[Event "The American Cup 2024"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2024.03.14"] [Round "2"] [White "Lee, Alice"] [Black "Tokhirjonova, Gulrukhbegim"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2356"] [BlackElo "2365"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E12"] [Opening "Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Marco Defense"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/R6LLNwTu/zGdHlR4D"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 Be7 (5... d5 { is the main move here, but does not lead to the sort of double-edged positions Black was hoping for. } 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. e3 (7. Qc2 Be7 8. e4 Nxc3 9. bxc3 O-O 10. Bd3 c5) 7... Be7 8. Bb5+ c6 9. Bd3 O-O 10. O-O c5) 6. d5 { White doesn't hesitate to move the game towards a Benoni structure where Black's bishop will be biting on granite on b7. } 6... O-O 7. e4 d6 8. Bd3 a5 9. Nd4 Qd7 10. Bc2 c5 (10... exd5 11. exd5 { is just a bad Benoni. }) (10... Na6 11. O-O Nc5 12. Be3 a4 { could be an attempt to maintain flexibility, but } 13. f4 { gives White all the dynamic chances with minimal counterplay to be concerned with. }) 11. Ndb5 exd5 12. exd5 Ng4 { Black really had nothing better than to trade the e-pawns, giving up the dynamics in the center and accepting an inferior position. } 13. Bf4 Ne5 14. O-O f5 15. Re1 Ng6 16. Qd2 Qd8 (16... Nxf4 17. Qxf4 g5 18. Qg3 $16 { it's hard to recommend anything for Black, as these sorts of ambitious thrusts are inconsistent with the lagging development. }) 17. Rxe7! { White makes a positional Exchange sac that only reinforces her pieces' dominance. } 17... Nxe7 18. Nxd6 Ba6 19. Re1 Ra7 20. Ndb5 Rd7 21. Bc7 Rxc7 { Black has nothing better than returning material. } (21... Qc8 22. Bxb6 $18 { and the queenside topples. }) 22. Nxc7 Qxc7 23. d6 Qd8 24. Rxe7 Bxc4 25. Qf4 Bf7 26. Qxf5 { The result is inevitable. } 26... g6 27. Qf4 Nc6 28. Qf6 Nd4 29. Ne4 Ne6 30. Bb3 c4 31. Bxc4 Qc8 32. Qxe6 { A little flourish from Lee! } 32... Qxc4 (32... Qxe6 33. Bxe6 Bxe6 34. Rxe6 $18) (32... Bxe6 { is no different: } 33. Bxe6+ Qxe6 34. Rxe6 $18) 33. Nf6+ { and Black resigns: after either king move, the bishop is pinned, either to the king after 33. ... Kg7 or to the mating square after 33. ... Kh8 34. Rxh7#. } 1-0