[Event "U.S. Championship"] [Site "St Louis"] [Date "2023.10.05"] [Round "1.1"] [White "Krush, Irina"] [Black "Yip, Carissa"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2437"] [WhiteTeam "United States"] [BlackElo "2372"] [BlackTeam "United States"] [Annotator "Davis Zong Jr."] [Variant "From Position"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [FEN "8/3Q1brk/1p1p1q1p/p1pP3n/P1P1pP2/1P2B2P/4N2K/6R1 b - - 0 42"] [SetUp "1"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/b0nfXV2i/BYvAqskF"] [Orientation "white"] 42... Qb2! { After a sharp King's Indian, Yip has neutralized Krush's advantage with a stubborn defense on the g-file, and starts a counterattack with a queen thrust. } 43. Qf5+ Kh8 44. Qc8+ Kh7 45. Qf5+ Kh8 46. Qc8+ Bg8! { A good choice, denying the perpetual. Black's active queen, with the pin and pressure on b3, promises her a decisive advantage. } 47. Rxg7 Nxg7 48. Qg4 Bf7 (48... h5! { was stronger, driving White's queen back. } 49. Qg2 Nf5 50. Bg1 h4! { A remarkable position. White is nearly in Zugzwang as threats of ...Nf5-g3 and ...Qb2xb3 loom menacingly. Black can play ...Bg8-h7 to solidify the kingside and White has no counterplay. } 51. Qg4 (51. Kh1 Qxe2! 52. Qxe2 Ng3+ $19) 51... Bh7 52. Qh5 Kg7 53. Qg4+ Bg6 $19 { The queen is tied to the e2-knight, Kh2-h1 loses to ...Qb2xe2 and ...Nf5-g3+, and the bishop is also out of squares. Black's next moves are ...Qb2xb3 and ...e4-e3, and she will win shortly. }) 49. Qg2 Nf5! 50. Bg1 Bh5? (50... Qxb3! { Giving up the e4-pawn and allowing the white queen counterplay may feel unnatural, but it was the best way forward. } 51. Qxe4 Bg6 52. Qe6 Qxc4 $19) 51. Ng3! { The only safe square for the knight, but a good one. The opposite-colored bishops ending initially looks disastrous for Krush, with ...Bh5-d1 picking up all the pawns, but White comes in fast enough with counterplay to make the draw. } 51... Qxg2+ 52. Kxg2 Bf3+ 53. Kf2 Nxg3 54. Kxg3 Bd1 55. f5! Bxb3 56. Kf4 Bxc4 57. Kxe4 { It's shocking how White can spend three tempi with f4-f5 and Kg3-f4-e4 and still be quick enough for counterplay. } 57... Bf1 58. Bh2 Bg2+ 59. Ke3 Bxh3 60. Bxd6 Bxf5 61. Bc7 Bd7 62. Bxb6 Bxa4 63. Bxc5 { The a1-square is the wrong color, so White only needs to sacrifice the bishop for the h-pawn. A draw was agreed soon. } 1/2-1/2