[Event "U.S. Women's Chess Championship"] [Site "Saint Loui, US"] [Date "2024.10.19"] [Round "8.5"] [White "Pourkashiyan, Atousa"] [Black "Yip, Carissa"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2356"] [WhiteTeam "USA"] [BlackElo "2505"] [BlackTeam "USA"] [Annotator "IM Carissa Yip"] [WhiteClock "0:14:22"] [BlackClock "1:08:12"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B06"] [Opening "Modern Defense: Standard Line"] [StudyName "Inside Story: U.S. Women's Champs, Yip's First Nine Games"] [ChapterName "Pourkashiyan, Atousa - Yip, Carissa"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/FoS9A5pp/r6YPPRhw"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 g6 { I was hoping to catch Atousa by surprise with this, though her husband said on stream that he had predicted the Modern! } 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 a6 4. f4 d6 5. Nf3 Nd7 6. Bd3 c5 7. Be3 Ngf6 8. dxc5 Ng4 9. Bd4 Bxd4 { Black could play } (9... e5 10. fxe5 { Or } (10. Bg1 exf4 11. cxd6 Nde5 $13) 10... dxc5 11. Bg1 Ngxe5 { when Black is a bit better thanks to the outpost on e5 and a slightly superior pawn structure. }) 10. Nxd4 Nxc5 11. Qe2 O-O 12. h3 Nf6 13. O-O-O b5 { White has made very natural moves so far, but Black has already equalized. } 14. Nb3 { Black doesn't need to worry after } (14. e5 { as } 14... Nh5 15. Qe3 Bb7 { Black is a happy camper. }) 14... Na4 { It might have been more accurate to play } (14... b4 { , forcing White into an undesirable structure: After } 15. Nd5 Nxd5 16. exd5 Nxd3+ 17. Qxd3 a5 { the pawns are simply rolling too quickly. }) 15. Nb1 { Or } (15. Nd5 e6 16. Ne3 { or } (16. Nxf6+ Qxf6 { with the same idea }) 16... Nh5 17. Qf2 Qf6 { and, again, both the f- and b-pawns are coming under fire. }) 15... Qb6 16. g4 Bb7 17. h4 Nc5 18. Nxc5 { Black's attack also moves fast after } (18. N1d2 Nxd3+ 19. cxd3 a5 $17) 18... dxc5 19. e5? { Tactically, this doesn't work. } (19. c3 { was better. I had planned } 19... Qe6 { eyeing up a2, e4, and g4. The computer calls it even after } 20. f5 Qe5 (20... Qxa2!? 21. h5 g5!? { gets double-edged, but s odoes: }) 21. Nd2 Rad8 { I was looking forward to this position: Black has a good grip on the dark squares, and all of White's pieces must focus on defending the e-pawn. }) 19... c4 { The engine says I can take the rook right away, but this is a good in-between move, wiping one of White's attackers off the board. } 20. exf6 cxd3 21. Qxd3 Bxh1 22. fxe7 Rfe8 23. Rxh1 Rxe7 24. Nc3 Rae8 { I'd also considered } (24... Qf2 { , trying to force things. Play could go } 25. Rd1 Qxf4+ (25... Re1 26. Nd5) 26. Kb1 Qxg4 27. Nd5 Re6 28. Nc7 { but I'd missed the very nice resource } 28... Re3 { Black gets to keep the Exchange, along with all the pawns! }) 25. Rd1 Re1 26. Nd5 Qe6 27. g5 Rxd1+ 28. Qxd1 Kf8! { The only move to keep the advantage. Now the threat is ... Qe6-e1. } 29. c4 bxc4 30. Nf6 Qe3+ 31. Kc2 Qf2+ 32. Kc3 { Attempting to keep things complicated, but White cannot avoid going into the endgame. } 32... Re3+ 33. Kxc4 Qxf4+ 34. Qd4 Qxd4+ 35. Kxd4 Re2 36. Kc3 Kg7 37. a4 h5 38. b4 Rh2 39. Ne8+ { It might seem a bit scary, but Black has time to take on h4 and swing the rook back around to handle the b-pawn: } (39. b5 Rxh4 40. bxa6 { or } (40. b6 a5 41. Nd5 (41. b7 Rb4) 41... Re4 42. b7 Re8) 40... Rxa4) 39... Kf8 40. Nc7 Rh3+ 41. Kd2 Rxh4 42. Nxa6 Rg4 43. a5 (43. b5 Rxa4) 43... h4 44. b5 h3 45. b6 h2 46. b7 Rd4+ 47. Kc3 Rd8 { And now the promotion is inevitable. } 48. Nc5 h1=Q 49. a6 Qc6 50. Kc4 Qb6 { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1