[Event "2023 Susan Polgar Foundation Girl's Inv"] [Site "Webster Groves, Missouri, Uni"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "4.1"] [White "Yan, Ruiyang"] [Black "Lee, Alice"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2354"] [BlackElo "2454"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B33"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/hrij2qzZ/2QlTsL2K"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5 Nxd5 8. exd5 Nb8 9. a4 Be7 10. Be2 O-O 11. O-O Nd7 12. Kh1 a6 13. Na3 f5 14. f4 exf4 15. Bxf4 Nc5 16. Nc4 a5 17. Be3 (17. c3 { was Yan's own try in this position last year against GM Irina Krush. } 17... Bd7 18. Bf3 Ra6 19. Re1 b5 20. axb5 Bxb5 21. Be2 Ne4 22. Rf1 Bxc4 23. Bxc4 Ra8 24. Bd3 Bg5 25. Qc2 Bxf4 26. Rxf4 Qg5 27. Raf1 Rae8 28. g3 g6 29. Bxe4 fxe4 30. Rxf8+ Rxf8 31. Rxf8+?! (31. Re1 { was more convincing. }) 31... Kxf8 32. Qxe4 Qc1+ 33. Kg2 Qxb2+ 34. Kh3 Qf2 { when Yan was fortunate to hold the draw in Yan – Krush, St Louis, 2022. ½- (51) ½ (51) Yan,R (2220)-Krush,I (2432) Saint Louis 2022 }) 17... b6 18. Bd4 $146 (18. b4 { was played unsuccessfully in a relatively low-level game. } 18... axb4 19. a5 Bf6 20. Nxb6 Bxa1 21. Qxa1? (21. Nxa8 Be5 22. Nb6 Qh4 23. Bg1 Ne4 24. Rf3 { seems to provide some compensation, and is worth exploring further. }) 21... Ra7 22. Qb2? Qe7 { and Black is winning in Starosta – Moscicka, Ustron, 2020. }) 18... Bf6 19. Qd2 Bxd4 20. Qxd4 Ba6 21. Bd3 Bxc4 22. Qxc4 g6 23. Rae1 Ra7 24. c3 Re8 25. Rxe8+?! (25. b4 { was White's best try to hold equality. The fixed d5-pawn promises to pose problems in the endgame, so she should play for dynamics now. } 25... Rxe1 26. Rxe1 Nxd3 27. Qxd3 axb4 28. cxb4 Rxa4 29. Qd4 { and White has managed to rid herself of her worst piece while keeping pressure on two weak black pawns on the queenside. }) 25... Qxe8 26. Bc2 Re7 27. b4 axb4 (27... Nd7! { Keeping complexity in the position was the only way to push for an advantage. } 28. Qc7 Re1 29. Bd3 Rxf1+ 30. Bxf1 Qe1 31. Qc8+ Nf8 32. Qc4 h5 $15) 28. cxb4 Nxa4 29. Qc6! { Now, White is fine. } 29... Qxc6 30. dxc6 Nc3 31. g4 Rc7 32. gxf5 gxf5 33. Bxf5 Rxc6 34. Rg1+ Kh8 { There is no way to make progress. } 35. Bd7 Rc7 36. Be6 h6 37. Rg6 d5 38. Bf5 b5 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } 1/2-1/2