[Event "ch-USA 2024"] [Site "Saint Louis USA"] [Date "2024.10.22"] [Round "10.1"] [White "Dominguez Perez, Leinier"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B31"] [WhiteElo "2741"] [BlackElo "2796"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "114"] [GameId "2103690448250254"] [EventDate "2024.10.11"] {[%evp 0,114,24,9,50,42,42,35,66,30,30,28,17,16,10,18,18,-5,-5,2,16,12,28,29,27,30,30,-16,15,3,15,23,0,0,-18,-4,-13,-23,-2,0,0,0,0,-5,-10,0,0,-34,-12,-9,0,-40,-41,-40,-40,-41,-3,-39,-47,-14,0,0,0,-20,-26,-27,-28,-20,-24,-31,-21,-34,-30,-36,-34,-33,-31,-34,-27,-39,-39,-48,-48,-48,-48,-48,-44,-36,-36,-44,-36,-35,-35,-44,-35,-35,-35,-44,-35,-38,-16,-43,-49,-49,-46,-46,-30,-46,-42,-43,-42,-46,-46,-17,-24,-46,-42]} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. O-O Bg7 6. Re1 Nf6 7. e5 Nd5 8. b3 O-O 9. Bb2 a5 10. Nc3 Nxc3 11. Bxc3 a4 12. h3 d5 13. d4 cxd4 14. Qxd4 Bf5 15. Qc5 e6 $146 (15... Qd7 16. b4 Qa7 17. Qxa7 Rxa7 18. Bd4 Rc7 19. Re2 Bc8 20. Bb6 Ba6 21. Re3 Rb7 22. Bc5 Rc8 23. Nd4 e6 24. f4 Bf8 25. a3 Bxc5 26. bxc5 Rb2 27. g4 Rc7 28. Kf2 Bc8 29. Ke2 Ra7 30. h4 Bd7 31. h5 Rab7 32. hxg6 hxg6 33. Kd2 Rb8 34. Rh3 Kf8 35. Rh7 Ke7 36. f5 gxf5 37. gxf5 exf5 38. Re1 Rb1 39. Re2 Be6 40. Nxc6+ Kd7 41. Nxb8+ Rxb8 42. Rh4 Rd8 43. Re3 Kc6 44. Rd3 Ra8 45. Rf4 Rg8 46. Rxa4 Rg2+ 47. Kc1 Rg1+ 48. Kb2 Rg4 49. Rxg4 fxg4 50. Kc3 Bf5 51. Rd2 Kxc5 52. a4 Be4 53. Rf2 d4+ 54. Kd2 Bd5 55. Rf5 g3 56. Ke1 Kb4 57. Rf4 Kc4 58. a5 Kb5 59. Rxd4 Be6 60. Ke2 g2 61. Kf2 Bh3 62. Rf4 Be6 63. Kxg2 Kxa5 64. Kg3 Kb5 65. Kh4 Kc5 66. Kg5 Kd5 67. Kf6 Kc6 68. c4 Kc5 69. Ke7 {1-0 Kolarik,J (2304)-Folk Gilsanz,J (2275) USA D email ICCF email 2017}) 16. Nd4 (16. b4 $14 Bxc2 $6 17. Qe3 a3 18. Rac1 Ba4 19. Bd4 $16 {White's bind on the dark squares and the irrelevance of both black bishops more than compensate for the pawn. White will soon put the bishop on c5 while building a kingside attack with moves like h4 and Nh2-g4.}) 16... Qg5 $11 17. Nxf5 Qxf5 18. Bd4 axb3 19. axb3 Rxa1 20. Bxa1 Rc8 {With one great big pawn island comprising pawns on light squares (where they complement rather than impede his bishop) Black stands better if anyone does. But Dominguez plays well, and manages to avoid any serious trouble.} 21. Bd4 Bf8 22. Qc3 h5 23. Bc5 Qf4 24. b4 Kg7 25. Bxf8+ Rxf8 26. g3 Qf5 27. Kg2 h4 28. g4 Qf4 29. Qc5 Ra8 30. Re3 Ra1 31. Qe7 d4 32. Rf3 Rg1+ 33. Kxg1 Qxf3 34. Qxh4 Qf4 35. Qg3 Qe4 36. Qd3 Qxe5 37. Kg2 g5 38. Qc4 Qe4+ 39. f3 Qe3 40. Qxc6 Qd2+ 41. Kf1 Qxb4 42. Ke2 {It's still a position where the only player who could be better is Caruana - not because he has the advantage but because more things could go wrong for White than for Black. Nothing comes of it, though.