[Event "The American Cup 2025"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2025.03.24"] [Round "2"] [White "So, Wesley"] [Black "Durarbayli, Vasif"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2819"] [BlackElo "2567"] [Annotator "Luka Budisavljevic"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D12"] [Opening "Slav Defense: Quiet Variation, Schallopp Defense"] [StudyName "2025 American Cup"] [ChapterName "So, Wesley - Durarbayli, Vasif"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/BAeuvodV/bnQsgBiv"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Be4 7. f3 Bg6 8. Qb3 Qc7 9. Bd2 Be7 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. O-O-O Nc6 12. Nxg6 hxg6 13. Kb1 a6 14. Rc1 Nd7 15. Bd3 Rc8 16. Ne2 b5 17. a4 bxa4 18. Qxa4 Nb6 19. Qxa6 Ra8 20. Qb5 Kd7 21. Rc3 Na4 22. Rxc6 Qxc6 23. Rc1 Qxb5 24. Bxb5+ Kd8 { Although this position looks extremely original, it was already featured in four over-the-board games, as well as six correspondence games, showing the depth of theoretical knowledge that the players were showing off in this event. } 25. Rc6! { And now Black makes the first suboptimal move. The knight on a4 is trapped, and the most Black can get for it is a pawn, so he needs to take on b2 immediately. } 25... Rxh2 (25... Nxb2 26. Kxb2 Rxh2 27. e4 { The position remains complex but equal. }) 26. b3 Nb2 27. Kxb2 Rxg2 28. Kc2 g5 29. Kd3 Ba3 30. Rc2 Bd6 31. e4 g4 32. e5 gxf3? { This loses, as White can get a strong passed pawn. } 33. Nf4 { This looks winning, but it allows Black to play an amazing move that is very hard to find. } (33. exd6! fxe2 34. Rc7 $18) 33... Bc7? { Now White is up a full piece and had no troubles converting the advantage. } (33... Ra3!! 34. Ba4 (34. Nxg2 fxg2 35. Rc1 Rxb3+ 36. Ke2 Bxe5 37. dxe5 Rxb5) (34. exd6 Rxb3+ 35. Rc3 Rxb5 36. Nxg2 fxg2 37. Rc1 { Black will trade off White's pawns and save the draw! }) 34... f2 35. Ke2 Ra1 36. Rc1 Rg1 37. exd6 Ra2 38. Kxf2 Rxc1 $13 { White is much better, but the position remains unclear. }) 34. Nxg2 Ra1 35. Ne3 f5 36. exf6 gxf6 37. Rc1 Rxc1 38. Bxc1 Bf4 39. Bd2 e5 40. dxe5 fxe5 41. Nxd5 f2 42. Ba5+ { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0