[Event "U.S. Women's Chess Championship"] [Site "Saint Loui, US"] [Date "2024.10.14"] [Round "4.5"] [White "Krush, Irina"] [Black "Yip, Carissa"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2388"] [WhiteTeam "USA"] [BlackElo "2418"] [BlackTeam "USA"] [Annotator "IM Carissa Yip"] [WhiteClock "0:01:00"] [BlackClock "0:14:12"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A10"] [Opening "English Opening: Great Snake Variation"] [StudyName "Inside Story: U.S. Women's Champs, Yip's First Nine Games"] [ChapterName "Krush, Irina - Yip, Carissa"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/FoS9A5pp/qnI8HiPV"] [Orientation "white"] 1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. d4 c5 4. d5 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 e5 { A surprise weapon, as 5. ... f5 is more typical. But here, Black plays for positional compensation in the form of White's doubled pawns and a solid dark-squared central pawn structure. } 6. e4 d6 7. Bd3 Nd7 8. Ne2 Qe7 9. O-O h5 { Black has a very nice setup here. I have exchanged my dark-squared bishop, which is uncommon in a fianchetto setup, but by cementing the center I have no bad dark-squared bishop while White's light-squared bishop is less than ideal. White is simply unable to break through on the queenside (as we will soon see), and the c-pawns are a long term weakness. Black will plan to slowly expand on the kingside. } 10. a4 (10. f4 exf4 11. Bxf4 g5 12. Bg3 h4 { And the point of 9. ... h5 is clear, as White's bishop now needs to abandon the diagonal and Black has total control over the e5-square. }) 10... a5 11. Rb1 Kd8! { With the help of the king on the queenside, White has no hope of generating play. } 12. Be3 Kc7 13. Rb5 h4 14. Qd2 Ra6 15. Qb2 g5 16. Rb1 b6 { Everything is rock-solid. All of my pawns will soon be on dark squares, and in such a a closed position, my knights are superior to White's bishops. } 17. f3 f6 18. Nc1 Qg7 19. Nb3 Ne7 20. Be2 Kd8 { Now some shuffling ensues. Black wants to break with ... f7-f5 at some point, but must wait for the ideal moment. } 21. Bf2 Ng6 22. Nd2 Kc7 23. Nf1 Ne7 24. Ne3 Qh7 25. Kf1 { Allowing Black's next move: } 25... f5! 26. exf5 Nxf5 { Now Be2-d3 is impossible because of the king on f1. } 27. Ng4 (27. Bd3 Nxe3+ 28. Bxe3 Qxd3+) 27... h3 { Provoking some kingside weaknesses. } 28. g3 Rf8 (28... e4 { I spent a lot of time calculating this, but couldn't convince myself it was working. However, there is an abundance of fascinating lines! } 29. fxe4 Nh6 30. Nxh6 (30. Qc2 Nxg4 31. Bxg4 Ne5 $19 { This is clearly very good for Black, as with the queen of the b-file the knight and bishop can get into the game. White's bishop is not doing much on f2. }) 30... Qxe4 31. Nf7 Qh1+ { This was the main line I'd looked at, as I could not find anything convincing in 31. ... Rf8 (though that is also winning, as you'll see). } (31... Rf8 32. Bh5 Qh1+ 33. Ke2 (33. Bg1 { I also could not find anything very convincing here: } 33... Ne5 34. Rxb6 Qg2+ (34... Rxf7+!! { This was what I missed: } 35. Bxf7 Qf3+ { Now White is in trouble thanks to a nice fork on d3 that stops White's king from running. } 36. Bf2 (36. Qf2 Rxb6 37. Rxb6 Qd3+ 38. Qe2 Qf5+ 39. Qf2 $19 Kxb6 { White's pawns are too weak in the endgame. }) 36... Qg2+ 37. Ke2 Bg4+ 38. Ke1 Nd3+) 35. Qxg2 hxg2+ 36. Kxg2 Rxb6 37. Rxb6 Kxb6 38. Nxd6) 33... Qxh2 { I could not be convinced by this