} Qa3 43. Qe4 Qc5 44. Kd3 Qc3+ 45. Ke2 Kf6 46. Kd1 Qb4 47. Ke2 Qc3 48. Kd1 Qc5 49. Kd2 Kg7 50. Kd3 e5 51. Kd2 Qc7 52. Kd1 Qc5 53. Qf5 f6 54. Qd7+ Kg6 55. Qf5+ Kg7 56. Qd7+ Kg6 (56... Kh6 {avoids one repetition, only to allow another, e.g.} 57. Qd8 Kg7 58. Qd7+ Kh6 59. Qd8 {.}) 57. Qf5+ Kg7 1/2-1/2 [Event "ch-USA 2024"] [Site "Saint Louis USA"] [Date "2024.10.22"] [Round "10.2"] [White "Niemann, Hans Moke"] [Black "Oparin, Grigoriy"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B83"] [WhiteElo "2733"] [BlackElo "2662"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "94"] [GameId "2103690448254351"] [EventDate "2024.10.11"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. a3 d6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O e5 10. Nf3 h6 11. Bc4 Be6 12. Qd3 Na5 13. Bd5 Bxd5 14. Nxd5 Nxd5 15. Qxd5 Rc8 16. Nd2 Qc7 17. Rac1 b5 18. b3 a6 19. c4 Qc6 20. Rfd1 Bg5 21. Bxg5 hxg5 22. h3 Qb6 23. cxb5 Qxb5 24. b4 Nc6 25. Qxb5 axb5 26. Nf3 (26. Nb3 $1 Ne7 27. Rxc8 Rxc8 28. Rxd6 Rc3 29. Nc5 Rxa3 30. Rd8+ Kh7 31. Rd7 Nc6 32. Rxf7 Nxb4 33. Rb7 $18 {would have given Niemann serious winning chances.}) 26... f6 27. Rxd6 $2 Nd4 {Now Black is well on his way to a theoretically drawn ending.} 28. Rxc8 Nxf3+ 29. gxf3 Rxc8 30. Rb6 Rc3 31. Rxb5 Rxa3 32. Kg2 Rb3 {This is the drawn ending alluded to above.} 33. Rb7 Kh7 34. b5 Kg6 35. b6 Rb1 $1 {Not allowing White's king easy access to the queenside.} 36. Rb8 Kh7 37. b7 {Now there's nothing to consider. Even if White somehow got his king to c6, Black would simply check it until it abandoned the defense of the b-pawn, and then return his rook to b1.} (37. Kg3 Rg1+ 38. Kh2 Rb1 {fails to make progress for White, while} 39. Kg2 Kg6 40. f4 gxf4 41. Kf3 Kg5 42. Ke2 Rb3 43. Kd2 f3 44. Kc2 Rb5 45. Kd3 Kf4 46. Kc4 $2 {makes enough "progress" for White to lose:} Rb2 47. Kc5 Rxf2 48. Ra8 (48. Rg8 Rc2+ 49. Kd6 Rb2 50. Kc7 f2 $19) 48... Rb2 49. Kc6 f2 50. Ra1 Kxe4 51. b7 Kf3 $19) 37... Kg6 38. Kg3 Rg1+ 39. Kh2 Rb1 40. Kg2 Kh7 41. Kh2 Kg6 42. Kg2 Kh7 43. Kg3 Rg1+ 44. Kh2 Rb1 45. Kg3 Rg1+ 46. Kh2 Rb1 47. Kg3 Rg1+ 1/2-1/2 [Event "ch-USA 2024"] [Site "Saint Louis USA"] [Date "2024.10.22"] [Round "10.3"] [White "So, Wesley"] [Black "Liang, Awonder"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C77"] [WhiteElo "2751"] [BlackElo "2677"] [PlyCount "127"] [GameId "2103690448254352"] [EventDate "2024.10.11"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3 O-O 9. Nc3 Na5 10. Ba2 Be6 11. Bxe6 fxe6 12. b4 Nc6 13. Re1 Qe8 14. Rb1 Nh5 15. Ne2 Qg6 16. Ng3 Nf4 17. d4 exd4 18. Nxd4 Nxd4 19. Qxd4 Bf6 20. Qd1 Be5 21. Rb3 Rf7 22. Rf3 Raf8 23. Bxf4 Bxf4 24. Qd3 Be5 25. Rxf7 Qxf7 26. Qe3 c5 27. Ne2 Qc7 28. c3 a5 29. Rc1 axb4 30. axb4 Qa7 31. h3 Rf7 32. f4 Bf6 33. Rd1 cxb4 34. Qxa7 Rxa7 35. cxb4 Ra6 36. Kf2 Kf7 37. Nd4 Bxd4+ 38. Rxd4 Ke7 39. Ke3 Ra1 40. Rd3 Rb1 41. Ra3 Rxb4 42. Ra7+ Kf6 43. Rd7 Rb3+ 44. Kf2 Rb2+ 45. Kf3 Rb3+ 46. Kf2 d5 47. exd5 exd5 48. Rxd5 Rb2+ 49. Kf3 Rb3+ 50. Ke4 Rg3 51. Rxb5 Rxg2 52. Rb6+ Kf7 53. h4 Rh2 54. Kf5 Rxh4 55. Rb7+ Kf8 56. Rb8+ Kf7 57. Rb7+ Kf8 58. Rb8+ Kf7 59. Kg5 Rh1 60. Rb7+ Kf8 61. Rb8+ Kf7 62. Rb7+ Kf8 63. Rb8+ Kf7 64. Rb7+ 1/2-1/2 [Event "ch-USA 2024"] [Site "Saint Louis USA"] [Date "2024.10.22"] [Round "10.4"] [White "Robson, Ray"] [Black "Mishra, Abhimanyu"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C54"] [WhiteElo "2693"] [BlackElo "2630"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "141"] [GameId "2103690448254353"] [EventDate "2024.10.11"] {[%evp 0,141,24,10,28,28,10,10,25,6,6,2,9,-1,29,-13,23,5,20,5,30,17,34,20,17,14,9,-3,4,-63,9,14,16,19,31,21,21,36,36,36,14,-19,0,-25,-3,-1,-75,8,-7,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,-63,0,-7,38,47,33,30,105,102,111,107,100,108,108,104,108,108,110,106,105,101,101,101,103,95,103,95,103,100,110,101,90,101,92,95,96,75,54,35,93,88,99,111,125,125,151,159,159,158,158,158,159,185,240,229,244,246,246,310,418,425,404,519,560,592,592,595,1091,1227,1253,1386,1378,484,501,590,592,621,601,707,1740,2318,2302,843,1796,2224,2472,2063]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 O-O 6. Nbd2 d6 7. O-O Bb6 8. h3 h6 9. Re1 Ne7 10. a4 a5 11. Ba2 c6 12. d4 Ng6 13. Qc2 Re8 14. Nf1 Bc7 15. Ng3 d5 16. dxe5 Nxe5 17. Nxe5 Bxe5 18. f4 Bc7 19. e5 Ne4 20. Nxe4 Bf5 21. Be3 Bxe4 22. Qf2 f6 23. Bc5 b6 24. Ba3 Kh7 25. Rad1 Qc8 26. c4 fxe5 27. cxd5 cxd5 28. Rxd5 $1 {Injecting some life into the game.} Bxd5 29. Bxd5 Kh8 (29... Rb8 30. Bc6 e4 31. Rc1 $44) 30. Bc6 $1 {A good move. More importantly, an amusing move.} Qe6 $6 (30... e4 $1 31. Bxe8 Qxe8 32. Qd4 b5 $11) 31. Qc2 $1 $14 {/?} Bd6 32. Bxd6 Qxd6 33. Bxa8 Rxa8 34. fxe5 $16 Qe6 {It's not "officially" winning, but defending such a position is a thankless task without any guarantee of success.} 35. Re3 Re8 36. Qe4 Kg8 37. Kh2 Kh8 38. Re2 Kg8 39. Re1 Kh8 40. Re3 Kg8 41. Qd4 Kh8 42. Kg3 Kg8 43. Qg4 {The position is losing for Black after the queen trade, regardless of who initiates the swap.