[Event "16th American Continental Championship"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/tKS9M3Bj/U4Mn40XC"] [Date "2023.05.17"] [Round "4"] [White "Stearman, Josiah"] [Black "Corrales Jimenez, Fidel"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2385"] [BlackElo "2489"] [Annotator "Lu,Max"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C88"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: Closed"] [StudyName "American Continental Championships"] [ChapterName "Stearman, Josiah - Corrales Jimenez, Fidel"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/tKS9M3Bj/U4Mn40XC"] [Orientation "white"] { [%evp 0,157,19,38,25,16,14,23,25,-6,9,9,24,-4,-2,10,16,0,10,-48,3,-107,20,17, 20,41,50,52,60,58,52,17,46,-8,21,10,2,5,3,-1,8,-9,-7,-76,-87,-101,-87,29,30,22, 65,24,65,27,57,79,176,181,173,163,167,172,174,174,172,165,165,141,141,159,163, 130,102,101,109,110,98,101,104,101,101,101,150,138,103,103,111,92,105,101,99, 82,99,82,86,92,107,117,226,275,287,229,302,305,312,312,370,370,363,371,346,344, 344,354,375,378,386,393,404,411,413,413,413,409,459,460,581,670,982,982,992, 1032,1293,1293,1334,1239,1259,1312,1279,698,761,761,761,576,952,606,625,635, 658,679,692,692,722,692,722,712,841,722,1002,1219] } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. d4!? { Not the most frequent line, but a playable line leading to interesting, open positions. } 8... d6 (8... Nxd4 { is the critical line, where White can choose between two moves that lead to unbalanced positions: } 9. Bxf7+ (9. Nxd4 exd4 10. e5 Ne8 11. Qxd4) 9... Rxf7 10. Nxe5 Rf8 11. Qxd4 c5 12. Qd1 Qc7 13. Nf3 Bb7 14. Bg5) 9. Be3?! (9. c3 { is the main move, leading to a transposition from lines featuring an earlier c2-c3 before d2-d4. } 9... Bg4 10. Be3 Bh5 11. h3 Re8) 9... Bg4 10. h3 Bh5 11. c3 Re8 12. Nbd2 exd4 13. cxd4 Na5 { This is a typical maneuver in Ruy Lopez positions, aiming to play ... c7-c5 next to hit back at White's large center. } 14. Bc2 c5 15. dxc5 (15. e5!? { was an alternative, forcing Black to immediately respond to White's pressure and preparing a (hidden!) kingside attack. } 15... Nd5 16. Qb1! { Both attacking h7 and moving the queen out of the pin from Black's light-squared bishop. } 16... Nxe3 (16... Bg6 17. e6! { destabilizing the Black bishop's support and opening the light squares for White to attack on the kingside. }) 17. Bxh7+ Kh8 18. fxe3 g6 19. g4 { and White regains the bishop with solid attacking chances due to Black's weaker squares and more passive structure on the kingside. }) 15... dxc5 (15... Nc6 { The computer radically suggests this move, which would be hard to find over the board, as it would require Black to admit that his ...Nc6-a5 and ... c7-cc5 foray has amounted to little, then changing plans to playing on the dark squares with his slightly more active setup. }) 16. g4?! (16. e5 { The computer once again prefers this move, with the nuance that after } 16... Nd5 17. Qb1 Nxe3 (17... Bg6 18. e6 { is the idea again }) 18. Bxh7+ Kh8 { White now has } 19. Rxe3 $18 { and the central tension that was a potential problem for White in the other variation is no longer an issue. }) 16... Bg6 { Now Black's bishop can sit comfortably on g6 without the threat of a queen-and-bishop battery on the b1-h7 diagonal and an e5-e6 push to destabilize it. } 17. Ne5 Nd7 { Black doesn't mind trading off his light-squared bishop as it provides him a rock-solid kingside pawn structure and enhances the weakenss of White's airy dark squares. } 18. Nxg6 hxg6 19. f4 c4 (19... g5! { is a classic pawn break that any Najdorf player must know! In this position, it is especially effective, as White is forced to make more concessions to avoid ceding complete control of the dark squares on the kingside. } 20. e5 (20. f5 Ne5 { and White's pawns are fixed, hindering the activity and usefulness of his pieces. }) 20... gxf4 21. Bxf4 Nf8) 20. Nf3 Bc5 (20... g5!? { again was another possibility, though less effective now that White has slightly improved his setup. }) 21. Qe2 { Naturally, White does not want to bring Black's knight into the game by exchanging bishops. Moreover, White clears the way for his rook to come to d1, seizing the open file and putting pressure on Black's slight underdevelopment. } 21... Qf6 22. Rad1 Rad8 23. Rd5 { Attempting to coerce Black into trading bishops on favorable terms. If White can bring his queen to e3, he will have better control over the kingside dark squares and some potential attacking prospects in the future. } 23... Bxe3+?! { Black finally surrenders in the bishop standoff, giving White a slight but moral victory. } (23... Nb7 { which also brings the loney a5-knight back into the game, following the elementary mantra "Knights on the rim are dim!" }) (23... Qb6 { was also worthy of consideration, with the same idea. }) 24. Qxe3 Qxb2 { At least Black nets a pawn for his effort, leading to a forced sequence which leaves his queen slightly isolated. } 25. Qd2 c3 26. Qd1 Rf8 { Black shuffles his rook over to protect it, as White was threatening to take the knight on d7 based on the undefended rook on e8. } (26... Nc4! { Black can hardly be criticized for missing this move. } 27. Rxd7 Nd2!! { An astounding interference tactic based on overloading the white queen's defenses. Play would continue } 28. Rxd8 Rxd8 29. Ng5 Nf3+! 