising in these lines are sharp and with many possibilities.} 20. Kh1 Rff8 $19
) 18. Nh4 $1 {White finds the only, yet sufficient defense. However, Black had
a shocking way to stay slightly better.} Qh5 $2 {Now, the position has
equalized again, and White was definitely relieved to survive this scare.} (
18... Nxc3 $1 {was briefly considered by White but tossed away. However, it is
surprisingly good $1} 19. Qxc3 (19. Nxg6 {is natural, but} Nxe2+ 20. Kh1 hxg6
21. f3 Rxe3 22. fxg4 $17 {Black retains some advantage.}) 19... Qh5 20. Bxg4
Qxg4 21. g3 $17 {with a much better variation than the game.}) 19. Bxg4 Qxg4
20. g3 Nxc3 $6 {Maybe Black suddenly saw after their 18th move that 18...Nxc3
$1 was good, and tried to transpose, but now White can solidify their center
and play on with a still complex position.} (20... Qd7 21. Qb3 Rf7 $1 {would
have been a more fitting plan for Black.}) 21. bxc3 Qe4 22. Qd2 $6 {In a
critical position, White chooses a passive approach yet he had a strong move
in the style of GM Levon Aronian.} (22. Qa2 $1 {maintains activity via central
pressure.} Nb8 23. Rde1 {and White is to be preferred.}) 22... Ne7 23. Bf4 Nf5
{Seemingly falling into a queen trap, yet a brilliant defensive concept. White
was obviously surprised, yet after composing himself he decided that he would
have some decent advantage in the resulting endgame after the many trades.} 24.
Rfe1 Nxh4 25. Rxe4 Nf3+ 26. Kg2 Nxd2 27. Rxe8 Rxe8 28. Bxd2 Kf7 29. Kf3 Kf6 $6
{Black is still okay, but he now begins an ill-fated plan of passive defense,
which cannot work out as White can easily stop all queenside activity and then
make a passer to win on the kingside.} (29... a4 {is a strong defensive idea
to untangle the b6-bishop.} 30. Rb1 {can still be tried, though} Ke6 31. Bf4 g6
32. Be5 Kd7 {and Black can hold.}) 30. Rb1 $1 {Now, Black's pieces on the
queenside are quite tied up.} h6 $2 {Slipping even further - though not
inherently a mistake, it shows that Black doesn't really have a plan or else
doesn't sense trouble approaching.} (30... a4 {still had to be tried.}) 31. Be3
$2 {Rather inactive - it was time for action on the kingside now. White must
have been afraid about rook invasions by Black after the king moves away from
f3.} (31. h4 {was a better plan, with ideas of progressing on the kingside.})
31... Rd8 $2 {Again very passive - perhaps Black really didn't know what to do
in this position. Now, White plays precisely and decisively activate all of
his pieces and grow his advantage.} (31... a4 {is about the last chance Black
will get to try to free up his position.}) 32. Bf4 $1 Re8 $6 33. Be5+ $18 {
Now White is close to winning and converts easily.} Kg6 34. Kg4 $6 (34. a4 $1 {
is slightly better - no counterplay for Black $1}) 34... Rf8 (34... Re6 35. Rb5
{also wins.}) 35. f4 Rf7 36. h3 h5+ 37. Kf3 Kf5 38. g4+ {Black is clearly in
huge trouble.} hxg4+ 39. hxg4+ Kg6 40. Rh1 $1 {Now White can finally free his
rook and use it to finish things off, as Black still cannot catch their breath
due to White's strong initiative.} Rf8 41. f5+ Kf7 42. Rh7 Rg8 43. g5 Kf8 44.
f6 g6 45. f7 c6 46. fxg8=Q+ $6 (46. Bd6# {mates immediately}) 46... Kxg8 47.
Rxb7 Bxd4 48. Bxd4 c5 49. Bxc5 a4 50. Rb4 Kf7 51. Rxa4 Ke6 52. Ra6+ Kd7 53.
