[Event "Round 4: Qiu, Laurie - Castellanos Hernandez, Lhia Itzayana"] [Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/north-american-junior-chess-championship-u20-2025-girls/round-4/yajkBCJk/ItqQJOG8"] [Date "2025.11.23"] [Round "4.1"] [White "Qiu, Laurie"] [Black "Castellanos Hernandez, Lhia Itzayana"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2016"] [WhiteTitle "WFM"] [WhiteTeam "USA"] [WhiteFideId "30998190"] [BlackElo "1950"] [BlackTitle "WCM"] [BlackTeam "MEX"] [BlackFideId "5123569"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D30"] [Opening "Queen's Gambit Declined"] [StudyName "2025 North American Junior Championship"] [ChapterName "Qiu, Laurie - Castellanos Hernandez, Lhia Itzayana"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/xDpXfEsg/6RTUkhGq"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%clk 1:30:59] } 1... d5 { [%clk 1:30:09] } 2. c4 { [%clk 1:31:25] } 2... e6 { [%clk 1:30:06] } 3. Nf3 { [%clk 1:31:47] } 3... c6 { [%clk 1:30:02] } 4. e3 { [%clk 1:32:13] } 4... f5 { [%clk 1:29:58] } 5. Nc3 { [%clk 1:32:35] } 5... Nf6 { [%clk 1:25:40] } 6. Bd3 { [%clk 1:33:00] } 6... Bd6 { [%clk 1:24:40] } 7. O-O { [%clk 1:32:27] } 7... O-O { [%clk 1:24:48] } 8. b3 { [%clk 1:32:53] } 8... Ne4 { [%clk 1:19:19] } 9. Bb2 { [%clk 1:33:14] } 9... Nd7 { [%clk 1:19:05] } 10. Ne2 { [%clk 1:33:25] } 10... Ndf6 { [%clk 1:17:15] } 11. Ne5 { [%clk 1:30:56] } 11... Qc7 { [%clk 1:08:05] } 12. Rc1 { [%clk 1:25:48] } 12... Bxe5 { [%clk 1:01:38] } 13. dxe5 { [%clk 1:26:04] } 13... Ng4 { [%clk 1:01:19] } 14. Nf4 { [%clk 1:07:58] } 14... Qe7 { [%clk 0:36:29] } 15. Bxe4 { [%clk 1:01:20] } 15... dxe4 { [%clk 0:36:46] } 16. h3 { [%clk 0:59:51] } 16... Nh6 { [%clk 0:37:03] } 17. c5 { [%clk 0:58:15] } 17... Bd7 { [%clk 0:34:43] } 18. Qe2 { [%clk 0:53:31] } 18... Rae8 { [%clk 0:29:39] } 19. Rfd1 { [%clk 0:52:27] } 19... Qf7 { [%clk 0:26:36] } 20. Rd6 { [%clk 0:50:11] } 20... Kh8 { [%clk 0:24:44] } 21. b4 { [%clk 0:47:23] } 21... a6 { [%clk 0:20:56] } 22. a4 { [%clk 0:45:56] } 22... Ng8 { [%clk 0:19:04] } 23. h4 { [%clk 0:45:06] } 23... Rd8 { [%clk 0:17:19] } 24. Rcd1 { [%clk 0:44:53] } 24... Rfe8 { [%clk 0:15:55] } 25. Qd2 { [%clk 0:44:39] } 25... Re7 { [%clk 0:14:15] } 26. Nxe6 { [%clk 0:44:50] } 26... Rxe6 { [%clk 0:13:53] } 27. Rxd7 { [%clk 0:45:08] } 27... Rxd7 { [%clk 0:14:17] } 28. Qxd7 { [%clk 0:45:31] } 28... Re7 { [%clk 0:14:31] } 29. e6 { [%clk 0:45:40] } 29... Qxe6 { [%clk 0:11:36] } 30. Bxg7+ { [%clk 0:45:59] } 30... Kxg7 { [%clk 0:11:55] } 31. Qd8 { [%clk 0:45:05] } 31... Nf6 { [%clk 0:09:24] } 32. Rd6 { [%clk 0:41:46] } 32... Qe5 { [%clk 0:09:45] } 33. g3 { [%clk 0:40:59] } 33... Ne8 { [%clk 0:07:19] } 34. Rd7 { [%clk 0:39:41] } 34... Kf7 { [%clk 0:07:20] } 35. Qc8 { [%clk 0:39:47] } 35... Rxd7 { [%clk 0:06:35] } 36. Qxd7+ { [%clk 0:40:09] } 36... Qe7 { [%clk 0:06:59] } 37. Qxf5+ { [%clk 0:40:35] } 