30. Qxf3 Qxc2 { and the combination of Black's advanced passed pawn, his activity, and the myriad perpetual check and mating threats is enough to maintain the balance, according to the engine. }) (26... Qxa2? 27. Rxd7 Rxd7 28. Qxd7) 27. Re2 { A natural defensive move, protecting White's bishop and threatening various lateral discovered attacks that pose a constant threat that Black must be on the lookout for. } (27. e5! { However, using the pin along the d-file, White could have continued with this energetic move, threatening an idea similar to that which we analyzed earlier in the game: a potential e5-e6 thrust to blast open Black's kingside defenses. } 27... Nc4 28. e6 fxe6 29. Rxd7 Rxd7 30. Qxd7 Qxc2 31. Qxe6+ Kh7 (31... Kh8 32. Qf7!! { leads to a beautiful classic Puzzle Rush finish! } 32... Rxf7 33. Re8+ Rf8 34. Rxf8+ Kh7 35. Ng5+ Kh6 36. Rh8#) 32. f5 $18 { and White's attack is too strong and too fast. }) 27... Nc4 28. Bb3 { Throwing in an intermediate move before taking the pinned knight on d7 while protecting the crucial a2-pawn. } 28... c2?! { Black throws in a desperado pawn to bring his queen back to some semblance of activity. But the power of a passed pawn deep in enemy territory is not to be underestimated. Losing a piece is inevitable, so perhaps Black could have maintained better chances keeping the pawns on the board. } (28... Qa3) 29. Rxc2 Qf6 30. Bxc4 (30. Rxd7? { allows unnecessary counterplay with } 30... Ne3) 30... bxc4 31. Rxd7 Rxd7 32. Qxd7 Qxf4 33. Kf2 { Stopping all threats of Qe3+, Qxf3, and Qg3+ while activating the king for the upcoming major piece endgame. } 33... Qxe4 34. Re2 (34. Rc3 { keeps an eye on the c4-pawn and leaves Black's pieces uncoordinated. } 34... Rb8 35. Qxf7+! Kxf7 36. Ng5+ $18) 34... Qa8 35. h4?! { The second in a series of moves that ignore the c4-pawn, the object of most concern if I were White. As soon as White can win the c4-pawn, Black has virtually no counterplay. While playing for an attack on the kingside might have been a good practical decision given Black's difficult time situation, I would have been more inclined to go after the only source of counterplay. } (35. Rc2 { White could have made a slight admission of defeat in the battle, but an expression of a clear plan to win the war. }) 35... c3 { Every extra step both increases White's anxiety and Black's chances for counterplay. } 36. Rc2 Rd8 37. Qe7 Rc8 38. Qe3 Qb8 { Now Black's pieces are coordinated and it is clear White's h3-h4 push has done little to achieve his goal of rounding up the c-pawn. } 39. Qd3 a5 40. Kg2 Rc5 41. Qd7 Rc7 42. Qa4 Qa8 43. Qf4 Qc8 44. Kf2 Rc4 { Through a series of "little tactics," Black has managed to marginally improve his position and is starting to fight back against White's extra piece. } 45. Qe5 Rc5 46. Qe3 a4 47. Ng5 Rc7 48. Re2 { Taking advantage of the new opportunity to threaten checkmate! } 48... Kf8 49. Qf4! { White suddenly finds his stride, making numerous tactical threats while playing defense with his king. } 49... Rb7 (49... c2 50. Qd6+ Kg8 51. Qxc7! { Another back rank trick! } 51... Qxc7 52. Re8#) 50. Qxa4 { Now White's a2 pawn — the pawn he strove to protect with 28. Bb3 — is a real asset that will help him convert his advantage. } 50... f6 51. Qa3+ Kg8 52. Qxc3 { Finally achieving the long-desired goal of eliminating most counterplay. } 52... Qb8 53. Nf3 Kh7 54. h5 { Playing on both flanks, taking advantage of Black's weak king and the power of the queen-and-knight attacking duo. It is well known that the queen and knight work well in tandem, and Stearman demonstrates their versatility as both attackers and defenders as he converts his advantage. } 54... gxh5 55. Qd3+ Kh8 56. Qg6 { Threatening Re8 and forcing the trade of rooks, stripping Black's last chances for counterplay. } 56... Rb2 57. Qxh5+ Kg8 58. Qd5+ Kh8 59. Rxb2 Qxb2+ 60. Qd2 Qb6+ 61. Qd4 Qe6 62. a4 Qa2+ 63. Kg3 Qc2 64. Qd8+ Kh7 65. a5 f5 66. gxf5 Qxf5 67. Qh4+ Kg8 68. Qc4+ Kh8 69. a6 Qg6+ 70. Kf2 Qb6+ 71. Nd4 Qf6+ 72. Ke2 Qe5+ 73. Kd1 Qh5+ 74. Kc2 Qg6+ 75. Qd3 Qg2+ 76. Kc3 Qh1 77. Kb4 Qe1+ 78. Ka4 Qe8+ 79. Nb5 { When playing with an extra piece, coordination is key. Once White managed to find coordination between his pieces, he was able to retake control of the game and seamlessly convert his advantage. } 1-0