[Event "U.S. Open Championship and Tournament of State Champions 2024"] [Site "Norfolk, Virginia"] [Date "2024.08.04"] [Round "15"] [White "Khanin, Semen"] [Black "Fidel C Jimenez"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2658"] [BlackElo "2625"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D35"] [Opening "Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Positional Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [StudyName "2024 U.S. Open"] [ChapterName "Khanin, Semen - Fidel C Jimenez"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/hE6CNQRX/fxbutX9M"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%clk 1:40:57] } 1... Nf6 { [%clk 1:39:48] } 2. c4 { [%clk 1:41:23] } 2... e6 { [%clk 1:40:14] } 3. Nc3 { [%clk 1:41:46] } 3... d5 { [%clk 1:40:35] } 4. cxd5 { [%clk 1:42:11] } 4... exd5 { [%clk 1:40:58] } 5. Bg5 { [%clk 1:42:36] } 5... Bb4 { [%clk 1:40:41] } 6. e3 { [%clk 1:42:11] } 6... h6 { [%clk 1:40:44] } 7. Bh4 { [%clk 1:41:57] } 7... g5 { [%clk 1:40:52] } 8. Bg3 { [%clk 1:42:22] } 8... Ne4 { [%clk 1:41:04] } 9. a3 { [%clk 1:38:30] } 9... Bxc3+ { [%clk 1:25:47] } 10. bxc3 { [%clk 1:38:43] } 10... h5 { [%clk 1:25:59] } 11. f3 { [%clk 1:39:02] } 11... Nxg3 { [%clk 1:25:55] } 12. hxg3 { [%clk 1:39:27] } 12... Nd7 $146 { Until now, the players were following Yu – Dubov, Lindores, 2020: } { [%clk 1:24:22] } (12... Qd6 13. g4 h4 14. Bd3 Nc6 15. Nh3 Qg3+ 16. Kf1 Rg8 17. Qb3 Qd6 18. c4 dxc4 19. Bxc4 Qe7 20. Nf2 $16) 13. Bd3 { [%clk 1:37:21] } 13... Nf6 { [%clk 1:24:01] } 14. e4 { [%clk 1:32:07] } 14... dxe4 { [%clk 1:15:44] } 15. fxe4 { [%clk 1:31:45] } 15... Qe7 { [%clk 1:16:01] } 16. Nf3 { [%clk 1:18:25] } (16. e5 Bg4 17. Qa4+ c6 18. Nh3!? Bxh3 19. gxh3 Nd5 20. O-O { is a messy position typical for this variation. Black is not able to exploit White's airy king, but it's hard to make suggestions for either side. } 20... h4 21. Be4 Qe6 22. Bf5 $14) 16... Nxe4 { [%clk 1:11:08] } 17. Bxe4 { Clarification slightly favors Black here. White could have applied more pressure by keeping pieces on, but of course that introduced more losing chances as well. } { [%clk 1:10:31] } (17. O-O!? Nxg3 18. Re1 Be6 19. Qa4+ (19. d5?! Qc5+ 20. Nd4 Qxd5 $13) 19... Kf8 20. Qb5 g4 21. Ng5 Rh6 22. Re5 $13) 17... Qxe4+ { [%clk 1:11:34] } 18. Kf2 { [%clk 1:10:56] } 18... Be6 { [%clk 0:46:15] } 19. Re1 { [%clk 1:06:11] } 19... Qd5 { [%clk 0:33:41] } 20. Re5 { [%clk 1:00:32] } 20... Qd6 { [%clk 0:24:26] } 21. Qa4+ { [%clk 0:50:34] } 21... Qd7 { [%clk 0:22:42] } 22. Qxd7+ { [%clk 0:38:42] } 22... Kxd7 { [%clk 0:23:10] } 23. Rxg5 { White has regained his pawn and the position is dynamically balanced. } { [%clk 0:38:16] } 23... f6 { [%clk 0:20:50] } 24. Rg7+ { [%clk 0:35:32] } 24... Kd6 { [%clk 0:21:19] } 25. Rh1 { [%clk 0:28:00] } 25... b5 { [%clk 0:17:50] } 26. Nd2 { [%clk 0:25:17] } 26... Bd5 { Black's bishop dominates the enemy knight for the moment, but a careful rerouting keeps White pressing with a slight edge. } { [%clk 0:14:10] } 27. Rh4 { [%clk 0:23:35] } 27... Rae8 { [%clk 0:11:56] } 28. Nf1 { [%clk 0:21:21] } 28... a5 { [%clk 0:06:18] } 29. Ne3 { [%clk 0:21:14] } 29... Be6 { [%clk 0:05:06] } 30. Rf4 { [%clk 0:20:05] } 30... Ref8 { [%clk 0:03:16] } 31. d5!? { Playing at least partially off his opponent's time pressure, White forces Black to make a decision. } { [%clk 0:16:53] } 31... Bc8!? { From now on, White is more clearly playing for a win. Necessary was } { [%clk 0:02:21] } (31... Bxd5! 