[Event "US Open 2024"] [White "Gilruth,Peter"] [Black "Girsch,Daniel"] [Site ""] [Round "9"] [Annotator "PGilruth"] [Result "0-1"] [Date "2024.08.04"] [BlackElo "2341"] [PlyCount "98"] {[%evp 0,98,19,30,53,19,18,20,45,15,7,8,26,15,10,4,37,60,61,6,-13,-31,11,22,21,1,4,-18,-17,-8,-1,-2,-5,-3,-5,-23,27,-22,-22,-22,-22,-22,-22,-31,-28,-32,-21,0,-6,-66,-93,-96,0,-82,-81,-81,-65,-91,-69,-82,-82,-118,-95,-99,-79,-96,-97,-97,-102,-114,-118,-160,-172,-131,-122,-116,-117,-139,-136,-290,-313,-267,-267,-267,-267,-326,-366,-1425,-1415,-29985,-29986,-29987,-29984,-29985,-232,-228,-230,-248,-230,-528,-834]} 1. Nf3 { Last and most important round because I have a chance to win a prize. I am paired up against a 2341 player which adds to the challenge.} c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 4. g3 Bg7 5. Bg2 Nf6 6. O-O O-O 7. d4 d6 8. d5 {I play 7.d5 on principle, but I have never played it well. Other options are dxc5, e4, and e3. I should try the latter next time.} Na5 9. Nd2 a6 10. Qc2 Rb8 11. a4 e6 12. Rb1 $6 exd5 13. Nxd5 Nxd5 14. cxd5 b5 15. b4 cxb4 16. Rxb4 Bd7 17. Bb2 Rc8 $1 18. Qd3 $6 (18. Qb1 Bxb2 19. Qxb2 Nc4 20. Nxc4 Rxc4 21. axb5 Rxb4 22. Qxb4 Bxb5 $11 )Bxb2 19. Rxb2 Nc4 $15 20. Nxc4 bxc4 21. Qa3 Rc5 22. Rc1 Qa5 $6 23. Rb4 c3 $6 24. Be4 $2 ({I thought I had a back rank weakness, but} 24. Rxc3 $11 Rxc3 25. Qxc3 Rc8 26. Qb2 Rc1+ 27. Bf1 Bh3 28. Rb8+ {saves me.} )Rfc8 $17 25. Rc2 $2 R5c7 $2 ({My opponent missed} 25... Rb5 $1 )26. Rd4 Qb6 27. e3 a5 28. Bd3 Rc5 29. h4 h5 30. Kh2 $6 (30. Kg2 )Bg4 31. Qc1 Bf3 32. Be4 Bxe4 33. Rxe4 Qb3 $17 34. Rd4 Rc4 35. Rd3 Qxa4 36. Rcxc3 Rxc3 37. Rxc3 Rxc3 38. Qxc3 Qb4 39. Qf6 (39. Qc6 a4 40. e4 a3 41. e5 Qd4 42. Kg2 Qxe5 43. Qa8+ Kg7 44. Qxa3 Qxd5+ $17 )a4 40. e4 a3 41. e5 dxe5 42. d6 Qd4 43. Qe7 a2 44. d7 Qxf2+ 45. Kh3 Qf5+ 46. Kh2 Qxd7 47. Qxd7 a1=Q 48. Qe7 Qa2+ 49. Kh3 $6 Qe6+ 0-1