[Event "U.S. Chess Championships 2024"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2024.10.19"] [Round "08"] [White "Pourkashiyan, Atousa"] [Black "Yip, Carissa"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2269"] [BlackElo "2418"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B06"] [Opening "Modern Defense: Standard Line"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/K5XjRsoK/s8TTodCs"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 1:30:56] } 1... g6 { [%clk 1:30:40] } 2. d4 { [%clk 1:31:15] } 2... Bg7 { [%clk 1:31:07] } 3. Nc3 { [%clk 1:31:33] } 3... a6!? { This move is part of most Pirc/Modern set-ups, but playing it this early is far less popular than either 3. ... d6 or 3. ... c6. } { [%clk 1:31:33] } 4. f4 { The most testing move, but also one Black is happy to see. One does not play like this with the black pieces unless she is playing for a win, so double-edged and combative moves are a welcome sight. } { [%clk 1:30:59] } 4... d6 { [%clk 1:31:40] } 5. Nf3 { [%clk 1:31:02] } 5... Nd7 { [%clk 1:31:55] } (5... b5 { might be more accurate, dissuading 6. Bc4. }) 6. Bd3!? { [%clk 1:30:17] } (6. Bc4 { Why not? The pressure on the f7-square is real, and Black's best options are probably 6. ... e6 or 6. ... Nh6, which are both suboptimal from a principled standpoint. } 6... e6 (6... Nh6 { might be more prudent. } 7. f5 { is still critical, but at least } 7... gxf5 8. O-O b5 9. Bd5 Rb8 10. exf5 Nf6 { offers Black a bit more of a dynamic fight. }) 7. f5!? { is the most popular move, and a dangerous one. This game from the 2017 Women's World Championship knock-out is a nice example of why: } 7... Nb6 8. Bb3 exf5 9. O-O Ne7 10. Bg5 O-O 11. Qe1 h6?? 12. Qh4! Re8 13. Bxh6 d5 14. e5 Nd7 15. Ng5 Bxh6 16. Qxh6 Nf8 17. Rf4 { Harika, D. - Tan Zhongyi, 1-0, WCh Women 2017, https://lichess.org/em4hw735 } { Black resigned, as it's already forced mate! }) 6... c5 { [%clk 1:32:21] } 7. Be3 { [%clk 1:27:12] } 7... Ngf6 { [%clk 1:32:31] } 8. dxc5 { Critical, as is often the case in these set-ups. } { [%clk 1:14:31] } 8... Ng4 { [%clk 1:32:47] } 9. Bd4 { [%clk 1:07:46] } 9... Bxd4 { [%clk 1:33:06] } (9... e5 { was also playable, but maybe unnecessarily sharp. }) 10. Nxd4 { [%clk 1:08:13] } 10... Nxc5 { [%clk 1:33:31] } 11. Qe2 { [%clk 0:59:14] } 11... O-O { [%clk 1:33:54] } 12. h3 { [%clk 0:55:07] } 12... Nf6 { [%clk 1:34:01] } 13. O-O-O { [%clk 0:53:43] } 13... b5 { The engine says Black has equalized, but clearly White is the one that is fighting to stay in the game. It's hard to find a clear attacking plan, in contrast with Black's impending queenside expansion and pressure on the e4-pawn. } { [%clk 1:30:44] } 14. Nb3!? { [%clk 0:38:05] } (14. e5 { White had to act! } 14... Nh5 15. Qe3 Bb7 16. Rhe1! Qc7 17. e6 b4 $13 { was the best chance for White to keep things messy. }) 14... Na4 { [%clk 1:22:12] } (14... b4 15. Nd5 Nxd5 16. exd5 Nxd3+ 17. Rxd3 a5! { gives Black the better game, with ... Bc8-a6 and ... a5-a4 both being urgent ideas. }) 15. Nb1 { [%clk 0:28:59] } (15. e5! Nxc3 16. bxc3 Nd5 17. Bxg6 hxg6 (17... Nxc3?? 