[Event "2025 US Cadet Championship"] [Site "Schaumburg, IL"] [Date "2025.06.20"] [Round "03"] [White "Atwell, Rose"] [Black "Lin, Bryan Enming"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2257"] [BlackElo "2343"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D02"] [Opening "Queen's Pawn Game: London System"] [StudyName "2025 U.S. Cadet Championship"] [ChapterName "Atwell, Rose - Lin, Bryan Enming"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/WVrzfvcQ/Qx0jmMLE"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%clk 1:30:59] } 1... Nf6 { [%clk 1:30:54] } 2. Bf4 { [%clk 1:31:24] } 2... d5 { On her X (formerly Twitter) account, Atwell said she chose to play the London System to avoid what her opponent might have cooked up in home preparation. } { [%clk 1:31:02] } 3. Nf3 { [%clk 1:31:36] } 3... e6 { Lines that delay ... e7-e6 and attempt to bring the light-squared bishop into the game are considered a bit more testing. White has not played c2-c4 (or even c2-c3 yet) so threats of c4xd5 and Qd1-b3 are not pressing. This is why Black can play a quick ... Bc8-f5 against the London despite getting into trouble playing that way in, e.g., the Slav. Still, those lines have become very theoretically well-trodden over the past decade or so, so attempting to deviate from theory is also logical. } { [%clk 1:30:52] } 4. e3 { [%clk 1:31:47] } 4... c5 { [%clk 1:30:43] } 5. c3 { [%clk 1:31:50] } 5... Bd6 { [%clk 1:31:01] } 6. Bg3 { Black wants to castle kingside, and White hasn't castled, so inviting h2xg3 after a trade of dark-squared bishops is very principled. } { [%clk 1:31:13] } 6... O-O { [%clk 1:30:58] } 7. Nbd2 { [%clk 1:29:22] } 7... Qc7 { A useful inclusion. If } { [%clk 1:29:32] } (7... b6 { then } 8. Ne5 Bb7 9. Bd3 { is a bit tricky, as } 9... Nbd7?? { blunders a pawn to an important tactic for Londoners to remember } (9... Qc7 { is, of course, fine. But this aside illustrates why ... Qd8-c7 is a useful inclusion, and thus why it makes sense for Black to spend a turn moving their queen before even beginning to untangle the queenside. }) 10. Nxf7 $18 { [%cal Rd8d6,Gg3d6] }) 8. Ne5 { [%clk 1:27:40] } 8... Nbd7 { [%clk 1:27:02] } 9. f4 { This dark-squared strategy is a nice way to play the London. It's like a Stonewall Dutch, except without the need to play Bc1-d2-e1-g3 to reach the same configuration where the dark-squared bishop backs up the dark squares. } { [%clk 1:23:51] } 9... Rb8 { [%clk 1:16:49] } 10. Bd3 { [%clk 1:21:06] } 10... b5 { The center is fixed, and White has begun motioning towards some kingside expansion with f2-f4, so Black responds on the opposite flank. Why attack on the side of the board where the king isn't? Well, if White's attack stalls out, then Black could end up having created weak queenside pawns that give no-risk winning chances in resulting endgames. } { [%clk 1:15:55] } 11. O-O { [%clk 1:13:12] } 11... c4 { Fixing the center and preparing further queenside expansion. } { [%clk 1:09:56] } 12. Bc2 { [%clk 1:11:25] } 12... Bb7 { [%clk 1:08:21] } 13. Qf3 { [%clk 1:08:21] } 13... b4 { [%clk 1:06:47] } 14. Bh4 { [%clk 1:01:52] } 14... bxc3 { [%clk 0:55:18] } 15. bxc3 { Black has split the a- and c-pawns, and now both will be lasting problems. } { [%clk 1:02:14] } 15... Qa5? { Played quickly and a step in the wrong direction that allowed Atwell to take over the pacing of the game and the initiative. } { [%clk 0:54:41] } (15... Ne4 { Taking away White's attacking threats first. The c3-pawn is a long-term liability, so do not hurry! After } 16. Nxe4 dxe4 17. Bxe4 Bxe4 18. Qxe4 f5 { White is up a pawn and can force a queen trade with } 19. Qc6 { as other moves allowed ... Bd6xe5 with good-knight versus bad-bishop as compensation for the pawn. Now } 19... Qxc6 20. Nxc6 Rb6 { forces the knight-for-bishop trade after all. But this is an incredibly concrete line that could only be found with the hindsight of the