Rxg6 Kc7 54. Rd6 d4 55. cxd4 Kb7 56. g6 Kc7 57. g7 Kb7 58. g8=Q Kc7 59. Qd8+
Kb7 60. Qb6+ Kc8 61. Rd8# {Overall, Black played a strong opening, showing
solid understanding of the system, which White wasn't ready for. Then the
middlegame was messy and sharp, with chances for both sides. Eventually, White
was able to liquidate into a slightly better endgame that still held plenty of
winning chances. At that juncture, Black defended too passively and White got
all the time he needed to create an advanced passed pawn on the kingside,
after which Black's position collapsed. This was a very interesting and
instructive game, also crucial for the standings as White moved to 2.5/3 to
maintain chances of playing for top prizes in the section.} 1-0

[Event "Mid-Year Scholastic Cup 2023 (Premier 1"]
[Site "Lakeside School, Seattle, WA"]
[Date "2023.06.17"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Razmov, Gabriel"]
[Black "Joshi, Atharva"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A47"]
[WhiteElo "1613"]
[BlackElo "1842"]
[Annotator "Gabriel Razmov"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventDate "2023.??.??"]
[SourceVersionDate "2023.07.04"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 {The London System served me quite well in this event,
gaining 2 good positions out of the opening.} e6 3. e3 c5 4. c3 b6 5. Nf3 Bb7
6. Be2 Be7 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. O-O $6 {White's first small slip, allowing Black to
gain the two bishops.} (8. h3 {saves the bishop, while castling comes next
move.} d5 9. O-O Bd6 10. Re1) 8... d6 $6 $14 (8... Nh5 {would imbalance the
game slightly, though Black's edge is minimal.} 9. Bg3 Nxg3 10. hxg3 $15) 9.
Qb3 $6 $15 {Allowing the same imbalances, which Black again passes over.} (9.
h3 {still works, as usual.} d5 10. Bd3) 9... Nbd7 (9... Nh5 {was the
aforementioned other option for Black.}) 10. Rad1 $6 $17 Qc7 (10... Nh5 $1 {
is the alternative} 11. Nc4 (11. Bg3 a6) 11... Bd5 {and White is faced with
unsatisfactorily placed pieces.}) 11. Nc4 $6 $17 (11. h3) 11... Rad8 $6 (11...
Nh5) 12. Rc1 $6 $17 {Realizing that the rook was misplaced on d1, but still
allowing Black to gain the two bishops.} (12. h3) 12... Nh5 13. Bg3 $6 $17 {
Yet another suspicious choice - White should've instead focused on their main
plan of controlling the center and possibly pushing through the queenside.} (
13. Nfd2 {is more natural.} Nxf4 {looks bad for White due to the doubled pawns
but} 14. exf4 e5 {is the best Black can do, when White is relieved of their
doubled pawns.} 15. dxe5 dxe5 16. fxe5 Nxe5 17. Rcd1 $15) 13... Nxg3 14. hxg3
Nf6 $6 {Unclear what Black might do with that knight. Planting it on e4
doesn't really do much, so instead, Black could look to take over the center.}
(14... e5 $1 {opens up Black's rooks and claims an initiative in the center.}
15. Nfd2 e4 16. Na3 a6 $17) 15. Rfd1 Ne4 $6 {Continuing with the plan, but now
...e5 is not in Black's cards for some time.} (15... g6 16. Na3 a6 17. c4 Kg7 {
at least improves Black's king position.}) 16. Ncd2 d5 $6 $15 {Encouraging
White to exchange, which would lead to positional problems for Black.} (16...
Nf6 {isn't what Black wanted, but it's about the best after} 17. c4 h5 $15) 17.
Nxe4 $1 dxe4 18. Nd2 Kh8 19. Qc2 f5 20. Qb3 {Now White has provoked some
central weaknesses, and strives to make the best of them.} Rf6 $6 {Going for a
non-existent kingside attack, or otherwise simply making a defensive move, but
it blocks Black's pieces and allows White more play.} (20... Bd5 $1 {tries to
fix the central weakness, and after} 21. Bc4 h5 22. Bxd5 exd5 23. c4 cxd4 24.
