January Thaw, Round 4: The Kid and I, Part III

"The Kid" is the regional chess prodigy. He's eleven years old and a talented tactician. A fixture on the Montana chess scene, he's amiable, ebullient, and well-liked but secretly feared by everyone.This was my third game against The Kid, and I have yet to score a victory. Our first was my very first tournament game one year ago at the same event, where after achieving a won position, I relaxed, overpressed, and lost. Losing to a minor is a rather inauspicious way to begin one's chess career, but I suppose that particular obligatory chess experience is a good one to get out of the way early. Our second game was a back-and-forth affair with a tightrope-walking endgame that petered out to a draw. I've improved in the last year but I was wondering if my opponent's advantage of having a rapidly growing and maturing brain would have me blown off the board. It wouldn't. Instead, I forced a smooth, easy draw with the black pieces.