severity of White's threats. }) (15... h6 { is less effective than the pawn-sac with 15. ... Ne4, however } 16. g4 $16 { gives White an easy initiative to play with. }) 16. Qh3! { An easy move to overlook (or look at and miscalculate a resulting variation of). White combines threats of Ne5xd7 and Bh4xf6 with mate threats on the h7-square. } { [%clk 0:49:26] } 16... h6 { Black puts in seven minutes of thought and concludes correctly that the c3-pawn is poisoned. } { [%clk 0:47:16] } (16... Qxc3? { hits the loose c2-bishop, but } 17. Nxd7! { is fast enough, as } 17... Qxc2 { or } (17... Nxd7 18. Bxh7+! Kxh7 { is also winning, but only after the VERY clever } 19. Ne4!! $18 { This might be what Black overlooked. Without this move, White's dark-squared bishop lacked meaningful discovered threats. But now, Bh4-e1+ decides things. }) 18. Bxf6 { White is piece-up, and both } 18... gxf6 { and } (18... Qxd2 19. Qg4 $18 { are winning, although the 18. ... gxf6 line is certainly more tricky: }) 19. Nxf6+ Kg7 20. Nde4! { The winning move, with interference on the queen's defense of the h7-square, when } 20... dxe4 21. Qg4+ Kh8 (21... Kxf6?? 22. Qg5#) 22. Qh5 Kg7 23. Qg5+ Kh8 24. Qh6 $18) 17. e4 { The kingside is weak and will be easier to exploit when the center opens. Plus, the c3-pawn is no longer unprotected! } { [%clk 0:46:52] } 17... dxe4 { [%clk 0:42:05] } 18. Ndxc4 { [%clk 0:41:45] } 18... Qc7 { [%clk 0:41:00] } 19. Nxd6 { [%clk 0:37:44] } 19... Qxd6 { [%clk 0:41:24] } 20. Rad1 { [%clk 0:35:40] } (20. Nxd7 Nxd7 21. f5 $16 { was also a way to break through. }) 20... Nd5 { [%clk 0:37:29] } 21. c4 { The c-pawn goes from liability to asset. Black's pieces cannot camp in the center long enough for any ... e4-e3 breakthrough and attack on the g2-square to come through. } { [%clk 0:32:15] } 21... Nb4 { [%clk 0:35:22] } 22. Bb3 { [%clk 0:30:26] } 22... Nxe5 { [%clk 0:27:26] } 23. fxe5 $18 { White dominates the center, enjoys a long-reaching bishop pair, and has the only meaningful break threat on the board with d4-d5 coming after a few more smart improving moves. } { [%clk 0:30:02] } 23... Qd7 { [%clk 0:26:47] } 24. Rf4 { [%clk 0:21:13] } 24... Bc6 { [%clk 0:20:36] } 25. Rg4 { [%clk 0:12:00] } 25... Kh7 { [%clk 0:19:07] } 26. d5! { The decisive breakthrough. } { [%clk 0:10:27] } 26... exd5 { [%clk 0:17:15] } 27. cxd5 { [%clk 0:10:35] } 27... Nd3 { Black goes for a forcing line, which just accelerates White's winning attack. } { [%clk 0:15:56] } (27... Bb5 { leaves White spoiled for choice. } 28. Qg3 Rg8 29. Rxe4 { is a way to win a clean pawn while keeping the pressure on (rather than allowing a queen trade with the immediate, and still strong, 28. Rxe4). }) (27... Ba4? { Allows a winning breakthrough: } 28. Bxa4 Qxa4 29. Rxg7+ Kh8 30. Rf1 $18 { The rook is untouchable on the g7-square due to Bh4-f6+ and Qh3xh6+ threats, so White simply brings her other rook out of harm's way and into the attack with Rf1-f6-xh6+ mate threats. }) 28. dxc6 { [%clk 0:07:13] } 28... Qd4+ { [%clk 0:15:57] } 29. Kh1 { There's no ... Nd3-f2+ tricks because both the d1-rook and the f2-square are defended! } { [%clk 0:06:45] } 29... Rxb3 { Removing the defender of the d1-rook costs too much material. } { [%clk 0:13:29] } 30. axb3 { [%clk 0:04:43] } 30... f5 { [%clk 0:13:29] } (30... Nf2+ 31. Bxf2 Qxd1+ 32. Bg1 $18 { Material is even, but the passed c-pawn (and vulnerable black king) are going to decide matters. }) 31. Qxd3 { A completely correct way to liquidate. } { [%clk 0:03:00] } 31... Qxd3 { [%clk 0:13:36] } (31... exd3 32. Rxd4 { exploits the pin. }) 32. Rxd3 { [%clk 0:03:22] } 32... fxg4 { [%clk 0:14:00] } 33. Rd1 { White is up a full piece and the e-pawn is too slow. } { [%clk 0:03:34] } 33... e3 { [%clk 0:14:26] } 34. Kg1 { [%clk 0:03:24] } 34... e2 { [%clk 0:14:51] } 35. Re1 { [%clk 0:03:35] } 35... g5 { [%clk 0:14:43] } 36. Bf2 { 1-0 White wins. } { [%clk 0:03:34] } 1-0