[Event "2023 U.S. Junior Chess Championship"] [Site "St Louis"] [Date "2023.07.25"] [Round "9.2"] [White "Guo, Arthur"] [Black "Ghazarian, Kirk"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2483"] [BlackElo "2469"] [Annotator "IM Sandeep Sethuraman"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B40"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Exchange Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/ZBuAQUT7/fhFev0kb"] [Orientation "white"] { Annotations by IM Sandeep Sethuraman } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. e5 { The players follow a popular line. Guo is tied for the lead and looking to score a big win with the white pieces. } 7... Nd5 8. Ne4 Bb7 9. c4 Nb4 10. c5 { White gains a clamping hold on the position, but his pawns are slightly weakened and Black can attack them. } 10... Qc7?! { Not the most accurate. } (10... Qb8 11. f4 Ba6 12. Be2 Bxe2 13. Qxe2 { is the path towards equality. }) 11. Qb3 a5 12. Nd6+ Bxd6 13. exd6 Qc8 14. a3 Nd5 15. Qg3 { Now Black's position is cut in half by the pawn chain. } 15... Kf8 16. Bc4 Ba6! { The bishop pair has to go. } (16... f6 17. O-O Kf7 18. Re1 Ba6 19. b3 { would have been disastrous for Ghazarian. }) 17. Bxd5? { Guo goes for an opposite-colored bishop position in the hopes of generating an attack to create winning chances, but his king is the one that will be stuck in the center. } (17. b3! { was the way to force the capture on White's terms. } 17... a4 18. O-O axb3 19. Qxb3) 17... cxd5 18. Qc3 Qd8 (18... a4! { to fix the white queenside and prevent the creating of a strong pawnchain with b2-b4. }) 19. Be3 Rc8 (19... Qf6 20. Qxf6 gxf6 21. Bh6+ Ke8 22. b4 Rg8 { was the easiest way to take the pressure off. }) 20. O-O-O f6 21. f4 Kf7 22. g4? { Tempi are always important when starting an attack, but this simply drops a pawn. } 22... Be2! { As promised, the pawn drops. } 23. Rd4 (23. Rdg1 Bf3) (23. f5! { was a way to create complications. } 23... Bxd1 24. fxe6+ dxe6 25. Rxd1 { and White's connected passers make the game unreadable. }) 23... Bxg4 24. Ra4 Ra8 25. Kb1 Qb8 26. Rxa5 Rxa5 27. Qxa5 Qb3! { Now the white king will find itself in huge danger. The bishop is stuck on the wrong color and can't do anything to help. } 28. Bd2 Rb8 (28... d4! { was the most precise. } 29. Qb4 Qd3+ 30. Ka1 Bf3 31. Rc1 Bc6 { and Black consolidates while White's pieces are tied to the defense of the king. }) 29. Qc3 Qa4 30. Ka1 d4 31. Qc1 Bf3 32. Rg1 Bd5 (32... Rb3! { was even stronger. } 33. Rg3 Bd5 34. Rxb3 Qxb3 35. Qb1 g6 { and the white queen is paralyzed. Black will slowly improve his position while White can only watch helplessly. }) 33. Rg3 Rb3 34. Qe1 Qc4 35. Rxb3 Qxb3 36. Kb1 { The best try, but Ghazarian finishes the game with excellent technique. } 36... Qa2+ 37. Kc1 Qc4+ 38. Kb1 Qd3+ 39. Ka1 Qb3 40. Kb1 Qa2+ 41. Kc1 Qc4+ 42. Kb1 Qxc5 { and the White pawns drop like flies. } 43. Qe2 g6! { Prophylaxis against Qe2-h5+. } 44. Bb4 Qc6 45. h3 Bb3 46. h4 Qh1+ 47. Be1 Qd5 48. Qd3 e5 49. fxe5 fxe5 50. Qf1+ Ke6 51. Qh3+ Kxd6 52. Bb4+ Kc6 53. Qf1 Kb7 54. Qe1 d6 55. Ba5 Qc4 56. Ka1 Qd3 57. Bb4 Kc6 58. Bd2 e4 59. Bc1 Qc2 60. Qh1 Bd5 61. Qf1 Qc4! { This endgame is clearly winning with such advanced passers. } 62. Qxc4+ Bxc4 63. b4 e3 64. Kb2 Kd5 65. a4 Ke4 66. b5 Kd3 67. b6 Ba6 68. b7 Bxb7 { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1