[Event "Southern California State Championship 2025"] [Site "California"] [Date "2025.05.24"] [Round "05"] [White "Mikaelyan, Arman"] [Black "Batchuluun, Tsegmed"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2492"] [BlackElo "2430"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D30"] [Opening "Queen's Gambit Declined: Traditional Variation"] [StudyName "Memorial Day Weekend Wrap-Up"] [ChapterName "Mikaelyan, Arman - Batchuluun, Tsegmed"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/LiBUPbH9/7sJFDOMl"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%clk 1:30:36] } 1... Nf6 { [%clk 1:30:53] } 2. c4 { [%clk 1:30:59] } 2... e6 { [%clk 1:31:17] } 3. Nf3 { [%clk 1:31:13] } 3... d5 { [%clk 1:31:19] } 4. Bg5 { [%clk 1:31:24] } 4... Be7 { [%clk 1:31:07] } 5. e3 { [%clk 1:31:17] } 5... h6 { [%clk 1:31:17] } 6. Bxf6 { [%clk 1:31:01] } 6... Bxf6 { [%clk 1:31:40] } 7. Qc2 { [%clk 1:30:48] } 7... O-O { [%clk 1:22:56] } 8. h4 { [%clk 1:30:47] } 8... c5 { [%clk 1:19:10] } 9. g4 { [%clk 1:25:49] } 9... cxd4 { [%clk 1:09:11] } 10. g5 { [%clk 1:23:00] } 10... dxe3 { [%clk 0:42:03] } 11. fxe3 { [%clk 1:15:21] } 11... Be7 { [%clk 0:42:13] } 12. gxh6 { [%clk 1:05:56] } 12... Bb4+ { [%clk 0:27:21] } 13. Nc3 { [%clk 0:58:20] } 13... Bxc3+ { [%clk 0:27:28] } 14. bxc3 { [%clk 0:51:36] } 14... g6 { [%clk 0:17:47] } 15. Bd3 { [%clk 0:40:51] } 15... Qf6 { [%clk 0:17:17] } 16. Ke2 { [%clk 0:38:37] } 16... e5 { [%clk 0:11:48] } 17. cxd5 { [%clk 0:37:55] } 17... Bg4 { [%clk 0:12:15] } 18. Be4 { [%clk 0:32:46] } 18... Nd7 { [%clk 0:11:48] } 19. Rag1 { [%clk 0:29:28] } 19... Bxf3+ { [%clk 0:09:34] } 20. Bxf3 { [%clk 0:29:54] } 20... Nc5 { [%clk 0:09:56] } 21. Be4 { [%clk 0:26:53] } 21... Kh8 { [%clk 0:08:31] } 22. c4 { [%clk 0:21:13] } 22... Rac8 { [%clk 0:08:12] } 23. Rg5 { If White can achieve h4-h5, that could be game over. But h4-h5 was previously met by ... g6-g5, so this blockade is a logical precursor that, unfortunately, slows down White's play by a few tempi. How should Black use this extra time? } { [%clk 0:19:05] } 23... Nxe4 { [%clk 0:03:16] } (23... Qa6! { By going after the weak pawns and freezing White's queen! } 24. Rc1 (24. Rxe5? f5! 25. Bg2?? (25. d6!? Qxd6! 26. Rd5 Qf6 $17) 25... Qf6 { traps the rook, and } 26. Qc3 { (or 26. Qb2) runs into } 26... Nd7 $19)) 24. Qxe4 { [%clk 0:19:18] } 24... Qa6 { The pawns are harder to defend now, but that does not matter after the following sequence: } { [%clk 0:03:45] } 25. Rc1! { [%clk 0:16:30] } 25... Qxa2+ { [%clk 0:02:48] } 26. Rc2 { [%clk 0:15:58] } 26... Qa1 { [%clk 0:01:58] } 27. Qxe5+! { [%clk 0:13:12] } 27... Qxe5 { [%clk 0:02:24] } 28. Rxe5 { White's central pawns pose too many problems, as Mikaelyan will now demonstrate: } { [%clk 0:13:39] } 28... Rc7 { [%clk 0:02:33] } 29. d6 { [%clk 0:11:58] } 29... Rd7 { [%clk 0:03:01] } 30. c5 { [%clk 0:11:22] } 30... Rc8 { [%clk 0:03:01] } 31. Rd2 { [%clk 0:08:09] } 31... Kh7 { [%clk 0:02:11] } 32. Re7 { [%clk 0:08:17] } 32... Rcd8 { [%clk 0:02:21] } 33. Rxd7 { [%clk 0:07:24] } 33... Rxd7 { [%clk 0:02:50] } 34. e4 { [%clk 0:07:23] } 34... Kxh6 { [%clk 0:00:45] } 35. e5 { [%clk 0:07:47] } 35... Kh5 { [%clk 0:00:40] } 36. Kf3 { [%clk 0:08:02] } 36... Kxh4 { [%clk 0:00:40] } 37. Kf4 { Combining mating motifs with activity to punctuate the victory. } { [%clk 0:08:25] } 37... Kh3 { [%clk 0:00:42] } 38. Kg5 { [%clk 0:07:07] } 38... Kg3 { [%clk 0:01:07] } 39. Kf6 { [%clk 0:07:30] } 39... Kf4 { [%clk 0:01:33] } 40. e6 { [%clk 0:06:53] } 40... fxe6 { [%clk 0:01:59] } 41. Kxe6 { [%clk 0:07:20] } 41... Rd8 { [%clk 0:02:08] } 42. d7 { [%clk 0:07:31] } 42... Ke3 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 43. Ke7 { 1-0 White wins. } { [%clk 0:07:02] } 1-0