[Event "2023 U.S. Chess Championship"] [Site "Saint Louis, United States"] [Date "2023.10.13"] [Round "8.1"] [White "Mishra, Abhimanyu"] [Black "Sevian, Sam"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2591"] [BlackElo "2698"] [Annotator "WGM Sabina Foisor"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E15"] [Opening "Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo Line"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/b0nfXV2i/vnUDdWKp"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7 7. Nc3 d5 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Bg2 O-O 10. O-O Re8 11. Ne5 Bb7 12. Rc1 Nbd7 13. Bf4 Nf8 14. h4 h6 (14... Ne6 { went well for Black in the following game: } 15. e3 c6 16. Qd3 Rc8 17. Rfd1 Bf8 18. Qb1 h6 19. Bh3 a5 20. Qd3 c5 21. dxc5?! Rxc5! 22. Na4?? Rxc1 23. Rxc1 g5! 24. hxg5 hxg5 25. Nxf7 Kxf7 26. Bxe6+ Rxe6 27. Bxg5 d4 28. Bxf6 Qxf6 29. Qh7+ Bg7 30. Rc7+ Re7 $19 { and Black resigned on move 41 in Makarian – Bok, Chess.com, 2023. }) 15. e3 Ne6 16. g4 $146 (16. Ng4 { was tried by Mishra himself in a game against Bok (who was Black in the above game) . Bok had a pleasant position, but nothing concrete: } 16... Nxf4 17. Nxf6+ Bxf6 18. exf4 c6 19. Qd2 Qd6 20. Rfe1 Rxe1+ 21. Rxe1 Qb4 22. Rd1 Kf8 23. Bf3 Re8 24. Qd3 Bc8 25. Ne2 Kg8 26. Kg2 Qd6 27. Rc1 Be6 28. f5 Bd7 29. Nc3 Qa3 30. Rh1 Bc8 31. Rb1 Ba6 32. Qd2 Qb4 33. Rd1 Kf8 34. Qb2 Bc8 35. Qc2 Bxf5 (35... Bd7 { would keep up pressure, but White would likely continue to hold. }) 36. Qxf5 { and a draw was agreed 21 moves later in Mishra – Bok, St. Louis, 2023. }) 16... c6 17. Bg3 c5 18. dxc5 Bxc5 19. Qf3 Qe7 20. Nd3 Rad8 21. Nxc5 bxc5 22. Be5 Nd7 23. Bg3 Nb6 24. Rfe1 { Until move 16, the players were following a line from the Queen's Indian that Mishra has essayed in the past. This was quite an interesting moment considering the hanging pawns. White has found a way to put pressure on Black, and he must find a way to execute the thematic ... d5-d4. Unfortunately for him, Sam changed the move order and ended up wasting some time in this position which led to him eventually losing a pawn. } 24... Rd7?! (24... Ba8!? { is very interesting as it threatens ...d5-d4 similar to the game, but after } 25. Qf5 (25. Qe2 Rd7) 25... d4 26. Bxa8 Nxa8! { despite its temporary bad placement, the knight can come back to the game through c7 or b6 later. } 27. exd4 cxd4 28. Ne4 d3 $15) 25. Qf5 Red8? (25... d4 { could have still maintained equality. } 26. Bxb7 Rxb7 27. exd4 cxd4 28. Ne2 Qd8) 26. Ne2 Re8 27. Red1 Red8 (27... g6 28. Qc2 Ba6 29. Nf4 Nxf4 30. Bxf4 d4 31. exd4 cxd4 32. Re1 Be2 33. Bxh6 $14) 28. Nf4 Nxf4 29. Qxf4 d4? { The mistake that cost Sam the game, as he loses a pawn and gets into a very difficult endgame. } (29... c4 { could have been his final chance to keep the fight going though White's position is clearly superior. }) 30. Bxb7 Rxb7 31. exd4 cxd4 32. Rxd4 Rxd4 33. Qxd4 Rd7 34. Qe5 Qb4 35. g5 hxg5 36. hxg5 Qd2 37. Bf4 Qd5 38. Qxd5 Nxd5 39. Bd2 Kh7 40. Kg2 Kg6 41. Kf3 Ne7 42. Bf4 Nf5 43. Kg4 Ne7 44. Rc7 Rxc7 45. Bxc7 Nd5 46. Bb8 a6 { A back-to-back blunder that I think can only be understood after it was played. White needs to maintain the pawn on f2 to keep the e3-square controlled for now and only when White can attempt f4-f5 (when Black doesn't have ... Nd5-e3+), only then the pawn should be pushed. This idea with ... Ne3 could have possibly saved the game. } 47. f4?? (47. a4 { was better: followed by Bb8-a7 and then attempting f2-f4. }) 47... f5+?? { Although a natural idea to either attract White to trade or attempt to create a blockade, unfortunately it takes away Black's f5-square which could have otherwise been used by the king. } (47... Ne3+ 48. Kf3 (48... Nd5 49. Kg4 Ne3+) 48... Nd5 49. a4 (49. Ke4?? Nc3+) 49... Kf5! { with some drawing chances for Black. }) 48. Kf3 { Mishra played very well in this endgame and didn't seem to have given Sam any more chances. } 48... Nb4 49. a4 Nc6 50. Be5 Kf7 51. Bc3 g6 52. Ke3 Ke6 53. b4 Kd5 54. Kd3 Ne7 55. Bd4 Nc6 56. Bc5 Na5 57. Bf2 Nc4 58. Kc3 Nd6 59. Bd4 Ne4+ 60. Kd3 Nd6 61. Bg1 Nc4 62. b5 axb5 63. axb5 Nd6 64. b6 Nb7 65. Be3 Nd6 66. Kc3 Ke4 67. Bc1 Kd5 68. Kb4 Kc6 69. Be3 Kd5 70. Bc5 Nb7 71. Be3 Nd6 72. Ka5 Kc6 73. Ka6 Nb7 74. Bd4 Nd8 75. Bf6 Ne6 76. Be7 Nxf4 77. b7 Nd5 78. b8=Q Nxe7 79. Qe5 Kd7 80. Kb7 f4 81. Qxf4 Nf5 82. Qa4+ Ke7 83. Kc7 Ng7 84. Qd7+ Kf8 85. Qd8+ { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0