[Event "2023 U.S. Senior Women's Championship"] [Site "Berkeley"] [Date "2023.11.03"] [Round "1"] [White "O'Neill, Julia"] [Black "Root, Alexey"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "WIM Alexey Root"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A04"] [Opening "Zukertort Opening: Kingside Fianchetto"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/vcXH3769/MELqUZAt"] [Orientation "white"] { Annotations by WIM Alexey Root. (Comments by JJ Lang marked "(JJL)") } 1. Nf3 g6 2. g3 Bg7 3. Bg2 e5 4. d3 Nc6 5. c4 d6 6. O-O h6 { I played this move because I want to play ...Bc8-e6 without White having the option of Nf3-g5, harassing my bishop on e6. } 7. Nc3 Be6 8. h3 Qd7 9. Kh2 Nge7 10. Rb1 f5 11. Qb3 { I did not like this move for White, because White had set up to move her b-pawn and now she cannot, because her own queen is blocking the b-pawn. (Unsurprisingly, this is the first move out of the database (JJL)). } 11... Rb8 12. Nd5 O-O 13. Nxe7+ Nxe7 14. Ng1 b5! { Playing this move caused my heart to race, because it is so committal. But I think it is the right idea. } 15. Qc2 bxc4 16. dxc4 f4 17. Bd2 g5 18. g4 c6 { Stockfish 16 thinks this is too slow, and that I can play 18. ...h5 immediately. } (18... h5 19. gxh5 (19. f3 { might be best, but surely Black is having all the fun now (JJL). }) 19... g4 { looks imposing. If White tries to play on the queenside with } 20. b4 { then Black has } 20... Qe8 { with a huge initiative. (JJL) }) 19. Rbc1 Rfc8 20. Rfd1 Bf7 21. b3 Bf6 22. Bc3 h5 23. Nf3 Qe6 24. Qd2 Rd8 25. Ba5 Rd7 26. Bc3 hxg4 27. hxg4 { Apparently I should respond with 27. ...Rbd8, but my idea with 27. ...Kg7 was to bring a rook to the h-file. } 27... Kg7 (27... Rbd8 { My best understanding of the engine's suggestion is: (i) there is no good way to defend the g-pawn, so there is no reason to hurry. (ii) ...d6-d5 could be crushing, and the e5-pawn is more tactically vulnerable with the king opposite White's dark-squared bishop. Of course, the text move keeps a significant advantage for Black as well. (JJL) } 28. Bh3 d5 29. cxd5 Nxd5 { with ideas of ...e5-e4 followed by ... f4-f3 and the fantastic f4-square for Black's knight (JJL). }) 28. Kg1 Ng6 29. Qc2 Qxg4 30. Nh2 Qh4? { A mistake! White responds correctly. } (30... Qe6 { is the only move that keeps Black's advantage, as the kingside pawns can keep rolling, but the d7-rook is not vulnerable (JJL). }) 31. Qf5 Rdd8 32. Qh3? (32. Ng4! Be7 33. c5! Kf8 34. Bxc6 { and White is winning: Black is unable to bring a rook to back up her queen on the h-file, while Black's central mass is about to collapse. Suddenly, it's her king who is in danger. (JJL) }) 32... d5 33. Qxh4 Nxh4 34. cxd5 cxd5 (34... Nxg2! { I thought about this move, but worried that 35. dxc6 might be something for White. There is a threat of c7. However, Stockfish tells me (post game!) that capturing on g2 is correct. } 35. dxc6 Nh4 36. c7 Rxd1+ 37. Rxd1 Rc8 { is winning for Black. (There is no way for White to attack the rook on c8 right now, and the light-squared bishop can always defend it. In time, Black's extra piece will scoop up the c7-pawn. (JJL) ) }) 35. Ba5 Rdc8 36. Bh3 Rxc1 37. Rxc1 Re8 38. Rc7 Re7 39. Ng4 Rxc7 40. Bxc7 e4 41. Nxf6 Kxf6 42. Bd8+ Kg6 43. Be7 d4 44. Bf1 { A mistake. Equal is 44. Bg4. (The important point is preventing Black's 44. ...Nf5. (JJL)) } (44. Bg4 d3 45. exd3 Nf3+ 46. Bxf3 exf3 47. Kf1) 44... Nf5 45. Bc5 a6? { I thought I had time to save my a-pawn, but I should be creating a mass of pawns moving toward White instead. } (45... g4 46. Bxa7 Kg5 { or }) (45... e3 46. Bxa7 g4 { winning. }) 46. Bg2 Bd5 47. Bh3 d3 48. exd3 exd3 49. Bxf5+ Kxf5 50. Bb4 g4 { White only has one move to hold the draw, according to Stockfish. It's not easy to find, but it is very instructive. (JJL) } 51. Bd2? (51. Kf1! Ke5 { or } (51... g3 52. fxg3 fxg3 53. Ke1! { creating the dream configuration with the short-range piece blockading the "near" pawn on d2 and the long-range piece playing Bb4-c5-g1 to blockade the "far" pawn. (JJL) }) 52. Ke1 { and White will hold this position. }) 51... g3! 52. fxg3 fxg3 { Black's king will be able to reach the e2-square, forcing the bishop to vacate. If White's king attempts to cover the e2-square, then ...g3-g2 will keep it at bay. A really lovely and instructive position (also explaining the need for the king on d2 and bishop on g1 instead). (JJL) } 53. b4 Bxa2 { White resigns. } 0-1