[Event "U.S. National Invitational Tournaments"] [Site "Grand Rapids"] [Date "2023.07.29"] [Round "1.1"] [White "Ye, Chen-Chen"] [Black "Jason Wang"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2095"] [BlackElo "2548"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B40"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: French Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/w2guu0Vb/Wtxcrxda"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 a6 4. g3 { Ye employs a flexible move order against Wang's e6-Sicilian. } 4... b5 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. d4 { Of course, this position could have been reached by the Open move order with 3. d4. But if Wang had wanted to play a Taimanov, he has been "move-ordered" into a different system. } (6. d3 { reaches a closed Sicilian. }) 6... cxd4 7. Nxd4 Nf6 8. O-O { This move allows Black to win the e4-pawn, but it is a sound sacrifice and more energetic than the alternative prophylactic move. } (8. a3 { is the alternative. }) 8... b4 9. Na4 Bxe4 10. Bxe4 Nxe4 11. c4!? { Ye knows the theory! This move has been played only 28 times, compared to over 200 games in the database for the main alternative. But with 18 wins (and only three losses) for this new move, it seems to be the future of the variation. } (11. Re1 { is the old main line. }) 11... Be7 (11... Nc5 { has delivered Black the most promising results so far. } 12. a3!? { is not forced, but is the most energetic idea. } 12... Nxa4 13. Qxa4 bxa3 14. b4 Be7 15. Bxa3 O-O 16. b5 Bxa3 17. Qxa3 d6 18. Rfd1 Qc7 19. Qb4?! (19. Nf3!) 19... a5! { allowed Black to equalize, and draw on move 46, in Jones – Kazakouski, ICC, 2021. }) 12. Qf3 (12. Re1!? { was tried recently, which led to a fantastic upset of a grandmaster by a popular WGM and streamer. } 12... f5 13. f3 Nf6 14. Bg5 Kf7!? 15. Qe2 Kg6?! 16. g4! Kxg5 17. gxf5 Kh6 18. fxe6 Qa5 19. c5! Nc6 20. Nf5+ Kg5 21. h4+ Kxf5 22. Qd3+ Ne4 23. Qxe4+ Kf6 24. Qf4+ Kg6 25. Kh1 h6 26. Rg1+ Bg5 27. Rxg5+ hxg5 28. Qxg5+ Kh7 29. Qh5+ Kg8 30. Qf7+ Kh7 31. Rg1 { and Black resigned in Belenkaya – Gajewski, Reykjavik, 2023. }) 12... d5?! $146 (12... f5! { is more in line with the position, and was played in the one game to reach this position from back in 2013. } 13. g4 Nc6 14. Nxc6 dxc6 15. gxf5 exf5 16. Qxf5 Nf6 { Black has returned the pawn, but managed to trade off White's more active knight in the process, and now has nothing to fear. } 17. Qe6 Qd7 18. Re1 Qxe6 19. Rxe6 Kd7 20. Re2 { with a slight edge for White, but nothing concrete, although White did manage to win in 36 moves in Martinez Martin – Martin Rueda, Madrid, 2013. }) 13. cxd5 exd5 14. Nf5 Bf6 15. Be3 (15. Rd1 { was more direct, preventing ... Nb8-d7 and continuing to pressure the d5-pawn with } 15... Nc6 16. Qb3! { when White regains the pawn and is better equipped to use the open center to maintain an initiative. }) 15... Nd7 16. Rad1 Qa5 17. Nc5 { White goes for complications, but trading pieces helps Black equalize. } 17... Ndxc5 18. Rxd5 O-O 19. Qxe4 Nxe4 20. Rxa5 Bxb2 21. Ne7+ Kh8 22. Nc6 Bc3 23. Ra4 a5 24. Rxa5 Rxa5 25. Nxa5 Ra8 26. Rd1 h6 27. Rd5 { Now, Black has regained his pawn and has at least equalized. But it is difficult to suggest a plan to play for a win. } 27... Ra6 28. f3 Nf6 29. Rb5 Kh7 30. Kf2 Nd7 31. Ke2 Ne5 32. Bb6 Nd7 33. Be3 Kg6 34. Kd3 Ne5+ 35. Ke2 b3 36. Nxb3 Rxa2+ 37. Nd2 Bxd2 38. Bxd2 Nxf3 39. Kxf3 Rxd2 { This endgame is a draw, and White is strong enough to hold it. Black pushes for an additional 87 moves, but White does not make a single error. } 40. h3 Rh2 41. h4 h5 42. Rb6+ f6 43. Ra6 Rb2 44. Rc6 Rb3+ 45. Kf4 Rb5 46. Kf3 Kf5 47. Rc3 Rd5 48. Ra3 Ke5 49. Re3+ Kf5 50. Ra3 Ke6 51. Ra6+ Ke5 52. Ra3 g5 53. hxg5 fxg5 54. Ra2 Rd3+ 55. Kf2 Ke4 56. Re2+ Kf5 57. Kg2 Rd4 58. Kf3 Rd3+ 59. Kg2 Ra3 60. Rb2 Re3 61. Rb5+ Kf6 62. Rb6+ Re6 63. Rb5 Re5 64. Rb6+ Kf5 65. Rb4 Re4 66. Rb5+ Kf6 67. Rb6+ Re6 68. Rb5 Kg6 69. Ra5 Rb6 70. Ra2 Kf6 71. Kf3 Rb3+ 72. Kg2 Rb5 73. Re2 Kf5 74. Kf3 g4+ 75. Kg2 Rd5 76. Kf2 Rd4 77. Kg2 Re4 78. Rf2+ Ke5 79. Ra2 Rd4 80. Re2+ Kd5 81. Ra2 Rc4 82. Rd2+ Ke4 83. Kf2 Rc3 84. Re2+ Kd4 85. Rd2+ Rd3 86. Re2 Rf3+ 87. Kg2 Rc3 88. Kf2 Rd3 89. Ra2 Rf3+ 90. Kg2 Rc3 91. Re2 Rc5 92. Kf2 Rf5+ 93. Kg2 Re5 94. Ra2 Rd5 95. Kf2 Kd3 96. Ra3+ Kc4 97. Ra2 Kb3 98. Re2 Kc3 99. Re3+ Kd4 100. Ra3 Rf5+ 101. Kg2 Rc5 102. Ra2 Kd3 103. Ra3+ Kd2 104. Kf2 Rf5+ 105. Kg2 Rd5 106. Kf2 Rf5+ 107. Kg2 Rc5 108. Kf2 Rc2 109. Re3 Kd1+ 110. Kf1 Rc5 111. Kf2 Kd2 112. Ra3 Rc2 113. Re3 Rc5 114. Ra3 Rb5 115. Ra2+ Kd3 116. Ra3+ Kd4 117. Ra2 Rf5+ 118. Kg2 Rc5 119. Ra4+ Kd3 120. Ra3+ Rc3 121. Ra5 Rc2+ 122. Kg1 Ke3 123. Ra3+ Ke2 124. Kg2 Rd2 125. Rb3 Rd3 126. Rb2+ Ke3 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } 1/2-1/2