The Kingside Collapse

Game Analysis – Round 2, 2025 Columbia Chess Club Championship
James Brandmair (1380) vs. Chase Norton (649)
Result: 1-0

I went into this game trying to keep things flexible and simple. I played 1.Nf3 followed by g3 and Bg2, aiming for a quiet kingside fianchetto system. Chase responded well with symmetrical development, but things got a little off-track when he played 8...Rg8 — a creative idea but ultimately too slow.

I had a couple chances early to play more aggressively with Ne5, but instead I stayed passive with moves like 9.d3 and 11.Rb1. In hindsight, 11.d4 would have helped seize the center and challenge Black’s awkward setup.

Chase’s 14...d4 turned out to be the critical mistake. It shut his own position while leaving his kingside wide open. I jumped on it with 15.Qxh5+, and from there, everything flowed tactically. My knight hopped to f7, then d6, and finally picked off his loose Queen on c8. I was up material with his king stuck in the center, and after 19.Qxh6, he resigned.

Not the cleanest game on my part — I missed some sharper continuations early — but I stayed alert and capitalized when the position demanded it. Tactics decided this one. On to Round 3!