[Event "American Cup Champ w"] [Site "Saint Louis USA"] [Date "2025.03.16"] [Round "1.1"] [White "Yip, Carissa"] [Black "Cervantes Landeiro, Thalia"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [ECO "A00"] [WhiteElo "2408"] [BlackElo "2292"] [PlyCount "131"] [GameId "2158956199784032"] [EventDate "2025.03.15"] [EventType "k.o."] [SourceVersionDate "2025.01.05"] {[%evp 0,131,12,-6,14,-26,-16,-21,-20,0,0,-14,-12,-5,23,28,59,45,37,17,-35,30,20,17,21,13,57,0,5,24,2,21,45,-48,12,30,-25,14,22,13,0,-121,-56,-84,-38,-106,-166,-207,-313,-278,-293,-178,-289,-272,-354,-254,-232,-327,-400,-368,-449,-356,-364,-342,-353,-358,-292,-262,-351,-379,-403,-29993,0,91,32,45,37,50,61,61,75,82,123,143,159,134,114,169,141,119,133,149,177,113,197,219,226,224,204,336,228,395,273,179,284,388,303,306,365,438,393,363,357,350,357,356,362,354,343,345,342,357,357,369,357,367,352,351,372,422,399,402,450,490]} 1. Nc3 c5 2. d4 {Lines like this in which the queen comes out early have become increasingly popular for White, though it's a bit soon to say that they've reached the mainstream.} cxd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qd3 (4. Qh4 {has been the most popular square overall, as tried once by Morozevich in a rapid game against one Garry Kasparov. (It didn't work out.)} Nf6 5. Nf3 d5 6. Bg5 Qa5 7. O-O-O Be6 8. Bd2 g6 9. e4 d4 10. e5 Ng4 11. Nxd4 Nxd4 12. h3 Bg7 13. hxg4 Bxe5 14. a3 Rc8 15. Bd3 Nb3+ 16. cxb3 Bxc3 17. Bxc3 Rxc3+ 18. Kb1 Rxb3 19. Qh2 Qc3 20. Qb8+ Bc8 21. Rd2 O-O 22. Qh2 h5 23. Rhd1 Bxg4 24. f3 Be6 25. g4 hxg4 26. fxg4 Bxg4 27. Rg1 Rxb2+ 28. Rxb2 Qxd3+ 29. Qc2 Qd7 30. Qd2 Qxd2 31. Rxd2 Bf3 32. Kb2 Bc6 33. Kc3 Kg7 34. Kb4 e5 35. a4 a6 36. a5 e4 37. Kc5 Re8 38. Re1 Re6 39. Kd4 f5 40. Rh2 Kf6 41. Rh8 Rd6+ 42. Kc5 Rd5+ 43. Kb6 Rb5+ 44. Kc7 Rxa5 {0-1 Morozevich,A (2748)-Kasparov,G (2851) Fujitsu Siemens Giants Frankfurt 2000 (10)}) (4. Qa4 {has also been played, though the similarities between this and the Scandinavian are limited. If you're looking for inspiration, here's Firouzja defeating MVL with this:} e6 5. e4 Bc5 6. Nf3 d6 7. e5 dxe5 8. Nxe5 Nge7 9. Ne4 Bb4+ 10. c3 Qd5 11. Bd3 Qxe5 12. cxb4 f5 13. f4 Qd4 14. Nf2 Qxb4+ 15. Qxb4 Nxb4 16. Bb1 Bd7 17. Bd2 Nbd5 18. O-O Rc8 19. Re1 O-O 20. Bd3 Rfd8 21. b3 Kf7 22. Rac1 Rxc1 23. Rxc1 Bc6 24. g3 Nf6 25. Ba5 Rd7 26. Bf1 Be4 27. Rc7 Rxc7 28. Bxc7 Nc6 29. Bd6 Nd4 30. Bc5 Nf3+ 31. Kg2 b6 32. Nxe4 Ne1+ 33. Kg1 Nxe4 34. Be3 Nc2 35. Bc1 Nb4 36. a3 Nd5 37. Bc4 Ke7 38. Kf1 Kd6 39. Ke2 Kc5 40. a4 Nd6 41. Ba3+ Kc6 42. Bd3 g6 43. Kd2 a5 44. Bb2 Ne4+ 45. Ke2 Kc5 46. Bc4 Nd6 47. Ba3+ Kc6 48. Bd3 Nb4 49. Bb1 b5 50. axb5+ Nxb5 51. Bb2 Kd5 52. Ke3 Nd6 53. Bf6 Nb7 54. Kd2 Nc5 55. Kc3 Ne4+ 56. Bxe4+ fxe4 57. Bd8 Nc6 58. Bb6 h5 59. h3 e5 60. fxe5 Kxe5 61. Kc4 Kd6 62. Bc5+ Ke6 63. Bb6 g5 64. Kc5 Ne7 65. Bxa5 e3 66. Be1 Ke5 67. b4 g4 68. hxg4 hxg4 69. b5 Nd5 70. b6 Nxb6 71. Kxb6 Kd5 72. Kb5 e2 73. Kb4 Kd4 74. Kb3 Kd3 75. Kb2 Kd4 76. Kc2 Ke3 77. Kc3 Ke4 78. Kd2 Kf3 79. Kd3 {1-0 Firouzja,A (2767)-Vachier Lagrave,M (2735) London TechM GCL rapid 2024 (5.2)}) 4... Nf6 5. Bg5 $146 (5. Nf3) (5. e4 {transposes to a moderately popular Sicilian sideline.}) 5... e6 (5... h6 6. Bxf6 gxf6 7. O-O-O a6 8. Nf3 e6 $15 {Black's position is essentially impervious to attack thanks to her wall of central pawns, and her bishop pair and pending queenside play can lead to trouble for White's king.