A Game from the 2017 Chicago Open

I had a fantastic tournament, scoring 4-0 in the U2100 section. My favorite game is the one below. My opponent was a rapidly rising star. He's just 14 and his USCF rating is already around 2100. His chessboard said, "2015 National Elementary Championship." For comparison, your blogger competed in the same tournament back in 2002 - and was thrilled to break the 1300 barrier. Getting a 1300 rating in 6th grade used to be a big achievement. But this new generation is leaving me in the dust... I won a nice game, perhaps the last one I'll ever win against him before he soars on to IM or GM.

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Move	N	Result	Elo

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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bc5 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0 Bxd4 11.Bxd4 Qa5 12.h4 Rb8 13.g4 b5 14.Kb1 b4 15.Ne2 Ba6 16.Nc1 I preferred this over 16.Ng3 since now the knight can cover a2 after ...Bxf1, ...Nxd4, ...Rb8-b6-a6. Bxf1 17.Rhxf1 Rfc8 Here I started looking at 18.f5, sacrificing a pawn. But Black can play 18...Nxd4 19.Qxd4 Rc4! 18.Nb3 Now ...Nxd4 ideas will be useless, since they only help me activate my knight. Qb5 I thought he had to play 18...Qc7 19.f5! Time to switch into "Tal mode"! I only calculated a little, since the sac feels so right. He sank into a long think. exf5 20.gxf5 Ndxe5 21.f6 Ng6 22.h5 The attack almost plays itself... Nxd4 Black tries to return the material with interest. But the attack rages on. If instead 22...Nf8, then 23.Rg1 Ne6 24.Rxg7+! Nxg7 25.Qg5 Kf8. I didn't spot the mate in 13 that Stockfish found, but it was clear that the black monarch would not survive. 23.Nxd4 Qb6 24.hxg6 hxg6 25.Qh2! Intending 26.Rh1. Black's king cannot escape, e.g., 25... gxf6 26.Rh1 Kf8 27.Rde1! Qc7 26.Qh4 Qe5 27.Rh1 Qh5 28.Qg3! Trapping the queen Rc3 29.Qxb8+ 1–0

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White	EloW	Black	EloB	Res

Wilson,M

2014

Storn,J

2096

1–0

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