[Event "Women"] [Site "Saint Louis, US"] [Date "2024.03.14"] [Round "51.2"] [White "Abrahamyan, Tatev"] [Black "Yu, Jennifer"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2354"] [WhiteTeam "USA"] [BlackElo "2292"] [BlackTeam "USA"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B47"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/R6LLNwTu/I8kjpEh6"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. a3 a6 7. Be3 Nf6 8. f4 Nxd4 9. Qxd4 Ng4 10. e5?! (10. Qb6 { is by far the main move here. But if White wants to keep pieces on, even }) (10. Bc1 { is playable. The knight isn't staying on g4, after all. }) 10... Nxe3 11. Qxe3 d5 { Black is better: White's center is inflexible, and there is no threat of f4-f5 since that leaves the e-pawn permanently weak. } 12. O-O-O b5 13. f5 { Additionally, without developed pieces, Black's king is much safer in the center than White's is on the queenside! Black's attack should be faster. } 13... b4 14. axb4 Bxb4 15. fxe6 (15. Qg3! { is a thematic move attempting to provoke kingside concessions, but Black has } 15... Qa5! (15... g6 16. fxe6 fxe6 17. Bd3 $132 { and Black's king is much draftier now than it was before ... g7-g6. }) 16. Qxg7 Rf8 17. Qg3 Qa1+ 18. Kd2 Qxb2 19. Rb1 { when she can either claim a slight plus in the endgame after trading queens, or play for complications after } 19... Qa3 (19... Bxc3+ 20. Qxc3 Qxc3+ 21. Kxc3 exf5 22. g3! Ke7 $15) 20. Rb3 Qa5 21. Qf4 Rb8 22. Bd3 $13 { Either way, White is much closer to equality here. }) 15... fxe6 16. Ne2 O-O! { Yu shows excellent understanding of the position. Her king was a bit less safe in the center, but now is very safe here, and the rook happily occupies the open f-file. White's last move was inaccurate because it slows down her pieces' ability to complete development, as well, making Black's grip on the f-file more cloying as she switches attention to the queenside. } 17. Nd4 Rb8!? (17... a5 18. c3 a4! 19. Kb1 Bc5 { was even stronger, with the a-pawn doing serious damage and Black's a-rook well-placed behind it. }) 18. Bd3 Bc5 19. c3? { Too weakening. Black's decision to leave her a-pawn on a6 has turned out to be a practical one! } (19. Rhf1! { attempts to make Black waste time moving her bishop to connect the rook. } 19... Bd7 20. Rxf8+ Bxf8 21. Rf1) 19... Qa5! 20. Rd2 (20. Kb1 { allows } 20... Rxb2+! 21. Kxb2 Qa3+ 22. Kb1 (22. Kc2 Qa2+ 23. Kc1 Ba3#) 22... Bd7 { with a mating net. } 23. Rc1 Ba4! $19 { and Black was just in time to box White's king in! }) 20... Bd7 { White's king isn't going anywhere. } 21. Bb1 Rfc8 (21... Qa1 22. Qd3 g6 23. Rf1 $19 { and it looks like maybe White is starting to consolidate, but in actuality, Black has both ... a6-a5-a4-a3 and even ideas of ... Bc5-a3 to keep up the pressure, while White is frozen. }) 22. Qd3 g6 23. Nc2 Bf8 24. h4 Bh6 { A nice mix of defense (... g7-g6) with activity (repositioning the dark-squared bishop)! } 25. Ne3 Bb5 (25... Rxb2 { was winning: } 26. Kxb2 Rb8+ 27. Kc1 Bxe3 28. Qxe3 Qa3+ 29. Kd1 Rxb1+ $19) 26. Qd4 Qb6!? 27. Re1 Be8 28. Ng4?? { When it looks too good to be true, sometimes it is! White hung the b2-pawn! } (28. Qxb6 Rxb6 { Black knows she must have missed something more concrete, but still, she enjoys the bishop pair and better pieces, and can play on with winning chances. }) 28... Qxb2+ 29. Kd1 Qxb1+ 30. Ke2 Bb5+ 31. Kf2 Qf5+ 32. Kg3 Bxd2 33. Qxd2 Kh8 34. Re3 Rc4 { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1