[Event "Women's World Cup 2025"] [Site "Batumi, Georgia"] [Date "2025.07.10"] [Round "10.10"] [White "Yip, Carissa"] [Black "Krush, Irina"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2453"] [BlackElo "2376"] [Variant "Standard"] [Annotator "Foisor,Sabina"] [ECO "B22"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation"] [StudyName "Women's World Cup"] [ChapterName "Yip, Carissa - Krush, Irina"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/fB3lLxYD/KwhLrmfd"] [Orientation "white"] { Having suffered a tough lost in the first game, Irina had to fight for a win with the black pieces in order to give herself another chance in the tie-breakers. So, she started with her usual weapon: the Sicilian. } 1. e4 c5 2. c3 { Carissa chose the somewhat passive Alapin. It is always a question, in a two-game match, when the player who wins the first game should go for a drawish position in the second game. Or, should they simply play chess? Though many of us answer the latter, sometimes trying to play solidly can pay off just as much. I think the Alapin definitely gives some attacking chances to White and Carissa was able to get just that in this game. Due to the need to over-push for a win, Irina found herself in an equal position where she couldn't avoid the repetition. Wishing to try a final resource she blundered and suffered another defeat, allowing Carissa through to the next round! } 2... d5 3. exd5 Nf6 4. Bb5+ Nbd7 5. Nf3 Nxd5 6. d4 e6 7. O-O Be7!? { Playing for the win can sometimes be tricky, so surprising the opponent can certainly be a good weapon to start with. } (7... a6 { has been essayed on a number of occasions leading to a balanced position. } 8. Be2 Qc7 9. c4 N5f6 10. Nc3 Be7 11. Bg5 O-O 12. Bh4 Rd8 13. Bg3 Bd6 14. Bxd6 Qxd6 15. dxc5 Qxc5 16. Qd4 Qxd4 17. Nxd4 Ne5 18. Rfd1 Bd7 19. c5 Rdc8 20. b4 b6 21. Nb3 Be8 22. Rac1 bxc5 23. bxc5 g5 24. Rd4 Kg7 25. h4 h6 26. hxg5 hxg5 27. Na4 Nfd7 28. Rd6 Rc7 29. Rcd1 Nf6 30. Nb6 Raa7 31. a4 Ne4 32. Rd8 Nc3 33. Re1 Bxa4 34. Nxa4 Nxa4 35. Bxa6 Nc6 36. Rc8 Rxc8 37. Bxc8 Ne7 38. Bxe6 fxe6 39. Rxe6 Rc7 40. g3 Kf7 41. Re5 Kf6 42. f4 gxf4 43. gxf4 Ng6 44. Re4 Nc3 45. Rc4 Ne2+ 46. Kf2 Nexf4 47. c6 Ne6 48. Nd4 Nxd4 49. Rxd4 Rxc6 50. Ke3 Ke5 51. Re4+ Kf5 52. Re8 Ra6 53. Kd4 Rd6+ 54. Ke3 Rd1 55. Ke2 Rd7 56. Ke3 Rd6 57. Ra8 Re6+ 58. Kd4 Re4+ 59. Kc3 Ne5 60. Rf8+ Ke6 61. Re8+ Kd6 62. Rd8+ Kc5 63. Rc8+ Nc6 64. Kd3 Re7 65. Kd2 Kd5 66. Kd3 Ne5+ 67. Kc3 Rd7 68. Rh8 Rc7+ 69. Kd2 Ra7 70. Rd8+ Ke4 71. Re8 Ra3 72. Kc2 Re3 73. Re7 Kd4 74. Re8 Rc3+ 75. Kd2 Rd3+ 76. Kc2 Nc6 77. Rc8 Nb4+ 78. Kc1 Rh3 79. Kd2 Rh2+ 80. Ke1 Nd5 81. Rd8 Ke4 82. Re8+ Kf3 83. Kd1 Nc3+ 84. Kc1 Ne4 85. Rd8 Ke3 86. Rd7 Nc5 87. Rc7 Nd3+ 88. Kb1 Rb2+ 89. Ka1 Kd2 90. Rh7 Rb6 91. Rh2+ Kc3 92. Rg2 Rb8 93. Rg7 Rb5 94. Rc7+ Nc5 95. Ka2 Kc2 96. Ka3 Rb3+ 97. Ka2 Rc3 98. Rc6 Rc4 99. Ra6 Nxa6 { 0-1 (99) Mamedov,R (2636)-Yu,Y (2735) Chess.com INT 2023 }) 8. dxc5 Bxc5 9. Nbd2 O-O (9... a6 { has to be played eventually, but Irina may have wanted to avoid allowing White to bring the bishop onto the b1-h7 diagonal. } 10. Bd3 O-O) 10. Ne4 Be7 11. c4 N5f6 12. Nxf6+ Bxf6 13. Be3 Qc7 14. Bxd7 (14. Qe2 Nc5 15. b4!? Bxa1 16. Bxc5 Bf6 17. Bxf8 Kxf8 18. Rd1) 14... Bxd7 15. Bd4 Bxd4 16. Qxd4 Rfd8 17. b3 { Coming out of the opening, Black managed to equalize, but it isn't easy to find resources to improve further. Irina tried pushing her majority on the kingside, but that allowed White to create some unpleasant threats. } 17... f6 18. Rad1 Bc6 19. Qg4 e5 20. Nh4 g6 21. Nf5 Bd7 22. Ne7+ Kf7 23. Qh4! { All Carissa needed in this game was a draw, so the piece sacrifice would give her just that. } 23... Kxe7 24. Qxh7+ Ke6 25. Qh3+ f5 26. Qh7 Rf8!? { Objectively, this is a mistake that allows White to bring in the rook into the attack, but it's the best practical chance considering the score of the match. } (26... Rh8 { would have allowed a perpetual, which would be sufficient for Carissa to advance to the next round: } 27. Qxg6+ Ke7 28. Qg7+ Ke6 29. Qg6+ $10) 27. c5 Rf7 28. Qxg6+ Ke7 29. Qg5+?? { This lets go, temporarily at least, of the advantage. } (29. Rd6! Raf8 30. Qg5+ Rf6 31. b4 $18 { and Black is struggling with piece coordination. }) 29... Kf8 30. Rd6 (30. Qh6+) 30... Rg7 31. Qh5 (31. Qf6+ Kg8 32. Rfd1 Be8 33. Qxf5 Qe7) 31... Bc6 32. g3 Qf7 33. Qh8+ Qg8 34. Qh5 Rg5?! (34... Re8 35. Rfd1 Qf7 36. Qh8+ Rg8 37. Qh4) 35. Qh4 Re8?? (35... Rg6 36. Rxg6 Qxg6 37. Qh8+ Qg8 38. Qf6+ Qf7 39. Qh8+ Qg8 40. Qf6+) 36. Rf6+! { From here on, it was just a matter of technique for Carissa to take home the second win and the match. } 36... Ke7 37. Rxf5 Qd5 38. Qxg5+ Kd7 39. f3 Qxc5+ 40. Rf2 Kc7 41. h4 Qd4 42. Qd2 Qc5 43. b4 Qc4 44. Qe3 Qe6 45. Rg5 e4 46. b5 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0