[Event "Chess Zone January Tuesday Game of the Week"] [Date "2025.01.21"] [Round "2"] [White "Lucas Hernandez"] [Black "Levon Ayrapetran"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1549"] [BlackElo "1539"] [Annotator "Arturo Mesa Imberno"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E06"] [Opening "Catalan Opening: Closed"] [StudyName "CZN February 2025"] [ChapterName "Lucas Hernandez - Levon Ayrapetran"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/nCsIeOvQ/vh8KpNwQ"] [UTCDate "2025.01.21"] [UTCTime "20:45:56"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%eval 0.17] } 1... d5 { [%eval 0.24] } 2. Nf3 { [%eval 0.08] } 2... Nf6 { [%eval 0.11] } 3. c4 { [%eval 0.22] } 3... e6 { [%eval 0.17] } 4. g3 { [%eval 0.1] } 4... Be7 { [%eval 0.32] } 5. Bg2 { [%eval 0.16] } 5... O-O { [%eval 0.2] } 6. O-O { [%eval 0.2] } 6... c6 { [%eval 0.21] } 7. Qc2 { [%eval 0.19] } 7... dxc4 { [%eval 0.25] } 8. Qxc4 { [%eval 0.42] } 8... Nbd7 { [%eval 0.78] } { More active here seems to be the continuation based on 8. ... b5 9. Qc2 Bb7 10. Nc3 Nbd7 11. Rd1 b4 12. Na4 with the idea of playing ... c5. } (8... b5 9. Qc2 Bb7 10. Nc3 Nbd7 11. Rd1 b4 12. Na4 c5) 9. Rd1 { [%eval 0.67] } 9... Nb6?! { [%eval 1.25] } { Inaccuracy. e5 was best. } { Not the best plan, as soon White will start grabbing space and depriving Black of important squares. Moreover, it turns out that Black's queen has lost its (possibly) best square. } (9... e5) 10. Qc2 { [%eval 1.22] } 10... Qc7 { [%eval 1.63] } 11. Bf4 { [%eval 1.32] } 11... Bd6 { [%eval 1.37] } 12. Bxd6 { [%eval 1.42] } 12... Qxd6 { [%eval 1.4] } 13. e4 { [%eval 1.5] } { Earning an important tempo. } 13... Qc7 { [%eval 1.47] } 14. a4! { [%eval 1.06] } 14... Bd7?! { [%eval 1.96] } { Inaccuracy. a5 was best. } (14... a5 15. Nbd2 Rd8 16. e5 Nfd5 17. Ng5 f5 18. exf6 gxf6 19. Nge4 Qg7 20. Qc5) 15. a5 { [%eval 1.84] } 15... Nc8 { [%eval 1.92] } 16. Nc3 { [%eval 1.42] } 16... c5? { [%eval 3.32] } { Mistake. h6 was best. } (16... h6 17. Ne5 Ne7 18. Nb5 Qb8 19. Qc5 Nc8 20. Nc3 Rd8 21. a6 bxa6 22. Nxc6) 17. d5?! { [%eval 2.49] } { Inaccuracy. e5 was best. } { Guaranteeing an advantage, but 17. e5 seems to weaken Black's kingside faster. For example, White is better after: } (17. e5 Ng4 (17... Nd5 18. Nxd5 exd5 19. Ng5 g6 20. Bxd5 Ne7 21. Bf3 Rac8 22. Qxc5 Qxc5) 18. Ng5 g6 19. Qe2 h5 20. h3 cxd4 21. hxg4 dxc3 22. gxh5 cxb2 23. Qxb2) 17... exd5? { [%eval 4.7] } { Mistake. e5 was best. } (17... e5 18. d6 Nxd6 19. Nxe5 Rad8 20. Nxd7 Nxd7 21. f4 f6 22. Qd3 Nf7 23. Nb5) 18. e5! { [%eval 4.49] } 18... d4 { [%eval 5.15] } 