[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