[Event "13th Cherry Blossom Chess"] [Site "Sterling, VA, United States"] [Date "2026.05.22"] [Round "3.14"] [White "Foisor, Sabina-Francesca"] [Black "Martin, Zachary"] [Result "*"] [WhiteElo "2312"] [BlackElo "2187"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E11"] [Opening "Bogo-Indian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation"] [StudyName "2026 Memorial Day Weekend Wrap-Up"] [ChapterName "Foisor, Sabina-Francesca - Martin, Zachary"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/SNrtQXpx/B5GCVmk4"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] { Annotations by Zachary Martin } 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ { The beginning of the Bogo Indian Defense. Black is slightly worse in these positions due to White's extra space when the tension relieves itself with the trade of Bishops. However, the positions are very solid and Black has easy plans of trading the dark-squared Bishop and controlling the dark squares by putting pawns on e5 and d6. } 4. Bd2 { Another sharper option here is } (4. Nbd2 b6 5. a3 Bxd2+ (5... Be7 6. e4 d6 7. Bd3 { is good for White because, although White's Knight is slightly misplaced on d2, White has too much space and is getting e4-e5 in before Black achieves ... e6-e5. }) 6. Qxd2 { when White gets the bishop pair and some queenside space, however Black has good control over the e4-square. }) 4... Qe7 { This is the most solid option. } (4... c5 5. Bxb4 cxb4 6. a3 bxa3 7. Rxa3 { , where White maintains a small advantage with greater control over the center and extra space, and }) (4... a5 5. a3 Bxd2+ 6. Qxd2 O-O 7. e3 d5 8. Nc3 { when Black has decent control over the center but did not get the pawns on dark squares, are both reasonable alternatives to 4...Qe7. }) 5. Qc2 { The main move is 5 } (5. g3 Nc6 6. Nc3 { or } (6. Bg2 Bxd2+ 7. Nbxd2 (7. Qxd2 { is less effective because after } 7... Ne4 8. Qc2 Qb4+ 9. Nc3 Nxc3 10. Qxc3 Qxc3+ 11. bxc3 { , Black has made it to an endgame and White has doubled c-pawns. The position is equal, but I would rather play as Black here with the c4-pawn as a target.) }))) 5... Bxd2+ { The idea is to trade bishops now when White's queen either has to move again or the knight has to recapture on d2. In general, the idea is for Black to trade on d2 when recapturing with the queen is a loss of tempo or has tactical issues. } 6. Nbxd2 d6 7. e3 O-O 8. Be2 e5 9. d5 c6 { Black needs this move to fight against White's space advantage on the Queenside. During the game, I also thought about } (9... c5 { to try to play e3-e4 when the d4-square is unavailable for the knight. However, after } 10. e4 Nbd7 11. a3 { , although White has pawns on the same color as the remaining bishop, the space advantage and possibilities on the queenside give White a decent advantage because Black is not generating a lot of counterplay on the kingside. }) 10. dxc6 Nxc6 11. O-O Bg4 { Maybe it is a little better to play } (11... e4 { , but completing development should be fine too. }) 12. Rfe1 Rac8 13. h3 Bh5 14. Qa4 d5 { I thought about } (14... Rfd8 15. b4 { , but White's queenside expansion is a little uncomfortable with the c6-knight subject to attack and the a7-pawn potentially loose. However, Black can expand in the center and any maneuver by White to win the a7-pawn will be very risky. }) 15. cxd5 Nxd5 16. a3 Nb6 17. Qb5 Rfd8 18. Nf1 Rd5 19. Qb3 e4 20. N3h2?! { The critical moment. } (20. N3d2 { During the game this is what I expected and I thought after, } 20... Bxe2 21. Rxe2 Rd3 22. Qa2 { , Black would have the upper hand, but it looks like White has enough control and Black's advantage is only very small. }) (20. Nd4 { I thought this move was impossible, however after } 20... Nxd4 21. exd4 Bxe2 22. Rxe2 Rxd4 23. Rae1 { , Black will eventually lose the overextended e4-pawn and, with limited material, the game is equal and likely heading towards a draw. }) 20... Bxe2 21. Rxe2 Rd3 22. Qa2 a5 { Controlling White's b2-b4 expansion and potentially further controlling the queenside by playing ... a5-a4 later. Maybe not necessary, but still one of the better moves and a good position for Black. } 23. Rd2 { A good practical move by my opponent which I hadn't really considered even though it is very natural. White is lacking space, so the more pieces that are traded, the easier it is for White to defend the position. } 23... Ne5 24. Rxd3 (24. Rad1 { This is what I expected during the game to keep the tension since I want to get my knight to d3. }) (24. Ng4 { is the suggested move. } 24... Rxd2 25. Nxd2 Nd3 { This also makes a lot of sense because it forces me to either break the tension or not get my knight to d3. In this case, my knight got to d3 but at least the white knights got to better squares first. }) 24... Nxd3 25. Qb3?! Qf6 { And now my advantage is concrete as the queen guards b6 and hits f2 and b2. Black will have a pawn majority on the queenside. } 26. f3 a4 { Expanding on the queenside first to fix the a-pawn. The pawn will be easier to target on a3 than a4. } 27. Qb5 Qxb2 28. Rb1 { This surprised me. I thought White had to trade queens! } (28. Qxb2 { I thought White to play this to deal with ... Qb2-f2 ideas. But it is not so easy. }) 28... Qxb5! (28... Qf2+ { I thought this should win, however I could not calculate all the way through, so I played the safer move since my position is very good already. } 29. Kh1 g6? (29... h6! 30. Ng4 Qc2 31. Qxb6 exf3 32. gxf3 h5 33. Ngh2 Rc6 { Something like this is a winning attack for Black, however calculating this is very complicated, especially in low time pressure. }) 30. Qxb6 (30. Ng4 { is even better, and now White is winning as Black will have to move the queen and give up the knight. }) 30... Rc2 31. Qd8+ Kg7 32. Qg5 { White wins the knight and gets back to guard g2. This is what I calculated. }) 29. Rxb5 Nc4 { One more good move. Black takes on a3 next, with the Rook ready to get behind the passed a-pawn. Now Black should win this comfortably even with low time. } 30. Rxb7 Ra8 $19 { One more good move. Black takes on a3 on the next move with the Rook behind the passed a-pawn. Now Black should win this comfortably even with low time. } 31. fxe4 Nxa3 32. Nd2 Nc2 33. Rc7 Ndb4 34. Nb1 a3 35. Nc3 Nxe3 36. Nf3 Nd1 37. Nd2 Nxc3 38. Rxc3 a2 39. Nb3 a1=Q+ 40. Nxa1 Rxa1+ 41. Kf2 g6 42. Kf3 Ra2 43. g4 Rc2 44. Ra3 h6 45. Kf4 Rc5 46. h4 g5+ 47. hxg5 hxg5+ 48. Kf3 Nc6 49. Ke3 f6 50. Kd3 Kf7 51. Ra8 Ra5 52. Rc8 Ne5+ 53. Kd4 Nxg4 54. Rc7+ Kg6 55. Rc6 Ra4+ 56. Kd5 Ne3+ 57. Kd6 Rxe4 { and White resigned. } *