[Event "US Open"] [Site "Rancho Mirage, CA"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "5"] [White "John Luger"] [Black "GM Elshan Moradiabadi"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2026"] [BlackElo "2614"] [Annotator "JJ Lang"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B07"] [Opening "Modern Defense: Geller's System"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/FRzmURsX/HiQsAtLn"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 d6 4. c3 Nd7 5. Be3 b6 6. Nbd2 Bb7 7. Bc4 e6 8. O-O Ne7 9. Re1 h6 10. Qc2 O-O { Perhaps the GM forgot to eat dinner before the night game, as he appears to be hungry, hungry playing the Hippopotamus Defense! } 11. Nf1 { Despite the space advantage, White's position lacks clear targets or goals for expansion. } 11... a6 12. a4 c5 13. Bd3 Qc7 14. Qd2 Kh7 15. h4 e5 { As White's plan for kingside pressure becomes clearer, Black intends to clarify the center before choosing how to continue. } 16. Ng3 Nf6 17. Nh2 exd4! { Opening the center is an efficient way to blunt any g4-g5 or even f4 ideas. } 18. cxd4 Nc6 19. Rac1 (19. d5! Ne5 20. Be2 { with ideas of f2-f4 could still work here, due to the locked d-file, although already Black can pressure the e-pawn to ensure counterplay. }) 19... Qd8 20. d5 Na5 21. Qe2 Nd7 22. h5 Ne5 23. Bb1 Qh4 24. Ngf1 b5 25. hxg6+? { opening Black's f-file is toor ash. } (25. f4! Nec4 26. Nf3 Qf6 27. hxg6+ fxg6 { is preferable for reasons that will become clear in the annotation to White's next move. Promising continuations include } 28. e5 (28. Ng5+!? hxg5 29. e5!! dxe5 30. fxg5! { where White has a dangerous initiative and is even winning after } 30... Qd6? 31. Qh5+) 28... dxe5 29. fxe5 Nxe5 30. Nxe5 Qxe5 31. Qg4!) 25... fxg6 26. axb5 (26. f4 Rxf4! { is both necessary and good for Black, who is now no longer in doubt the rest of the game. }) 26... axb5 27. Qxb5 Rfb8 28. Qa4 Nac4 29. Qc2 Ba6 30. b3 Na3 31. Qd1 Nxb1 32. Rxb1 Bd3 33. f4?! Bxb1 34. fxe5 Bxe4 35. Bf2 Qf4 36. Qg4 Qxg4 37. Nxg4 Bf5 38. Nf6+ Bxf6 39. exf6 Re8 40. Rc1 Rf8 41. b4 Rxf6 42. bxc5 dxc5 43. Rxc5 Rc8 44. Ra5 Rc1 45. Ra7+ Kg8 46. Ra3 Rd1 47. Ra8+ Rf8 48. Rxf8+ Kxf8 49. Bc5+ Kf7 50. Kf2 Rxd5 { 0- } 0-1