[Event "U.S. National Championships 2025"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2025.07.15"] [Round "04"] [White "Christiansen, Larry"] [Black "Novikov, Igor"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2571"] [BlackElo "2485"] [TimeControl "40/5400+30:1800+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [Annotator "FM Davis Zong"] [ECO "D45"] [Opening "Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation"] [StudyName "2025 U.S. National Championships"] [ChapterName "Christiansen, Larry - Novikov, Igor"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/wghfXDuv/S1Zousf5"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%clk 1:30:51] } 1... d5 { [%clk 1:30:53] } 2. c4 { [%clk 1:31:10] } 2... e6 { [%clk 1:31:12] } 3. Nc3 { [%clk 1:31:10] } 3... c6 { [%clk 1:31:33] } 4. e3 { [%clk 1:30:27] } 4... Nf6 { [%clk 1:31:42] } 5. Nf3 { [%clk 1:30:46] } 5... Nbd7 { [%clk 1:31:56] } 6. h3 { [%clk 1:30:57] } 6... Bd6 { [%clk 1:30:47] } 7. Bd3 { [%clk 1:30:43] } 7... O-O { [%clk 1:27:44] } 8. O-O { [%clk 1:28:39] } 8... e5 { [%clk 1:21:05] } 9. cxd5 { [%clk 1:28:49] } 9... cxd5 { [%clk 1:21:24] } 10. dxe5 { [%clk 1:29:04] } 10... Nxe5 { [%clk 1:21:47] } 11. b3 { [%clk 1:29:25] } 11... Nxf3+ { [%clk 1:12:01] } 12. Qxf3 { [%clk 1:29:01] } 12... Be5 { [%clk 1:12:22] } 13. Bb2 { [%clk 1:26:08] } 13... Be6 { [%clk 1:12:18] } 14. Qe2 { [%clk 1:21:04] } 14... Bd7 { [%clk 0:51:08] } 15. Qd2 { [%clk 1:07:18] } 15... Qa5 { [%clk 0:49:00] } 16. a3 { [%clk 1:05:27] } 16... Rac8 { [%clk 0:37:07] } 17. b4 { [%clk 1:04:13] } 17... Qd8 { [%clk 0:36:29] } 18. Ne2 { [%clk 1:02:55] } 18... Qe7 { [%clk 0:34:49] } 19. Rac1 { [%clk 1:01:47] } 19... Rfd8 { [%clk 0:33:40] } 20. Rfd1 { [%clk 0:57:20] } 20... Rxc1 { [%clk 0:32:06] } 21. Rxc1 { [%clk 0:57:11] } 21... Rc8 { [%clk 0:29:00] } 22. Bd4 { [%clk 0:52:09] } 22... Bxd4 { [%clk 0:27:21] } 23. Nxd4 $14 { Christiansen's play against the IQP gives him a slight but lasting advantage. } { [%clk 0:51:26] } 23... Qd8 { [%clk 0:24:05] } 24. Rc3 { [%clk 0:44:49] } 24... g6 { [%clk 0:19:17] } 25. Qc1 { [%clk 0:43:32] } 25... Ne8 { [%clk 0:18:54] } 26. Rc5 { [%clk 0:41:29] } 26... Rc7 { [%clk 0:16:13] } 27. Ne2 { [%clk 0:40:17] } 27... Qc8 { [%clk 0:13:57] } 28. Rxc7 { [%clk 0:38:57] } 28... Qxc7 { [%clk 0:14:23] } 29. Qb2 { [%clk 0:39:06] } 29... Qd6 { [%clk 0:10:24] } 30. Qd4 { [%clk 0:38:22] } 30... b6 { [%clk 0:10:49] } 31. Nc3 { [%clk 0:36:23] } 31... Bc6 { [%clk 0:09:27] } 32. Be2 { [%clk 0:34:04] } 32... Qf6 { [%clk 0:09:26] } 33. Qd3 { [%clk 0:26:11] } 33... Nc7 { [%clk 0:09:48] } 34. Bf1 { [%clk 0:24:03] } 34... Qe5 { [%clk 0:09:37] } 35. f4 { [%clk 0:21:09] } 35... Qf6 { [%clk 0:08:49] } 36. Kh2 { [%clk 0:20:31] } 36... Ne6 { [%clk 0:07:21] } 37. Nxd5 { [%clk 0:16:49] } 37... Bxd5 { [%clk 0:06:25] } 38. Qxd5 { White's won the pawn, but now Black's queen gets counterplay. } { [%clk 0:17:15] } 38... Qa1 { [%clk 0:06:48] } 39. Qd3 { [%clk 0:16:53] } 39... h5 { [%clk 0:06:57] } 40. Be2 { [%clk 0:15:58] } 40... h4 { [%clk 0:05:52] } 41. Bg4 { [%clk 0:14:38] } 41... f5 { [%clk 0:05:44] } (41... Nf8!) 