[Event "President’s Cup 2025"] [Site "Richardson, TX"] [Date "2025.04.05"] [Round "2"] [White "Juksta, Karolis"] [Black "Quesada Perez, Yasser"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2390"] [BlackElo "2566"] [Annotator "Root, Doug and Alexey"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D45"] [Opening "Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation"] [StudyName "2025 President's Cup"] [ChapterName "Juksta, Karolis - Quesada Perez, Yasser"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/BffHJTxC/POJakEml"] [Orientation "white"] { Annotations by Dr. Alexey Root, WIM and Dr. Doug Root, IM. } 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e3 { White avoids playing sharper alternatives: } (4. e4) (4. Nf3) 4... Nf6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Be2 Be7 (6... dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 { This line — the Meran variation — happened often in the Kramnik–Anand World Chess Championship match back in 2008. }) 7. O-O O-O 8. b3 b6 9. Bb2 Bb7 10. Qd3 Qc7 11. Rac1 Rad8 12. Rfd1 Qb8 13. cxd5 exd5 14. Nd2 Rfe8 15. Bf3 Nf8 16. g3 Ne6 17. Bg2 Bd6 18. Ne2 { White is playing passively. Usually, White would play for a queenside minority pawn storm with a2-a3 and b3-b4. } 18... Ng5 19. Nf1 Qc8 20. f3 Nh3+ 21. Bxh3 { White is forced to give up a bishop for a knight here, because: } (21. Kh1?? { runs into } 21... Nf2+ { winning White's queen. }) 21... Qxh3 22. Nf4 Qd7 23. h4 { White is preventing ... g7-g5, which would have dislodged White's f4-knight. } 23... Re7 24. Qd2 Ba6 25. Nd3 Bxd3 26. Qxd3 Qh3 { Because White has played h2-h4 already, g3-pawn is very weak. } 27. Qd2 (27. Kf2 { does not defend the g3-pawn because: } 27... Bxg3+ 28. Nxg3 Qh2+ 29. Ke1 Qxg3+) 27... Bxg3 28. Qg2 Qxg2+ 29. Kxg2 Bxh4 30. Rxc6 Ne8 31. Rdc1 f5 32. Ba3 Red7 33. Ng3 g6 34. Ne2 Bg5 35. Kf2 Nf6 36. Rc8 (36. R1c3 { is better than trading of both sets of rooks as in the game. }) 36... Kf7 37. Rxd8 Rxd8 38. Rc7+ Rd7 39. Rxd7+ Nxd7 40. Nc3 Nf6 41. Bd6 a6 42. Bc7 b5 43. a4 bxa4 44. Nxa4 Nd7 45. Nc3 Ke6 46. b4 Be7 47. b5 axb5 48. Nxb5 g5 49. Bh2 Bd8 50. Bd6 Nf6 51. Be5 h5 52. Kg3 Ba5 53. Kg2 Ne8 54. Bg3 Bb4 55. Bf2 Kd7 56. e4 Kc6 { The knight is trapped, so White resigned. } 0-1