[Event "ch-USA Playoff w 2022"] [Site "Saint Louis USA"] [Date "2022.10.21"] [Round "2.1"] [White "Krush, Irina"] [Black "Yu, Jennifer"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2432"] [BlackElo "2297"] [Annotator "Solon,Nate"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D10"] [Opening "Slav Defense: Exchange Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/dfRDZs7P/kcAaQkYQ"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 { The Exchange Slav seems like an uninspired choice for a must-win game, but it's deceptively dangerous. } 3... cxd5 4. Bf4 Nf6 5. e3 Nc6 6. Bb5 { This odd-looking move has been played several times at the GM level recently. Krush was clearly still in her preparation. } 6... Qa5+ { Doesn't make a ton of sense, as White is happy to play Nb1-c3 anyway. } (6... Bf5 7. Nf3 a6 8. Bxc6+ bxc6 9. O-O e6 10. Nbd2 Qb6 11. Nb3 Be7 12. Rc1 O-O? 13. Ne5 Rfc8 14. g4 $36 { 1-0 (37) Krush,I (2429)-Nguyen,E (2280) Lichess.org INT 2020 }) 7. Nc3 Bd7 8. Ne2 e6 9. O-O a6 10. Bd3 Be7 11. a3 b5 12. Nb1 (12. Nc1 { Aiming to land the knight on b3 looks like a better retreat. } { [%cal Gc1b3] }) 12... Qb6 13. Nd2 Na5 14. b4 Nc4 15. Nb3 O-O 16. Nc5 Bxc5? { Black would have been better off just tolerating the knight on c5. Now White gets a protected passed pawn. } 17. dxc5 Qb7 18. Bc2 h6 19. Qd3 e5 20. Bg3 g6 21. Qc3 Rfe8 22. f3 Bc6 23. Bb3 Qe7 24. Rfe1 Rad8 25. Bh4 Qe6 26. Bf2 Nd7 27. a4 Nb8 28. axb5 Bxb5 29. Rec1 Qc6 30. e4 d4 31. Nxd4 exd4 32. Bxd4 Ne5 33. Bd5 Rxd5! 34. exd5 Qxd5 35. Re1 Nc4? { After a complex middlegame, this is the decisive mistake. Black could have gotten the upper hand by bringing the other knight into the game. } (35... Nbc6 { Forcing White to trade her bishop, when Black's two minor pieces will be better than the rook. }) 36. Rxe8+ Bxe8 37. Bh8! { Materially speaking Black is doing okay, but her king is too weak. } 37... f6 38. Qxf6 Qf7 39. Qc3 Bb5 40. Rd1 Nc6 41. Bf6 Qe6 42. Re1 Qd7 43. h4 Nd2 44. Be5 Nxe5 45. Qxe5 Nc4 46. Qf6 Qf7 47. Qd8+ Kg7 48. Re7 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0