} Qd5 44. e6 Qd6+ 45. Kf2 Qd2+ 46. Re2 Qd5 47. Kg1 Re7 48. Kh2 Qd6+ 49. g3 Qd3 50. h4 b5 51. axb5 Qxb5 52. Qe4 Qb6 53. Qf5 Qc6 $4 {A blunder of the sort that generally comes after being under pressure for hours, without a trace of counterplay.} ({Black is not having fun after} 53... a4 {, but the game continues.}) 54. Qxa5 Qf3 ({Presumably Black had a blind spot, initially missing} 54... Rxe6 55. Qa2 {, leading to a trivially easy king and pawn endgame win for White.}) 55. Qe5 Qb3 56. Qe4 h5 57. Qf5 Qc4 58. Rc2 Qa6 59. b4 Qb7 60. b5 Re8 61. Rf2 Re7 62. Qf8+ Kh7 63. Qf5+ Kg8 64. Rd2 Qa8 65. b6 Qe8 66. Qd5 Kh7 (66... Rxe6 67. Re2) 67. b7 Qb8 68. Qxh5+ Kg8 69. Rb2 Rxe6 {Finally allowing the fatal pin. Inger Stevens at last tolerates Leonard Strong in her car. (Anyone get the reference?)} 70. Qd5 Kf7 71. Re2 {"I believe you're going...my way?"} 1-0 [Event "ch-USA 2024"] [Site "Saint Louis USA"] [Date "2024.10.22"] [Round "10.5"] [White "Shankland, Sam"] [Black "Sevian, Samuel"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "E04"] [WhiteElo "2677"] [BlackElo "2689"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "150"] [GameId "2103690448254354"] [EventDate "2024.10.11"] {[%evp 0,150,24,24,27,4,4,6,-15,-14,-20,0,11,-20,27,28,47,12,12,-29,-8,11,12,13,-9,61,88,79,90,24,21,-32,11,-43,-31,-31,42,-66,-33,-47,-3,3,0,-28,74,74,59,-19,-21,-21,-24,-8,-1,-32,0,-58,-25,-33,-37,-59,-45,-47,-29,-66,-47,-40,-22,-61,-76,-67,-67,-62,-75,-130,-87,-104,-112,-111,-106,-95,-89,-118,-103,-97,-81,-73,-46,-28,-17,-97,-92,-99,-92,-61,-74,-101,-136,-129,-130,-237,-203,-229,-248,-258,-247,-274,-270,-270,-235,-297,-195,-205,-188,-171,-356,-145,-454,-464,-486,-486,-443,-443,-469,-497,-486,-486,-461,-489,-508,-508,-508,-508,-75,-75,-133,-133,-206,-298,-296,-290,-299,-299,-299,-427,-423,-434,-477,-510,-502,-724,-724,-852,-674]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 Nc6 6. O-O Rb8 7. Nc3 a6 8. e4 Be7 9. Qe2 b5 10. Rd1 O-O 11. d5 exd5 12. e5 d4 13. exf6 Bxf6 {Which side would you prefer? Both the database and the engine suggest it's roughly equal, and of a sort that rarely finishes in a draw.} 14. Ne4 Be7 15. b3 d3 16. Qd2 f5 17. Nc3 Bf6 18. Bb2 $146 {Finally leaving past theory behind. The game is still equal.