exd4 Qd7 $15 {Black is completely fine with no real issues.}) 21. Kf1 $6 {
Objectively wrong, as nothing will happen on the kingside, but an inventive
and provocative idea. From here on, even engines seem to have difficulty
evaluating the best moves for either color; the position has gotten quite
unusual and complex. In fact, the Chess.com engine thinks that this move is
not as bad, but Lichess deems it losing; however even Lichess can't find a
clear win. The game becomes very sharp.} (21. dxc5 Bxc5 22. Qa4 {is more sane
and natural.}) 21... Rh6 22. Ke1 Bg5 $6 $17 {Misplacing the bishop as it
creates no real threats. Black hopes to sacrifice on e3 and then open the king,
but it doesn't quite work in practice.} (22... Rh1+ 23. Nf1 Bd5 24. Bc4 Qd6 $17
) 23. Nf1 $1 {Making space for the king to continue its journey.} Rh1 $2 $14 {
While not objectively losing, this move does not accomplish what Black hopes,
and it hangs a key pawn. Above all, Black's potential attack evaporates.} (
23... Rb8 24. Rc2 Be7 $17 {still keeps an edge.}) 24. Qxe6 (24. dxc5 $1 {
would be even better $1 After} Rd5 25. Rxd5 Bxd5 26. Qa4 $1 g6 27. Qd4+ Kg8 28.
c4 Bc6 $16 {Black's position is still quite promising.}) 24... Bc8 25. Qe5 Qc6
$2 $18 {Allowing a straightforward combination. Black may have still been
under the illusion of a continuing attack, rather than looking for ways to
stabilize the position.} (25... Qf7 $1 {would hold better, though White
maintains an advantage after} 26. dxc5 Re8 27. Qd4 bxc5 28. Qxc5 Be6 $14) 26.
dxc5 $1 Re8 27. Qd5 (27. Qd6 {keeps an eye on the king via defending g3.} Qxc5
28. Qxc5 bxc5 29. Rd5 $18 {Black is now in clear trouble.}) 27... Qh6 $2 {
Once again, likely the result of misevaluating the position. Black should be
looking to limit White's pressure, not to go for an all-out attack.} 28. c6
Bxe3 $2 {In a nearly losing position, Black chooses to go for chaos/
counterplay, which White somehow believed and thus avoided simple material
gains.} (28... Be6 29. Qe5 $18) 29. Qd8 $6 {Still maintaining a winning
advantage and putting clear pressure on Black, but making it more difficult,
objectively.} (29. fxe3 Qxe3 30. Qe5 $1 $18 {is a strong defensive resource
that ends all Black threats.}) 29... Qg6 30. c7 $1 Bxf2+ 31. Kd2 $2 {This is
still good for White, but there was a direct win that White missed:} (31. Kxf2
e3+ {and here White forgot about} 32. Nxe3 {+-}) 31... e3+ 32. Kc2 f4+ 33. Kb3
{The White king continues its enterprising journey from g1 all the way to the
wide-open queenside, where it will be surprisingly safe. From there, White
should win.} Be6+ 34. c4 Rg8 $2 (34... b5) 35. Qe7 b5 {Trying for some
counterplay, which White calculated to not exist.} (35... Qf6 {is objectively
best, though} 36. Qxf6 gxf6 37. Rd8 {is still completely winning.}) 36. Rd8
bxc4+ 37. Bxc4 Bxc4+ 38. Rxc4 Qb6+ 39. Rb4 {Black resigned, ending this tough
and complex battle with many chances for both sides. After this game, White
was tied for the lead in the section and kept their chances for a tournament
win until the very last round.} 1-0

[Event "BC-WA m"]
[Site "Richmond"]
[Date "2023.07.03"]
[Round "5.1"]
[White "Doknjas (BC), Neil"]
[Black "Lu (WA), Yiding"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E45"]
[WhiteElo "2270"]
[BlackElo "2181"]
[Annotator "Ralph Dubisch"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventDate "2023.07.01"]
