[Event "122nd U.S. Open"] [Site "Rancho Mirage, CA"] [Date "2022.08.03"] [Round "5.11"] [White "Luger, John"] [Black "Moradiabadi, Elshan"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2026"] [BlackElo "2614"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B07"] [Opening "Modern Defense: Geller's System"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/dhk4PGrT/7wQKTSii"] [Orientation "white"] { [%evp 0,100,17,35,100,66,88,70,89,38,60,41,37,37,41,24,44,32,30,32,32,27,18, -16,-5,-9,11,-10,0,-10,24,30,22,12,8,14,0,4,0,-17,8,7,32,2,14,9,-18,-16,0,-56, -28,-39,-36,-71,-114,-113,-122,-128,-121,-149,-181,-130,-147,-93,-98,-98,-129, -151,-161,-245,-230,-230,-254,-261,-304,-282,-262,-274,-260,-260,-225,-269, -259,-254,-218,-218,-211,-303,-205,-287,-234,-274,-267,-313,-331,-330,-327, -330,-331,-331,-336,-331,-326] } 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 d6 4. c3 Nd7 5. Be3 b6 6. Nbd2 Bb7 7. Bc4 e6 8. O-O Ne7 9. Re1 h6 10. Qc2 O-O 11. Nf1 a6 (11... d5 12. Bd3 dxe4 13. Bxe4 Bxe4 14. Qxe4 Nf6 { but that's not why he's playing the Hippo against weaker opposition. }) 12. a4 c5 13. Bd3 Qc7 14. Qd2 Kh7 15. h4 { White is playing good moves, and as we'll see, he has more than a few chances to take it to the GM. } 15... e5 { Trying to stabilize the center. } 16. Ng3! (16. d5?! c4 17. Bc2 f5 { gives Black what he wants. }) 16... Nf6 { [%cal Gf6g4] } 17. Nh2 exd4 (17... Nc6 18. d5 Na5 19. Qe2 c4 20. Bc2 h5 { is a Ruy-like position, where White is better but Black has chances. } 21. Rf1 { wti f2-f4 seems logical }) 18. cxd4 Nc6 19. Rac1?! (19. d5 { is almost forced here. Play continues } 19... Ne5 20. Be2 Rae8 21. f4 Ned7 22. Bd3 { and Black is slightly worse in a complex position. }) 19... Qd8 (19... Qd7! { improves as it hits the a4-pawn. }) 20. d5 Na5? { The position oscillates between difficult and very difficult for Black. } (20... Ne5 21. Be2 Bc8) 21. Qe2?! (21. Qd1! { avoids the ...Na5-b3-d4 idea }) 21... Nd7 (21... Nb3 22. Rcd1 Nd4) 22. h5 Ne5? 23. Bb1? { Not challenging the knight gives Black the tempo he needs to whip up counterplay. } (23. f4! { in light of } 23... Qh4 { but White is much better after } (23... Nxd3 24. Qxd3) 24. fxe5! Qxg3 25. exd6 Qxd6 26. Qf2!) 23... Qh4 (23... Nb3 24. Rc3 Nd4) 24. Ngf1?! (24. Nf3! Nxf3+ 25. Qxf3 Be5 26. Bd2! Bxb2? 27. e5) 24... b5 { [#] Playing with fire. } (24... Qxh5 25. Qxh5 gxh5 26. Ng3 Nac4 { . White keeps a serious edge after } 27. Nxh5 Nxb2 28. Re2 Nxa4 29. f4!) 25. hxg6+? { Playing to win a pawn, but relieving all the tension in the position and giving Black the half-open f-file. } (25. f4! Nec4 26. Nf3 Qf6 (26... Qe7 27. Qc2! { [%csl Yg6][%cal Gb1g6] }) 27. e5! $36) (25. axb5!? { looks worrisome in light of } 25... Nb3 { but now the rook goes on a bit of a trip } (25... Qxh5 26. Qxh5 gxh5 { and now best is the visually odd } 27. b6! { just keeping the pawn and locking up the queenside for a bit while White recoordinates his pieces. }) 26. Rc3 Nd4 27. Bxd4 cxd4 28. Rc7) 25... fxg6 26. axb5 axb5 27. Qxb5 { [#] } 27... Rfb8? (27... Ba6! { with the idea } 28. Qxa5 (28. Qa4 Nac4 29. Qc2 Rf7 $40) 28... Bxf1) 28. Qa4?! (28. f4 Nec4 29. Nf3 Qd8! { and now only } 30. Qa4 { holds the balance }) (28. Nd2!? { holding c4, giving luft to the queen } 28... Bxd5 (28... Bc8 29. Qe2) 29. Qe2 Bc6 30. f4 $13) 28... Nac4 29. Qc2 Ba6 { All of Black's pieces spring to life. ...Rxb2 is a real threat. } 30. b3 Na3 31. Qd1 Nxb1 32. Rxb1 Bd3 33. f4? { Right idea, wrong time. } (33. Rc1 Bxf1 34. Nxf1 Ng4 35. g3 Qh3 { but he still has to find the knockout punch. }) 33... Bxb1 34. fxe5 Bxe4 { Now White is down the Exchange with no compensation. } 35. Bf2 Qf4 36. Qg4 Qxg4 37. Nxg4 Bf5 38. Nf6+ Bxf6 39. exf6 Re8 40. Rc1 Rf8 41. b4 Rxf6 42. bxc5 dxc5 43. Rxc5 Rc8 44. Ra5 Rc1 45. Ra7+ Kg8 46. Ra3 Rd1 47. Ra8+ Rf8 48. Rxf8+ Kxf8 49. Bc5+ Kf7 50. Kf2 Rxd5 { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1