[Event "45th FIDE Women's Chess Olympiad 2024"] [Site "Budapest"] [Date "2024.09.22"] [Round "11"] [White "Yip, Carissa"] [Black "Kamalidenova, Meruert"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2386"] [BlackElo "2352"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E71"] [Opening "King's Indian Defense: Makogonov Variation"] [StudyName "45th FIDE Olympiad"] [ChapterName "Yip, Carissa - Kamalidenova, Meruert"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/y8ExkpJx/C8Uxgh0O"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] { With her ninth win in 11 games, Yip improved to a 10/11 score that was good for an individual gold medal on board two and 32 FIDE rating points thanks to a fantastic 2634 performance rating. } 1. c4 { [%clk 1:30:59] } 1... Nf6 { [%clk 1:30:44] } 2. Nc3 { [%clk 1:31:23] } 2... g6 { [%clk 1:30:42] } 3. e4 { [%clk 1:31:30] } 3... d6 { [%clk 1:30:47] } 4. d4 { [%clk 1:31:46] } 4... Bg7 { [%clk 1:31:11] } 5. h3 { At this point, I had to triple-check the colors. By transposition, Carissa is playing the white side of her beloved King's Indian. Her 5. h3 move should be noted, as it is increasingly developing the reputation as being one of the biggest problems for KID players, and her choice to play it herself suggests she agrees with this assessment. } { [%clk 1:32:14] } 5... O-O { [%clk 1:30:29] } 6. Be3 { Yip is ready to play the Makogonov Variation, which continues often with g2-g4 and Ng1-e2-g3. By creating a serious bind against the f5-square, White achieves a frustrating balance of attacking chances and prophylactic play that forces Black to walk a tightrope in order to stay alive. } { [%clk 1:32:30] } 6... Nfd7!? { A very rare move, but a reasonable one. Black wants to reach a more normal KID position, and this move order discourages g2-g4 and Ng1-e2. } { [%clk 1:30:52] } (6... e5 7. d5 Na6 (7... a5 8. g4 Na6 9. Nge2 Nd7!? { is a variation of what Black chose in the game. } (9... Nc5 10. Ng3 { has been crushing for White, with a 71% win rate across 28 master games. })) 8. g4 Nc5 9. f3 { is becoming a main line. }) 7. Nf3! { [%clk 1:27:09] } (7. g4!? c5! { is a nice Benoni. 6. ... c5 is already a reasonable try against the Makogonov, as the h3-pawn is not particularly useful in some of those variations. But now that Black is fully committed to queenside play, White's immediate g2-g4 looks even more out of place. }) (7. Nge2 c5 { might not be as bad for White, but, still, after pushing d4-d5, the knight wants to be on f3 not e2, as g2-g4 is not part of the plan. }) 7... a6!? { [%clk 1:27:40] } (7... e5 8. Qd2 exd4 9. Nxd4 Nc6 { is a very different structure, and one that Black might not mind so much. } 10. O-O-O Re8 11. f3 Bxd4 12. Bxd4 Nxd4 13. Qxd4 b6 14. h4 h5 15. Be2 Bb7 16. Nd5 a5 17. Kb1 $14) (7... c5?! 8. d5 Na6 9. Qd2 Nc7 10. a4 e6 11. Bd3 exd5 12. exd5! { is a pretty bleak position for Black, whose pieces are still struggling to complete development. }) 8. Qd2 { [%clk 1:26:36] } 8... c5 { [%clk 1:26:33] } 9. Be2 { The simple, practical choice. White is happy to enter a Maroczy Bind structure where Black's early ... Nf6-d7 and ... a7-a6 give her more information about Black's future plans. } { [%clk 1:26:42] } (9. d5 { is still strong, but a bit less tempting with the thematic } 9... b5 { on the horizon: } 10. cxb5 Qa5 { is the point, and Black could have started with this move before ... b7-b5. } 11. bxa6?! (11. Bh6 { is apparently strong, however. But this is a very sharp, dynamic position that White would not want to enter without prior familiarity. }) 11... Bxa6 12. Bxa6?! Bxc3! 13. bxc3 Qxa6! 