18. Bxh7+ Kxh7 19. Qh5+ Kg8 20. Qg5+ Kh7 21. Rd3 $18) 18. Rxd5 Be6 { gives Black some play for the pawn. }) 15... Qb6 { [%clk 1:17:47] } 16. g4 { [%clk 0:27:49] } 16... Bb7 { [%clk 1:09:04] } 17. h4 { [%clk 0:26:49] } 17... Nc5 { [%clk 0:58:50] } 18. Nxc5 { [%clk 0:20:14] } 18... dxc5 { Black's queenside pawn storm is even more urgent now that the bishop is threatened to be trapped on the d3-square. White errs in response. } { [%clk 0:59:17] } 19. e5?? { Already low on the clock, Pourkashiyan makes the practical decision that it's "now or never" for a dynamic strike. } { [%clk 0:14:58] } (19. c3! { The c2-square is free for the bishop, and even though this creates a hook, maybe the ... b5-b4 break is not such a big deal after all! } 19... Rad8 20. Bc2 Rxd1+ 21. Rxd1 Qe6 22. f5 Qe5 23. g5 Nh5 $15 { White's attack is closer to stalling out but it's still very much a three-result game. }) 19... c4 { [%clk 0:59:13] } 20. exf6 { [%clk 0:14:33] } 20... cxd3 { [%clk 0:59:36] } 21. Qxd3 { [%clk 0:14:07] } 21... Bxh1 { [%clk 0:55:53] } 22. fxe7 { [%clk 0:13:28] } 22... Rfe8 { [%clk 0:56:19] } 23. Rxh1 { [%clk 0:12:23] } 23... Rxe7 { White has a pawn for the Exchange, but the knight is out of play and the kingside pawns are more likely to be targets than attackers. } { [%clk 0:53:08] } 24. Nc3 { [%clk 0:12:22] } 24... Rae8 { [%clk 0:49:08] } 25. Rd1 { [%clk 0:06:22] } 25... Re1 { With White's only rook off the board, the kingside pawns are now vulnerable. Yip is winning now. } { [%clk 0:47:39] } 26. Nd5 { [%clk 0:06:23] } 26... Qe6 { [%clk 0:43:56] } 27. g5 { [%clk 0:06:04] } 27... Rxd1+ { [%clk 0:44:16] } 28. Qxd1 { [%clk 0:06:32] } 28... Kf8 { [%clk 0:44:37] } 29. c4 { [%clk 0:04:07] } 29... bxc4 { [%clk 0:42:29] } 30. Nf6 { [%clk 0:03:35] } 30... Qe3+ { [%clk 0:42:52] } 31. Kc2 { [%clk 0:02:31] } 31... Qf2+ { [%clk 0:38:49] } 32. Kc3 { [%clk 0:02:59] } 32... Re3+ { [%clk 0:39:05] } 33. Kxc4 { [%clk 0:03:24] } 33... Qxf4+ $19 { [%clk 0:39:31] } 34. Qd4 { [%clk 0:02:12] } 34... Qxd4+ { [%clk 0:38:45] } 35. Kxd4 { [%clk 0:02:40] } 35... Re2 { [%clk 0:39:09] } 36. Kc3 { [%clk 0:01:44] } 36... Kg7 { [%clk 0:39:29] } 37. a4 { [%clk 0:01:12] } 37... h5 { [%clk 0:37:06] } 38. b4 { [%clk 0:00:52] } 38... Rh2 { [%clk 0:36:52] } 39. Ne8+ { [%clk 0:00:35] } 39... Kf8 { [%clk 0:37:12] } 40. Nc7 { [%clk 0:00:59] } 40... Rh3+ { [%clk 0:37:19] } 41. Kd2 { [%clk 0:26:42] } 41... Rxh4 { [%clk 1:07:20] } 42. Nxa6 { [%clk 0:27:08] } 42... Rg4 { [%clk 1:07:36] } 43. a5 { [%clk 0:26:57] } 43... h4 { [%clk 1:07:27] } 44. b5 { [%clk 0:21:24] } 44... h3 { [%clk 1:07:32] } 45. b6 { [%clk 0:18:21] } 45... h2 { [%clk 1:07:56] } 46. b7 { [%clk 0:17:33] } 46... Rd4+ { [%clk 1:08:23] } 47. Kc3 { [%clk 0:15:31] } 47... Rd8 { [%clk 1:08:48] } 48. Nc5 { [%clk 0:13:50] } 48... h1=Q { [%clk 1:09:11] } 49. a6 { [%clk 0:14:16] } 49... Qc6 { [%clk 1:07:46] } 50. Kc4 { [%clk 0:14:22] } 50... Qb6 { 0-1 Black wins. } { [%clk 1:08:12] } 0-1