[Event "10th Cherry Blossom Classic"] [Site "Virginia"] [Date "2023.05.28"] [White "Mikhail ANTIPOV"] [Black "Viktor MATVIISHEN"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D41"] [Opening "Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense, Exchange Variation"] [StudyName "Memorial Day Tournament Games"] [ChapterName "Mikhail ANTIPOV - Viktor MATVIISHEN"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/F6yLLfuj/s6hquAXW"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 cxd4 8. cxd4 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxd2+ 10. Qxd2 O-O 11. Bc4 Nd7 12. O-O b6 13. Rad1 Bb7 14. Rfe1 Rc8 15. Bb3 Qf6 16. Re3 Rfd8 17. Qe2 h6 18. h3 Qe7 19. a3 Rc7 20. d5! { Every move from each player had been preparing (or preparing for, in Matviishen's case) this inevitable thrust. } 20... Nc5 21. Ba2 Ba6 22. Qd2 exd5?! (22... Qe8!? { could preserve the tension a bit longer. } 23. Qd4 Bb7 24. Rde1 Qf8 $16) 23. exd5 Qf6 24. Ne5 Re7 25. Nc6 Rxe3 26. Qxe3 { The position has clarified, and White is clearly better thanks to the passed d-pawn. } 26... Rd6?? (26... Ra8 { looks passive, but after } 27. d6 Bb5! 28. Ne5 Rf8 $16 { Black is ready to blockade, and did not even have to part with the a-pawn to do so. }) 27. Qe8+ Kh7 28. Ne7 h5 29. Bb1+ (29. Qg8+ Kh6 30. Qh8+ Kg5 { Surely, White analyzed up to here, and likely did not find anything immediate. But } 31. f4+! { wins after } 31... Kh4 (31... Qxf4 32. Qxg7+ Rg6 33. Nxg6 $18) (31... Kxf4 32. Qxh5 $18 Nd3 33. Qf3+ Kg5 34. Qg4+ Kh6 35. Ng8+) 32. Qxg7!! Bc8 (32... Qxg7?? 33. Nf5#) 33. Qxf6+ Rxf6 34. Nxc8 $18) 29... g6 30. Re1 Rd7 31. d6 Bb5 (31... Bd3! 32. Bxd3 Nxd3 33. Re2 Nf4 34. Rd2 Rxd6 35. Qg8+ Kh6 { almost holds, but White still wins if he can find } 36. Nf5+! Qxf5 (36... gxf5? 37. Qf8+ $18) 37. Qf8+! (37. Rxd6? Ne2+ 38. Kf1 Ng3+) 37... Kh7 38. Qxd6 $18) 32. a4 Bxa4 33. Re5! Bd1 34. Rf5! Rxe7 35. Qxe7 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0