[Event "U.S. Chess Championship - Open"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2024.10.11"] [Round "01"] [White "Niemann, Hans Moke"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2733"] [BlackElo "2796"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C50"] [Opening "Italian Game: Giuoco Piano"] [StudyName "2024 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women's Championship"] [ChapterName "Niemann, Hans Moke - Caruana, Fabiano"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/K5XjRsoK/8whER1Fw"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 1:30:49] } 1... e5 { [%clk 1:30:56] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 1:30:55] } 2... Nc6 { [%clk 1:29:12] } 3. Bc4 { [%clk 1:31:04] } 3... Bc5 { [%clk 1:29:31] } 4. O-O { [%clk 1:30:22] } 4... d6!? { Black delays the development of the knight, taking us from almost 5,000 games in the database to just over 400. } { [%clk 1:29:47] } 5. c3 { [%clk 1:30:17] } 5... Bb6!? { [%clk 1:30:08] } (5... Nf6 { is usually seen first. Black's a-pawn often moves shortly, so keeping options of ... Bc5-a7 open is practical. }) 6. d3 { [%clk 1:27:14] } 6... h6!? { Black's plan is clearly to play ... Qd8-f6 and ... Ng8-e7 now, perhaps with some ... g7-g5 ideas to punish White's early castling. } { [%clk 1:30:21] } 7. Re1 { [%clk 1:23:11] } 7... Qf6 { [%clk 1:21:56] } 8. b4 $146 { Only three games had reached the position before this move, but based on the time usage, neither player is fully in prep anymore. This is a nice idea for White, carving out space on the queenside to anticipate Black's kingside pushes. } { [%clk 1:16:22] } 8... Nge7 { [%clk 1:07:41] } 9. a4 { [%clk 1:16:25] } 9... a5 { [%clk 1:06:10] } (9... g5?! 10. a5 Bxf2+ 11. Kxf2 g4 { is premature. } 12. Nd2 $16) 10. b5 { [%clk 1:15:18] } 10... Nd8 { [%clk 1:06:35] } 11. Be3 { [%clk 1:15:02] } 11... Ne6 { [%clk 0:53:51] } 12. Nbd2 { [%clk 1:11:17] } 12... Nf4 { [%clk 0:47:40] } (12... g5 13. Bxb6 cxb6 14. Re3 { leaves Black with problems on the queenside and White's rook is helpful here. } 14... Nf4 15. d4 $14 { And, of course, White can still respond to the flank attack by playing to open the center. }) 13. d4 { [%clk 0:58:28] } 13... Bg4 { [%clk 0:30:32] } 14. h3 { [%clk 0:56:27] } 14... Bh5 { [%clk 0:30:14] } 15. Bf1 { [%clk 0:56:33] } 15... O-O?! { Played quickly, but the kingside looks cramped here. The engine prefers } { [%clk 0:28:46] } (15... O-O-O! { with plans to play more loosely on the kingside. This looks fun, but of course, is even more of a "three results" position. } 16. Rc1?! g5 $36 { explains why White has to play for a quick g2-g4 and d4-d5 to shut down the position, making Black's king safer. }) 16. Rc1 { [%clk 0:52:03] } 16... Ne6?! { Black's queen is seriously short on squares! } { [%clk 0:16:13] } (16... g5 { Even with the king on the kingside, this is still the most prudent move. It is more prophylaxis against g2-g4-g5 and h3-h4 than it is an attack. } 17. g3 Ne6 18. Bg2 Rad8 19. Qb3 Kh8 $14 { Black's damaged kingside is not pretty, but the position remains complex and tightly wound. }) 17. g4! { [%clk 0:43:37] } 17... Bg6 { [%clk 0:16:36] } 18. Nxe5?! { [%clk 0:43:40] } (18. h4! { This puts Black in a seriously challenging position. Right now, g4-g5 traps the queen! Most of Black's responses require concessions in the center or kingside, as well. } 18... exd4 (18... Nc8 19. g5 $16) (18... Nf4 19. g5 Qe6 20. Bxf4 exf4 21. Kh2 $16) 19. cxd4 Nc8 { This gives Black some escape squares for the queen, but White has a serious advantage after } (19... Bh7!? { might be the most stubborn defense, parting with the queen after } 20. g5 Qg6 21. Ne5! { Not an easy move to see! } 21... dxe5 22. h5 Qxg5+ 23. Bxg5 Nxg5 24. Nf3 $16 { Black only has two minor pieces and one pawn for the queen, but the center is rather open and Black still has both bishops. }) 20. g5 { , for instance: } 20... Qd8 21. gxh6 gxh6 22. Bxh6 Re8 23. d5 Nc5 24. e5 $16) 18... dxe5 { [%clk 0:14:54] } 19. dxe5 { [%clk 0:43:55] } 19... Qxe5 { [%clk 0:15:10] } 20. Nf3 { [%clk 0:44:11] } 20... Qxe4 { [%clk 0:14:51] } 21. Bxb6 { [%clk 0:44:36] } 21... Rad8! { This key intermezzo allows Black to liquidate. } { [%clk 0:09:58] } 22. Nd4 { [%clk 0:36:52] } 22... Qf4 { [%clk 0:10:24] } 23. Bxa5 { [%clk 0:36:44] } 23... b6 { [%clk 0:09:09] } 24. Bb4 { [%clk 0:36:31] } 24... Nxd4 { [%clk 0:09:35] } 25. cxd4 { [%clk 0:36:56] } 25... Rxd4 { [%clk 0:10:03] } 26. Qe2 { [%clk 0:36:30] } 26... Rxb4 { [%clk 0:01:20] } 27. Qxe7 { [%clk 0:36:54] } 27... Rxa4 { [%clk 0:01:32] } 28. Qxc7 { [%clk 0:36:00] } 28... h5 { [%clk 0:01:48] } 29. Qxf4 { [%clk 0:30:09] } 29... Rxf4 { [%clk 0:02:15] } 30. gxh5 { [%clk 0:30:31] } 30... Bxh5 { [%clk 0:02:42] } 31. Rc6 { Black's b6-pawn is weak, but we need more than one weakness to win such an endgame. Caruana never wavers. } { [%clk 0:30:54] } 31... Rb8 { [%clk 0:02:59] } 32. Re7 { [%clk 0:26:00] } 32... Kf8 { [%clk 0:02:15] } 33. Ra7 { [%clk 0:23:54] } 33... Re4 { [%clk 0:01:05] } 34. Kg2 { [%clk 0:22:09] } 34... Re7 { [%clk 0:00:41] } 35. Ra6 { [%clk 0:20:00] } 35... Reb7 { [%clk 0:01:10] } 36. Kg3 { [%clk 0:19:00] } 36... f6 { [%clk 0:01:12] } 37. Bg2 { [%clk 0:17:50] } 37... Be8 { [%clk 0:01:02] } 38. Re6 { [%clk 0:17:47] } 38... Bd7 { [%clk 0:00:50] } 39. Bxb7 { [%clk 0:16:46] } 39... Bxe6 { [%clk 0:01:18] } 40. Bc6 { With a set of rooks removed, it will be that much harder for White to keep pressure on the b6-pawn while creating an attack on the g-pawn. } { [%clk 0:17:07] } 40... Kf7 { [%clk 0:00:55] } 41. Ra7+ { [%clk 0:17:08] } 41... Kg6 { [%clk 0:01:11] } 42. Re7 { [%clk 0:16:34] } 42... Bc4 { [%clk 0:29:54] } 43. h4 { [%clk 0:42:27] } 43... Kh6 { [%clk 0:29:19] } 44. f3 { [%clk 0:42:07] } 44... Bd3 { [%clk 0:17:37] } 45. Rd7 { [%clk 0:41:48] } 45... Bf5 { [%clk 0:16:49] } 46. Rd6 { [%clk 0:41:40] } 46... Bc2 { [%clk 0:14:49] } 47. Bd5 { [%clk 0:40:56] } 47... Bd3 { [%clk 0:14:23] } 48. Bf7 { [%clk 0:40:54] } 48... Bf1 { [%clk 0:12:18] } 49. Kf2 { [%clk 0:38:15] } 49... Rf8 { [%clk 0:10:58] } 50. Kxf1 { [%clk 0:37:53] } 50... Rxf7 { [%clk 0:11:25] } 51. Kf2 { The rook endgame is an ever more clear draw. } { [%clk 0:35:09] } 51... Kh5 { [%clk 0:11:29] } 52. Kg3 { [%clk 0:35:10] } 52... Rb7 { [%clk 0:10:18] } 53. Rd5+ { [%clk 0:34:51] } 53... Kh6 { [%clk 0:08:10] } 54. Kg4 { [%clk 0:33:32] } 54... Rc7 { [%clk 0:07:54] } 55. Rd6 { [%clk 0:33:52] } 55... Rc4+ { [%clk 0:08:11] } 56. f4 { [%clk 0:33:21] } 56... Rb4 { [%clk 0:08:36] } 57. Rxb6 { [%clk 0:33:46] } 57... g6 { [%clk 0:08:58] } 58. Rxf6 { [%clk 0:26:40] } 58... Rxb5 $10 { Finally, a position the tablebase can assure is, in fact, drawn! Niemann and Caruana demonstrate why: } { [%clk 0:09:19] } 59. Re6 { [%clk 0:27:03] } 59... Ra5 { [%clk 0:09:24] } 60. Re5 { [%clk 0:27:21] } 60... Ra1 { [%clk 0:09:47] } 61. f5 { [%clk 0:27:42] } 61... gxf5+ { [%clk 0:10:09] } 62. Rxf5 { [%clk 0:27:59] } 62... Ra4+ { [%clk 0:10:37] } 63. Rf4 { [%clk 0:28:24] } 63... Rxf4+ { [%clk 0:11:04] } 64. Kxf4 { [%clk 0:28:50] } 64... Kh5 { [%clk 0:11:32] } 65. Kg3 { [%clk 0:29:16] } 65... Kh6 { [%clk 0:11:59] } 66. Kg4 { [%clk 0:29:43] } 66... Kh7 { [%clk 0:12:26] } 67. Kg5 { [%clk 0:30:08] } 67... Kh8 { [%clk 0:12:53] } 68. Kg6 { [%clk 0:30:35] } 68... Kg8 { [%clk 0:13:19] } 69. h5 { [%clk 0:31:00] } 69... Kh8 { [%clk 0:13:47] } 70. h6 { [%clk 0:31:27] } 70... Kg8 { [%clk 0:14:15] } 71. h7+ { [%clk 0:31:54] } 71... Kh8 { [%clk 0:14:42] } 72. Kh6 { Stalemate. } { [%clk 0:31:48] } 1/2-1/2