[Event "U.S. Chess Championship - Women"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2024.10.11"] [Round "01"] [White "Yip, Carissa"] [Black "Cervantes Landeiro, Thalia"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2418"] [BlackElo "2302"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A13"] [Opening "English Opening: Agincourt Defense"] [StudyName "2024 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women's Championship"] [ChapterName "Yip, Carissa - Cervantes Landeiro, Thalia"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/K5XjRsoK/sRjaP7p5"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. c4 { [%clk 1:30:58] } 1... e6 { [%clk 1:29:24] } 2. g3 { [%clk 1:30:40] } 2... d5 { [%clk 1:29:31] } 3. Bg2 { [%clk 1:31:05] } 3... Nf6 { [%clk 1:28:41] } 4. Nf3 { [%clk 1:31:25] } 4... c5 { [%clk 1:28:35] } 5. O-O { [%clk 1:25:48] } 5... Nc6 { [%clk 1:28:07] } 6. d4 { [%clk 1:23:06] } 6... Be7 { [%clk 1:24:49] } 7. cxd5 { [%clk 1:20:27] } 7... exd5 { [%clk 1:25:10] } 8. dxc5 { [%clk 1:15:20] } 8... Bxc5 { [%clk 1:25:16] } 9. Bg5 { [%clk 1:14:22] } 9... O-O { [%clk 1:21:07] } 10. Nc3 { [%clk 1:12:48] } 10... d4 { [%clk 1:13:00] } 11. Bxf6 { [%clk 1:07:13] } 11... Qxf6 { [%clk 1:13:16] } 12. Ne4 { [%clk 1:07:41] } 12... Qe7 { [%clk 1:13:32] } 13. Nxc5 { [%clk 1:08:07] } 13... Qxc5 { [%clk 1:13:56] } 14. Rc1 { [%clk 1:08:33] } 14... Qb6 { This position has been reached over 50 times in the master-level database, yet both players have spent around 20 minutes already! } { [%clk 1:13:50] } 15. b3!? { This is less common than 15. Qc2, but clearly the players are on their own already. } { [%clk 0:59:54] } 15... Re8 { [%clk 1:04:15] } 16. Qc2 { [%clk 0:44:01] } 16... h6 { [%clk 0:56:51] } 17. Rfd1 { [%clk 0:44:27] } 17... Bg4 { [%clk 0:52:41] } 18. Rd2 $146 { The first new move of the game, apparently, but each player has spent close to an hour (not counting increment) to reach this position! } { [%clk 0:37:47] } 18... Rad8 { [%clk 0:45:22] } 19. Qc5 { [%clk 0:34:32] } 19... Qxc5 { [%clk 0:27:45] } 20. Rxc5 { Black's weak d-pawn is going to be a long-term weakness. Because of this, she either has to pacify her e-rook by re-routing it to the d-file, or she could aim to trade the d4-pawn for White's e2-pawn. } { [%clk 0:34:58] } 20... Re7?! { [%clk 0:21:20] } 21. h3 { The problem with Black's plan is that the bishop has no better square than the e6-square, thereby taking away the more active of Black's ways to stack her rooks. } { [%clk 0:33:32] } 21... Be6 { [%clk 0:21:23] } (21... Bc8 22. Ne1 Rde8 23. Kf1 $16 { neutralizes Black's attack and leaves Black's bishop completely out of play. }) 22. Ne1! { [%clk 0:32:56] } 22... Red7?! { Still, this allows a trade that freezes Black's position even more. } { [%clk 0:18:47] } 23. Bxc6! { Yip plays for the squeeze and puts on a clinic from here. } { [%clk 0:31:00] } 23... bxc6 { [%clk 0:15:46] } 24. h4 { [%clk 0:31:16] } 24... Rd6 { [%clk 0:15:45] } 25. Nd3 { [%clk 0:29:11] } 25... Rb8 { [%clk 0:13:36] } 26. Ne5 { Yip argues we have a case of "good knight versus bad bishop," as the bishop can sit in the center but at the expense of getting in her rooks' way. } { [%clk 0:23:26] } 26... Bd5 { [%clk 0:11:43] } 27. Ra5 { A Rubinsteinian move! Taking the d4-pawn was fine, but let's create an additional weakness first. } { [%clk 0:17:29] } 27... Rb7 { [%clk 0:09:50] } 28. Nd3 { [%clk 0:13:49] } 28... g5 { Black had no interest in getting ground down quietly, and tries to create complications that only accelerate the end by creating more weaknesses. } { [%clk 0:07:14] } 29. f3 { [%clk 0:14:11] } 29... f6? { A concrete error. Now, Nd3-c5-e4 becomes a new motif. } { [%clk 0:03:27] } (29... gxh4 30. gxh4 Be6 31. Kf2 $16 { is not promising for Black, of course, but it's one fewer weak pawn for the moment. }) 30. Nc5 { [%clk 0:14:01] } 30... Re7 { [%clk 0:03:45] } 31. Kf2 { Black is completely tied up. } { [%clk 0:14:14] } 31... f5 { [%clk 0:00:48] } (31... Bf7 { saves the d4-pawn for the moment, but it comes at the expense of allowing } 32. Ne4! { when the d6-rook cannot continue to defend both the d4- and f6-pawns. }) 32. Rxd4 { [%clk 0:14:14] } 32... Rf6 { [%clk 0:00:53] } 33. Rda4 { [%clk 0:12:26] } 33... Rff7 { [%clk 0:00:33] } 34. Nd3 { [%clk 0:12:36] } 34... f4 { Black's last gasp of activation does not pose a real problem. } { [%clk 0:00:35] } 35. gxf4 { [%clk 0:12:38] } 35... gxh4 { [%clk 0:00:44] } 36. e4 $18 { The center pawns are too powerful and the h-pawns get no help from Black's remaining pieces. } { [%clk 0:11:46] } 36... Be6 { [%clk 0:00:31] } 37. f5 { [%clk 0:11:52] } 37... Bc8 { [%clk 0:00:48] } 38. Ne5 { [%clk 0:11:46] } 38... Rf6 { [%clk 0:00:32] } 39. Ng4 { [%clk 0:11:48] } 39... Rd6 { [%clk 0:00:45] } 40. Rxa7 { [%clk 0:11:05] } 40... Rd2+ { [%clk 0:00:32] } 41. Ke3 { [%clk 0:11:21] } 41... Rxa7 { [%clk 0:28:51] } 42. Rxa7 { [%clk 0:41:47] } 42... Rd8 { [%clk 0:28:12] } 43. Nxh6+ { [%clk 0:41:56] } 43... Kf8 { [%clk 0:28:37] } 44. Rh7 { Black resigns. } { [%clk 0:42:13] } 1-0