42. Bd1 { [%clk 0:13:28] } 42... Kh7 { [%clk 0:03:52] } 43. Qd7+ { [%clk 0:11:16] } 43... Ng7 { [%clk 0:03:36] } 44. Qd8 { [%clk 0:07:50] } 44... Qxa3 { [%clk 0:25:52] } 45. Qxh4+ { [%clk 0:37:40] } 45... Kg8 { [%clk 0:26:19] } 46. Qd8+ { [%clk 0:23:32] } 46... Kh7 { [%clk 0:26:43] } 47. Qe7 { [%clk 0:20:13] } (47. Bf3! { was best, threatening Qd8-h4 and Bf3-d5. } 47... Qxb4 (47... Qxe3 48. Qh4+ Nh5 49. Bxh5 gxh5 50. Qxh5+ Kg7 51. Qg5+ Kh8 52. b5 $18) 48. Bd5 $18) 47... Qd3! { [%clk 0:21:55] } 48. Bf3 { [%clk 0:17:49] } 48... a5 { [%clk 0:21:59] } 49. bxa5 { Great defense by Novikov. In queen endgames, the number of pawns doesn't matter nearly as much as whether or not they are passed pawns and how advanced they are. } { [%clk 0:17:01] } 49... bxa5 { [%clk 0:22:25] } 50. Bc6 { [%clk 0:17:10] } 50... Kg8 { [%clk 0:13:56] } 51. Qe5 { [%clk 0:15:13] } 51... Qd8 { [%clk 0:13:42] } 52. e4 { [%clk 0:13:54] } 52... Kh7 { [%clk 0:12:34] } 53. Bd5 { [%clk 0:05:46] } 53... a4 { [%clk 0:11:44] } 54. exf5 { [%clk 0:05:41] } 54... Nxf5 { [%clk 0:11:17] } 55. Be6 { [%clk 0:05:24] } 55... Qd6 { [%clk 0:09:57] } 56. Qe4 { [%clk 0:05:17] } 56... Ng7 { [%clk 0:09:26] } 57. Bd5 { [%clk 0:05:30] } 57... Nh5 { [%clk 0:08:55] } 58. Qe5 { [%clk 0:02:54] } 58... Qxe5 { [%clk 0:04:59] } 59. fxe5 { A drawn endgame emerges, but a challenging one to hold for Black. The bishop guards the a-pawn and supports the e-pawn on the same diagonal, but the h8-square in the corner is the wrong color, meaning bishop-and-rook's-pawn will not be enough for White to win. } { [%clk 0:03:20] } 59... Kg7 { [%clk 0:04:11] } 60. g3 { [%clk 0:03:41] } 60... Kf8 { [%clk 0:04:13] } 61. Kg2 { [%clk 0:04:02] } 61... Ke7 { [%clk 0:04:31] } 62. Kf3 { [%clk 0:03:57] } 62... Ng7 { [%clk 0:04:56] } 63. g4 { [%clk 0:03:40] } 63... Ne6 { [%clk 0:03:17] } 64. h4 { [%clk 0:03:57] } 64... a3 { [%clk 0:02:16] } (64... Ng7! { The idea is to prevent h4-h5 from ever happening! } 65. Ke4 Kd7 66. Kd4 a3 { White can't make progress without taking the a3-pawn, but then Black has enough time to make counterplay and force matters on the kingside. }) 65. h5 { [%clk 0:03:54] } 65... gxh5 { [%clk 0:02:26] } 66. gxh5 { [%clk 0:04:19] } 66... Ng5+ { [%clk 0:00:47] } 67. Kg4 { [%clk 0:04:16] } 67... Nf7 { [%clk 0:01:03] } 68. Kf5 { [%clk 0:03:53] } 68... Kf8 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 69. e6 { [%clk 0:03:54] } 69... Nd6+ { [%clk 0:00:54] } 70. Kg6 { [%clk 0:03:33] } 70... Nc8 { [%clk 0:01:19] } 71. Ba2 { [%clk 0:03:34] } 71... Ne7+ { [%clk 0:01:44] } 72. Kg5 { [%clk 0:03:21] } (72. Kh7! { was the way to go, though blocking the pawn is somewhat counter-intuitive. } 72... Nf5 73. h6 Nh4 74. Bb3! { Winning by zugzwang. }) 72... Kg7 { [%clk 0:01:36] } 73. h6+ { [%clk 0:03:36] } 73... Kf8?? { [%clk 0:00:37] } (73... Kh7! { The h-pawn is the wrong colored rook-pawn, so if Black stays in the corner, he can sacrifice his knight for the e-pawn and draw! }) 74. Bb3 { 1-0 White wins. } { [%clk 0:03:39] } 1-0