[Event "XV Campeonato Continental Femenino de Ajedrez de las Americas"] [Site "Distrito Nacional Albergue Olimpico, Dominican Republic"] [Date "2024.11.26"] [Round "5.1"] [White "Tang, Zoey"] [Black "Cervantes Landeiro, Thalia"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2306"] [WhiteTitle "FM"] [WhiteFideId "30952530"] [BlackElo "2307"] [BlackTitle "WGM"] [BlackFideId "3520498"] [TimeControl "90 Minutos + 30 Segundos de Incrementos desde el primer movimiento"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/broadcast/-/-/eHu41s4r"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D32"] [Opening "Tarrasch Defense: Two Knights Variation"] [StudyName "15th Women's Continental Championship"] [ChapterName "Tang, Zoey - Cervantes Landeiro, Thalia"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/GU9SYWDv/d5701lpF"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%clk 1:26:51] } 1... d5 { [%clk 1:30:19] } 2. c4 { [%clk 1:27:16] } 2... e6 { [%clk 1:30:36] } 3. Nc3 { [%clk 1:27:33] } 3... c5 { The Tarrasch Defense has come back into prominence recently as a very solid way to attempt equalizing as Black against the Queen's Gambit. } { [%clk 1:30:51] } 4. cxd5 { [%clk 1:27:47] } 4... exd5 { [%clk 1:31:13] } 5. Nf3 { [%clk 1:23:55] } 5... Nf6 { [%clk 1:31:32] } 6. Bg5 { This is just as popular as 6. g3, and both moves aim to play at the d5-pawn. } { [%clk 1:21:50] } 6... Be6 { [%clk 1:31:19] } 7. e3 { [%clk 1:20:55] } 7... c4 { The main move, playing for a four-versus-three pawn advantage on the queenside. } { [%clk 1:29:27] } 8. Be2 { [%clk 1:20:38] } 8... Bb4 { [%clk 1:26:42] } 9. O-O { [%clk 1:19:49] } 9... O-O { [%clk 1:24:58] } 10. Ne5 { [%clk 1:12:25] } 10... Nc6 { Both players are now taking time on their moves. Apparently, this is less accurate than the more popular } { [%clk 1:16:57] } (10... Nbd7 { , with the point of defending the pinned f6-knight an additional time after } 11. f4 Bxc3 12. bxc3 Bf5 13. Bg4 (13. Bf3 Qe8 $15) 13... Bxg4 14. Nxg4 h6 $10) 11. f4 { [%clk 1:09:46] } 11... Bxc3 { [%clk 1:02:10] } 12. bxc3 { [%clk 1:09:56] } 12... Ne7!? $146 { The first new move of the game, and a massively complicating one. The previous try was } { [%clk 0:56:46] } (12... Bf5?! { when } 13. Bg4 $146 { improves on } (13. g4? { Galaktionov, Artem - Batsiashvili, Nino, 0-1, EU-ch Online 2300+ Final, 2020, lichess.org/S9fy0Ag8 because }) 13... Nxe5 14. fxe5 Bxg4 15. Qe1 $16 { wins back the piece by piling on the kingside pressure! }) 13. Bf3 { [%clk 1:04:03] } (13. f5 { was even stronger: } 13... Bxf5 (13... Nxf5?! 14. Ng4) 14. Qe1 Rc8 15. Bxf6 gxf6 16. Ng4 $16 { with kingside initiative and ideas of e4-e5. }) 13... Nf5 { [%clk 0:50:59] } 14. Qe1 { Black has blockaded the f-pawn, but White's queen is ready to get in behind the g-pawn after g2-g4. } { [%clk 1:01:57] } 14... h6 { Forcing the trade is the only hope for Black. } { [%clk 0:43:32] } 15. Bxf6 { [%clk 0:58:37] } 15... gxf6 { [%clk 0:39:20] } (15... Qxf6? 