[Event "U.S. Open Championship and State Tournam"] [Site "Norfolk, Virginia, US"] [Date "2024.07.28"] [Round "3"] [White "Vivan P Mulay"] [Black "John Abraham"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "IM Robert Shlyakhtenko"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B40"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Westerinen Attack"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/2q59AWVe/sLAnp0td"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { This was an instructive game, showing the constant interplay between pawn structure and piece activity. } 1... c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. b3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Nc3!? Nc7? { A double sin: Black falls behind in development, and places his knight on a poor square. } (5... Nxc3 6. dxc3 { would open the d-file to White's benefit. }) (5... Nc6 { is probably best. Black never fears } 6. Nxd5 exd5 { , since ... d7-d6 will soon undouble Black's pawns. }) 6. Bb2 Be7 7. Ne4 O-O 8. c4?! (8. d4! cxd4 9. Qxd4 Nc6 10. Qd2 { leaves White much better. }) 8... Nc6 9. Be2 Ne8!? (9... b6 10. O-O Bb7 { is more natural. }) 10. O-O f5 (10... b6!? { is perhaps stronger. }) 11. exf6 { Justifying Black's play. } (11. Nxc5! Bxc5 12. d4 Be7 13. d5 { would put Black under serious pressure. He should give back the piece with } 13... Nxe5 14. Nxe5 d6 15. Nd3 e5 { , but after } 16. f4! e4 17. Ne1! { (with the idea of Nc2-e3) he remains strategically worse. }) 11... Nxf6 12. Ng3 Qc7 13. d4 cxd4 14. Nxd4 Nxd4 15. Qxd4 d6? { A poor structural decision. Black should keep the pawns on d7 and e6 and try to compensate his structural weaknesses with active piece play. } (15... b6! { was indicated. }) 16. Rad1 e5 17. Qd2 Be6 18. Bf3 { White rushes to exploit the newly-weakened d5-square. } 18... Rad8 19. Ne4 Kh8 20. Nxf6 Rxf6 21. Bd5 Rdf8 22. Bxe6 Rxe6 23. Qd5 Rg6 24. c5?! { Radically changing the character of the game, sacrificing White's static advantage for a temporary initiative. I would have preferred to build up the position slowly. } (24. Bc1!? { comes to mind, bringing the bishop to e3. Then White will triple on the d-file and advance on the queenside; only after that will moves like c4-c5 come into consideration. }) 24... h5? { There is no hope for a kingside attack, so this move only ends up weakening Black's position. } (24... dxc5! 25. Bxe5 Qc8 { White's pieces are more active, but Black has no more structural worries and can hope to gradually equalize the position. }) 25. cxd6 Bxd6 26. Rc1 (26. Rd2! { is more accurate. }) 26... Qe7 (26... Qf7! { Black does not mind transposing into an endgame. }) 27. f4!? { A sharp move, which is immediately rewarded. } (27. Rfe1 Qg5 28. g3 { is a more patient approach. }) 27... exf4? { After being on the defensive for a long time, Black blunders. } (27... Qe6! { is fine for Black. }) 28. Qxh5+ Rh6 29. Qxh6+! { Black must have missed this move. The pin reigns supreme. } 29... Kg8 30. Bxg7! Qxg7 31. Qxd6 Rf6 32. Rc8+ Kh7 33. Qd3+ Qg6 34. Qxg6+ Kxg6 35. Rc4 Kg5 36. Rcxf4 Rxf4 37. Rxf4 Kxf4 38. h4 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0