[Event "ch-USA w 2022"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/dfRDZs7P/7ipiOwtw"] [Date "2022.10.10"] [Round "6"] [White "Krush, Irina"] [Black "Cervantes Landeiro, Thalia"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2432"] [BlackElo "2272"] [Annotator "Shlyakhtenko,Robert"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A22"] [Opening "English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/dfRDZs7P/7ipiOwtw"] [Orientation "white"] { [%evp 0,81,25,-25,-11,-15,22,-29,-20,-31,-11,-47,-2,-2,3,-5,-1,0,9,13,16,8,8, 9,31,24,35,26,35,37,40,45,47,33,21,24,25,24,41,-34,-15,-10,64,19,21,67,64,68, 142,56,63,51,66,69,49,44,40,76,252,223,325,280,287,349,307,237,168,219,236,279, 264,180,472,512,752,687,1191,673,1090,1505,29993,29994,29999,-30000] } 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 O-O 5. e4 Bxc3 6. bxc3 d6 7. d3 h6 8. Nf3 { Usually, the knight goes to e2. } 8... Bg4?! { I believe that the move h2-h3 is helpful for White, so there is no reason to provoke it. } 9. h3 Be6 10. O-O a6 { This is Black's main idea in this pawn structure. } 11. a4! a5 12. c5?! { This is somewhat rushed. White needs time to consolidate her bishop pair, and this structural modification only secures outposts for the Black knights. } (12. Ne1 { followed by Nc2-e3 and f2-f4 would be my choice. }) 12... dxc5? (12... Nc6! { was the best decision. Play could continue } 13. cxd6 cxd6 14. Ba3 Re8 15. c4 b6 { , where White needs to be accurate. Something like } 16. Nh4 { would allow a strong positional pawn sacrifice: } 16... Nd7! 17. Bxd6 Nc5 18. Bxc5 bxc5 { with more than enough compensation. }) 13. Nxe5 Nbd7 14. f4? (14. Nf3 { was much healthier from a structural point of view. Black will not be able to blockade the pawns in the long run. } 14... c4 15. e5 Nd5 16. dxc4 N5b6 17. Nd4 Bxc4 18. Re1 { already gives White a decisive attack. }) 14... Nxe5 15. fxe5 Nd7 16. Bf4 Re8 (16... Qe7 { was somewhat more accurate, one idea being ...Rfb8 followed by ... b5. Black has her share of counter-chances. }) 17. g4 (17. d4! { directly was better. }) 17... Nf8 18. Be3 b6 19. g5!? { An inspired pawn sacrifice to open lines. } 19... hxg5 20. d4 cxd4? { A big error, allowing White to control the dark squares unopposed. } (20... Bc4! 21. Rf5 Nh7 { was a better execution of the same idea. Now after } 22. d5? { White lacks access to the d4-square, and } 22... g6 23. Rf2 Rxe5 { just nets a pawn. }) 21. cxd4 Bc4 22. Rf5 Nh7 23. d5! { The e3-bishop is now a devastating piece, while Black's forces are separated from each other. White's advantage is clear. } 23... Qe7 (23... g6 24. Rf2 Rxe5 25. Qd4 { loses material. }) 24. Bd4 Rad8 25. Qc2 Ba6 26. Rc1 { Forcing Black to create an additional weakness on b6. } 26... c5 27. Bc3 { The most natural retreat, making sure that there are never any ideas of ...b5. } 27... Bc8 28. Rf3 Nf8? { The decisive mistake, made in time pressure. } (28... Bd7 29. Rcf1 Rf8 { allows Black to hold on. White must deal with the problem of the weak a-pawn. }) 29. Rcf1 Ng6 30. Rxf7 { White crashes through. Cervantes tries to confuse matters in the remainder, but does not succeed. } 30... Qxf7 31. Rxf7 Kxf7 32. Qf2+ Kg8 33. Qg3 Nf4 34. Bf1 Bxh3 35. Qxg5 Rf8 36. Bc4 Bc8 37. Kh1 Bb7 38. Kh2 g6 39. e6 Rde8 40. Qh6 Re7 41. Qh8# { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0