[Event "ch-USA w 2022"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/dfRDZs7P/yBPniSJ3"]
[Date "2022.10.18"]
[Round "12.6"]
[White "Yu, Jennifer"]
[Black "Krush, Irina"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2297"]
[BlackElo "2432"]
[Annotator "King,Alex"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[ECO "E76"]
[Opening "King's Indian Defense: Four Pawns Attack, Dynamic Attack"]
[Source "https://lichess.org/study/dfRDZs7P/yBPniSJ3"]
[Orientation "white"]
{ [%evp 0,76,19,25,29,-3,41,40,40,46,46,45,37,10,11,10,57,-17,-27,-15,-18,-33,
-26,-97,-81,-78,-76,-77,-69,-72,-73,-91,-87,-77,-74,-63,-14,-52,-46,-100,-101,
-97,-101,-83,-101,-103,-96,-81,-88,-94,-94,-94,-77,-94,-90,-90,-89,-80,-38,-61,
2,3,8,-497,-454,-482,-482,-687,-419,-431,-431,-738,-738,-738,-781,-1759,-29984,
-29985,-29986] }
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 g6 { The Benoni has a somewhat shaky
theoretical reputation, but it certainly can be a useful practical weapon when
Black is playing for a win. } 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. e4 d6 6. f4 { This
impressive-looking phalanx is in fact not one of White's most testing setups
against the Benoni. } (6. Nf3 O-O 7. Be2 { is a flexible and strong option. }) 6... O-O 7. Nf3 e6 8. dxe6 (8. Be2 exd5 9. cxd5 Re8 { would induce the
committal and unclear } 10. e5!?) 8... fxe6 9. Be2 Nc6 10. O-O b6 { Already
Black is perfectly comfortable, and now White starts to drift. } 11. Ne1?! Bb7 12. Be3 Nd4 13. Bd3 Qe7 14. Nc2 { As Krush pointed out in the post-game
interview, it's not clear what this knight is doing on c2 that it wasn't
already doing on f3. } 14... Nd7 15. Rb1 Rf7 16. Qd2 Raf8 17. Rbe1 e5 (17... Qh4!? { is the engine's choice, avoiding the following note. }) 18. Nd5?! (18. f5! gxf5 19. Bg5 { was a surprising way for White to shake things up, e.g. } 19... Bf6 20. Bh6 Bg7 21. Bg5 Qe8 22. exf5 Nxf5 23. Bxf5 Rxf5 24. Rxf5 Rxf5 25. Nb5 { with
counterplay. }) 18... Bxd5 19. exd5 Nxc2 20. Bxc2 exf4 21. Rxf4?! (21. Bxf4 { was necessary. }) 21... Rxf4?! { Based on a miscalculation. } (21... Bxb2 { was strongest. }) 22. Bxf4 Bd4+ 23. Kh1 Qf6 (23... Rxf4 { looks like curtains
for White, but after the miraculous } 24. g3! { Black in fact has nothing! }) 24. g3 Ne5 25. Qe2 Bxb2 { Black has won a pawn, but it has no immediate value,
nor even any guaranteed long-term value. } 26. h4 Bd4 27. Kg2 Qe7 28. Rf1 Qd7 29. Bxe5 Re8? (29... Bxe5 30. Rxf8+ Kxf8 { did not look promising for Black's
winning aspirations, but the game move is just bad. }) 30. Qf3 Bxe5 31. Ba4?? { Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. } (31. h5! { would leave Black in
serious hot water, e.g. } 31... gxh5 32. Qxh5 Re7 33. Bf5 $18) 31... Qxa4 32. Qf7+ Kh8 { Apparently White had hallucinated that Black's rook would be hanging here,
when in fact it is still defended. } 33. h5 gxh5 34. Rf5 Bd4 35. Rg5 Qc2+ 36. Kh3 Qe4 37. Rxh5 Qh1+ 38. Kg4 Re4+ { Objectively a heartbreaker for White, but
at the board Krush (and perhaps also Yu) had assumed that Black was always
better to winning. A good illustration of how a game can look very different
on the battlefield than it does to the spectator watching from home with the
engine running. } 0-1