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Tatev Abrahamyan – 于润荷 (Jennifer Yú)
61st U.S. Women’s Chess Championship; Saint Louis, October 7, 2022
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 h6 6. 0-0 d6 7. Re1 0-0 8. h3 a6 9. Bb3. 9. a4 is another popular hit; there may follow: 9. ... Ba7 10. Nbd2 Re8 11. Nf1 Be6 12. Bxe6 Rxe6 13. Be3 Bxe3 14. Nxe3 d5 15. Qc2 Qd7 16. Rad1 Rd8 with equality, M. O. Muzychuk – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Lviv 2016, Women’s World Chess Championship match game 1.
9. ... Re8 10. Nbd2 Be6 11. Bc2 Ba7. If now 11. ... d5 then 12. exd5 Bxd5 13. b4 Ba7 14. a4 b5 15. Bb2 Qb8 16. Nf1 Qb6 17. Ne3 Rad8 18. a5 Qb7 19. Nxd5 Nxd5 20. Nh4 Re6 21. d4⩲↑ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Eljanov, 78th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Utrecht 2016.
12. Nf1 d5 13. exd5. No more promising is 13. Bd2 dxe4 14. dxe4 Qd7 15. N3h2 Rad8 16. Qf3 Qe7 17. b4 Bc4 18. a4 Qe6 19. Bc1 Nh7 20. Nd2 Rd6 21. Ra3 Ng5 22. Qg3 Red8 23. Nxc4 Qxc4 24. Ng4 Rg6 25. h4 Ne6 26. h5 Rxg4 27. Qxg4 Nxb4 28. cxb4 Qxc2 29. Be3 Bxe3 30. Raxe3 Qxa4 31. Qf5 Qb5 32. Rc1 Rd7 ½ : ½ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Hoàng Thị Bảo Trâm, 2nd “鄞州杯” (“Yínzhōu Cup”) World Women’s Team Chess Championship, 宁波 (Níngbō) 2009.
13. ... Bxd5 14. Ng3 Nh7 15 Qe2. Likewise 15. Be3 Qf6 16. Ne4 Bxe4 17. dxe4 Rad8 18. Qc1 Bxe3 19. Rxe3 Ng5 is nothing special for White, Andriasian – Vavulin, 6th Moscow Open F Student, Moscow 2014.
15. ... Qd7 16. Nh4 Be6

17. Qh5. After a long thought, Abrahamyan throws her gauntlet at 于 (Yú). The text threatens Ng3-f5.
17. ... Nf6 18. Qf3 Bd5. Black’s last two moves were virtually forced, as well as good enough to maintain the balance.
19. Ne4

19. ... Nh7! 20. Qh5! Threatening Nh4-f5, as if 20. Nf5 at once, then 20. ... Ne7! neutralising all of White’s threats.
20. ... Ne7! 21. Be3. Wild complications arise from 21. Qxe5 f5 22. Qg3! — a sample line is 22. ... Qc6 23. Nd2 f4! 24. Qg4 g5 25. Ne4 Nxe4 26. Rxe4 Nf6 27. Qe6+ Qxe6 28. Rxe6 gxh4 29. Rxf6 Nd5 with a dynamic equilibrium.

21. ... f5!? She still seeks complications. It would have been wiser to take on e3, and then follow with ... Bd5xe4 and ... Nh7-f6.
22. Bxa7 Rxa7? An inconsistent mistake that loses instantly. For good or bad, Black should have played 22. ... fxe4 23. Bc5 (23. Be3 Bf7 24. Qxe5 exd3) 23. ... exd3 24. Bxd3 e4 with the game still going on.
23. Nc5 Qc6 24. Rxe5 Nf6 25. Qe2 Qxc5 26. Re1 g5. Desperation.
27. Nxf5 Nxf5 28. Rxe8+ Nxe8 29. Qxe8+ Qf8 30. Qg6+ Ng7 31. d4! White’s attack rolls on as Black is virtually playing a Rook down.
31. ... Ra8 32. Qxh6. Threatening Bc2-h7+ followed by mate in two.
32. ... Qf4

They both were very short of time, which may explain what follows:
33. Bh7+?? (33. Qh7+! Kf7 34. Bg6+ Kf6 35. Bd3! Kf7 36. Re5+−)
33. ... Kf8 34. Bd3 Bf7?? (34. ... Re8! 35. Rxe8+ Kxe8 36. Qxg7 Qc1+ 37. Bf1 Bc4 38. Qxc7⩲)
35. Qh8+ Bg8 36. Bc4 Qf7 37. Bxf7 Kxf7 38. Qh6 1 : 0.

To say it with Tartakower, Abrahamyan was lucky enough to be the one who made the next-to-last mistake! Photo © Austin Fuller/Saint Louis Chess Club.