[Event "ch-USA w 2021"] [Site "Saint Louis USA"] [Date "2021.10.13"] [Round "7"] [White "Yip, Carissa"] [Black "Zatonskih, A.."] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2402"] [BlackElo "2422"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C02"] [Opening "French Defense: Advance Variation, Wade Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/iLDop9iy/2VAPUr5d"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Qb6 (4... Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. O-O Bd7 8. Re1 Nge7 9. h4 a6 10. h5 h6 11. Qe2 f5 12. exf6 gxf6 13. cxd4 Nxd4 14. Nxd4 Qxd4 15. Be3 Qe5 16. Nd2 Rg8 17. f4 Qd6 18. Qf2 Rc8 19. Rad1 Bc6 20. Bh7 Rg7 21. Ne4 Qc7 22. Bb6 dxe4 23. Bxc7 Rxh7 24. Bd6 Rg7 25. Rc1 Nf5 26. Bxf8 Kxf8 27. Rxe4 Rd8 28. Rxc6 bxc6 29. Rxe6 Ng3 30. Rxf6+ Ke7 31. Qc5+ Kxf6 32. Qe5+ Kf7 33. Qc7+ { 1-0 (33) Yip,C (2402)-Abrahamyan,T (2344) Saint Louis USA 2021 }) 5. Nf3 Bd7 { This move order - holding off on ...Nc6 - is slightly unusual, as it decreases pressure on the d4-pawn, but it does give the possibility of exchanging off the 'bad' light-squared bishop. As Zatonskih has played this order before, one assumes that Yip was aware of it and had prepared what followed. } 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. O-O!? (7. Nxd4 { has had fairly good results for White in limited practice. One example: } 7... Nc6 (7... Bc5 8. Qg4) 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. O-O Ne7 10. Nd2 c5 11. c4 (11. Re1!?) 11... Nc6 12. f4?! Be7 13. Kh1 g6 14. Nf3 Nb4 15. Be2 $15 { 1-0 (70) Khanin,S (2506)-Terry,R (2504) Chess. com INT 2021 }) (7. cxd4 Nc6 { gets us back into traditional M-B lines. }) 7... dxc3 8. Nxc3 Ne7 9. h4 { As in Yip-Abrahamyan from round two, White meets ... Ne7 with h2-h4, gaining space on the kingside and dissuading ...Ne7-g6. } 9... h6 10. h5 Qd8 { Playable, but it's not clear why a tempo is needed to do this. I suppose that if Zatonskih knew that the queen could never take on b2, it makes sense to try to rearrange her pieces as in the game. } (10... Nbc6 11. Re1 (11. Be3? { right away doesn't work because of } 11... d4) 11... Nc8 12. Be3 Qd8 (12... Qxb2? 13. Nb5) 13. Rc1 Nb6) 11. Be3 Nec6 12. Rc1 Be7 13. Bb1! { Lauded by the commentary team, and with good reason. } 13... Na5 (13... O-O?? 14. Qd3 { is lights out. }) 14. Qd4! { A nice idea to get the queen to the kingside without having to move the f3-knight. } 14... Nbc6 (14... Nc4 15. Qg4 Nxe3 16. Qxg7 Nxf1 (16... Rf8?! 17. fxe3 $16) 17. Qxh8+ Bf8 18. Rxf1 { and White's better pieces give her the advantage. Still, this probably would have been an improvement for Black. }) 15. Qg4 Kf8 16. b3! { Dooming the a5-knight to passivity. As Yip noted in the post-game interview, White's superior piece activity gives her the ability to slowly build on the kingside and attack nearly at will. } 16... Rc8 17. Ne2 b6 18. Rcd1 Rc7 19. Qg3 Bc8 { [#] After manuevering and preparation, Yip allows an exchange of knights, but only on her terms, allowing for her f-pawn to start rolling down the board. } 20. Nfd4 Nxd4 (20... Ba6!? { looks troubling, but is handily met with } 21. Nxe6+! fxe6 22. Nf4 { when Black can't cover all the holes in her position. }) 21. Nxd4 Nc6 22. Nb5 Rd7 23. f4 d4 24. Bf2 Bc5? { The tactics get out of hand. } (24... f5 { , trying to gum up the works, looks like a sad necessity. } 25. exf6 Bxf6 (25... gxf6!? 26. Be4 Bb7 27. Qf3 a6 { is probably Black's best bet, although it looks unpleasant. }) 26. Be4 Nb4 27. Rfe1 { and White keeps pressing. }) 25. f5! exf5 26. Bxf5 Re7 27. Be4 Nxe5? { A mistake, but really there's not much else to recommend. } (27... Qd7 28. Bxc6 Qxc6 29. Nd6 Bxd6 30. exd6 Re4 31. Rc1) (27... Bb7 28. b4 Bxb4 29. Nxd4) 28. b4! Bxb4 29. Rxd4 { 1-0 Black resigns. } 1-0