[EventType "team-swiss"]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventCountry "CAN"]
[SourceVersionDate "2023.07.04"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 {Allowing the Nimzo-Indidan Defense.} Bb4 {Challenge
accepted.} 4. e3 b6 5. Nge2 Ba6 6. Qa4 ({Two moves are much more common here,
6.a3 and 6.Ng3.} 6. a3 Bxc3+ (6... Be7 7. Nf4 d5) 7. Nxc3 d5 {-- we're
starting to notice a theme for Black on move seven...}) (6. Ng3 Bxc3+ (6... O-O
7. e4 {, and even here} d5 {is possible.}) 7. bxc3 d5 {, and here White
generally chooses between} 8. Qf3 {, followed by 9.cxd5 and usually 10.Bxa6,
or the logical} (8. Ba3 {, offering a pawn (temporarily?) to keep the black
king in the center (temporarily?). It's all very equal/unclear, which is to
say, a chess game.})) 6... c5 7. a3 Bxc3+ 8. Nxc3 Bb7 (8... O-O 9. dxc5 bxc5
10. Be2 d5 11. O-O Qb6 12. cxd5 Bxe2 13. Nxe2 exd5 14. b4 $14 {is still known
theory, though the line appears to have many potentially playable branches.})
9. Bd3 (9. Be2 {offers slightly different complications after captures on g2.})
9... Bxg2 10. Rg1 Bc6 ({Stockfish prefers} 10... Bf3 11. Rg3 (11. Rxg7 Ng4 {
causes problems for White involving the trapped rook on g7 and threats (...Qh4)
on the kingside.}) 11... Bh5 {sending the bishop to g6 (eventually) for
defense.}) 11. Qc2 g6 12. d5 $1 exd5 13. cxd5 Nxd5 14. e4 $1 {The position
becomes critical. White has sacrificed two pawns for activity.} Nxc3 ({Black's
best chance is to give back one pawn to remove the queens from the board. After
} 14... Qe7 $5 15. Bg5 f6 16. O-O-O Nxc3 17. Qxc3 Qe5 $1 18. Bxf6 Qxc3+ 19.
bxc3 (19. Bxc3 Rf8 20. f4 $5 Rxf4 $6 21. Be5 Rf7 22. Bc4 Re7 23. Bf6 Rxe4 24.
Bg8 {is a computer-ish line involving White demonstrating positional
compensation for three(!) pawns.}) 19... Rf8 20. e5 d5 21. f4 Nd7 22. Bg5 {
and White maintains plenty of compensation for the pawn into the ending, with
the bishop-pair and better coordination.}) 15. Qxc3 f6 16. Bf4 (16. Bg5 O-O (
16... Rf8 17. Bf4 $16) 17. Bh6 $16) 16... Kf7 $2 (16... Bb7 17. O-O-O Nc6 {
and White has tons of positional compensation, but no direct tactical win
quite yet.}) 17. Bc4+ Kg7 (17... d5 18. O-O-O {with massive attack.}) 18. Qh3
h6 19. Rxg6+ $1 Kxg6 20. O-O-O $1 d5 21. exd5 Qc8 22. Rg1+ Kf7 23. d6+ Kf8 24.
Qxh6+ Rxh6 25. Rg8# {With apologies to Glenn Kirschner for the paraphrase:
Because. Activity. Matters.} 1-0

[Event "BC-WA m"]
[Site "Richmond"]
[Date "2023.07.03"]
[Round "4.5"]
[White "Zhu (WA), Jamie Zhongyun"]
[Black "Taylor (BC), Ashton"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A13"]
[WhiteElo "1858"]
[BlackElo "1975"]
[Annotator "Ralph Dubisch"]
[PlyCount "139"]
[EventDate "2023.07.01"]
[EventType "team-swiss"]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventCountry "CAN"]
[SourceVersionDate "2023.07.04"]

1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. b3 O-O 6. Bb2 c5 7. cxd5 exd5 8. d4
Bg4 9. Be2 Nc6 10. O-O ({The theoretical line} 10. dxc5 Bxc5 11. O-O {offers
White better chances}) 10... Bxf3 11. Bxf3 cxd4 12. exd4 Bb4 $5 13. Qd3 Re8 14.
Rfe1 Qd7 15. a3 Bxc3 16. Bxc3 Rxe1+ 17. Rxe1 Re8 18. Rxe8+ Nxe8 19. Qe3 Qe6 $4
(19... Nf6) 20. Kf1 $2 ({A missed opportunity.} 20. Bxd5 $3) 20... Nf6 21. b4
a6 22. a4 Qf5 23. g4 Qg6 $6 ({A little passive. The more active} 23... Qc2 {
seems to offer equal chances:} 24. g5 (24. Bxd5 Qd1+ 25. Be1 Qxg4 26. Bg2 h6
$13) 24... Ne4 25. Bxe4 dxe4 26. Kg2 (26. d5 Qd1+) 26... Ne7) 24. g5 Ne4 25.
