[Event "U.S. Open"] [Site "Rancho Mirage"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "9"] [White "GM Illia Nyzhnyk"] [Black "GM Elshan Moradiabadi"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2773"] [BlackElo "2614"] [Annotator "JJ Lang"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A28"] [Opening "English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Quiet Line"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/FRzmURsX/5qC0WPyn"] [Orientation "white"] 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e3 Bb4 5. Qc2 Bxc3 6. bxc3 O-O 7. d3 a6 8. Be2 b5 { Enterprising play by Black! } 9. d4 e4 10. Nd2 bxc4 11. Nxe4?! (11. Bxc4 { looks incorrect due to } 11... d5 { but the point of bxc3 is white has dynamic potential } 12. Be2 a5 13. Ba3 Re8 { and now Black cannot meet c3-c4 with ... c7-c6 until the knight moves, giving up the threat of meeting c3-c4 with Nc6-b4. }) 11... Nxe4 12. Qxe4 d5 13. Qf4 Re8 14. Bd1 Na7 15. a4 Rb8 16. Bc2 Rb6 17. Rb1 Rxb1 18. Bxb1 Bd7 19. Bc2 Nc8 20. Ba3 a5 21. Kd2 Nb6 22. Rb1 h6 23. h4 Bxa4 24. Bxa4 Nxa4 25. Rb7 Re6 26. g4 { White went from a 25-minute clock advantage to trailing by 12 minutes on this move } (26. Qxc7 { suggests itself, but is not what White wants to play in a must-win situation with prize money on the line. } 26... Qf6 27. Qb8+ Kh7 28. Qf4 Rb6 29. Qxf6 (29. Rxb6 Qxb6 30. Qf5+ { with a perpetual check }) 29... Rxf6 30. f3 h5 { with a balanced endgame }) 26... Rb6!? (26... Qxh4 { was playable, and would not stumble into a perpetual or a drawn endgame } 27. Rb8+ Kh7 28. Qf5+ Rg6 29. Qxf7 Rf6 30. Qg8+ Kg6 31. Qe8+ Rf7 32. Qe6+ Qf6 33. Qxf6+ Rxf6 34. f4 Rb6 35. Ra8 Nxc3! { although things are far from clear }) 27. Rxb6 cxb6 28. g5 hxg5 29. hxg5 Qe8 30. g6 fxg6 31. f3 { Played instantly } (31. Qd6! { forces a draw, which again is not what White wanted }) 31... b5 32. Qg5 Nxc3 33. Kxc3 b4+ 34. Bxb4 axb4+ 35. Kxb4 Qb8+?! (35... Qf8+! { Black must be able to meet } 36. Kc3 { with } 36... Qxf3 37. Qd8+ Kh7 38. Qh4+ Qh5!) 36. Ka5? { Played instantly, still with ten minutes remaining before the time control. } (36. Kc3 Qb3+ 37. Kd2 c3+ 38. Kd3 c2+ 39. Kd2! { Surprisingly, there is not a forced win for Black here, as the queen cannot both guard c1 and d5. }) 36... Qd6 37. Qg4 Qc6 38. Qg2 Kf7 39. Qc2 Qb7 40. Ka4 Qd7+ 41. Ka5 Qf5 42. Qg2 c3 43. Qh2 Qc8 44. Qc2 Qc4 { 0- } 0-1