position. However, White has no good way to improve. Black has a slow plan of letting the h pawn run, which is surprisingly unstoppable. For Black, ... Qh2-g2 and ... h3-2 is the plan. If White tries to move any of the major pieces to the defense, the knight and bishop quickly get into the game. For instance: } 34. Qd2 Ne5 35. Qxg5 (35. Nxe5 Rxf2+) 35... Bd7 36. Qe7 Rxf7 37. Bxf7 Qg2 { Black will be queening or checkmating White on the light squares. }) 32. Bg1 Qg2+ 33. Ke1 Qxg1+ 34. Kd2 Qxh2 35. Nxh8 Ne5 { The only winning move! Though Black is down a rook, it is completely lost for White. With the bishop and knight coming into the attack, as well as the strong h-pawn, White surprisingly has much trouble defending. } 36. Qc1 { This move would be trying to keep the h-pawn under check by solidifying along the first rank. } (36. Qb3 { If White tries protecting the pawn, then } 36... Nf3+ 37. Ke3 Ng1!! { gives Black will the chance to queen without giving White the opportunity to sacrifice the rook for the pawn. } 38. Qb2 Qxg3+ 39. Kd2 h2) 36... Nxc4+ 37. Kd3 Ne5+ 38. Kd2 Bf5 { Black has time for a quiet move!! Now we're threatening ... Ne5-c4 with mate. } 39. Qf1 Nc4+ 40. Kc1 (40. Kd1 Ne3+) 40... Qxg3 41. Bxc4 (41. Qxf5 { Is forced mate } 41... Qxc3+ 42. Qc2 Qe3+ 43. Kd1 Qg1+ 44. Bf1 Qxf1#) 41... Qxc3+ 42. Kd1 h2 { Black is down a rook and a knight here, but completely winning. White's king is far too weak, and the h-pawn is destined to become a queen. A sample line: } 43. R5b2 Qd4+ 44. Rd2 Qxc4 45. Qxc4 h1=Q+ 46. Ke2 Qh2+ 47. Ke3 (47. Kd1 Qg1+ 48. Ke2 Bg4+ 49. Kd3 Qxb1+) 47... Qg3+ 48. Ke2 Ra8 { With the rook rerouting to come checkmate the White king. But all of this was just a tad too deep for me to figure out 20 moves in advance :) }) 29. Kg1 Ne7 (29... e4 { Again, this break works here! } 30. fxe4 Nxg3! 31. Bxg3 (31. hxg3 Qxe4 32. Ne3 (32. Bf1 Qxg4) 32... h2+ 33. Kxh2 Rh8+) 31... Qxe4 32. Bf1 (32. Bd1 Qh1+!! 33. Kxh1 Rf1#) 32... Qxg4 $19 { and Black is up a clean pawn. }) 30. Be3 Qg6 { Readying for ... e5-e4. } 31. Nf2 e4?! { A bit of a gamble. } (31... Nf5! { The only move which maintains equality. However, this is reliant on a tactic later in the variation: } 32. Bd3 (32. Bd2 Nh4!! 33. gxh4 gxh4+ 34. Ng4 e4) 32... Qg7 { Now White must exchange off the knight } 33. Qd2 (33. Bd2 Nh4!! 34. gxh4 gxh4+ 35. Ng4 (35. Kf1 Rxf3 $19) 35... Rxf3 $19) (33. Bxf5 Rxf5 34. Qe2 e4 35. Nxe4 (35. fxe4 Re5) 35... Ne5) 33... Nxe3 34. Qxe3 Nf6) 32. fxe4 { And the gamble pays off! } (32. Nxe4! g4 { The one trick, though it does not work. } 33. Bd3 Ne5 (33... Rxf3 34. Nxc5 { Wins the whole house }) 34. Rxb6 Nxd3 35. Qb5 { Unfortunately, Black has no tricks here, and the king is facing a ferocious attack. }) 32... Rxf2! { Now we're coming for White's king. } 33. Kxf2 (33. Bxf2 Qxe4 34. Bf1 Ne5 35. Rxb6 Nf3+ 36. Kh1 Nd2+ 37. Kg1 Qxb1 38. Qxb1 Nxb1 39. Rxb1 Bf5 $17 { Black has a slightly better endgame after this forced line. }) 33... Qxe4 34. Bxg5 (34. Bf3 { White would love to make this work, but unfortunately it walks into a pin that is unpleasant to get out of. } 34... Qf5 { Next, either ... Nd7-e5 or ... g5-g4 is coming. } 35. g4 (35. Ke2 Ne5 $19) 35... Qf6 $19 { Again, ... Nd7-e5 is devastating and impossible to stop. }) (34. Rg1 { The best, but a hard move to play. Black gets the queenside pieces into play and has very nice compensation for the Exchange. } 