Bxe4 dxe4 26. d5 Ne7 27. Qf4 h6 28. gxh6 (28. d6 $1) {diagram} 28... Qxh6 $2 ({
Also losing is} 28... Nxd5 $2 29. Qb8+ Kh7 30. hxg7 $18) ({The saving idea is} 
28... e3 $3 {clearing the diagonal for the black queen.} 29. Qb8+ (29. d6 Qd3+
30. Kg2 Nf5 31. hxg7 exf2 32. Kxf2 Nxd6) (29. Qxe3 Nxd5 30. Qe8+ Kh7 31. hxg7
Qd3+ 32. Kg1 $1 Qd1+ 33. Kg2 Qg4+) 29... Kh7 30. hxg7 Qd3+ {gives perpetual
check.}) 29. Qxh6 gxh6 30. d6 $1 Nc6 31. b5 $6 (31. d7 $1 f5 32. Bf6 Kf7 33.
d8=Q Nxd8 34. Bxd8 $18) 31... Nb8 (31... axb5 32. axb5 Nb8) 32. Bf6 $6 (32. Ke2
) 32... Nd7 33. Bc3 f5 34. Ke2 Kf7 35. f3 Ke6 36. fxe4 fxe4 37. Bb4 (37. bxa6
bxa6) 37... Kd5 (37... axb5 38. axb5 Nb6 $15) 38. bxa6 bxa6 39. Ke3 Ne5 40. h4
h5 41. a5 Nd7 (41... Nc4+) 42. Ba3 Ne5 43. Bb4 Nd7 (43... Nc4+ 44. Kf4 Nxd6 45.
Bxd6 Kxd6 46. Kxe4 Ke6) 44. Kf4 Kc4 45. Ba3 Kd3 46. Kg5 e3 47. Bb4 Kc4 48. Be1
Kd5 49. Bg3 Ke4 50. Kxh5 Kf5 51. Kh6 e2 (51... Kf6) 52. Kg7 Nf6 53. Kf7 Ne4 54.
d7 Nxg3 55. d8=Q Ke4 56. Qd2 Kf3 57. Qe1 Nh5 58. Ke7 Nf4 59. h5 $2 (59. Qd2 Ng2
60. h5 e1=Q+ 61. Qxe1 Nxe1 62. h6 $18) 59... Nxh5 60. Qh1+ Kg3 $2 (60... Kf2 $1
61. Qh2+ Kf1 62. Qh3+ Kf2 63. Qf5+ Kg2 {and White's only real winning attempt
is to enter the queen ending by taking the knight.}) 61. Qe1+ $2 (61. Kd6 Nf4 (
61... Kf2 62. Qxh5 e1=Q 63. Qh4+) 62. Qe4 $1 $18) 61... Kf3 62. Kd7 Nf4 $1 63.
Kc7 Nd3 (63... Ng2 64. Qc3+ Kf2 65. Qd4+ Kf1) 64. Qh1+ Ke3 65. Kb6 (65. Qh6+
Ke4 (65... Kf2 $4 66. Qd2 $18) 66. Qe6+ Kf3 (66... Ne5 $4 67. Kd6 $18) 67. Qxa6
e1=Q 68. Qxd3+ Kg2 69. a6 $14 {This is probably a draw, but queen endings are
crazy hard in time trouble.}) 65... e1=Q 66. Qxe1+ Nxe1 67. Kxa6 Nc2 68. Kb5 {
diagram} Na3+ $4 ({To draw, the knight needs to reach the a7-c8-d6-b5 circuit
before the pawn reaches a7. There is one and only one way to achieve that:} 
68... Nd4+ $1 69. Kb6 (69. Kc5 Nb3+ {-- Nxa5}) 69... Nf5 $1 70. a6 Nd6 $1 {
. Now} 71. a7 {is met with} Nc8+ {forking. On anything else, the knight moves
to a safe square on the circuit, either directly occupying a7, guarding a7, or
preparing a fork to remove the pawn if it advances.}) 69. Kc5 Ke4 70. a6 1-0

