[Event "U.S. Chess Championships 2024"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2024.10.12"] [Round "2"] [White "Sevian, Samuel"] [Black "Robson, Ray"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2689"] [BlackElo "2693"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Annotator "IM Robert Shlyakhtenko"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D01"] [Opening "Rapport-Jobava System"] [StudyName "2024 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women's Championship"] [ChapterName "Sevian, Samuel - Robson, Ray"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/K5XjRsoK/V0tCNrFe"] [Orientation "white"] { Annotations by IM Robert Shlyakhtenko } 1. d4 { [%clk 1:29:52] } 1... Nf6 { [%clk 1:29:46] } 2. Nc3 { [%clk 1:29:37] } 2... d5 { [%clk 1:29:12] } 3. Bf4 { [%clk 1:29:22] } 3... g6 { [%clk 1:24:50] } 4. e3 { [%clk 1:28:52] } 4... Bg7 { [%clk 1:19:16] } 5. h4 { [%clk 1:27:21] } 5... h5 { [%clk 1:15:18] } 6. Nf3 { [%clk 1:26:11] } 6... O-O { [%clk 1:08:12] } 7. Ne5 { [%clk 1:25:07] } 7... c5 { [%clk 1:02:29] } 8. Qd2 { [%clk 1:24:39] } 8... cxd4 { [%clk 0:50:45] } 9. exd4 { [%clk 1:24:09] } 9... Nc6 { [%clk 0:49:47] } 10. f3 { [%clk 1:23:37] } 10... Bf5 { [%clk 0:48:15] } 11. Bb5 { [%clk 1:22:59] } 11... Na5? { A move away from the center. Sevian immediately punishes this. } { [%clk 0:30:52] } (11... Rc8 12. Bxc6 (12. Nxc6?! { White should not accept the exchange sacrifice. } 12... bxc6 13. Ba6 Ra8 (13... Rb8!? 14. Bxb8 Qxb8 15. O-O-O e5 { is also tempting. }) 14. Bb7 Rb8! 15. Bxc6 (15. Bxb8 Qxb8 16. Bxc6 Rc8 17. Bb5 Rxc3 18. Qxc3 Qxb5 $17) 15... Rxb2 $17) 12... bxc6 13. Na4 { is still not easy for Black to handle. }) (11... Nxe5 { is the clearest path to equality, intending } 12. dxe5 Nd7 13. O-O-O (13. Qxd5 Qb6! { is risky only for White, since after } 14. Bxd7 { Black can play } 14... Qxb2!) 13... Nxe5 14. Rhe1 Nc6 15. Bh6 e5! 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 { and Black is fine. }) 12. g4! { The security of White's center gives him the right to launch a kingside attack. } { [%clk 1:19:50] } 12... Be6 { [%clk 0:29:13] } (12... hxg4 { is met by } 13. h5! gxf3 14. hxg6 fxg6 15. O-O-O { with a strong attack. }) 13. O-O-O { [%clk 1:01:44] } 13... Rc8 { [%clk 0:28:07] } 14. Kb1 { [%clk 0:42:58] } 14... Qb6 { [%clk 0:26:33] } 15. Be2 { [%clk 0:42:00] } 15... Nc4 { Giving away the center. } { [%clk 0:17:32] } (15... Rxc3 { Perhaps Black should try to confuse matters with this exchange sacrifice, but objectively it is refuted by } 16. Qxc3 hxg4 17. fxg4 Ne4 18. Qe1 Nc6 19. Nxc6 bxc6 20. Rh3! Bxd4 21. Rb3 Qc5 22. Bf3) 16. Bxc4 { [%clk 0:41:21] } 16... dxc4 { Black's play has not accomplished much. White's king is perfectly safe; the