16. g4 Ne7 17. f5 Bc8 18. e4 $16 { with a serious initiative. }) 16. Ng4 { [%clk 0:58:56] } 16... h5 { [%clk 0:37:46] } 17. Nf2 { The knight retreats, but Black's damaged kingside is a more lingering weakness. } { [%clk 0:59:00] } 17... Ng7 { [%clk 0:37:38] } 18. e4 { The center still opens up. } { [%clk 0:57:59] } 18... Re8 { [%clk 0:34:15] } 19. Qd2?! { [%clk 0:54:37] } (19. e5! b5 20. Nd1 b4 21. Ne3 $16 { [%cal Ge1g3] }) 19... f5? { [%clk 0:32:51] } (19... dxe4 { was necessary, as even though } 20. Nxe4 Rc8 { allows a centralized knight, after } 21. Rae1 Bf5 22. Ng3 $14 { White's knight must step back and there's no knockout blow. }) 20. e5!! { Black's light-squared bishop is locked out now. } { [%clk 0:53:51] } 20... Qa5 { [%clk 0:30:46] } 21. a3 { [%clk 0:48:15] } 21... b5 { [%clk 0:28:48] } 22. Nh3 { [%clk 0:48:36] } 22... Qb6 { [%clk 0:24:32] } 23. Ng5 { [%clk 0:48:57] } 23... a5 { [%clk 0:24:36] } 24. Rab1 { White is playing the full board, using the fixed center to shore up and reinforce each flank on her own timeline. } { [%clk 0:48:00] } 24... Rab8 { [%clk 0:20:30] } 25. Qf2 { [%clk 0:46:12] } 25... b4 { [%clk 0:14:30] } 26. Qh4 { White now breaks through on the kingside. } { [%clk 0:40:04] } 26... b3 { [%clk 0:10:44] } 27. Bxh5 { [%clk 0:39:57] } 27... Nxh5 { [%clk 0:09:54] } 28. Qxh5 { [%clk 0:40:22] } 28... Kf8 { [%clk 0:10:08] } 29. Qh4 { White covers ... Kf8-e7 to keep Black's king caged in. } { [%clk 0:39:57] } 29... Ke7 { There might not be anything better, but White wins the f7-pawn by force now: } { [%clk 0:08:29] } 30. Nxe6+ { [%clk 0:32:25] } 30... Kxe6 { [%clk 0:08:51] } 31. Qf6+ { [%clk 0:32:53] } 31... Kd7 { [%clk 0:09:14] } 32. Qxf7+ { [%clk 0:33:20] } 32... Kc6 { [%clk 0:09:26] } 33. a4 { There will be no escape to the a-file! } { [%clk 0:33:43] } 33... Qd8 { [%clk 0:06:12] } 34. Qxf5 { White is up three pawns, and with no minor pieces it's hard to imagine Black launching a kingside attack or creating another queenside passer. } { [%clk 0:31:51] } 34... Rb6 { [%clk 0:05:02] } 35. Rf3 { [%clk 0:28:55] } 35... Kb7 { [%clk 0:04:44] } 36. Rg3 { [%clk 0:27:56] } 36... Re7 { [%clk 0:03:37] } 37. Qg5 { [%clk 0:19:06] } 37... Qe8 { [%clk 0:02:44] } 38. f5 { [%clk 0:18:02] } 38... Rc7 { [%clk 0:02:25] } 39. Qg8 { [%clk 0:17:32] } 39... Qxa4 { [%clk 0:01:43] } 40. Qxd5+ { [%clk 0:17:53] } 40... Ka7 { [%clk 0:00:53] } 41. Rg8 { [%clk 0:18:05] } 41... Rcb7 { [%clk 0:00:57] } 42. Qd8 { [%clk 0:14:08] } 42... Rb8 { [%clk 0:01:20] } 43. Rg7+ { [%clk 0:12:19] } 43... Ka6 { [%clk 0:01:28] } 44. Qc7 { [%clk 0:10:38] } 44... R8b7 { [%clk 0:01:26] } 45. Qc8! { The necessary finesse to hold onto her g7-rook. } { [%clk 0:11:01] } 45... Ka7 { [%clk 0:01:51] } 46. Rxb7+ { [%clk 0:08:03] } 46... Rxb7 { [%clk 0:02:19] } 47. Qc5+ { [%clk 0:08:26] } 47... Rb6 { [%clk 0:00:44] } 48. e6 { [%clk 0:04:20] } 48... Qa2 { [%clk 0:00:41] } 49. Re1 { White's pawns are faster, especially with Black's rook pinned. Tang has worked this all out. } { [%clk 0:04:41] } 49... b2 { [%clk 0:00:33] } 50. e7 { [%clk 0:04:22] } 50... Qa4 { [%clk 0:00:33] } (50... b1=Q 51. e8=Q { is still winning, as Black has nothing better than } 51... Qxe1+ 52. Qxe1 $18 { when Qe1-e7+ still leads the mating charge. }) 51. Qc7+ { [%clk 0:02:42] } 51... Rb7 { [%clk 0:00:47] } 52. e8=Q { [%clk 0:02:35] } 52... Qa1 { Note that } { [%clk 0:00:31] } (52... Qxe8 { gets mated by } 53. Qxa5+ Kb8 54. Rxe8#) 53. Qeb8+ { 1-0 White wins. } { [%clk 0:03:26] } 1-0