[Event "U.S. Chess Championship - Women"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2024.10.23"] [Round "11"] [White "Tokhirjonova, Gulrukhbegim"] [Black "Abrahamyan, Tatev"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2374"] [BlackElo "2327"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C17"] [Opening "French Defense: Winawer Variation, Retreat Variation, Armenian Line"] [StudyName "2024 U.S. Championships, Rds 10 and 11"] [ChapterName "Tokhirjonova, Gulrukhbegim - Abrahamyan, Tatev"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/lHUdefbC/OcpeQzXs"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 1:30:53] } 1... e6 { [%clk 1:30:56] } 2. d4 { [%clk 1:31:17] } 2... d5 { [%clk 1:31:22] } 3. Nc3 { [%clk 1:31:39] } 3... Bb4 { [%clk 1:31:23] } 4. e5 { [%clk 1:31:23] } 4... c5 { [%clk 1:31:28] } 5. a3 { [%clk 1:31:29] } 5... Ba5 { [%clk 1:31:43] } 6. b4 { [%clk 1:31:10] } 6... cxd4 { [%clk 1:31:54] } 7. Qg4 { [%clk 1:29:05] } 7... Kf8 { [%clk 1:31:17] } 8. Nb5 { [%clk 1:26:51] } 8... Bb6 { [%clk 1:30:12] } 9. Nf3 { [%clk 1:24:36] } 9... Nc6 { [%clk 1:29:38] } 10. Qf4 { [%clk 1:23:57] } 10... f6 { [%clk 1:21:30] } 11. Bb2 { [%clk 1:16:08] } 11... g5 { [%clk 1:09:19] } 12. Nxg5 { [%clk 1:07:46] } 12... Nxe5 { [%clk 1:09:15] } 13. Nxd4 { [%clk 1:05:39] } 13... Qe7 { [%clk 1:08:39] } 14. Ngf3 { [%clk 0:56:51] } 14... Ng6 { [%clk 1:04:26] } 15. Qd2 { [%clk 0:56:35] } 15... e5 { [%clk 1:03:30] } 16. Nb3 { [%clk 0:56:55] } 16... Be6 { [%clk 1:01:29] } 17. g3 { [%clk 0:54:49] } 17... h5 { [%clk 0:56:41] } 18. a4 { [%clk 0:55:00] } 18... h4 { [%clk 0:44:53] } 19. Rg1 { [%clk 0:44:35] } 19... hxg3 { [%clk 0:29:07] } 20. hxg3 { [%clk 0:43:13] } 20... Nh6 { [%clk 0:26:25] } 21. a5 { [%clk 0:43:05] } 21... Bc7 { [%clk 0:26:31] } 22. Nc5 { [%clk 0:43:17] } 22... Bf7 { [%clk 0:21:11] } 23. Nxb7 { [%clk 0:40:55] } 23... Rb8 { [%clk 0:21:22] } 24. a6 { [%clk 0:39:41] } 24... Bb6 { [%clk 0:17:33] } 25. b5 { [%clk 0:39:33] } 25... Kg7 { [%clk 0:17:39] } 26. Nh4 { Energetic play from Tokhirjonova has netted her a pawn in exchange for Black's "big center," but Begim is making the most of the squares her pieces have! } { [%clk 0:39:30] } 26... Qd7 { [%clk 0:15:11] } (26... e4 27. Qxh6+!? Kxh6 28. Nf5+ Kg5 29. Nxe7 Nxe7 { is aesthetically pleasing but White didn't really gain anything. } 30. Rd1 Nf5 31. g4 Nh4 32. Be2 { should leave White with a modest edge, but nothing more. }) 27. c4! { Black can be forgiven for not wanting to commit to the inflexible 26. ... e4, but now her center comes under a stress test anyways. } { [%clk 0:34:49] } 27... Rbc8?! { [%clk 0:11:34] } (27... Rxb7 { If she's going to sac an Exchange, now's the time. } 28. axb7 Qxb7 29. Bg2 $16) 28. Rc1 { [%clk 0:34:39] } 28... d4 { [%clk 0:11:34] } 29. c5 { The queenside majority matters far more than the center! White plays the whole board! } { [%clk 0:34:34] } 29... Bc7 { [%clk 0:11:42] } 30. c6 { [%clk 0:31:13] } 30... Qe8 { [%clk 0:10:03] } 31. Bh3 { [%clk 0:29:12] } 31... Be6 { [%clk 0:06:38] } 32. Bxe6 { [%clk 0:28:58] } 32... Qxe6 { [%clk 0:07:02] } 33. Qd3 { [%clk 0:28:55] } 33... Ne7 { [%clk 0:02:27] } 34. Ba3 { [%clk 0:26:58] } 34... e4 { [%clk 0:02:10] } 35. Qxd4 { With the second pawn, White is clearly winning. Still, no obvious improvement was available for Black. } { [%clk 0:24:30] } 35... Rcd8 { [%clk 0:01:27] } 36. Nxd8 { [%clk 0:22:33] } 36... Rxd8 { [%clk 0:01:41] } 37. Qxa7 { [%clk 0:22:04] } 37... Ba5+ { [%clk 0:01:34] } 38. Kf1 { [%clk 0:22:31] } 38... Qh3+ { [%clk 0:00:42] } 39. Ng2 { There's no perpetual here. } { [%clk 0:22:59] } 39... Nf5 { [%clk 0:00:55] } 40. Bxe7 { [%clk 0:21:51] } 40... Nxg3+ { [%clk 0:00:44] } 41. fxg3 { [%clk 0:22:12] } 41... Qf5+ { [%clk 0:30:11] } 42. Nf4 { [%clk 0:51:48] } 42... Qxb5+ { [%clk 0:28:35] } 43. Ne2 { The checks run out, and Tokhirjonova clinches clear second. } { [%clk 0:51:59] } 43... Rd5 { [%clk 0:24:42] } 44. Bd6+ { [%clk 0:50:04] } 44... Kg6 { [%clk 0:24:43] } 45. Rh1 { 1-0 White wins. } { [%clk 0:50:01] } 1-0