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Alice Teresa Lee – Nazí Nodarovna Paikidze

2nd American Cup — Women’s Elimination Bracket; match game 1; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Saint Louis, March 23, 2023

Modern Defence A42

1. d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3. e4 c5 4. d5 d6 5. Be2 e6 6. Nc3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 e5 8. Bd3

8. ... Nd7. Not 8. ... h5?! because of 9. f4± Kavalek – Barendregt, 9th IBM International Chess Tournament, Amsterdam 1969.
9. Ne2 Qe7 10. h3!? Also plausible is 10. a4 a5 11. h4 h6 12. f3 Kd8 13. Be3 Nb6 14. Qb3 Ra6 15. g4 Bd7 16. Kd2 Qe8 17. Qa3 f5 18. g5 f4 19. Bf2 hxg5 20. hxg5 Ne7 21. Nd4! with the upper hand for White, Muradli – Ilyasli, 76th Azerbaijani Chess Championship, Nakhchivan 2022.
10. ... Kd8! 11. Be3 Kc7 12. Qd2 f5 13. exf5 e4 14. Bg5

14. ... Ndf6? An odd move, which leaves Black with an uneasy position. Better was 14. ... Ngf6 15. Bc2 gxf5 with satisfactory play for Black (16. Nf4 is answered by 16. ... Ne5 17. Nh5 Rf8).
15. Bc2 Bxf5 16. Qe3 h6 17. Bf4

17. ... g5?? A terrific blunder, which loses at once. After 17. ... b6 18. a4 a5 19. 0-0 g5 20. Bh2 g4 21. Ng3 Bg6 22 h4 White is clearly better, but still there is no forced win.
18. Qxc5+ Kd8. If 18. ... Kd7 then 19. Ba4+ Kd8 20. Bxd6 Qg7 21. Bc7+! Kc8 (or 21. ... Qxc7 22. Qf8+ and mate next move) 22. Bb6+ Kb8 23. Qd6+ followed by mate.
19. Bxd6 Qd7 20. Nd4 Rc8 21. Qb4 Ne8 22. Be5 Rh7 23. g4 1 : 0.

In a repeat of last year, Lee got a second chance to play Krush in the finals. Photo © Bryan Adams/Saint Louis Chess Club.