[Event "Cairns Cup 2024"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2024.06.13"] [Round "1"] [White "Muzychuk, Mariya"] [Black "Zatonskih, Anna"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2510"] [BlackElo "2327"] [Annotator "WGM Tatev Abrahamyan"] [FEN "3bqr1k/4r1p1/p3B1Q1/1p1p1PPN/2pP4/P1P4P/1P6/2B3K1 w - - 0 38"] [Variant "From Position"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [StudyName "2024 Cairns Cup"] [ChapterName "Muzychuk, Mariya - Zatonskih, Anna"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/oG53fNqo/o3EhbBYV"] [FEN "3bqr1k/4r1p1/p3B1Q1/1p1p1PPN/2pP4/P1P4P/1P6/2B3K1 w - - 0 38"] [SetUp "1"] [Orientation "white"] 38. Nf4 { Having sacrificed two Exchanges, Mariya finds the only move to win one Exchange back and stay up material. Due to the piece configuration, once the knight lands on g6, one of Black's rooks will fall. } (38. Qxe8 Rfxe8 39. Nf4 { This mover order does not work due to } 39... Rxe6! { when Black is happy to give back some material in order to get her pieces out. } 40. Nxe6 g6 { The key resource compared to what happened in the game. } 41. Nxd8 Rxd8 42. f6! { White needs to keep things under control and close the position } (42. fxg6? { White shouldn't get greedy. This only allows for Black's king to activate as it will simultaneously act as a blockader for the kingside passed pawns. } 42... Re8 43. Kf2) 42... Re8 43. Kf2 Re4 { Neither side can make progress. Black can simply shuffle back and forth with the king. White's bishop is trapped by its own pawns. White shouldn't get ambitious with moves such as Kf2-f3, as it will allow the rook to invade via e1 and start capturing the queenside pawns. }) 38... Rxe6 (38... Rc7 { The attempt to hang on to material fails to } 39. f6 { , forcing Black to give back material under worse circumstances. }) 39. Qxe6 Qxe6 40. Nxe6 Re8 41. g6! { Unlike in the line with 38. Qxe8 followed by Nh5-f4, in this position it was White's turn. Mariya correctly shut down the kingside, taking away the freeing ... g7-g6 resource from Black. Next, the bishop and the king will activate, while Black's rook will remain passive. } 41... a5 42. Bf4 Bf6 43. Bd6 Kg8 44. Kf2 Bh4+ 45. Kf3 Be1 46. Ke2 { Stopping any ... Be1-d2-c1 ideas. } 46... Bh4 47. Be5 Re7 48. Kd2 Rb7 49. Kc2 Bf6 50. Bxf6 gxf6 { This trade gives White a straight-forward winning plan: run the king to the kingside, push the h-pawn all the way to the h7-square, and transfer the knight to f7. } 51. h4 b4 52. h5 bxa3 53. bxa3 Rd7 54. h6 a4 55. Kd2 Rb7 56. Kc2 Rd7 57. Nf4 Rd6 58. Kd2 Kh8 59. Ke3 Kg8 60. Kf3 Kh8 61. Kg4 Kg8 62. Kh5 Rd7 63. Ne6 Ra7 64. Nd8 Re7 65. h7+ Kg7 66. Nf7 Re8 67. h8=Q+ Rxh8+ 68. Nxh8 Kxh8 69. Kh6 Kg8 70. g7 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0