Zhang, Alexander (758) vs Harding, Michael (758)
Chess @ 4pm - Challengers (800 Rating a | ? | 17 Aug 2020 | Round 3
1119546
[Event "Chess @ 4pm - Challengers (800 Rating a"] [Site "?"] [Date "2020.08.17"] [Round "3.1"] [White "Zhang, Alexander"] [Black "Harding, Michael"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "758"] [BlackElo "758"] [ECO "C50"] [Opening "Giuoco Piano: 4.O-O Nf6"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 {Alexander likes this set up for White, defending his e4 pawn and letting his c1 bishop out.} O-O 6.Nc3 (6.c3 {Alexander also plays this move a lot, setting up a Steinitz pawn structure}) 6...d6 7.Bg5 {This pin is something that lots of kids find difficult to deal with} h6 (7...Be6 {Is a fairly safe way of stopping White's Knight from jumping to d5 and attacking Black's pinned f6 knight}) 8.Bh4 Bb4 {This isn't really the best move, moving the same piece at the start of a game} (8...Be6 {is better, developing another piece}) 9.Nd5 Bg4 (9...g5 {Breaks the pin, but White has a good move here} 10.Nxg5 Nxd5 11.Qh5 {Black has a lot of problems. The Nd5 is attacked, the pawn h6 is attacked, Black's king is wide open, and White threatens a deadly discovered attack moving the g5 knight} Nf6 12.Qg6+ Kh8 13.Qxh6+ Kg8 14.Qg6+ Kh8 15.Bxf7 {and it will be mate soon}) 10.c3 {Alexander is careful, stopping Black playing the same trick he has already done. This move defends d4 which is where Black's knight wants to jump into} Bxf3 {This wasn't the best move. We shouldn't trade our active pieces, and this bishop was pinning White's knight} 11.Qxf3 Re8 12.Nxf6+ {White has 3 pieces aiming at this knight and there are only two defenders} gxf6 13.Bxf6 Qd7 14.Bb5 {Alexander is too careful, and he will need to take his chances if he wants to stay at over 800 rating} (14.Qg3+ {was mate straight off. Alexander sees this a bit later. Wherever the Black king moves, Qg7 will be mate}) 14...a6 15.Ba4 b5 16.Bb3 Re6 17.Qg3+ {At last! After being distracted by his light squared bishop, Alexander finally finds the winning plan.} Kf8 18.Qg7+ Ke8 19.Qg8# {A very nice back rank mate, with White's bishop guarding Black's escape hatch on e7} 1-0
1-0
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