[Event "CCT2024-Event1-Div2-KO"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2024.02.02"] [Round "1.1"] [White "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Black "Yu, Yangyi"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2755"] [BlackElo "2748"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "From Position"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [FEN "2r1r1k1/1p3pp1/7p/p1npq3/PbnN3P/3NPPP1/1P2QB2/R2R3K b - - 0 34"] [SetUp "1"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/KkITMFGZ/6YnGuXLb"] [Orientation "white"] { In their first game, Yu missed a nice sequence that could have set a very different tone for the match. } 34... Nxd3?! (34... Qxd4! 35. exd4 Rxe2 36. dxc5 { White regains the piece, but will still be down a pawn with a second soon to fall on c5. } 36... Nxb2! 37. Nxb2 Rxf2 $19) 35. Rxd3 Bc5 36. Re1 b6 37. b3 Nd6 38. Kg2 Bxd4 39. Rxd4 Nf5 40. Rd3 Rc6 41. Qd2 { The last eight moves are a great example of what makes Nakamura such a dangerous blitz and rapid player. Is e3-e4 a real threat? Probably. Does it win, or just cause problems? Not sure. Does Black have any defenses? Let's find out! Did White have to risk anything — or create any weaknesses or concede anything in his position — in order to develop the threat? No. Does Black have to respond very accurately to avoid losing anyways? Apparently. } 41... Qe6?? (41... Qc7! { was apparently necessary, getting the queen off the e-file immediately. } 42. e4 (42. Rxd5 Rc2! { forces } 43. Rd7 { as any queen move, such as } (43. Qd3 { loses instantly: } 43... Qxg3+ $19)) 42... dxe4 43. Rxe4 Rxe4 44. fxe4 Nd6) 42. e4 (42. Rxd5 { was also good! }) 42... Nxh4+ (42... dxe4 43. Rxe4 Qc8 44. Rxe8+ Qxe8 45. Rd8 $18 { was the exploitation of Black's queen's placement on the e-file. }) 43. gxh4 Qg6+ 44. Kh2 dxe4 45. fxe4 Rxe4 46. Rxe4 Qxe4 47. Rd8+ Kh7 48. Qd3 { Effortless simplification. Naka takes the first game. } 48... Qxd3 49. Rxd3 g5 50. Rd5 Kg6 51. Rb5 Rc2 52. Kg2 Kh5 53. hxg5 hxg5 54. Kf3 f6 55. Bd4 Kg6 56. Rxb6 Rd2 57. Bxf6 Kf5 58. Ke3 Ra2 59. Bd8 Rh2 60. Rb5+ { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0