32. Nf5+ (32. Rd4 c6 { is no problem. }) (32. Nxd5 Kxd5 33. Rxc7 Rc8! $10 { keeps Black's pieces active enough to maintain the balance. }) 32... Kc5! 33. Rxc7+ Kb6! { when White has nothing better than } 34. Re7 Re8 $10 { keeping the balance. }) 32. c4 { [%clk 0:16:29] } 32... bxc4 { [%clk 0:01:56] } 33. Nxc4+ { [%clk 0:16:11] } 33... Kxd5 { [%clk 0:02:23] } 34. Rxc7 { White is better for two reasons. First, the c4-knight is superior to the c8-bishop. Second, the bishop's location on the c8-square prevents Black from activating a rook with ... Rf8-c8 as in some of the variations after 31. ... Bxd5! above. } { [%clk 0:16:32] } 34... Ke6 { [%clk 0:01:02] } 35. Nxa5 { [%clk 0:08:40] } 35... Bd7 { [%clk 0:01:25] } 36. Rd4 { [%clk 0:07:04] } 36... Ra8 { [%clk 0:00:41] } 37. Nc4 { [%clk 0:06:03] } 37... Be8 { [%clk 0:01:08] } 38. Rd6+ { [%clk 0:02:03] } 38... Kf5 { Both players are down to two minutes to play the next two moves. } { [%clk 0:01:37] } 39. Rc5+ { There's no way White was going to find the stunning } { [%clk 0:01:23] } (39. g4+!! { with the point that } 39... hxg4 40. Rc5+ Kg6 41. Ne5+ Kg7 (41... Kh6 42. Rxf6+ Kg7 43. Nxg4 { is a mating net! }) 42. Rc7+ Kh6 43. Nxg4+ Kg5 44. Rg7+ Kf4 45. Rd5 { preparing g2-g3+! }) (39. Rg7 { was also a way to keep Black's king dancing. }) 39... Kg6 { [%clk 0:01:58] } 40. Ne5+ { [%clk 0:01:41] } 40... Kh6 { [%clk 0:01:26] } 41. Rxf6+ { [%clk 0:00:48] } 41... Kg7 { White would love to play Ne5-g4 followed by Rc5-g5+ and Rf6-h6 mate. That's why 39. g4+ and even 40. g4 were such strong moves. } { [%clk 0:01:53] } 42. Rf3 { [%clk 0:24:46] } 42... Rf8 { [%clk 0:31:26] } 43. Nc4 { [%clk 0:22:22] } 43... Bg6 { [%clk 0:30:52] } 44. Rxf8 { [%clk 0:19:59] } 44... Rxf8+ { [%clk 0:31:05] } 45. Ke3 { The players have safely made it to the time control, but Black should be happy. The lone a-pawn is a difficult pawn to promote. } { [%clk 0:20:24] } 45... Rf1 { [%clk 0:30:43] } 46. Ne5 { [%clk 0:17:49] } 46... Be8 { [%clk 0:30:20] } 47. Nd3 { [%clk 0:18:10] } 47... Ra1 { [%clk 0:29:10] } 48. Ra5 { [%clk 0:18:07] } 48... Rb1 { [%clk 0:29:18] } 49. Nf4 { [%clk 0:15:42] } 49... Rb3+ { [%clk 0:29:41] } 50. Kf2 { [%clk 0:16:04] } 50... Kf6 { [%clk 0:29:15] } 51. Ra8 { [%clk 0:14:28] } 51... Bf7 { [%clk 0:29:41] } 52. a4 { [%clk 0:14:48] } 52... Rb4 { [%clk 0:29:10] } 53. a5 { What else? But now Black solves the problem of the weak h-pawn: } { [%clk 0:14:11] } 53... h4! { [%clk 0:29:02] } 54. a6 { [%clk 0:11:56] } 54... Rb2+ { [%clk 0:29:27] } 55. Ke3 { [%clk 0:04:36] } 55... Rb3+?! { [%clk 0:28:10] } (55... hxg3! { This