[Event "2023 World Junior Championship"] [Site "Mexico City"] [Date "2023.09.22"] [White "Carissa YIP"] [Black "Adhara RODRIGUEZ REDONDO"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2372"] [BlackElo "2135"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E05"] [Opening "Catalan Opening: Open Defense, Classical Line"] [StudyName "2023 World Junior Chess Championships"] [ChapterName "Carissa YIP - Adhara RODRIGUEZ REDONDO"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/qVDCzUiI/ewp2le2N"] [Orientation "white"] 1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 e6 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. O-O O-O 6. d4 dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 Bd7 9. Rd1 { A dangerous alternative to the more theoretically well-researched 9. Qxc4. This move has been experimented with by the likes of Nakamura and Dubov in recent online games, and has been in Dubov's repertoire for at least six years. } 9... Bc6 10. Bg5 a5 (10... b5 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. Nc3 Qe8 { is a position Dubov has faced multiple times. } 13. h4 (13. d5 Bxd5 14. axb5 Bxc3 15. Ng5 g6 16. Qxc3 Qxb5 17. Nxf7!? (17. Ra5 $16) 17... Kxf7 18. Ra5 Qb3 19. Qxb3 cxb3 20. Rdxd5 Ke7? (20... exd5 21. Bxd5+ Ke7 22. Bxa8 c6 23. Bb7 Rd8) 21. Rd3 Ra7 22. Rxb3 $16 { was a win for White in 11 more moves in Dubov – Grischuk, Dusseldorf, 2023. }) 13... g6 14. h5 Bg7 15. d5 exd5 16. Qc1 d4 17. h6 Bh8 18. Nxd4 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 Nc6 20. Nf3 Ne5? { was a win for White last year in Dubov – Matlakov, Chess.com, 2022. But after } (20... b4 { White's position is not great, suggesting why Dubov switched to 13. d5 the following year. } 21. Nd5 Qe4 $17)) 11. Nbd2 Na6 12. Nxc4 Nb4 13. Qc1 h6 14. Bxf6 Bxf6 15. b3 $146 (15. Nfe5 Bd5 16. Qc3 b6 17. e4 Bb7 18. Ng4 Be7 19. Qb3 { was a draw in 36 moves in Dubov – Aronian, Tbilisi, 2017. } (19. Nce3 $14)) 15... Be4 16. Nfe5 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 Qd5+ 18. f3 Bxe5 19. e4 Qc6 20. Nxe5 { The position is roughly equal. White has more space in the center, but the backwards b3-pawn and exposed e4-pawn, along with the slightly exposed king, provide opportunities for Black to find counterplay. } 20... Qxc1!? { Without queens, White's king is safer, and this in turn allows her rooks to prod the c- and a-pawns to keep a nagging edge. } (20... Qd6 { or }) (20... Qe8!? 21. Qc3 (21. Qxc7?! Rc8 22. Qxa5 Nc2! { with the threats of taking on a1 and forking on e3. })) 21. Raxc1 Rac8 22. Rc5 Rfd8 23. f4 b6 24. Rcc1 f6 25. Nc4 Nc6 26. d5 exd5 27. exd5 Nb4 28. Ne3 (28. d6 { was also fine, but Yip's choice is practical, keeping more pieces on the board to preserve more chances to create and capitalize on complications. }) 28... Kf7 29. Kf3 Rd6 30. g4 g6?! { Black wants to keep White's knight out of the f5-square, as not only would this be a nice outpost, but it would allow the d5-d6 push to roll through. But this move has its own drawbacks, and Yip is able to take initiative on the kingside. } (30... Na6! 31. Nf5 Rd7 32. d6 Nc5 { allows Black to activate her pieces just in time to keep the game in the balance. }) 31. h4 h5 32. f5 hxg4+ 33. Kxg4 gxf5+ 34. Nxf5 { This is exactly what Black was trying to avoid with ... g7-g6! } 34... Rd7 35. d6 c5 { White now has a dangerous passed d-pawn that is neutralizing one of Black's rooks, an outside passer on the kingside, and the more active minor piece. That said, it is far from winning. } 36. Kf4 Nc6?! (36... Rh8 $14 { is an interesting idea, observing that White has no obvious ways to make progress. }) 37. h5 Ne5? (37... Rh8 38. Rh1 $16 { when the pawn's advancement past the halfway point gives a clearer plan, but at least Black is offering more resistance here. } 38... Ne5 39. Rc3 Ke6 40. h6 Rg8 { is one illustration of how Black could create counterplay. }) 38. Rc3 Ke6 (38... Rh8 39. h6 Rg8 { and note that, with the king still on f7, Black's other rook is not in time to blockade on h7, and White's Rc3-g3 is that much more effective as a result. } 40. Rg3 Rxg3 41. Kxg3 Ke6 42. Kf4 Rh7 43. Ke4 $18 { when Black is practically out of moves. }) 39. Rg1?! (39. h6 { was more direct. } 39... Rh8 40. Rg3 $18) 39... Rh7? { Right up at the edge of the time control, things get messy. } (39... b5!! 40. axb5 Rb8 41. h6 Rxb5 42. Ng7+ Kf7 43. h7 Rb4+ 44. Kf5 Rh4 { and Black's rook has made it to an active square behind the pawn just in time! }) 40. h6 Nf7 { The time control is reached, but White is now clearly winning. } 41. Rg7 Rch8 42. Re3+ Ne5 43. d7 Rxg7 44. hxg7 Rd8 45. Nh6 Kd5 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0