[Event "Tata Steel Challengers"] [Site "Wijk aan Zee"] [Date "2024.01.28"] [Round "13.5"] [White "Mendonca, Leon Luke"] [Black "Divya, Deshmukh"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2608"] [BlackElo "2420"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B45"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation, Exchange Variation"] [StudyName "2024 Tata Steel"] [ChapterName "Mendonca, Leon Luke - Divya, Deshmukh"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/jonbbAZH/IJmaCGdN"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. e5 Nd5 8. Ne4 Qc7 9. f4 Qb6 10. c4 Bb4+ 11. Ke2 f5 12. exf6 Nxf6 13. Be3 Qd8 14. Nd6+ Bxd6 15. Qxd6 Bb7 16. Kd1 c5 17. Qxc5 Be4 18. Be2 d6 19. Qd4 O-O 20. b4?! (20. Kc1 Qe7 21. Rd1 d5 22. c5 $14) 20... Qe8 21. a4 e5 22. Qd2?! (22. fxe5 dxe5 23. Qb2 Rc8 24. Ra3! { is a very nice way to keep White in the game, using the point that Kd1-c1 is in White's interest, anyways so checks along the d-file are toothless. } 24... Qg6 25. c5 $13) 22... exf4 23. Bxf4 Bxg2 24. Rg1 Ne4 25. Qd5+ Kh8 26. Kc2 Nf2 27. Rxg2 { Things are going well for Black considering White's exposed king, but this is the critical moment. } 27... Qxe2+?? (27... Rxf4! { defending the f2-knight in the process, and, more importantly, asking White the (very hard) question of how he plans to defend the e2-bishop now. } 28. Bf1 (28. Kd2 Rb8 29. b5 Qe7 30. Rf1 Rbf8 $17) 28... a5! 29. b5 Rc8 30. Kb2 Ng4! { might have been the move Black missed in her evaluation. It loses the d-pawn, but with such an open board, the connected passers might not be decisive. As it turns out, the actual point is that Black has a devilish trick: } 31. Qxd6 Rxf1! 32. Rxf1 Ne3 { when there's no way for the rooks to protect each other given the threat of ... Ne3xc4+. Of course, if White didn't place his king on b2, this would be less of an issue, but then Black would have more obvious counterplay against the king and c-pawn. }) 28. Bd2! { Now, with the threat of Ra1-e1, Black's f2-knight is endangered. A total reveral of fortunes! } 28... Rac8 29. Re1 Rxc4+ (29... Qxc4+ 30. Qxc4 Rxc4+ 31. Kb3 Rcc8 32. Be3! { and even though the knight is no longer pinned, White wins after } 32... Ne4 33. Bd4 Nf6 34. Re7 $18) 30. Kb3 { and the rook is a goner. } 1-0