[Event "U.S. Chess Championship"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/dfRDZs7P/fBCXR7C3"] [Date "2022.10.05"] [Round "1.4"] [White "Yoo, Christopher"] [Black "Niemann, Hans"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2563"] [BlackElo "2699"] [Annotator "Scott,Harold"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D01"] [Opening "Rapport-Jobava System"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/dfRDZs7P/fBCXR7C3"] [Orientation "white"] { [%evp 0,54,18,18,70,14,14,4,19,6,48,-3,39,33,55,11,85,49,47,20,-205,23,68,68, 68,31,61,40,46,9,22,-148,-38,-62,2,-45,14,-93,-22,-33,-2,-27,10,-49,-7,-83,-29, -78,-40,-128,-75,-100,-31,-49,15,-3,18] } 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Bf4 { An interesting choice of opening by Christopher. Hans has written a Chessable course on the Jobava-Prie Attack and has played it frequently as White. } 3... e6 4. Nb5 Na6 5. e3 Be7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. Be2 { Hans has had experience with this position as White in an online game this year on chess.com against Boruchovsky, who played 7...c5 here. } 7... Nh5!? { A seldomly played sideline avoiding anything Christopher might have up his sleeve in the lines played more frequently. } (7... c6 { is most commonly played here. }) 8. Be5 f6 9. Bg3 c6 10. Nc3 c5 11. O-O Nxg3 12. hxg3 { [#] } 12... c4 { A novelty from Hans, choosing to expand on the queenside. } 13. e4 Bb4 14. exd5 exd5 15. Nb1 { A backwards move with the knight! It's not without reason: the idea is c2-c3 followed by Nb1-d2. } 15... Nc7 16. c3 Bd6 17. Nbd2 b5 18. Ne1? Be6 { Even better for Black is } (18... Qe7 19. Nef3 g5 $17 { when Black enjoys more space and White's pieces are a bit restricted. }) 19. Nc2 Qd7 { Preventing the possibility of Be2-g4. } 20. Re1 a5 21. a3 g6 { The beginning of active operations on the kingside for Hans. } 22. Nf1 h5 23. Qd2 Kg7 24. f4 Rh8 25. Bf3 f5 { An interesting decision by Hans, seemingly inviting the exchange sacrifce of Re1-e5.[#] } 26. Re2?! (26. Re5 { then } 26... b4 27. cxb4 Bxe5 28. dxe5 axb4 29. Nxb4 Rab8 { White has some compensation for the exchange for a pawn. }) 26... Ne8! $17 { Hans correctly begins rerouting his knight with an eye towards the e4-square. } 27. Rae1 Bf7 28. Re5 Nf6 { Black is in no rush to take the rook; meanwhile, his knight heads towards the e4-square. Note that if Black does take immediately with } (28... Bxe5 29. dxe5 Nc7 30. Nd4 $15 { he reaches a less advantageous position. }) 29. Nfe3 h4 30. Qf2 h3?! { Attacking the g3- and f4-squares with the knight with } (30... Nh5! { is Black's best try, i.e., } 31. Bxh5 hxg3 32. Qxg3 Rxh5 $15) 31. Re2 { White can equalize with } (31. gxh3 Rxh3 32. Nxd5 Bxd5 33. Bxd5 Ng4) 31... Rad8 32. Qe1? $19 { Much more resilient would be } (32. Qf1 hxg2 33. Qxg2 Rh7 34. Bxd5 Bxd5 35. Rxd5 Re8 36. a4 Nxd5 37. Qxd5 bxa4 $15) 32... Ne4 33. g4 Bxe5? (33... hxg2! 34. Rxg2 Rh3 35. Bxe4 dxe4 $19) 34. dxe5 hxg2 35. Rxg2 Rh3 $15 { [#] } 36. e6?? $19 { This throws away any chance of staying in the game. Now Christopher has to hope for Hans to make time-pressure errors as the players approach move 40. } 36... Bxe6 37. gxf5 Bxf5 38. Nxf5+ Qxf5 39. Nd4 Qf6 40. Bxe4 Re8! { With the time control reached, the win is not in doubt. } 41. f5 Rxe4 42. Qf2 Reh4 43. Rxg6+ Qxg6+ 44. fxg6 Rh1+ 45. Kg2 R4h2+ 46. Kg3 Rxf2 47. Kxf2 Rh2+ 48. Ke3 Rxb2 49. Kf4 Kxg6 50. Ke5 b4 51. axb4 axb4 52. cxb4 c3 53. b5 Rxb5! 54. Nxb5 { And the c-pawn is unstoppable. } 54... c2 55. Kd4 { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1