34... Nf6 35. Qb1 Qe5 36. Bf3 Bf5 { Though it's equal, Black is pressing, and White needs to find a few only moves to survive. }) 34... Qg2+ 35. Ke1 Qxh2 { Forcing things. The alternative was: } (35... Ng6 36. Bf1 Qh1 37. Qf2 Nge5 38. Kd1 { A mess, but equal! }) 36. Bxe7 Qxg3+ { Black wins the piece back by force. } 37. Kd2 Qf4+ 38. Kc2 Qe4+ 39. Kb3 Qxe7 40. Ka3 Qh4 { Time control has been reached, the dust has settled. Black has enough compensation with the h-pawn to ensure White cannot press. White has enough pressure on the b-file to ensure Black cannot develop any of the queenside pieces. But both players still have to be precise. } 41. Bd3 Qg3 42. Bf1 Qh4 43. Bd3 Ne5!? { Here, I decided I wanted to test White. It's still a draw, but it gets a lot more complicated to make that half point. } 44. Rxb6 (44. Be2?! { Surprisingly, White can take some time to save the bishop. The resulting forced line also leads to a draw } 44... h2 45. Rxb6 h1=Q 46. Rxa6 Bxa6 47. Qb8+ Kd7 48. Qa7+ Ke8 49. Rb8+ Qd8 50. Rxd8+ Kxd8 51. Qxa6 Qc1+ 52. Kb3 Qb1+ 53. Ka3 $10) 44... Nxd3 45. Qb5 (45. Rb7+ { Another testing try which ultimately leads to a draw. } 45... Kd8 46. Qb5 (46. Rg1?? Qh8 { The only move! Every other move is losing, but this one actually wins. Now everything is hanging. }) 46... Ne5 (46... Qh8 47. Kb3 h2 48. Qxa6 Bxb7 49. Qxd6+ Kc8 50. Rh1 Qe5 $14 { Very complicated, but this should still be a draw. }) 47. Qxa6 Nxc4+ { Black is down two Exchanges, but White's king is weak enough that Black will make a draw. } 48. Ka2 (48. Kb3 Bxb7 49. Qxc4 Qg5 50. Ka3 Bxd5 51. Qd3 Qg2 52. Rb8+ Kc7 53. Qb1 Qa2+ 54. Qxa2 Bxa2 55. Rh8 Be6) 48... Qe4 49. Qa8 Qc2+ 50. R1b2 (50. R7b2 Qxa4#) 50... Qxa4+ 51. Kb1 Qd1+ 52. Ka2 Qa4+) 45... Nb4 46. Rxa6? { Very natural, but the losing move (though the winning line, for Black, is far from easy!) } (46. Rf1 { This makes the draw. } 46... Qe7 47. Rb8 { Another "only move!" } (47. Rxa6 Bxa6 48. Qxa5+ Kb7 49. cxb4 Qe3+ { White will lose the rook. }) 47... h2 48. Kb3 (48. cxb4 axb4+ 49. Kb3 Qe3+ { when mate is coming. }) 48... Kd8 49. Ka3 Kc7 50. Kb3 Kd8 { A surprising draw, as every single piece by both sides is optimally placed, and there is nothing better than a king shuffle! }) 46... Bxa6 47. Qxa5+ Kd7 48. cxb4 Qg3+ $19 { Already White is lost, but Black still has to prove it... } 49. Kb2 (49. Rb3 { Was perhaps a better try: } 49... Qe1 50. Rxh3 { The most testing } (50. Ka2 Bxc4 51. Qa7+ Ke8 52. Qb8+ Kf7 53. Qc7+ Qe7 $19) (50. Kb2 Qe5+ 51. Rc3 cxb4 52. Qxb4 h2 $19) 50... Qc1+ 51. Ka2 Bxc4+ 52. Rb3 Qc2+ 53. Ka1 Qd1+! { Refusing the rook, but the only winning move! } 54. Rb1 Qd4+ 55. Rb2 Qg1+ 56. Rb1 Qg3 { White has no way to stop ... Qg3-a3 effectively, and though there are a few compelling checks, they soon run out. } 57. Qa7+ Ke8 { Black's queen and bishop cover all the important squares for the rook (e1, f1, g1). } 58. Qb8+ Kf7 59. Qc7+ Kg6 60. Kb2 Qb3+ 61. Kc1 Qe3+ 62. Kd1 (62. Kb2 Qd2+ 63. Ka1 Qa2#) 62... Be2+ 63. Kc2 Bd3+ 64. Kb2 Qd2+ 65. Ka1 Qc3+ 66. Ka2 (66. Rb2 Qa3+ 67. Ra2 Qc1#) 66... Bc4+ { With mate to come. }) 49... Qe5+ { Now, the bishop will come into the game by force because the c4 pawn is dropping with check. } 50. Kc2 Qe2+ 51. Kc3 Qxc4+ 52. Kb2 Qd4+ 53. Kc1 Qc3+ 54. Kd1 h2 { And the queening, followed by checkmate, is unstoppable. One of the most dynamically rich and interesting games I've ever played! } 0-1