same cannot be said for its counterpart. } { [%clk 0:17:24] } 17. Bh6 { [%clk 0:39:11] } 17... Rfd8 { [%clk 0:15:19] } 18. Bxg7 { [%clk 0:37:48] } 18... Kxg7 { [%clk 0:15:15] } 19. gxh5 { [%clk 0:35:04] } 19... Nxh5 { [%clk 0:14:51] } 20. Rhg1 { [%clk 0:34:43] } 20... Rh8 { [%clk 0:09:05] } 21. Rg5 { Methodical play. White wants to play d4-d5 without allowing ... Be6-f5 in response. } { [%clk 0:19:49] } 21... Nf6 { [%clk 0:06:34] } 22. d5 { [%clk 0:17:50] } 22... Rcd8 { [%clk 0:-2:-52] } (22... Bf5 { is met decisively by } 23. Rxf5! gxf5 24. Qg5+ Kf8 25. d6 Rd8 26. Rg1 Rh7 27. Nxc4) 23. Nxc4 { [%clk 0:09:42] } 23... Qc7 { [%clk 0:-3:-17] } 24. Qd4 { [%clk 0:04:23] } 24... Qh2 { [%clk 0:-4:-6] } 25. Ne3 { [%clk 0:03:08] } 25... Rxh4 { [%clk 0:-8:-18] } 26. Qxa7 { [%clk 0:02:55] } 26... Bc8 { White has won a pawn, but Black has some hopes of counterplay. Sevian's next move dispels these illusions. } { [%clk 0:-8:-41] } 27. Rgg1! { White is able to defend all his weaknesses. } { [%clk 0:00:06] } 27... Rf4? { [%clk 0:-13:-7] } (27... Rh3 28. Rgf1 Qf4 { puts up more resistance. }) 28. Rh1 { [%clk 0:00:-12] } 28... Qg3 { [%clk 0:-13:-7] } 29. Ne2 { [%clk 0:00:-24] } 29... Qxf3 { [%clk 0:-13:-7] } 30. Nxf4 { [%clk 0:00:-54] } 30... Qxf4 { [%clk 0:-13:-31] } 31. Qa5 { [%clk 0:-3:-11] } 31... Re8 { [%clk 0:-14:-54] } 32. Qc3 { The rest is easy. } { [%clk 0:-3:-41] } 32... Bd7 { [%clk 0:-15:-20] } 33. Rd4 { [%clk 0:-4:-11] } 33... Qe5 { [%clk 0:-16:-15] } 34. Nc4 { [%clk 0:-4:-29] } 34... Qg5 { [%clk 0:-16:-46] } 35. Rdh4 { [%clk 0:-5:00] } 35... Rg8 { [%clk 0:-17:-10] } 36. d6 { [%clk 0:-6:-57] } 36... exd6 { [%clk 0:-17:-59] } 37. Nxd6 { [%clk 0:-7:-11] } 37... Kf8 { [%clk 0:-18:-29] } 38. Nxb7 { [%clk 0:-12:-38] } 38... Be6 { [%clk 0:-18:-58] } 39. Qd4 { [%clk 0:-13:-8] } 39... Nh5 { [%clk 0:-19:-28] } 40. Nc5 { [%clk 0:-13:-44] } 40... Bf5 { [%clk 0:-19:-28] } 41. a4 { [%clk 0:-15:-53] } 41... Ng3 { [%clk 0:-19:-28] } 42. Qd6+ { [%clk 0:-15:-53] } 42... Qe7 { [%clk 0:-19:-28] } 43. Qb8+ { [%clk 0:-15:-53] } 43... Kg7 { [%clk 0:-19:-28] } 44. Rh7+ { [%clk 0:-15:-53] } 44... Kf6 { [%clk 0:-19:-28] } 45. Qxg8 { [%clk 0:-15:-53] } 45... Qxc5 { [%clk 0:-19:-28] } 46. Rxf7+ { [%clk 0:-15:-53] } 46... Kg5 { [%clk 0:-19:-28] } 47. Rxf5+ { [%clk 0:-15:-53] } 47... Nxf5 { [%clk 0:-19:-28] } 48. a5 { [%clk 0:-15:-53] } 48... Nd4 { [%clk 0:-19:-28] } 49. Rg1+ { [%clk 0:-15:-53] } 49... Kf4 { [%clk 0:-19:-28] } 50. Qxg6 { [%clk 0:-15:-53] } 50... Nf3 { [%clk 0:-19:-28] } 51. Qg4+ { [%clk 0:-15:-53] } 51... Ke3 { [%clk 0:-19:-28] } 52. Rg3 { [%clk 0:-15:-53] } 52... Kd2 { [%clk 0:-19:-28] } 53. Qf4+ { [%clk 0:-15:-53] } 53... Ke1 { [%clk 0:-19:-28] } 54. Rxf3 { 1-0 White wins. } { [%clk 0:-15:-53] } 1-0