} Be6 19. Rac1 Bf7 20. bxc4 bxc4 21. Na4 Bxb2 $2 (21... h6) (21... Rb4) 22. Nxb2 $16 Nd4 23. Nxd4 $2 (23. Nxc4 $1 {was best, aiming to destroy Black's dangerous pawns at the price of the exchange. After} Ne2+ 24. Kf1 Nxc1 25. Qxc1 $16 {White's knight pair - which might turn into a bishop and knight after Nfe5 and Nxf7 - more than compensates for Black's rook and two pawns. Black's pawns are scattered and vulnerable, and *if* White gets rid of Black's bishop Black will have light-squared vulnerabilities all over the place.}) 23... Qxd4 $11 24. Na4 (24. Nxd3 $1 $11 {The pawns are too dangerous.}) 24... Rfe8 (24... c5 $142 $15) 25. Nc3 (25. Re1 $142) 25... Rb6 26. Bf3 h6 27. h4 (27. Rb1 $142 $11) 27... Rd8 (27... Reb8 $142 $15) 28. Kg2 Rdb8 29. Rb1 Kh7 30. Re1 Kg8 31. Rec1 Kh7 {It's possible that Sevian was happy to repeat and draw, but my guess is that he was in time trouble as usual, and mainly wanted to reach the time control at move 40.} 32. h5 Kh8 33. Qf4 Qxf4 34. gxf4 Rd8 35. Rd1 Rd4 36. Rd2 Rxb1 37. Nxb1 Rxf4 {It's still equal, even though Black now has four pawns for the piece.} 38. Nc3 Rh4 39. Kg3 Rd4 40. Rb2 d2 41. Be2 f4+ 42. Kg2 g5 43. hxg6 Bxg6 44. f3 (44. Rb8+ Kg7 45. Rb7 Rd7 46. Ra7 $11) 44... h5 45. Bd1 (45. Rb7 $142 $11) 45... Kg7 (45... Rd7 $142 $15 {protects the c7-pawn in advance of Rb7, but also makes it possible to switch the rook to the e-file (or maybe the g-file).}) 46. Rb7 Rd7 47. Ne2 $6 (47. Ra7 $142 $11) 47... Re7 $6 (47... h4 $1 48. Nxf4 Bf5 $17) 48. Kf2 h4 49. Nc3 $2 {The first real error, and it proves fatal.} (49. Rb2 $8 Rd7 50. Rb4 $8 Bf7 51. Nxf4 $11 {keeps White alive.}) 49... h3 $19 50. Kg1 Kh6 {In large part so that Rxc7 won't come with check.} 51. Rb4 Bf7 52. Rb2 Re3 {White can't maintain the knight on c3, so Black's c4-pawn will advance.} 53. Ne2 (53. Rc2 $2 {only makes things worse after} Bg6 $19) 53... c3 54. Rc2 Bh5 55. Kh2 Bxf3 (55... Rxf3 $1 {would have been more expeditious, not that there's anything genuinely wrong with Sevian's decision.} 56. Nxc3 Rxc3 57. Rxc3 Bxd1 58. Rd3 Be2 59. Rxd2 f3 60. Kg3 h2 61. Kxh2 f2 $19 {The last of the advanced pawns scores the goal.}) 56. Nxc3 Rxc3 57. Rxc3 Bxd1 58. Rc6+ Kg5 59. Rc5+ Kf6 60. Rd5 Be2 61. Rxd2 f3 62. Rd8 (62. Kg3 h2 63. Kxh2 f2 64. Rd8 f1=Q $19 (64... Ke7 65. Rd1 Bxd1 66. Kg2 c5 $19)) 62... Ke7 (62... f2 $4 {Stay alert!} 63. Rf8+) 63. Rd2 {Another trick, but they will run out momentarily.} Kf6 64. Rd8 Ke7 65. Rd2 Kf7 66. Rd4 c5 67. Rh4 Ke6 68. Kg3 c4 {One passed pawn too many.} 69. Rxh3 c3 70. Rh8 Kd5 71. Kf2 c2 72. Rd8+ Ke4 73. Rc8 Bd3 74. Re8+ Kd4 75. Re1 Be2 (75... Be2 76. Rc1 Kd3 77. Ke1 {Else ...Kd2 wins the rook for the c-pawn, but now it's mate:} Ke3 78. Rxc2 f2#) 0-1