[Event "U.S. Senior Chess Championship 2024"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2024.07.24"] [Round "8"] [White "Shabalov, Alexander"] [Black "Kraai, Jesse"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2460"] [BlackElo "2356"] [Annotator "IM Robert Shlyakhtenko"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E01"] [Opening "Catalan Opening: Closed"] [StudyName "2024 National Championships (Junior/Girls' Junior/Senior) Rds 7-9"] [ChapterName "Shabalov, Alexander - Kraai, Jesse"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/kt4PLoQ4/MF6WWzkZ"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Bb4+ 5. Nd2 O-O 6. Nf3 b6 7. O-O Bb7 8. Ne5 Be7 9. b3 Nbd7 10. Bb2 c5 11. cxd5 exd5 12. Rc1 Re8 13. Nxd7 Nxd7 14. Nf3 Bf8 15. Nh4?! { As the game progresses, the knight never seems to do much here. } (15. Ne1! { (intending Ne1-d3) looks like a better path for the knight. }) 15... Nf6 16. Rc2 Ne4 17. Qc1 a5! { Black's last few moves were aimed at securing the center. Now he switches his attention to the queenside. } 18. Rd1 a4 19. f3? { Asking too much from the position. } (19. Nf3 { was best, admitting the imprecision on move 15. }) 19... Ng5 (19... Nd6! { was even stronger, intending } 20. e4 c4!) 20. e4 axb3 21. axb3 c4! { An excellent move, collapsing White's center. } 22. e5 (22. bxc4 dxe4 { leaves White's position rather loose. }) 22... cxb3 23. Rc3 b5! { Black immediately starts to advance his passed pawn. } 24. Nf5 b4 25. Rxb3 Ra2? { Allowing Shabalov to complicate the game, a chance that he does not miss. } (25... Ba6! { was better. }) 26. Nd6! { The knight joins the game with renewed purpose. } 26... Bxd6 27. exd6 Ne6 28. Rxb4 Ra7 29. Qb1 { Shabalov plays for a win. } (29. Ba3!? { would help eliminate the bad dark-squared bishop; after } 29... Qxd6 30. Rxb7 Rxa3 31. f4 { the position is equal. }) 29... Qxd6 { Kraai is now only slightly better, but both players continue to play sharply. } 30. Bc1 Ba6! 31. f4 Bc4 32. f5 Nf8 33. Bf4 Qa6 34. Rb8 Ra8 35. Rxa8 Rxa8 36. h3 h6 37. Qb4 Nh7 38. Qe7 Nf6 39. Rb1 Re8 40. Qc7 Ne4 41. Rb7?! (41. Rb8 { would draw easily. Now Shabalov overpresses. }) 41... Qf6 42. Be5? (42. g4! Qxd4+ 43. Kh2 { gives better holding chances. }) 42... Qxf5 43. Bxe4? Qf1+! { It's hard to say what White missed. Now everything in Black's position is defended and White's king is the one under attack. } 44. Kh2 dxe4 45. Bf4 e3 46. Qc6 Qf2+ 47. Kh1 Ra8 { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1