37... Nf6 { [%clk 0:07:25] } 38. h5 { [%clk 0:36:55] } 38... Qd7 { [%clk 0:07:47] } 39. Qf4 { [%clk 0:34:02] } 39... Qd1+ { [%clk 0:08:10] } 40. Kg2 { [%clk 0:31:32] } 40... Qf3+ { [%clk 0:08:35] } 41. Qxf3 { [%clk 0:31:58] } 41... exf3+ { [%clk 0:08:59] } 42. Kxf3 { [%clk 0:32:23] } 42... Nd5 { [%clk 0:09:21] } 43. e4 { [%clk 0:31:34] } 43... Nxb4 { White only has two pawns for the piece, but knight-versus pawn is never easy for the horsie. } { [%clk 0:09:29] } 44. Ke3 { Activating the f-pawn to get the mobility running. This ended up being a fantastically sharp battle. } { [%clk 0:31:47] } 44... Kf6? { [%clk 0:05:43] } (44... Na2? { got the knight on the right circuit, but still Black is groveling for a draw, it turns out. } 45. a5 Nc1 46. Kd4 Nb3+ 47. Kc4 Nd2+! (47... Nxa5+?? 48. Kb4 $18 { is why Black likely rejected this variation. }) 48. Kd3 Nb3 { and Black holds. }) (44... a5! { is the only move that actually wins. } 45. f4 (45. Kd4 Na2 { The right circuit when there is no a4-a5 resource. } { [%cal Ga2c1,Yc1e2,Ye2c3,Yc1b3] }) 45... Na2 46. Kd4 Nc1 47. g4 Ne2+ 48. Ke3 Nc3 $19) 45. f4 { [%clk 0:31:52] } 45... a5 { [%clk 0:02:25] } 46. g4 { [%clk 0:31:36] } 46... h6 { [%clk 0:02:41] } 47. e5+ { [%clk 0:20:36] } 47... Ke6 { [%clk 0:02:56] } 48. Ke4 { [%clk 0:18:30] } 48... Na6?? { A blunder for a shocking reason. } { [%clk 0:03:23] } 49. Kd4?? { Missing a very surprising resource. } { [%clk 0:16:47] } (49. f5+! Kf7 50. g5!! { actually wins, with the knight too far offsides even after } 50... Nxc5+ 51. Kd4 Nb3+ 52. Ke3 $18 { when the pawns can't be stopped. }) 49... Nc7 { [%clk 0:03:42] } 50. Ke4 { [%clk 0:16:04] } 50... Nd5 { [%clk 0:03:28] } 51. g5 { [%clk 0:14:41] } 51... hxg5 { [%clk 0:03:25] } 52. fxg5 { [%clk 0:14:56] } 52... Ne7 { Play is headed towards a quagmire, but it's much harder for Black to hold it. } { [%clk 0:01:14] } 53. g6 { [%clk 0:11:11] } 53... Nd5 { [%clk 0:01:13] } 54. h6 { [%clk 0:11:12] } 54... Ne7 { [%clk 0:01:33] } 55. g7 { [%clk 0:11:36] } 55... Kf7 { [%clk 0:01:54] } 56. e6+ { [%clk 0:11:55] } 56... Kf6?? { To say that Black blundered here is very harsh. Let the complexity of the following variations wash over you! } { [%clk 0:00:54] } (56... Kg6 { The only drawing mechanism was going after the h6-pawn. After } 57. Ke5 { Black must find } 57... Ng8! { not } (57... Kxh6?? 58. Kf6 Ng8+ 59. Kf7 $18 { when White's king is too fast. }) 58. Kd6 Nxh6 59. Kc7 Ng8 60. Kxb7 Ne7 { The point! } 61. Ka6 Kxg7 62. Kxa5 Kf6 { Now, it's White's turn to be careful. } 63. Ka6! (63. Kb6?? Kxe6 64. a5 Kd5 65. a6 Nc8+ $19) 63... Kxe6 64. a5 Kd5 65. Kb6 Nc8+ 66. Kb7 Kxc5 67. Kxc8 Kb5 68. Kb7 Kxa5 69. Kxc6 $10) 57. g8=Q { And Black resigned, as the thematic h6-h7 leaves Black unable to stop both queening paths. After 57. ... Nxg8 58. h7 Kg7 59. hxg8=Q+ Kxg8 60. e5, the e-pawn makes it through. } { [%clk 0:11:56] } 1-0