Shiyam Thavandiran, 12, edged out Quan Zhe, 15, for the Canadian Junior (under-20) Championship in Brantford, Ont. Aside from playing each other, they each gave up a single draw in 16 games.
Here is their mature and gritty battle from round 3.
1.d2-d4 Ng8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e6 3.Ng1-f3 b7-b6 4.g2-g3 Bc8-b7 5.Bf1-g2 Bf8-e7 6.O-O O-O 7.Rf1-e1 d7-d6
Black's best results have stemmed from the surprising 7. ... Nb8-c6, while 7. ... c7-c5 leads to gambit play after 8.d4-d5 e6xd5 9.Nf3-h4.
8.Nb1-c3 Nf6-e4 9.Qd1-c2 f7-f5 10.d4-d5
A typical move, but in this exact position, White has played 10.Nf3-d2, pretty much forcing 10. ... d6-d5, when the structure resembles a Dutch Stonewall.
10. ... Ne4xc3 11.Qc2xc3 e6-e5
Taking on d5 is dangerous after 12.Nf3-d4.
12.Qc3-c2 Rf8-f7 13.e2-e4 Bb7-c8 14.e4xf5 Bc8xf5 15.Qc2-c3 Nb8-d7 16.Bc1-e3 a7-a5 17.Nf3-d2 Nd7-f6 18.Be3-g5 Nf6-d7 19.Bg5-e3 Nd7-f6 20.b2-b3 Qd8-d7 21.Be3-g5 Ra8-f8 22.Bg5xf6 Rf7xf6 23.Qc3-e3 Bf5-h3
Black attacks, but allows White the classic good Knight versus bad Bishop after 24.Bg2xh3 Qd7xh3 25.Re1-e2, to defend h2 laterally. Then 25. ... Rf6-f5 26.Nd2-e4 Rf5-f3 27.Qe3-c1! followed by Qc1-f1 leaves White with a small advantage.
24.Nd2-e4 Rf6-h6 25.Bg2-h1 Bh3-f5 26.Bh1-g2 Bf5-h3 27.Bg2-h1 Bh3-f5 28.Re1-e2 Qd7-e8 29.f2-f3 Qe8-g6 30.Ra1-f1 Bf5xe4 31.Qe3xe4 Qg6xe4 32.Re2xe4 Be7-g5
The position is even and leaning toward a draw.
33.Rf1-d1 Rh6-f6 34.Kg1-f2 h7-h5 35.h2-h4 Bg5-h6 36.Bh1-g2 g7-g5 37.h4xg5 Bh6xg5 38.Rd1-h1 Rf6-h6 39.a2-a3 Kg8-g7 40.Bg2-f1 Rf8-h8 41.f3-f4 Rh6-f6 42.Kf2-f3 Rf6-f7 43.Bf1-h3 Bg5-f6 44.Bh3-e6 Rf7-f8 45.Rh1-g1 Rh8-h6 46.g3-g4 Rh6-g6 47.f4-f5 Rg6-g5
White has a passed f5-pawn, but gaining it has not improved the position, because the e6-Bishop is cut off from the hinterland.
48.Rg1-h1 Rf8-h8 49.g4xh5 Rh8xh5 50.Re4-e1 Kg7-h6 51.b3-b4 Rh5xh1 52.Re1xh1+ Rg5-h5
Diagram: 53.Rh1-g1
Zhe consistently avoids the obvious draw, which here would follow a Rook trade. However, with a couple of simple and incisive moves, Black takes the initiative and White's forces fail to co-ordinate.
53. ... Rh5-h3+! 54.Kf3-e2 Bf6-g5! 55.b4xa5 b6xa5 56.a3-a4 Rh3-e3+! 57.Ke2-f2 Re3-e4 58.Rg1-h1+ Bg5-h4+
Also good is 58. ... Kh6-g7.
59.Kf2-g2 Kh6-g5
Black could take on c4 immediately or after throwing in a safety check on g4.
60.Rh1-f1 Kg5-f6 61.Rf1-c1 Bh4-g5 62.Rc1-c2 Re4-d4 63.Rc2-c3 e5-e4! 64.c4-c5 Rd4-d2+ 65.Kg2-g3 e4-e3! 66.Rc3-c4 Kf6-e5
Black's play is admirably positional. White's defence to the threat of e3-e2-e1 is Rc4-e4, which Black prevents. The tactical 66. ... d6xc5 67.Rc4-e4 Rd2-d4 68.Re4xd4 c5xd4 69.d5-d6! c7xd6 70.Be6-c4 Kf6xf5 would be drawn despite Black's three-pawn advantage.
67.Rc4-g4?! Rd2-d1
Black had many strong-looking moves; that is, 67. ... Bg5-h6; or 67. ... Bg5-f4+ 68.Rg4xf4 e3-e2; or 67. ... Rd2-f2 68.Rg4xg5 Rf2-f1 and the pawn queens. Now White gets back to the pawn.
68.Kg3-f3 Rd1-f1+ 69.Kf3-e2 Rf1-f2+ 70.Ke2-e1 Ke5-f6
Bg5-e7! wins.
71.c5xd6 c7xd6 72.Rg4-e4 Rf2-h2 73.Be6-d7 Bg5-h4+ 74.Ke1-d1! Rh2-d2+ 75.Kd1-c1 Bh4-g5 76.Re4-e6+ Kf6-f7 77.Bd7-e8+ Kf7-f8 78.Be8-h5
The last chance was 78.Be8-g6 with the trap e3-e2? 79.Re6-e8+ Kf8-g7 80.Re8-e7+ and Black must give up the rook and pawn to stop the checks. So 78. ... Kf8-g7 79.Bg6-h5 Rd2xd5 80.Re6-g6+ Kg7-h7 81.Rg6xg5 Kh7-h6 regains the Bishop. Black emerges with an extra pawn in the Rook ending, but the ultimate result should be a draw if White defends precisely.
78. ... e3-e2 79.Bh5xe2 Rd2xe2+ 80.Kc1-b1 Re2xe6 81.f5xe6 Kf8-e7 82.Kb1-c2 Ke7-f6 83.Kc2-d3 Kf6-e5 84.Kd3-c4 Bg5-d8
White resigned.
After Thavandiran's victory here, both players won their next five games. In the final round, Thavandiran settled for a draw to clinch the title. He is the youngest Canadian Junior Champion ever.