Training Log
Classical Game - 4 hours
Post-mortem - 20 minutes
Faced the top seed in the tournament today, GM Daniel Alsina Leal (2487) of Spain. We got into a fairly complex Rossolimo (I was Black) with some complications in the late opening. But I managed to get out with a comfortable position, and soon felt I was even better. My opponent defended well, and I eventually found myself a bit worse in a queen and bishop endgame. Although I started to get nervous, I didn’t panic and held solidly. At the end I even found a nice pawn sacrifice to force a drawn ending.
Afterwards, I was surprised to learn that I was much better than I originally thought in the middlegame, and even missed a clear win later on:
1…Qxg4! If White doesn’t trade queens then the h-pawn will decide, but what I missed is that after 2.Qxg4 hxg4 3.Bc1 - White has no threat! Black wins by bringing the king to the kingside - Kd7-e6-f6-g5 and eventually taking on c1. Endgame!
Alsina Leal - Kavutskiy, Montesilvano 2024
1.5/2. Happy with the draw and my play so far.