[Event "Open"] [Site "Saint Louis, US"] [Date "2024.03.14"] [Round "51.1"] [White "Dominguez Perez, Leinier"] [Black "Shankland, Sam"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2645"] [WhiteTeam "USA"] [BlackElo "2663"] [BlackTeam "USA"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B90"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/R6LLNwTu/mJEBT2Cq"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 { A man of principle, Dominguez does not let a little thing like "only needing a draw with the white pieces" stop him from playing into Shankland's Najdorf! } 6... e6 7. a3 b5 8. g4 Bb7 9. Bg2 Nfd7 10. g5 Nc6 11. f4 Rc8 12. O-O Nxd4 13. Qxd4 h6!? { A practical decision. An open h-file sure helps Black here. The thematic idea would be to push g5-g6, but it is not so easy to start sacrificing pawns when you only need a draw. } 14. a4? (14. g6! Rc4! (14... fxg6 15. Bh3 { is a nuisance. }) 15. gxf7+ Kxf7 16. Qd3 Qc8! 17. Rad1 h5! 18. f5 e5 { is surprisingly resilient. White earns the d5-square, but } 19. Nd5 Nc5 { Black plays around it and stays in the game! } 20. Bxc5 Qxc5+ 21. Ne3 Rd4 22. Qb3+ Ke8 23. c4 $14) 14... hxg5 15. fxg5 Ne5 (15... b4! { was more precise, keeping White's knight from the b5-square. } 16. g6 (16. Qxb4 Qc7! { Now, ... d6-d5 comes with quite a punch. } 17. g6 d5 18. gxf7+ Kd8 19. Qb3 Qxh2+ $17) 16... f6 17. Qxb4 Qc7 18. Bf4 Be7 $13) 16. axb5 axb5 17. Nxb5 Rh4 18. Rad1 Rxc2 19. Rf2 Rc6 20. Qxe5?! { White is a bit too optimistic about his chances of holding here. } (20. Qa4 Qd7 21. Bd4 $14) 20... dxe5 21. Rxd8+ Kxd8 22. Rxf7 Be7! 23. Nc3 (23. Rxg7 Rc2 24. Rf7 (24. h3 Bxe4 $19) 24... Rxb2 $17) 23... Rg4 (23... Ke8! { it was necessary to expel the rook, as } 24. Rxg7 (24. Rf1 Bb4 $17 { keeps Black's initiative. }) 24... Kf8 25. Rg6 Kf7 26. Rh6 Rxh6 27. gxh6 Rc4 $17 { favors Black after shedding the redundant rook. }) 24. Kf2 g6 25. Rg7 Ba6?! { The position has slipped through Black's fingers, and now the need to play for a win takes over and he has to enter a worse position. } (25... Ke8! { holds on, as } 26. Rxg6?? (26. Bf3 Rh4 27. Kg3 Rh8 28. Rxg6 Kf7 29. Rh6 Rxh6 30. gxh6 Kg6 { is probably headed towards a draw, but was Black's best bet and required astute play from White! }) 26... Rxg2+ 27. Kxg2 Rxc3! 28. Rg8+ (28. bxc3 Bxe4+ $19) 28... Kf7 29. bxc3 Bxe4+ 30. Kf2 Kxg8 $19) 26. Rxg6 Rh4 27. h3 Rd6 28. Rg8+ Kd7 29. g6 Rd3 30. Ra8 Bb7 31. g7 Bxa8 32. g8=Q Bc6 33. Qb8 Rh7 34. Ke2 Rd6 35. Bc5 Rg7 36. Bxd6 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0