[Event "Women's World Cup 2025"] [Site "Batumi, Georgia"] [Date "2025.07.10"] [Round "10.15"] [White "Lee, Alice"] [Black "Shukhman, Anna"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2412"] [BlackElo "2416"] [Variant "Standard"] [Annotator "Foisor,Sabina"] [ECO "E05"] [Opening "Catalan Opening: Open Defense, Classical Line"] [StudyName "Women's World Cup"] [ChapterName "Lee, Alice - Shukhman, Anna"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/fB3lLxYD/tITHyGgp"] [Orientation "white"] { Alice, similarly to Irina, found herself in a must-win situation here. On the other hand, she at least had the White pieces and got a very good position out of the opening. Unfortunately for our rising star, she misplayed two moves that led her into a difficult position where she her opponent didn't allow her any chances to catch up in development and get back into the game. } 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 b5 8. a4 b4 9. Nfd2 Nd5 10. Nxc4 c5 11. dxc5 Ba6 12. Ne3 Nd7 13. Nxd5 exd5 { Up until this moment, the players followed a top game, but it is here that Alice chose a wrong idea that allowed her opponent a simple reply! } 14. Rd1? (14. c6 { was the top engine choice as well as top played line giving White a slight advantage. } 14... Rc8 15. Bf4 Nc5 16. Rd1 d4 17. h4 Re8 (17... h6 18. Bf3 Re8 19. Nd2 d3 20. exd3 Bxd3 21. Qc1 Bf8 22. Re1 Qf6 23. Rxe8 Rxe8 24. c7 Rc8 25. Qe1 Bd6 26. Bxd6 Qxd6 27. Rc1 Rxc7 28. Qe8+ Kh7 29. Qe3 Bf5 30. a5 Ne6 31. Rxc7 Qxc7 32. Nb3 Qc4 33. Kg2 Kg8 34. Nd2 Qc5 35. Qxc5 Nxc5 36. Bd5 Be6 37. Bxe6 fxe6 38. Kf3 Kf7 39. Ke3 e5 40. Ne4 Nb3 41. a6 Ke6 42. g4 Kd5 43. Ng3 g6 44. h5 gxh5 45. gxh5 Nd4 46. f4 Nc2+ 47. Kd2 exf4 48. Nf5 Nd4 49. Nxh6 Ke4 50. Ng4 Nf3+ 51. Ke2 Ng5 52. Nf2+ Kd4 53. h6 f3+ 54. Kd2 Kc4 55. Ke3 Kb5 56. Nd3 b3 57. Kf4 Nf7 58. h7 Kxa6 59. Kf5 Kb5 60. Kf6 Kc4 61. Nf2 Nh8 62. Kg7 Kd4 63. Kxh8 Ke3 64. Nh1 { 1-0 (64) Firouzja,A (2804)-Nihal,S (2662) Warsaw 2021 }) 18. Bf3 Ne6 19. Be5 d3 20. exd3 Bf6 21. d4 Bxe5 22. dxe5 Nd4 23. Qe4 Nxf3+ 24. Qxf3 Qa5 25. Rd5 Qc7 26. Rd7 Qxe5 27. Qxf7+ Kh8 28. Nd2 Rf8 29. Qe7 Qxb2 30. Rb1 Qc3 31. Ne4 { 1-0 (31) Grischuk,A (2745)-Dubov,D (2708) Chess.com INT 2022 }) 14... Bxc5! { Black choses the right idea. } (14... Rc8 { would transpose to the previous line. } 15. c6 Nf6 16. Bg5 Re8 17. e3 Qb6 18. Bxf6 Rxc6 19. a5 Qb5 20. Bc3 d4 21. Rxd4 bxc3 22. Nxc3 Bf6 23. Qd2 Qc5 24. Bxc6 Qxc6 25. Rd6 Qc8 26. Nd5 Bb7 27. a6 Ba8 28. Nxf6+ gxf6 29. Rxf6 Rd8 30. Qc3 Qg4 31. f3 Bxf3 32. Rf4 Qh5 33. Rf1 Bd5 34. Qf6 Rd7 35. Rf5 Qe2 36. Qg5+ Kh8 37. Rxd5 Rxd5 38. Qxd5 Qxe3+ 39. Kg2 Qe7 40. Qxf7 Qe4+ 41. Qf3 { 1-0 (41) Goryachkina,A (2484)-Kamalidenova,M (2259) Almaty 2022 }) 15. Bxd5? { The mistake, after which Alice was never able to improve her position, though it is already difficult to find equality now. } (15. Qf5 Qe7 16. Bg5 Bxf2+!? (16... Qxe2 17. Nd2) 17. Kh1 Qxe2 18. Nd2 Qe5 19. Qxf2 Qxg5 20. Nf3 Qh5 21. Rd4 { Compared to the game, at least maybe White can try to put pressure on Black's weak pawn or maybe created threats on the king side with Rd4-h4. }) (15. Bf4 { leads to some complications out of which Black ends up in a much better position as follows: } 15... Rc8 16. Qf5 Nf6 17. Bg5 Bxe2 18. Rxd5 Bg4! 19. Rxd8 (19. Bxf6 Qxf6 20. Qxf6 (20. Qxg4?? Qxf2+ 21. Kh1 Qg1#) 20... gxf6 21. Nd2 Be6 22. Rd3 Rfd8 { and Black's bishop pair is overpowering White's knight and bishop. }) 19... Bxf5 20. Rxc8 Rxc8 21. Bxf6 gxf6 22. Nd2 Bd4 $19) 15... Rc8 16. Qf5 g6?! (16... Bxe2 { would have made things even easier for Black. } 17. Bg5 Be7 18. Bxe7 Qxe7 $19 { Black's advance in development and the opportunity to infiltrate on the second rank give Black a decisive advantage. }) 17. Qg4? (17. Qg5 Bxe2 18. Re1 Bd3 19. Qxd8 Rfxd8 20. Nd2 Nf6 21. Bf3 Re8 22. Rd1 a5) 17... Nf6 18. Qf3 Nxd5 19. Rxd5 Bxe2 20. Rxd8 Bxf3 21. Rxf8+ Bxf8 22. Be3 (22. Nd2 Bd5 23. Nf1 Bg7 { and the bishop pair is simply dominating. }) 22... Bg7 23. Nd2 Bd5 24. Bxa7 Bxb2 25. Re1 Bc3 26. Rc1 Ra8 27. Be3 Rxa4 28. Nb1 Bb2 29. Rc2 Bf6 30. Bh6 Ra8 31. Rc5 Be4 32. Rc1 b3 33. Nd2 b2 34. Nxe4 Ra1 35. Nxf6+ Kh8 36. Rf1 Rxf1+ 37. Kxf1 b1=Q+ 38. Kg2 Qb7+ 39. Kh3 Qf3 40. Ng4 Qf5 41. f3 Qxf3 42. Bf4 h5 43. Nf6 Qc6 44. Bg5 Kg7 45. Kh4 Qg2 46. h3 Qe2 47. Nd7 Qe4+ 48. Bf4 Qe7+ 49. Nf6?! Qxf6+ 50. Bg5 Qd4+ 51. Bf4 f6 52. g4 Qf2+ 53. Bg3 g5+ { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1