[Event "St. Louis GM Schiller Norm"] [Site "Saint Louis, Missouri, United"] [Date "2023.01.25"] [Round "2.3"] [White "Kretchetov, Alex"] [Black "Chambers, Ezra"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2200"] [BlackElo "2245"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/SaintLouisChessClub"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D11"] [Opening "Slav Defense: Quiet Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/klN1Ppmb/O424bBrW"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 a6 5. Bd3 e6 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nbd2 Bd6 8. e4 dxe4 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 O-O 11. Bc2 h6 12. Qd3 Nf6 13. b3 Qe7 14. Bb2 Rd8 15. Rad1 b6 16. Rfe1 Bb7 17. Qe3 (17. Ne5! { A clever improvement. Typically, White plays this move for the transformations with d4-xe5, but here the rook on the fifth rank ensures that Black's thematic ...c6-c5 break is refuted by d4-d5. } 17... Bxe5 (17... c5? 18. d5 $18) 18. Rxe5 c5? 19. d5! Rd6 20. Re3 { and White has more space, an active rook, and great bishops. }) 17... a5 18. h3 Rac8 19. Ne5? { Now, White can recapture with the d-pawn, but unfortunately he lacks the firepower needed to meet Black's thematic reply. } 19... c5 20. Nd3 cxd4 21. Bxd4 b5! 22. c5 Bb8 23. Ne5 Rd5 24. b4 axb4 25. Bb3 Bxe5 26. Bxe5 Rxd1 27. Rxd1 Ne4 28. f3 Nxc5 29. Bd6 Qg5 30. Qxg5 hxg5 31. Rc1 { The dust has settled and White has managed to maintain proximate equality. } 31... Nd3 32. Rxc8+ Bxc8 33. Kf1 Bb7 34. Ke2? Nf4+ 35. Kf2 Bd5 36. g3? (36. h4! Nd3+ 37. Ke3 Bxb3 38. axb3 Nc1 39. hxg5 Nxb3 40. Bxb4 $15) 36... Nd3+ 37. Ke3 Bc4? (37... Bxb3 { Compared to the position after 36. h4, now the extra g-pawn ensures a win for Black. } 38. axb3 Nc1 39. Bxb4 Nxb3 $17) 38. Kd4? (38. Bxc4! bxc4 39. Kd4 Nc1 40. Bxb4 Nxa2 41. Ba3 c3 42. Kd3) 38... Bxb3 39. axb3 (39. Kxd3 Bxa2 40. Bxb4 Bd5 $19) 39... Nc1! 40. Bxb4 e5+ 41. Ke3 Nxb3 42. Ke4 Nc1 { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1