[Event "U.S. National Championships 2025"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2025.07.15"] [Round "01"] [White "Park, Evan"] [Black "Mishra, Abhimanyu"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2429"] [BlackElo "2611"] [TimeControl "40/5400+30:1800+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [Annotator "FM Davis Zong"] [ECO "C78"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense"] [StudyName "2025 U.S. National Championships"] [ChapterName "Park, Evan - Mishra, Abhimanyu"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/wghfXDuv/5S8GFA9z"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 1:30:54] } 1... e5 { [%clk 1:30:57] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 1:31:05] } 2... Nc6 { [%clk 1:31:23] } 3. Bb5 { [%clk 1:31:31] } 3... a6 { [%clk 1:31:37] } 4. Ba4 { [%clk 1:31:58] } 4... Nf6 { [%clk 1:31:50] } 5. O-O { [%clk 1:32:23] } 5... b5 { [%clk 1:32:07] } 6. Bb3 { [%clk 1:32:31] } 6... Bc5 { [%clk 1:32:07] } 7. c3 { [%clk 1:27:22] } 7... d6 { [%clk 1:31:54] } 8. a4 { [%clk 1:27:20] } 8... Rb8 { [%clk 1:31:39] } 9. d4 { [%clk 1:27:43] } 9... Bb6 { [%clk 1:31:16] } 10. a5 { [%clk 1:26:37] } 10... Ba7 { [%clk 1:31:00] } 11. h3 { [%clk 1:26:36] } 11... Bb7 { [%clk 1:28:31] } 12. Be3 { [%clk 1:20:11] } 12... Nxe4 { [%clk 1:25:03] } 13. Re1 { [%clk 1:18:37] } 13... Ne7 { [%clk 1:23:13] } 14. Nbd2 { [%clk 1:08:47] } 14... Nxd2 { [%clk 1:22:20] } 15. Bxd2 { [%clk 1:07:18] } 15... O-O { [%clk 1:21:48] } 16. dxe5 { [%clk 1:05:13] } 16... dxe5 { [%clk 1:22:06] } 17. Nxe5 { [%clk 1:05:16] } 17... Ng6 { [%clk 1:22:31] } 18. Be3 { [%clk 1:02:30] } 18... Nxe5 { [%clk 1:20:52] } 19. Qxd8 { [%clk 1:01:21] } 19... Rbxd8 { [%clk 1:20:52] } 20. Bxa7 { [%clk 1:01:46] } 20... Nd3 { [%clk 1:18:22] } 21. Re7 { [%clk 1:00:36] } 21... Bd5 { [%clk 1:11:10] } 22. Bxd5 { [%clk 0:59:45] } 22... Rxd5 { Both sides have been playing almost perfectly up until now, but now the minor piece imbalance starts to show. Although the existence of pawns on both sides favors Park's bishop, Mishra's d3-knight is exceptionally active. } { [%clk 1:11:38] } 23. Rd1 { [%clk 0:59:21] } (23. Rxc7! { was slightly more accurate objectively. White will likely pick up the a6-pawn, too, whereupon he will have no chance of losing, but the game will very likely fizzle out to a draw. } 23... Nxb2 24. Bb6 Nc4 25. Ra7 Re8 26. Rxa6 Rd6 $10) 23... Rc8 { [%clk 1:07:19] } 24. Re3 { [%clk 0:40:58] } 24... Rcd8 { [%clk 0:59:15] } 25. Re7 { [%clk 0:38:21] } 25... R5d7 { [%clk 0:47:00] } 26. Rxd7 { [%clk 0:37:22] } 26... Rxd7 { [%clk 0:47:28] } 27. Be3 { [%clk 0:37:39] } 27... f6 { [%clk 0:44:53] } 28. b3 { [%clk 0:30:01] } 28... Kf7 { [%clk 0:41:04] } 29. Kf1 { [%clk 0:29:17] } 29... Ke6 { [%clk 0:37:41] } 30. Bd4 { [%clk 0:26:02] } 30... Nf4 { [%clk 0:35:00] } 31. Re1+ { [%clk 0:18:52] } 31... Kf7 { [%clk 0:32:26] } 32. Rb1 { [%clk 0:12:50] } 32... g5 { [%clk 0:23:49] } 33. Be3 { [%clk 0:10:38] } 33... Nd5 { [%clk 0:24:05] } 34. Bd2 { [%clk 0:08:30] } 34... Ne7 { The engine screams triple zeros, but most humans would find it easier to play with Black here due to the more active rook, space advantage, and the knight's superiority in these semi-closed positions. Additionally, the a6- and b5- pawns are on light squares and thus are immune to White's bishop. } { [%clk 0:20:56] } 35. Ke2 { [%clk 0:07:35] } 35... Nc6 { [%clk 0:20:56] } 36. Be3 { [%clk 0:06:46] } 36... h5 { [%clk 0:15:32] } (36... Nxa5 { This does not win a pawn, because after } 37. Ra1 { the knight must retreat to avoid being trapped. } 37... Nc6 (37... Nxb3?? 