holds: } 56. a7 (56. Nh5+ { is an idea we're going to see a number of times. Here, it does not work because of } 56... Bxh5 57. a7 Ra2 58. Rf8+ Bf7 59. a8=Q Rxa8 60. Rxa8 { because of the miraculous } 60... Bd5! $10 { nabbing the g-pawn! }) 56... Ra2 57. Kd4 Ra5 58. Ke3 { and the knight is perfectly placed on the f4-square. } 58... Ra3+ $10) 56. Kd4 { [%clk 0:05:01] } 56... hxg3? { Bafflingly, with White's king on d4, this no longer holds, but with the rook on the third-rank, White still had a draw with } { [%clk 0:27:39] } (56... Rxg3! { Now, this is the proper recapture. } 57. Nh5+ { Is White's idea, deflecting the bishop with } 57... Bxh5 58. a7 Ra3 59. Rf8+ { but now } 59... Kg5! 60. a8=Q Rxa8 61. Rxa8 Kf4 { actually holds! } 62. Rg8 Bg4 $10) 57. Nd3? { Now White is the one playing from behind on the clock, since he should be able to draw this on the increment if he gives up on finding a win. } { [%clk 0:02:13] } (57. Nh5+! { Now this wins. } 57... Bxh5 58. a7 Ra3 59. Rf8+ Kg5 (59... Bf7 60. a8=Q Rxa8 61. Rxa8 Bd5 { is not viable with the king on d4. In other words, the choice on move 55 to push White's king to d4 is the reason Black lost a saving resource! } 62. Kxd5 $18) 60. a8=Q Rxa8 61. Rxa8 $18 { and Black's king cannot get to the g-pawn in time. }) 57... Ra3 { [%clk 0:24:12] } 58. Nb4 { [%clk 0:02:13] } 58... Bh5! { The only move. Black's point is that } { [%clk 0:24:05] } (58... Kg7? 59. Ra7! Kf6 60. Rb7 $18 { and White's rook has repositioned from its unfortunate position in the way of its own pawn to the much more preferable position guarding the a7-square from the side. }) 59. Rf8+ { [%clk 0:00:45] } (59. a7? Kg7 { gets the king to its preferred defensive position: there is no Ra8-h8-h7+ idea naymore. }) 59... Kg7 { [%clk 0:24:03] } 60. Rc8 { [%clk 0:00:59] } 60... Be2?? { [%clk 0:23:51] } (60... Ra4! { was necessary. } 61. Rc7+ (61. Ke5 Bf3!) 61... Kh6 62. Kc5 Be2 { now holds, as } 63. a7 Bf3 { draws. }) 61. Rc7+ { [%clk 0:00:58] } 61... Kh6 { [%clk 0:23:52] } 62. a7 { [%clk 0:01:06] } 62... Ra4 { [%clk 0:15:31] } (62... Bf3 63. gxf3 g2 64. Rc1 { wins, but only because Black cannot take the knight with check, or do something similarly disruptive. }) 63. Ke3 { [%clk 0:01:00] } 63... Bf1 { [%clk 0:15:45] } 64. Rc6+ { [%clk 0:01:01] } 64... Kg5 { [%clk 0:15:35] } 65. Na6 { White wins. } { [%clk 0:01:23] } 65... Ra3+ { [%clk 0:15:57] } 66. Kd2 { [%clk 0:00:55] } 66... Ra2+ { [%clk 0:16:11] } 67. Kc3 { [%clk 0:00:39] } 67... Ra3+ { One last trick: } { [%clk 0:16:34] } 68. Kd4 { [%clk 0:00:41] } (68. Kb2?? { is the "intuitive" square to stop the checks, but Black has } 68... Rxa6!! 69. Rxa6 Bxg2! { with a draw! }) 68... Ra4+ { [%clk 0:15:54] } 69. Ke5 { Instead, White illustrates that it's the c7-square, not the b2-square, that provides sanctuary! } { [%clk 0:00:43] } 69... Ra5+ { [%clk 0:16:13] } 70. Kd6 { [%clk 0:00:53] } 70... Rxa6 { [%clk 0:16:34] } 71. Rxa6 { [%clk 0:01:19] } 71... Bxg2 { [%clk 0:17:01] } 72. Rc6 { 1-0 White wins. } { [%clk 0:01:45] } 1-0