[Event "Open"] [Site "Saint Louis, US"] [Date "2024.03.13"] [Round "1.4"] [White "Robson, Ray"] [Black "Dominguez Perez, Leinier"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2696"] [WhiteTeam "USA"] [BlackElo "2749"] [BlackTeam "USA"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E47"] [Opening "Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Bishop Attack"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/R6LLNwTu/6GkA5DFi"] [Orientation "white"] { After equalizing the match thanks to a win in the rapid game from a positional Nimzo Indian, Robson now enters the second day with the upper-hand despite losing the first classical game. } 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 c5 6. Ne2 (6. Nf3 { would have transposed into their rapid game, which White won after } 6... d5 7. cxd5 exd5 8. dxc5 Nbd7 9. Bd2 Nxc5 10. Be2 Ne6 11. Qb3 Ba5 12. O-O d4 13. exd4 Nxd4 14. Nxd4 Qxd4 15. Rad1 Be6 16. Qb5 Qb4 17. a3 Qxb5 18. Nxb5 Bxd2 19. Rxd2 Rad8? (19... a6 20. Nd4) 20. Rxd8 Rxd8 21. Nxa7 Bb3 22. Rc1 $18 { when Black has even less than "no compensation" for the pawn. Black resigned on move 40. }) 6... d5 7. cxd5 cxd4 (7... exd5 { was played by Dominguez in their rapid game. } 8. dxc5 Nbd7 9. Bd2) 8. exd4 Nxd5 9. a3 Ba5 10. O-O Nc6 11. Bc2 Bc7 12. Qd3 Qh4 13. h3 $146 (13. g3 { has been seen twice before. } 13... Qh5 14. Nxd5 exd5 15. Nf4 Bxf4 16. Bxf4 Re8 17. Rfe1 Bg4 18. Re3 Rxe3 19. Qxe3 Bf5 20. Re1 h6 21. Bd1 Qg6 22. Bf3 Rd8 23. b4 a6 { with equality, and a draw agreed on move 44 in Donchenko – Wagner, Rossenheim, 2023. }) 13... Nf6 14. Be3 Rd8 15. Qd2 h6 16. f4 { White has a slight edge thanks to the bind on the e5-square and ideas of a possible kingside attack, while Black's queen is misplaced and slightly disconnected from her army. } 16... Nd5 17. Bf2 Qf6 18. Rad1 Nxc3!? (18... Nxf4 19. Bg3 Nxe2+ 20. Qxe2 Qe7 21. Qd3 $14 { gives White a moderate initiative for the pawn. }) 19. bxc3 Ne7 { Black declined the offer of the f-pawn, and instead focuses on completing his development. } 20. g4?! Bd7? (20... b5! { Incredibly useful prophylaxis. Black prevents c3-c4, as to prepare ... Ne7-d5 and give the queen a new escape route without having to commit to ... g7-g6. } 21. Bg3 Nd5! 22. g5?! Qe7!) 21. Bg3! g6 (21... Nd5 22. c4 { is the simple point, explaining why it is not so easy for the knight to leave the e7-square now. }) 22. g5! Qh8 23. f5 { White's attack should be winning, and Robson doesn't err, calculating the ensuing sequence with typical precision. } 23... Bxg3 24. fxg6! Bd6 25. Rxf7! hxg5 26. Rh7 Qf6 27. Rf7 Qh8 28. Qxg5 Qxh3 29. Rh7 Bh2+ 30. Kf2 Rf8+ 31. Ke1 Qf1+ 32. Kd2 Bf4+ 33. Nxf4 Qxf4+ 34. Qxf4 Rxf4 35. Rxe7 $18 { The dust has settled and White is up a pawn with a dominating position, and Black does not even have hopes of opposite-colored bishops to rest on. } 35... Rf2+ 36. Kc1 Bc6 37. Rxe6 Rc8 38. Rd2 Rf3 39. c4 Rxa3 40. d5 Be8 41. Rde2 Bd7 42. Re7 Rd8 43. Rh2 Rg3 44. Rhh7 Bc8 45. Reg7+ Kf8 46. Rc7 Kg8 47. g7 Rh3 48. Rxc8 Rxc8 49. Rxh3 Rxc4 50. Rg3 { Dominguez was unable to "win on demand" in the final rapid game, giving the match to Robson! } 1-0