We were all proved wrong as just as the final week of the regular season showed like this game did, never take any result for granted in the USCL! The ending really became interesting after the Bishops came off. After 65. a4
Mikhailuk vs Kuljasevic: Black to move after 65.a4
Black made a big mistake with 65... Kd7? as will later be shown, 65... Ke7 was much better.
After 68. Kxc5 as shown by the game itself, it appears that Black may be lost since the moving of his King to the d-file allows 69. Kb6 followed by Kxb7 and the advancing of the c-pawn where, due to the location of the Black King, White Queens right after Black and because of his extra b-pawn and better King placement, the ending is then winning for White. However, despite his error on move 65, Black still had a real chance to save the game with the incredible move....
Mikhailuk vs Kuljasevic: Black to move after 68. Kxc5
68... Ke8!! (in the game black played 68...Kd7 which leads to a loss due to white playing a later c6 with check, gaining a tempo. This studylike move seems to be black's only chance to draw the game.
After 68...Ke8 White really has two choices, 69. Kb6 and 69. b6. If he tries 69. Kb6 a4, the Kxb7 idea used in the game doesn't work due to Black queening a full move before White (since the c-pawn does not check the Black King as it advances), forcing White to play 70. c5 and 71. c6, but Black can then trade off his b-pawn and though White Queens with check, without the extra b-pawn as in the game, Black should have no trouble drawing (especially due to the fact that when Black Queens, his Queen then protects his f-pawn). So instead White will likely try 69. b6 Kd7 70. Kb5 a4! 71. Kxa4 Kc6 72. Kb4 Kxb6 73. c5+ Kc6 74. Kc4 Kd7 75. Kd5 (all of these moves are virtually forced from both sides). It may seem that White is winning, but Black once again has an amazing defensive resource
Mikhailuk vs Kuljasevic: Black to move after 75. Kd5
Black again has a resource with 75...Ke7 76.c6 b6!!
in 75... Ke7 76. c6 b6!! where White is then forced to try 77. c7 (in fact the other moves like 77. Kc4 actually win for Black!) where will follow 77... Kd7 78. c8(Q)+ Kxc8 79. Ke6 b5 80. Kxf6 b4 81. Kg7 (once again this sequence is virtually forced from both sides). In this situation White will once again Queen with check right after Black Queens, allowing him to easily win the h-pawn, but even then the position of Q + rook pawn vs. Q is a theoretical draw. Thus, after 68... Ke8!! it seems that Black can hold the draw. As mentionned earlier, if Black had chosen the superior 65... Ke7 instead of 65.. Kd7 we would have gotten into a similar situation as just mentionned, but Black could have held the draw much easier in that circumstance as after 66. Kd5 Kd7 66. a5 bxa5 67. Kxc5, Black has a similar resource in 67... Ke7! putting White in a similar quandry that he would have faced had Black tried 68... Ke8!! in the main line. Once again after 68. Kb6, Black will have no trouble drawing (and in this situation White will not even Queen with check should he try c5 and c6 after Black plays a4). White's best try against 67.. Ke7 is 68. b6 but then Black has 68... a4 69. Kb4 Kd6 70. Kxa4 Kc5 71. Kb3 Kxb6 72. Kb4 Kc6 tranposing into the 69. b6 line above except for the fact that the Black King is now on c6 instead of b6. In this situation, White can actually not play 73. c5 as he actually loses (!) to 73... b6 and is thus forced to allow Black the easy draw by retreating his King. I hope this whole all makes sense to you (and is correct!).
I highly recommend you all sitting down and taking a look at this endgame yourselves as I think it's pretty rare to find such an interesting one that occurs over the board (especially in such a dramatic and important situation). A definite amazing win from FM Mihkaulik since as aforementioned it seemed his team was completely out of the match after falling behind 2-0, and his position being counted as a complete draw. If ever manger Clint Ballard's strategy of "play to win every game" helped any of his team members out, there isn't a question in my mind that this game was inspired in some part by that mentality. Though the Seattle team has to be extremely relieved to have advanced when it looked so bleak for them, they now face a very tough challenge next week in going up against the undefeated San Francisco Mechanics, and this time the draw odds are pointing them in the wrong direction. It should be a great semifinal match especially if the two regular season matches between these two teams were any indication of what we might see.
