[Event "SE Women and Girls Chess Championship"] [Date "2026.05.11"] [Round "3"] [White "Bahar Hallayeva"] [Black "Megan Paragua"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2278"] [BlackElo "2333"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B22"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Stoltz Attack"] [StudyName "Southeastern Regional Women's and Girls' Chess Championship"] [ChapterName "Hallayeva, Bahar - Paragua, Megan"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/yKeDdkMe/VRCOlbNj"] [UTCDate "2026.05.11"] [UTCTime "16:32:13"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 d6 7. exd6 Qxd6 8. O-O Be6 9. Bxe6 Qxe6 10. a4 Qd7 11. a5 Nd5 12. d4 cxd4 13. Nxd4 e6 14. a6 b6 15. Na3 Bxa3 16. Rxa3 O-O 17. Nxc6 Qxc6 18. Qg4 f5 19. Qe2 Rae8 20. Qe5 Ne7 21. f4?! { (Annotations by JJ Lang) White's only real mistake in the game. Paragua immediately pounces. } 21... Ng6 22. Qe2 e5! 23. fxe5 Nxe5 { Black now has a nice initiative. } 24. b3? (24. Ra1 { might have been best, with the point that now Black won't have ... Qc6-c5+ ideas against b2-b3. } 24... Ng6 25. Qf2 f4 { Still, Black is pressing. }) 24... Qxc3 (24... f4! { It's astounding how swiftly this would have ended the game. } 25. Ra4 (25. Rxf4? Rxf4 26. Bxf4 Qc5+ { was the tactical justification. }) 25... f3 { There's no answer! } 26. Qe4 (26. Qc2 fxg2 27. Qxg2 Nf3+ 28. Kh1 Nh4! { is a gorgeous conclusion. } { [%cal Gf8f1] }) 26... f2+ 27. Rxf2 Nf3+ $19) 25. b4 Qd4+ 26. Be3? (26. Re3! { was necessary, surprisingly. } 26... f4 { doesn't work , since White has } 27. Rd1 { breaking the pin. After } 27... Qa1 28. Re4 f3 { Black is still pushing, but } 29. gxf3 Nxf3+ 30. Kh1 Rxe4 31. Qxe4 { and Black actually doesn't have any knockout blows here! She's up a pawn, but the position remains complex. }) 26... Qxb4 27. Qa2+ Qc4 28. Qa1 Ng4 29. Bd4 Re4 30. Ra4 Qc7 { Black's attack is almost unstoppable now. } 31. Qa2+ Kh8 32. g3 Qe7 33. Qd5 Ne3 34. Bxe3 Rxa4 35. Bf2 Re4 36. Rc1 f4 37. Rd1 { Notation ends here, but Black is winning. } 0-1