[Event "ch-USA w 2021"] [Site "Saint Louis USA"] [Date "2021.10.16"] [Round "9"] [White "Yip, Carissa"] [Black "Eswaran, Ashritha"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2402"] [BlackElo "2244"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B15"] [Opening "Caro-Kann Defense: Tartakower Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/iLDop9iy/4MMvRwhs"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 { The new mainline of the ...dxe4 Caro-Kann? Judging by recent practice, perhaps! It's also the subject of GM Lars Schandorff's newest book on the Caro-Kann from Quality Chess. } 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Qc2 Re8+ 9. Ne2 h5! { The key move that rehabilitated this line. } 10. Be3 Nd7 11. h3!? { Taking things off the beaten path, although we soon transpose back into known territory. } 11... Nf8 (11... h4 { was almost forced. }) 12. O-O-O Be6 13. g4!? { Sharpening things up considerably. } (13. Kb1 { first against Abdusattorov: } 13... a5 14. Nf4 Bxf4 15. Bxf4 b5 16. g4 Qd5 17. c4 bxc4 18. Be4 Qb5 { and Black has a huge advantage, although White eventually won in So -Abdusattorov, Chess.com INT 2020. }) 13... h4 { Trying to keep things closed, but one wonders if Eswaran didn't miss a trick here. } (13... Bd5!? { the rook more or less has to go to the center with Rh1-e1 or Rh1-f1, as } 14. Rhg1 h4 15. g5? Bh2 { causes problems. }) 14. Rhg1 Qa5 { Fearlessly going for counterplay against the White king. } (14... Bd5!? { again is an improvement. }) 15. a3 Rac8 16. Kb1 { Already here Yip was beginning to think about the c3-c4-c5 followed by d4-d5 break. } 16... Bh2 17. Rge1 Bb8?! { I'm not sure why Eswaran decided to lose a tempo with this move - the bishop is not in any immediate danger. f2-f4 isn't a threat as the e3-bishop hangs. } (17... Bd5 { again makes a lot of sense with the idea of ...Bd5-f3. }) 18. c4 b5! { Thematic... although one wishes the bishop weren't on b8 so a rook could move there! } 19. c5! { Keeping the queenside closed for now and turning her attention to the Black king. } 19... Ng6 20. g5!? Qa4?! { Logical: one of Black's biggest problems is the threat to g6, so Eswaran tries to exchange the queens off at worst, and perhaps win the Exchange if White hallucinates. Still, in retrospect this has to be seen as a mistake. Yip has no reason to trade queens; more, let's assume that we skip a move and give Black the chance to execute her threat: 21...Bb3 22.Qd2 Bxd1 23. Rxd1. White's pieces are so much better than Black's that she has full compensation for the Exchange. } (20... fxg5 21. Bxg5 { first makes sense. After } 21... Qa4 (21... b4!? 22. Qd2! $14 (22. Bd2? b3!)) 22. Bxg6 (22. Qxa4 bxa4 23. Bxg6 fxg6 24. Bxh4 Bxh3 $13) (22. Qd2 Bc7!? { (with the idea of . ..Ba5) } 23. d5!? { the position explodes with complications. }) 22... fxg6 23. Qxg6 Bf7! 24. Qd3 Bc4! $132) (20... Bxh3? { immediately fails to } 21. gxf6! { as } 21... gxf6?? 22. Bxg6 { is utter destruction. }) 21. Qd2 { Effectively refuting Black's last move, and with Ne2-c3 coming, White's pieces are coming to life. Now Eswaran is kind of stuck for a path forward. } 21... f5? { Shutting down the exchange on g6, but also removing the bishop's path to h3. White takes this chance to break through in the center. } (21... b4?! 22. Qxb4 Qxb4 23. axb4 fxg5 24. b5!) (21... fxg5? 22. d5 Bxd5 23. Nc3) (21... Qb3? { and the king starts to look drafty after } 22. gxf6) 22. d5! Bxd5 (22... cxd5 { White has the strong } 23. Nd4! { when all of Black's weaknesses are on display, with the b5-pawn primary among them. If } 23... Bd7 24. c6! Bxc6 25. Bxf5 Bb7 26. f4!? (26. Bxc8 Bxc8 27. f4 { with f4-f5 coming also works. }) 26... Rcd8 27. Bc2! Qa6 28. f5 { with a huge attack }) 23. Nc3 Qa6 (23... Qa5 24. Nxd5 Qxd2 25. Bxd2 cxd5 26. Bxf5 $18) 24. Nxd5 cxd5 25. Bxf5 Rcd8 26. Bd4! { Snuffing out counterplay and showing excellent command of the position. } 26... Be5 { Losing, but it's hard to suggest anything else. } 27. Bxe5 Rxe5 28. Rxe5 Nxe5 29. Qf4! Ng6 (29... Nc4 30. Rxd5! { and Black can't take back due to the backrank threat. }) 30. Qc7! Re8 31. Qd6 { Offering a queen trade may seem counterintuitive here, but it would cement her positional advantages and let her play without risk. } (31. c6 Ne7 32. Bd7 Rf8 33. Qd6) 31... Qa4 (31... Qxd6 32. cxd6 Nf4 { (heading to e6) } 33. Rd4 Ne6 34. Rxd5 Nxg5 35. Rxb5 { is a win }) 32. Bc2 (32. Qxd5!? Re5 33. Qd8+ Nf8 34. Bc2) 32... Qa5 33. Qxd5 Re1 34. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 35. Ka2 { The White king is safe and the c-pawn will decide. } 35... Nf8?! 36. Bb3 Qe7 37. c6 Ne6 38. g6! { A final hammerblow. } 38... Kf8 39. Qf5 (39. gxf7! Kxf7 40. Qxe6+ Qxe6 41. c7 { is a pretty finish. }) 39... Nc7 40. Qc8+ { 1-0 Black resigns. } 1-0