Black, 472 vs. Hitch Wagner, Unrated

Date:
Event: 2021 West Michigan Championship U1200
Time Control: G/90;d5
Result: 0-1 (win)

My second game went considerably better. I had played Hitch once in a casual game a week or so prior; that game was very even up until I managed to force a promotion in a king-and-pawns endgame, so I went into this one prepared to play carefully, but optimistic that I could eke out an advantage.

This game did indeed feel quite similar. Certainly, we maintained material equality almost until the end, and I can't say that it felt like any particular move swung the game in my favor until to 36...d3 pinned White's queen to his king with a discovered attack. However, the Stockfish evaluation has me slightly ahead most of the game and achieving an overwhelming advantage by those last few moves, peaking at -28.8.

In the moment, I considered 37. Rd1?! to be a game-losing mistake, but Stockfish rates it merely an inaccuracy. White could have tried to save the queen with Re3 instead; I'm writing this a month and a half after the fact, but I think I had anticipated this, and expected to exchange my bishop for the rook. However, Stockfish points out that Nd1 instead would win the rook outright.

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