19. exf6 { [%eval 5.01] } 19... dxc3 { [%eval 5.5] } 20. fxg7 { [%eval 5.62] } 20... Kxg7 { [%eval 5.66] } 21. Ng5! { [%eval 5.61] } 21... f5 { [%eval 5.6] } 22. Qxc3+ { [%eval 5.59] } 22... Kg6 { [%eval 5.35] } { Now it is clear what a sad journey Black's knight made, as it is now unavailable to help defend the realm. } 23. a6 { [%eval 5.49] } (23. h4) 23... Nd6 { [%eval 6.37] } 24. Qe5 { [%eval 5.74] } 24... Rf6 { [%eval 6.23] } 25. axb7 { [%eval 5.41] } 25... Re8 { [%eval 5.33] } 26. Qf4 { [%eval 5.33] } 26... Qb6 { [%eval 5.58] } 27. h4! { [%eval 5.6] } 27... h6 { [%eval 5.2] } 28. Nh3 { [%eval 5.26] } { A more direct win is available via: } (28. Rxa7 Qxa7 29. Rxd6) 28... Bb5 { [%eval 5.8] } 29. Qd2?! { [%eval 4.27] } { Inaccuracy. Rxa7 was best. } { Still winning here is Ra7. } (29. Rxa7 Nf7 30. Ra8 Rd6 31. Kh2 Rxd1 32. Rxe8 Bxe8 33. b8=Q Qe6 34. Qf3 Qe5) 29... Bc6?! { [%eval 6.05] } { Inaccuracy. Ne4 was best. } { The bishop's back and forth seems pointless. } (29... Ne4 30. Bxe4 fxe4 31. Nf4+ Kf7 32. Nd5 e3 33. Qxe3 Rxe3 34. Nxb6 Rxb6 35. fxe3) 30. Qxd6! { [%eval 6.23] } 30... Rxd6 { [%eval 6.16] } 31. Rxd6+ { [%eval 6.17] } 31... Kg7 { [%eval 6.17] } 32. Rxc6 { [%eval 6.14] } 32... Qxb2?! { [%eval 8.73] } { Inaccuracy. Qxb7 was best. } (32... Qxb7 33. Rg6+ Kxg6 34. Bxb7 Kf6 35. Nf4 c4 36. Kg2 Rb8 37. Rxa7 Ke5 38. Bd5) 33. Rxa7 { [%eval 7.84] } 33... Rb8? { [%eval #11] } { Checkmate is now unavoidable. Kf8 was best. } (33... Kf8 34. Kh2 h5 35. Rc8 Qxb7 36. Rxe8+ Kxe8 37. Rxb7 f4 38. Nxf4 Kf8 39. Rh7) 34. Rc7+ { [%eval #17] } { This is a well done, beautiful sequence. } 34... Kg6 { [%eval #3] } 35. Nf4+ { [%eval #5] } { With the knight's arrival into the mix, Black's fate is sealed. } 35... Kf6 { [%eval #5] } 36. Ra8?! { [%eval 10.67] } { Lost forced checkmate sequence. Ra6+ was best. } { Cleaner is: } (36. Ra6+ Ke5 37. Re6+ (37. Rd7 Qb1+ 38. Kh2 Qg1+ 39. Kxg1 c4 40. Rd5#) 37... Kd4) 36... Rxb7?! { [%eval #22] } { Checkmate is now unavoidable. Qb1+ was best. } (36... Qb1+ 37. Kh2 Qb6 38. Nd5+ Ke5 39. Nxb6 f4 40. Re7+ Kd4 41. Re4+ Kc3 42. Rxb8) 37. Rxb7 { [%eval 8.33] } 37... Qc1+? { [%eval #7] } { Checkmate is now unavoidable. Qxb7 was best. } { The position has been resignable for a few moves now. } (37... Qxb7 38. Bxb7 c4 39. Rc8 Ke7 40. Kh2 Kd7 41. Rxc4 h5 42. Rc6 Kd8 43. Rh6) 38. Kh2 { [%eval #6] } 38... c4 { [%eval #4] } 39. Rb5 { [%eval #6] } 39... c3 { [%eval #3] } 40. Ra6+ { [%eval #2] } 40... Ke7 { [%eval #2] } 41. Rb7+ { [%eval #1] } 41... Kd8 { [%eval #1] } 42. Ra8# { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0