[Event "G12 Blitz"] [Site "Durres, AL"] [Date "2024.04.28"] [Round "5.4"] [White "Zavivaeva, Kristina"] [Black "Paragua, Megan Althea"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1769"] [WhiteTeam "FID"] [BlackElo "1973"] [BlackTeam "USA"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A15"] [Opening "English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, King's Knight Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/scakJfH7/NH7OOzem"] [Orientation "white"] 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 Be7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O d5 6. d3 b6 7. b3 Bb7 8. Bb2 Nbd7 9. Nbd2 c5 10. a3 Rc8 11. Qc2 Rc7 { Black begins a nice maneuvering of the queen onto the long diagonal. } 12. Rac1 Qa8 13. Qb1 { White is trying to play a copycat strategy! } 13... Rd8 14. Qa1 Nf8 (14... d4! { Either here or on the previous turn, this would have cemented a space advantage for Black. } 15. Rfd1 Nf8 16. b4 e5! $17 { and Black can even use her queen-and-bishop battery to tactically gain even more space in the center. }) 15. cxd5! Bxd5 (15... exd5 16. e3 d4 17. e4 $10 { was also reasonable. Threats of ... c5-c4 gives Black lots of dynamic play, even if White has gained use of the c-file and accompanying b3-b4 dynamics. }) 16. Nc4 Rcc8 17. Rfd1 b5 18. Ncd2 Qb8 19. Be5 Qb6 20. Qb2 Ng6 21. Bc3 { Play has been about equal for some time, and continues as such. } 21... Bb7 22. b4 cxb4 23. axb4 a6 24. Bd4 Qd6 25. Bc5 Qd7 26. Nb3 Bd5 27. e4 Ba8 28. Bxe7 Qxe7 29. Nc5 a5! { Right when White was about to make some headway, Paragua shows her strong sense for the needs of the position and undermines the knight's outpost. } 30. Rc2 axb4 31. Qxb4? (31. Rdc1 b3 32. Qxb3 Nd7 $10 { would not be bad for Black at all, but is about equal. }) 31... Nxe4! { It's always funny when a piece can be taken three different ways but should be taken in none of them. } 32. Rdc1 Nxc5 33. Rxc5 Rxc5 34. Rxc5 Qf6? { Black actually did not need to give up the pawn at all. } (34... Bxf3! 35. Bxf3 Ne5! { By making continuous threats, White never has time to capture on b5. } 36. Be2 Nc6! { The real point: White's queen is short on squares that defend the rook! } 37. Qc3 (37. Qxb5 Nd4 $19 { overloads the queen. }) 37... b4 38. Qc1 Nd4 $19) 35. Rxb5?? { White was going to win the pawn back, but she had to defend the knight first! } (35. Ne1! $10 { holds the back rank together, defends the knight and bishop, and allows White to regain Black's extra pawn. }) 35... Bxf3 36. Bxf3 Qxf3 37. Rb8 { Perhaps, in White's head, this move came with check?! } 37... Qd1+ { But this move does! } 38. Kg2 Qxd3 $19 { Black is up a full piece and a pawn to boot, and went on to convert. } 39. Qb6 Rxb8 40. Qxb8+ Nf8 41. Qe8 Qd7 42. Qa8 e5 43. h4 f5 44. Qa2+ Qe6 45. Qa8 g6 46. Kh2 Kg7 47. Qb7+ Nd7 48. Qc7 e4 49. Kg2 Qf7 50. Qc3+ Nf6 51. Qe5 Qb7 52. Kh3 e3 53. f3 Qxf3 54. Qe7+ Kh6 55. Qf8+ Kh5 56. Qxf6 Qh1# { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1