2024 Maia Open - Round 8
Training Log
Classical Game - 2.5 hours
Managed to bounce back today with a nice win as Black. Played the King’s Indian and got an unopposed dark-squared bishop early on. Then took space with e5-e4 and found a precise move to shut down my opponent’s play. We soon went into an endgame, which was perhaps holding for White, but always unpleasant, and my dark-squared bishop ended up playing a decisive role.
Originally I was thinking about either 1…Qe7 or 1…Qf6, both with the idea of 2.Nd5 Qe5. But eventually I realized 2.g4!? would be annoying to face, where f4 runs into Qxe4. I then spotted 1…Qe8!? with the point that 2.g4 f4 3.Qxe4? loses to 3…Bxc3 4.Qxe8 Rxe8-+, where the bishop on e2 hangs. The game continued 2.Nd5 Qe5, allowing me to reach the position I wanted.
Sanchez Carrasco - Kavutskiy, Maia 2024
5.5/8. A win tomorrow would rescue the tournament.