}) 6. e4 {Back to the aforementioned Sicilian sideline, though this is not a common position within that variation.} Bc5 (6... h6 $142) 7. O-O-O $146 Qa5 8. Bxf6 ({The traditional prophylactic move} 8. Kb1 $14 {/? was probably best, not fearing the loss of the f-pawn or possible tactics involving the loose bishop on g5. (It's always easy to sacrifice other people's pieces.)}) 8... gxf6 9. f4 Nb4 $11 10. Qc4 Be3+ {Greedy, but it's a good greed.} 11. Kb1 Bxf4 12. Nf3 Nc6 13. g3 (13. Nd5 $1 exd5 14. exd5 Qb4 $1 15. dxc6 Qxc4 16. cxd7+ Bxd7 17. Bxc4 O-O-O 18. Bxf7 Bc6 $44 {Black's bishop pair gives her just about enough for the pawn.}) 13... Bh6 (13... Bc7 $142) 14. Nb5 O-O 15. Qe2 (15. Nd6 {Prevents Black's next, but Cervantes can go for an alternative break instead:} b5 16. Qxb5 Rd8 17. Be2 Rb8 18. Qxa5 Nxa5 $14 {The knight on d6 is annoying, but Black will have reasonable success working around it.}) 15... d5 $1 {Returning the pawn for active development.} 16. exd5 exd5 17. Nfd4 (17. Rxd5 $4 Be6 $19 {and the rook is stuck due to 18...Qxa2#.}) 17... a6 18. Nc3 Nxd4 19. Rxd4 Bg7 20. Qf2 (20. Nxd5 Be6 $44 (20... f5 $44)) 20... f5 21. Rxd5 $2 (21. Bd3 $1 Qb6 $1 (21... Bxd4 22. Qxd4 $44 {is playable for Black but extremely dangerous. White is down the exchange and a pawn but has full compensation.}) 22. Rf4 Qxf2 23. Rxf2 Bxc3 24. bxc3 Be6 $11 {The game is likely to peter out to a draw after the players swap off all their weak pawns.}) 21... b5 $17 {Black's kingside may be a little ragged, but her bishops are incredibly strong. The g7-bishop is obviously great, and its counterpart will be scary on b7 or especially e6.} 22. Rd3 $2 {After this White's position *should* be hopeless.} (22. g4 $1 Bb7 23. Bd3 $1 Bxd5 24. Nxd5 Qd8 $1 25. Qxf5 Qh4 $17) 22... Be6 $19 23. Bg2 Bxc3 24. bxc3 Qxa2+ 25. Kc1 Rad8 {White is just hanging on and hoping for a miracle.} 26. Qe3 Qa3+ 27. Kd2 Rxd3+ 28. Kxd3 Bc4+ 29. Kd2 Rd8+ 30. Ke1 Qd6 {Threatening ...Qd1+ followed by ...Rd2+, winning immediately.} 31. Bf3 Rd7 32. Qf4 Qc5 33. Qg5+ Kf8 34. Qh6+ Ke8 35. Bc6 {This should lose more or less immediately, but if Black doesn't understand why...} Bd5 $4 {Not only missing a mate, but giving away the whole advantage.} (35... Qe5+ {mates in at most three more moves.} 36. Be4 (36. Kf2 Qe2+ 37. Kg1 Qf1#) 36... Qxe4+ 37. Kf2 Qe2+ 38. Kg1 Qf1#) (35... Qe7+ {is the same, except that White can waste an additional move with 36.Qe6.}) 36. Bxd7+ Kxd7 37. Qd2 $11 Kc6 38. Rf1 Be6 $2 ({The more active} 38... Be4 $11 {was better, maintaining equality.}) 39. Qd4 Qxd4 40. cxd4 $18 {This is hopeless for Black, barring time trouble errors.} b4 41. Kd2 a5 42. Rf4 Kb5 43. d5 $1 Bxd5 44. Rxf5 Kc4 45. Rf4+ Kc5 46. Kc1 a4 47. c3 $1 {A good practical move.} bxc3 48. Rxa4 {The rest is agony.} Bc4 49. Kc2 Kd4 50. Rb4 h5 51. h4 Kd5 (51... f6 52. Ra4 f5 53. Rb4 {comes to the same thing: Black loses the c-pawn, and has no chance of creating a fortress on the kingside.}) 52. Kxc3 Be2 53. Rf4 Bg4 54. Rxf7 Ke6 55. Rf4 Bh3 56. Kd4 Bf5 57. Rf2 Bh7 58. Rf8 Bf5 59. Rh8 Bg4 60. Rg8 Bd1 61. Ke4 Kf7 62. Rg5 Kf6 63. Kf4 Be2 64. Rc5 Bg4 65. Rc6+ Kg7 66. Kg5 {White will play Rh6 and take the h-pawn, with an elementary win whether Black takes the rook or not.} 1-0