[Event "Serbia GM Mix"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/stJ20TuJ/tcjAYty1"] [Date "2022.06.11"] [Round "9"] [White "Woodward, Andy"] [Black "Lu, Miaoyi"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2389"] [BlackElo "2321"] [Annotator "Andy Woodward"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D20"] [Opening "Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Greco Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/stJ20TuJ/tcjAYty1"] [Orientation "white"] { [%evp 0,44,16,28,26,-23,22,-8,13,33,84,49,34,34,49,121,124,68,114,114,112,71, 71,111,111,63,3,128,128,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0] My opponent from China is one of the top U-12 female players in the world. She is skilled in attacking chess. I was jealous to hear that her mom plays blindfold chess with her as part of her training! } 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 { This was the first surprise. She had never played this line in her previous games. } 3. e4 b5 4. a4 c6 5. axb5 cxb5 6. Nc3 Qb6 { Here she had been blitzing out the moves so I knew she was prepared. } 7. Nd5 Qb7 8. Bf4 e5 9. Bxe5 Nd7 { I remembered seeing this in an Aronian-Nakamura game from earlier this year in Berlin, but I couldn't remember how to play it correctly. } 10. Bg3?! (10. Bf4! { This was the best move, and what Aronian played against Nakamura in their Grand Prix game back in March. } 10... Ngf6 11. Nc7+ Kd8 12. Nxa8 Qxe4+ (12... Bb4+? 13. Bd2 Qxe4+ 14. Ne2 Bxd2+ 15. Qxd2 Qxa8 16. Qa5+ Ke7 17. Qxb5 $18) 13. Ne2 Qxa8 14. Nc3 a6 15. f3 Nd5 16. Bd2 Nxc3 17. Bxc3 b4 18. Bd2 Nb6 19. Ra5! $16) 10... Ngf6 11. Nc7+ Kd8 12. f3 { Here Black is already slightly better. } 12... Bb4+ 13. Ke2 Nxe4! { I thought for about 30 minutes, calculating unnecessary stuff. } 14. fxe4 (14. Nxa8 { I thought that maybe this would work, but then after 20 minutes of calculating I realized Black could play } 14... Re8! { with the idea that if } 15. Bc7+? (15. Be5 { trying to block the e-file fails to } 15... Nd2! $19 { with ... f7-f6 on the way. } { [%cal Gf7f6] }) 15... Qxc7 16. Nxc7 Ng3+ 17. Kf2 Nxh1# { A very beautiful checkmate. }) 14... Qxe4+ 15. Kf2 Nf6 16. Be2 { I realized it was going downhill. } 16... Bb7 (16... Qf5+ { I thought she was going to play this because I saw the following brutal variation. } 17. Nf3 Ne4+ 18. Kg1 Nxg3 { removing the defender } 19. Nxa8 { and here I saw the only move that keeps an advantage: } 19... Ne4!! { with the idea of ... Qf5-f4-e3, and if White plays Qd1- d2 then ... Bb4-d2!! } { [%cal Gf5f4,Gf4e3] } 20. Qc1 (20. Bxc4 bxc4 21. Qe2) 20... Bd2 { and Black is on top. }) 17. Bf3 Ng4+ 18. Bxg4 Qxg2+ 19. Ke3 Qe4+ 20. Kf2 Qg2+ 21. Ke3 Qe4+ (21... Qxh1 22. Bf3 Bxf3 23. Qxf3 Qxf3+ 24. Nxf3 Rc8 25. Rxa7 $18) 22. Kf2 Qg2+ { There is no mate and if Black takes on h1 then White can play 23. Bf3 and will be winning. An interesting game with sharp tactics all around. } (22... Qxh1?? 23. Bf3 Bxf3 24. Qxf3 Qxf3+ 25. Kxf3 Rc8 26. Rxa7 $18) 1/2-1/2