14. a4 Nb6 $44 { is a very nice Benko Gambit set-up for Black, where the queenside will quickly be under her control. }) 9... Nc6 { This move is really daring White to push the d-pawn. } { [%clk 1:24:40] } 10. O-O!? { [%clk 1:25:29] } (10. d5 Nce5 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 12. f4 Nd7 { has to be good for White. But, again, Black has dynamic chances with both ... b7-b5 and ... f7-f5. I think Carissa should be praised for making the more measured choice here, and she was rewarded for it. }) 10... cxd4 { [%clk 1:22:26] } 11. Nxd4 { [%clk 1:25:21] } 11... Nc5 { [%clk 1:22:13] } 12. Rfd1 { The rooks are going to belong on the queenside, as eventually she will expand there. } { [%clk 1:19:38] } 12... Be6 { [%clk 1:19:08] } 13. Rab1 { [%clk 1:17:26] } 13... a5 { [%clk 1:16:04] } 14. b3 { [%clk 1:16:11] } 14... Bd7 { [%clk 1:07:22] } 15. Ndb5 { By stopping b2-b4, Black had to part with the b5-square. } { [%clk 1:15:22] } 15... b6 { [%clk 1:04:59] } 16. f4 { Having made gains on the queenside, Carissa turns to the center. } { [%clk 1:13:42] } 16... Na7 { [%clk 1:00:41] } 17. Nd4 { [%clk 1:05:26] } 17... e5 { [%clk 0:55:35] } 18. Nf3 { [%clk 0:47:15] } 18... exf4 { [%clk 0:49:30] } 19. Bxf4 { The f2-f4 push improved her bishop after Black's ... e7-e5-xf4, but if Black did not push in the center, White threatened to make her own advances there. White's play is very logical, but Black does get pressure on the e-pawn and the possibility of shedding her weakest pawn without having to go pawn-down. } { [%clk 0:47:24] } 19... Re8 { [%clk 0:47:53] } 20. Bd3 { [%clk 0:30:53] } 20... Bc6 { [%clk 0:43:46] } (20... Nc6 { might be more testing, intending ... Nc6-e5. } 21. Bxd6? Bxh3!) 21. Bg5 { [%clk 0:30:22] } 21... f6 { [%clk 0:37:49] } 22. Bh4 { The e4-pawn is protected, the d6-pawn is still weak, and now Black has more problems on the kingside too. Carissa is playing the whole board! } { [%clk 0:26:45] } 22... Nc8 { [%clk 0:35:33] } 23. Bc2 { [%clk 0:25:45] } 23... Ra7 { [%clk 0:34:14] } 24. Nd4 { [%clk 0:24:49] } 24... Ba8 { [%clk 0:32:52] } 25. Rf1 { [%clk 0:22:57] } 25... Rf7 { [%clk 0:30:32] } 26. Rbe1 { For the past six turns, White has repositioned almost all of her pieces. Black lacked the activity to create any counterplay or transform any of her weaknesses. As such, White simply moved each of her pieces to a better square. } { [%clk 0:23:03] } 26... Na7 { [%clk 0:28:30] } 27. a3 { [%clk 0:19:48] } 27... Nc6 { [%clk 0:23:14] } 28. Nxc6 { [%clk 0:19:20] } 28... Bxc6 { [%clk 0:23:39] } 29. b4 { [%clk 0:19:48] } 29... Ne6 { [%clk 0:22:53] } 30. Bb3 { [%clk 0:20:09] } 30... Kh8 { [%clk 0:20:28] } 31. Kh1 { [%clk 0:17:01] } (31. e5! { is a move the engine loves, but White's move shows she was in no hurry. Black's f-pawn is pinned, and the point is White breaks through on the queenside in case of } 31... dxe5 32. Qxd8 Nxd8 33. c5! { with a discovery on the f7-rook. }) 31... Qd7 { [%clk 0:16:59] } 32. Nd5 { [%clk 0:15:05] } 32... Bxd5 { [%clk 0:14:20] } 33. Qxd5 { Black's pieces are still unable to improve or attack. } { [%clk 0:15:30] } 33... a4 { [%clk 0:13:52] } 34. Ba2 { [%clk 0:13:21] } 34... Rff8 { [%clk 0:13:25] } 35. Bg3 { And now, we return to the original weakness on d6! } { [%clk 0:12:36] } 35... Rd8 { Defense of the d-pawn comes at the expense of defending the e6-knight, who is attacked twice after White's next move. } { [%clk 0:12:34] } 36. c5 { [%clk 0:12:21] } 36... Rfe8 { [%clk 0:12:41] } 37. cxd6 { [%clk 0:11:49] } 37... Ng5 { [%clk 0:12:04] } 38. Bc4 { [%clk 0:11:57] } 38... Qc8 { [%clk 0:11:15] } 39. Bb5 { [%clk 0:11:33] } 39... Qc3 { [%clk 0:11:39] } 40. Kh2 { [%clk 0:08:57] } 40... Rf8 { [%clk 0:10:26] } 41. d7 { [%clk 0:08:59] } 41... Nf7 { [%clk 0:09:53] } 42. e5! { With more time after reaching the time control to calculate, Carissa finally makes the decisive breakthrough. } { [%clk 0:07:07] } 42... Nxe5 { [%clk 0:08:12] } 43. Rxe5! { [%clk 0:07:28] } 43... Qxa3 { [%clk 0:06:54] } (43... fxe5 44. Rxf8+ Rxf8 (44... Bxf8 45. Bxe5+ { wins the queen. }) 45. d8=Q $18) 44. Re8 { [%clk 0:07:34] } 44... Qxb4 { [%clk 0:07:03] } 45. Rfe1 { [%clk 0:07:55] } 45... a3 { [%clk 0:05:10] } 46. Rxd8 { 1-0 White wins. } { [%clk 0:08:15] } 1-0