[Event "The American Cup 2024"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2024.03.15"] [Round "2"] [White "Krush, Irina"] [Black "Paikidze, Nazi"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2367"] [BlackElo "2400"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A42"] [Opening "Modern Defense: Averbakh System"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/R6LLNwTu/tRytE7QE"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. e4 d6 4. Nc3 Nd7 5. Nf3 c5 6. d5 Ngf6 7. Be2 a6 8. a4 O-O 9. O-O Ne8 10. Bf4 { Paikidze attempts another unorthodox King's Indian Defense after her tumultuous win over Zatonskih on the first day. } 10... Ne5 11. Nxe5 dxe5?! (11... Bxe5 12. Bxe5 dxe5 13. Qd2 { is a bit bleak, but at least Black can argue she has planted pawns on dark squares while trading off the corresponding bishop. }) 12. Be3 Qc7 13. a5 { White is already much better. Black lacks dynamics, other than ... f7-f5. But this thrust is far less threatening when there is no force behind ... f5-f4, as the c5-pawn topples. } 13... Bd7 (13... f5 14. Na4 Qxa5 15. Bxc5 $18) 14. Qc2 Nd6 15. Rfb1 f5 16. f3 fxe4 17. Nxe4 Bf5 18. b4 { Black's position is completely static, while the queenside is mobile. This is a tough position to play in any time control, but, in rapid, White's moves just play themselves while every turn for Black is arduous. } 18... cxb4 19. c5 Bxe4 20. fxe4 Nb5 21. Bxb5 axb5 22. Qa2 Qd7 23. Rxb4 Kh8 24. Qe2 { White is methodically picking apart Black's weak pawns. } 24... Ra6 25. Rxb5 Rfa8 26. Rab1 Rxa5 27. Rxb7 Qe8 28. c6 Ra1 29. Qd1 Rxb1 30. Qxb1 e6 31. c7 { That's game! } 31... Rc8 32. Rb8 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0