[Event "U.S. National Championships 2025"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2025.07.15"] [Round "01"] [White "Su, Jasmine Zhixin"] [Black "Mou, Iris"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2189"] [BlackElo "2271"] [TimeControl "40/5400+30:1800+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [Annotator "FM Davis Zong"] [ECO "C55"] [Opening "Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening"] [StudyName "2025 U.S. National Championships"] [ChapterName "Su, Jasmine Zhixin - Mou, Iris"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/wghfXDuv/QwTkaZI4"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 1:30:55] } 1... e5 { [%clk 1:30:52] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 1:31:06] } 2... Nc6 { [%clk 1:31:14] } 3. Bc4 { [%clk 1:31:18] } 3... Nf6 { [%clk 1:31:34] } 4. d3 { [%clk 1:31:29] } 4... d5 { A daring choice by Mou! The center is open and the e5-pawn is softer, but the option of castling queenside has opened up too. } { [%clk 1:31:57] } 5. exd5 { [%clk 1:31:25] } 5... Nxd5 { [%clk 1:32:20] } 6. O-O { Su castles first and is ready to pressure the center with Rf1-e1, but the e5-pawn is more solid than it looks. } { [%clk 1:30:53] } 6... Nb6 { [%clk 1:32:41] } 7. Bb3 { [%clk 1:29:23] } 7... Bg4 { [%clk 1:32:31] } 8. Re1 { [%clk 1:26:43] } 8... Qe7 { Blocking the f8-bishop seems counterintuitive, but you don't need to use this piece much when you're castling queenside! In fact, the dark-squared bishop is the last piece to move, not leaving home until move 22. } { [%clk 1:32:09] } 9. a4 { [%clk 1:16:26] } 9... a5 { [%clk 1:31:58] } 10. Be3 { [%clk 1:14:35] } 10... f6 { [%clk 1:29:36] } 11. Nbd2 { [%clk 1:11:05] } 11... O-O-O { [%clk 1:28:22] } 12. Ne4 { [%clk 1:07:38] } (12. c3! { was the best try, creating queenside play at all costs. White jettisons the d3-pawn and is ready to sacrifice it anyway with d3-d4 if Black doesn't take. }) 12... Kb8 { [%clk 1:22:33] } 13. h3 { [%clk 1:00:42] } 13... Bf5 { [%clk 1:16:09] } 14. Ng3 { [%clk 0:57:40] } 14... Bc8 { [%clk 1:14:21] } 15. c3 { [%clk 0:50:26] } 15... g5! { The start of a scary four-pawn storm. It's way harder for the first player to create her own attack, and so she must go on the defense for now. } { [%clk 1:10:45] } 16. Nh2 { [%clk 0:44:32] } 16... f5 { [%clk 1:05:13] } 17. Nf3 { [%clk 0:34:28] } 17... h6 { [%clk 0:53:08] } 18. Qe2 { [%clk 0:28:40] } 18... Nd5 { [%clk 0:45:29] } 19. Bxd5 { Although the position was already hard to play, this light-squared bishop coming off the board is grim news for White, as now it'll be even harder to tame Black's bishop pair in the ensuing attack. } { [%clk 0:22:53] } (19. Bd2! Bg7 20. Nh5 Rhe8 $15) 19... Rxd5 { [%clk 0:45:48] } 20. c4 { [%clk 0:22:41] } 20... Rd8 { [%clk 0:43:57] } 21. Bd2 { [%clk 0:22:17] } 21... f4 { [%clk 0:36:07] } 22. Nf1 { [%clk 0:21:12] } 22... Bg7 { [%clk 0:33:33] } 23. Bc3 { [%clk 0:20:40] } 23... Bf5 { [%clk 0:31:10] } 24. Rad1 { [%clk 0:17:06] } 24... Rhe8 { [%clk 0:29:50] } 25. b3 { [%clk 0:11:14] } 25... h5 { [%clk 0:25:57] } 26. N3h2 { [%clk 0:09:14] } 26... g4! $19 { Very accurate play by Mou. The whole kingside is blowing up, and White's monarch will be sieged. } { [%clk 0:20:32] } 27. hxg4 { [%clk 0:07:39] } 27... hxg4 { [%clk 0:20:55] } 28. Nxg4 { [%clk 0:06:32] } 28... e4 { [%clk 0:21:06] } 29. Bxg7 { [%clk 0:02:34] } 29... Qxg7 { [%clk 0:21:30] } 30. Ngh2 { [%clk 0:02:58] } 30... f3 { [%clk 0:15:28] } 31. Nxf3 { [%clk 0:03:04] } 31... exf3 { [%clk 0:15:46] } 32. Qxf3 { [%clk 0:03:30] } 32... Nd4 { [%clk 0:15:53] } 33. Qf4 { [%clk 0:00:59] } 33... Bg4 { [%clk 0:15:03] } 34. Rxe8 { [%clk 0:00:40] } 34... Rxe8 { 0-1 Black wins. } { [%clk 0:15:26] } 0-1