38. Ra3! $18 { and there is nowhere left to run for the black cavalry. }) 38. Rxa6 $10) 37. Ra1 { [%clk 0:05:03] } 37... Kg6 { [%clk 0:13:57] } 38. c4?! { It's scary to sit back and wait, doing nothing while Black makes progress, but this move creates too many weaknesses: both the pawns themselves, and the d4-square. } { [%clk 0:04:15] } (38. f3! Ne7 39. Rc1 $10) 38... bxc4 { [%clk 0:12:18] } 39. bxc4 { [%clk 0:04:43] } 39... Kf5 { [%clk 0:07:03] } 40. Ra2 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 40... Rd8 { [%clk 0:01:50] } 41. Ra1 { [%clk 0:15:57] } 41... Nd4+ { [%clk 0:22:14] } 42. Bxd4 { [%clk 0:15:17] } 42... Rxd4 { [%clk 0:22:42] } 43. Rc1 { [%clk 0:14:45] } 43... Ke4 { [%clk 0:19:06] } 44. Rc3 { [%clk 0:14:04] } 44... Rd6 { [%clk 0:17:52] } 45. h4 { [%clk 0:13:26] } 45... g4 { [%clk 0:11:58] } (45... Kd4! { was the best winning chance, but it was incredibly hard to find. It seems White can force a rook trade and play g2-g4, but... } 46. Rd3+ Kc5! { Black doesn't have to take on c4! Now after Rd3xd6, Black's king is in the square of White's pawn, and so Black is simply winning. } (46... Kxc4?? 47. Rxd6 cxd6 48. g4 $18) 47. Re3 (47. Rxd6? Kxd6 $19 48. g4 hxg4 49. h5 Ke6) 47... Kxc4 $17) 46. Re3+ { [%clk 0:08:38] } 46... Kd4 { [%clk 0:11:50] } 47. f3! { Great defense by Park. The c4-pawn is falling, and using the kingside (especially the h-pawn) is the best way to get counterplay. } { [%clk 0:08:12] } 47... g3 { [%clk 0:07:40] } (47... Kxc4 48. fxg4 { White's counterplay is just in time. Black can't interpose with the rook because, although Black's king is in the square, it is obstructed by its own f6-pawn. } 48... hxg4 49. Re4+ Kb3 $10 (49... Rd4?? 50. Rxd4+ Kxd4 51. h5 Ke5 52. h6 $18)) 48. Re4+ { Both sides play perfectly from here up until the end, and the game is drawn by one tempi. } { [%clk 0:06:04] } 48... Kc3 { [%clk 0:07:08] } 49. Ke3 { [%clk 0:06:11] } 49... Rd2 { [%clk 0:03:41] } 50. Re6 { [%clk 0:05:56] } 50... Rxg2 { [%clk 0:03:44] } 51. Kf4 { [%clk 0:06:16] } 51... Ra2 { [%clk 0:02:53] } 52. Kxg3 { [%clk 0:06:41] } 52... Rxa5 { [%clk 0:03:13] } 53. Rxf6 { [%clk 0:05:52] } 53... Kxc4 { [%clk 0:02:36] } 54. Rc6+ { [%clk 0:06:17] } 54... Kb4 { [%clk 0:02:19] } 55. Rxc7 { [%clk 0:06:41] } 55... Rc5 { [%clk 0:02:22] } 56. Rb7+ { [%clk 0:05:42] } 56... Kc3 { [%clk 0:01:24] } 57. f4 { [%clk 0:02:57] } 57... a5 { [%clk 0:01:52] } 58. Ra7 { [%clk 0:03:08] } 58... Kb4 { [%clk 0:02:04] } 59. Kf3 { [%clk 0:02:08] } 59... a4 { [%clk 0:01:11] } 60. Ke4 { [%clk 0:02:30] } 60... a3 { [%clk 0:01:12] } 61. f5 { [%clk 0:02:40] } 61... Ra5 { If either pawn were one rank furthere back, the game would end decisively, but here White queens right after Black, and the result is a draw. } { [%clk 0:00:42] } 62. Rxa5 { [%clk 0:02:25] } 62... Kxa5 { [%clk 0:01:09] } 63. f6 { [%clk 0:02:51] } 63... a2 { [%clk 0:01:35] } 64. f7 { [%clk 0:03:18] } 64... a1=Q { [%clk 0:01:57] } 65. f8=Q { [%clk 0:03:43] } 65... Qe1+ { [%clk 0:02:11] } 66. Kd3 { [%clk 0:03:21] } 66... Qxh4 { [%clk 0:02:23] } 67. Qc5+ { [%clk 0:03:25] } 67... Ka6 { [%clk 0:02:46] } (67... Ka4 68. Qd4+ { is the simplest for White, trading queens and easily stopping the rook's pawn due to the rule of the square. }) 68. Qc6+ { [%clk 0:03:51] } 68... Ka7 { [%clk 0:03:09] } 69. Qc7+ { [%clk 0:04:17] } 69... Ka6 { [%clk 0:03:34] } 70. Qc6+ { [%clk 0:04:44] } 70... Ka7 { [%clk 0:04:00] } 71. Qc7+ { [%clk 0:05:10] } 71... Ka6 { [%clk 0:04:24] } 72. Qc6+ { Draw. } { [%clk 0:04:18] } 1/2-1/2