[Event "U.S. Championship"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/iLDop9iy/4JOCcVYH"] [Date "2021.10.06"] [Round "1.4"] [White "Swiercz, Dariusz"] [Black "Burke, John M"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2647"] [WhiteTeam "United States"] [BlackElo "2554"] [BlackTeam "United States"] [Annotator "Yoo"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C77"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/iLDop9iy/4JOCcVYH"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 { This move order allows White to play Bc1-g5, forcing Black to reckon with the pin of the f6-knight. } 5... b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. c3 d6 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 g5 { This move has to be played at some point to break the pin. It is a bit weakening, but the pawns on h6 and g5 can restrict the White bishop on g3, which makes the position pretty balanced. } 10. Bg3 Ba7 { Prophylaxis against the d3-d4 pawn push, which would come with tempo. } 11. Nbd2 Ne7?! { This is a rather typical move in this opening, but here it allows White to play d3-d4. } (11... Na5! { forcing white to give up his b3-bishop, or not play d3-d4. } 12. Bc2 (12. d4 Nxb3 13. axb3 h5 14. dxe5 h4 15. exf6 hxg3 16. fxg3 Qxf6 $13) 12... Nh5! { Now there are two knights on the edge of the board! The bishop pair will soon go, and if White tries } 13. d4? g4 14. Nh4 exd4 $15 { Black gets an edge. }) 12. d4 exd4 13. cxd4?! { Not a bad move, but White's play is much trickier to handle now than after the other capture. } (13. Nxd4 Bg4 14. f3 Bd7 15. Qe2 $16 { with e4-e5 and h2-h4 in the air. Black's king is in danger. } { [%cal Ge1d1,Ge1c1,Ga1d1,Gh2h4,Ge4e5] }) 13... g4 14. e5 (14. O-O! { ignoring the hanging knight on f3! } 14... Nh5 { Almost an only move. } (14... gxf3 15. Qxf3 Ng6 16. e5 Bg4 17. Qc6+ Bd7 18. Qc2 $16 { White simply has a huge initiative with e6 and many other ideas in the air. } { [%cal Ge5e6,Ge5f6,Gd2e4] }) 15. Bh4 Qd7 { [%cal Gg4f3,Gd7g4] } 16. e5! { A very chaotic position, where White's chances look better. }) 14... Nh5 15. Nh4? { It is hard to blame White for not leaving his knight hanging, but it was a mistake. } (15. exd6! cxd6 16. Bh4 $14 { and once again the f3-knight remains poisoned. }) 15... Nxg3 16. hxg3 d5? (16... Bxd4 17. e6 (17. Ne4 Bxe5) 17... Bxe6 18. Bxe6 fxe6 19. Qxg4 Bxb2 20. Rb1 Bc3 21. Qxe6 Qd7 $17) 17. Nf1?! Be6 { Also fine, but leads to a less clear position. } (17... c5! 18. dxc5 Bxc5 19. Ne3 Qb6 $13) 18. Ne3 Qd7 19. Qd3 O-O-O 20. a4 Kb7 21. Bc2 { Inaccurate, although Black failed to take advantage. } (21. O-O $13) 21... c6 (21... b4! { prevents a4xb5, and closes down files. White has no initiative. } 22. O-O a5 $15) 22. O-O Rhf8?! (22... b4! { is still possible, but not nearly as good. } 23. a5! c5 24. dxc5 Bxc5 25. Rfc1 $14) 23. Rfe1 (23. axb5! { Black can't play ... b5-b4 or ...c6-c5 as both moves are too weakening: } 23... axb5 24. f4 gxf3 25. Rxf3 $16 { [%cal Ga1f1,Gg1h2,Gd3c3,Gh4f5] }) 23... f6?? 24. exf6?? (24. axb5! { opens the a-file, where White can attack: } 24... axb5 (24... cxb5? 25. Qa3 $18 { and the point is that ...Qd7-d6 is not possible with the pawn on e5. }) 25. exf6 Rxf6 $140 26. Nxg4! Bxg4 27. Rxa7+ Kxa7 28. Qa3+ Kb6 29. Rxe7 $18 { A very nice combination! }) 24... Rxf6 25. axb5 cxb5 26. Qa3 Qd6 27. Nxg4 { After all the chaos some simplifications are finally happening! } 27... Qxa3 28. Rxa3 Bxg4 29. Rxe7+ Rd7 30. Rxd7+ Bxd7 $15 { Despite White being up a pawn, Black's pawn majority and bishop pair makes this more than enough compensation. } 31. Rd3 Re6?! { A little slow. } (31... Rc6! 32. Bb3 (32. Rd2 { doesn't work here because of } 32... Bxd4! 33. Bb3 Rc1+ 34. Kh2 Bf6 $15) 32... Rc1+ 33. Kh2 Kc6 $15) 32. Kf1?! (32. Rd2! $14 { White can immediately start pushing his pawns with f2-f4. } { [%csl Gf2][%cal Gf2f4,Gg1f2] }) 32... b4 33. Rd1 a5 34. Nf5? { Now Black can play ... a5-a4, and the pawns are too strong. } (34. b3! { effectively neutralizing ...a5-a4. } 34... Bb5+ 35. Bd3 Bxd3+ 36. Rxd3 a4 37. bxa4 Ka6 38. Nf5 Ka5 39. Ne3 Kxa4 40. Rd1) 34... Bb5+ 35. Bd3 Bxd3+ 36. Rxd3 a4 37. Rd1 Kc6 38. g4 Kb5 $19 { Black's pawns are simply too strong. } { [%cal Gb5c4,Gc4b3,Ga4a3] } 39. Ne3 Re4 40. Rc1 Bxd4 41. Nxd5 Bxb2 42. Nc7+ Ka5 43. Rc6 b3 44. Rxh6 a3 45. Ra6+ Kb4 46. f3 Re5 47. f4 Ra5 { This game was quite the rollercoaster! There were many chances for both sides, and White made the last mistake, which often decides matters. } 0-1