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艾丽斯·李 (Alice Lee) – Irina Borisivna Krush

2nd American Cup — Women’s Champions Bracket; match game 2; Saint Louis, March 25, 2023

Bogo-Indian Defence E11

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Bxd2+ 5. Qxd2 d5 6. cxd5. That’s a strange way to go all out for a win as the text gives White little or nothing.
6. ... exd5 7. Nc3 Bf5 (7. ... c6 8. e3 0-0 9. Bd3 Nbd7 10. 0-0 Qe7 11. a3 ½ : ½ Dražić – Savić, GM Third Saturday 122, Novi Sad 2019)
8. e3 0-0 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 c6 11. 0-0 a5 12. Na4 Ne4 13. Rac1 Nd7 14. Nc5 Ndxc5 15. dxc5 Qe7 16. Nd4

16. ... a4 (16. ... Nxc5 17. Qa3 b6 18. Nxc6⩲)
17. f3 Nxc5 18. Qa3 b6 19. Nxc6 Qf6 20. Nb4 Rad8. 20. ... d4 at once seems likewise possible; for example: 21. Nd5 Qd6 22. e4 f5 23. Nxb6 Qxb6 24. Qxc5 Rab8 with a dynamic equilibrium.
21. Rfd1. Possibly the wrong Rook, as Black can now make the advance ... d5-d4.
21. ... d4 22. e4. Had the other Rook been on d1, White could now play 22. exd4 Rxd4 23. Nd5 Qe5 24. Ne7+! Kh8 25. Nc6 winning material, since ... Rd4xd1 is not check!
22. ... Rd6 23. Nd5 Qg5. Perhaps simpler was 23. ... Qe5 24. Nxb6 Rxb6 25. Rxc5 Qb8 26. Qxa4 Rxb2 27. Qxd4 Rxa2 28. Rg5 g6 29. h4 Qb2! coming down to a four Rooks ending in which White’s extra Pawn counts for nothing.
24. Nxb6! Alea iacta est.

24. ... Nxe4? A clear oversight, overlooking White’s 25th move. She ought to play 24. ... Rg6 25. g3 Rxb6 (25. ... Nxe4 26. Nd7 Rd8 27. fxe4 Rxd7 28. Rc5! Qd8 29. Rdc1 Qf8 30. Qxa4 might be a bit more difficult for Black) 25. ... Rxb6 26. Rxc5 Qf6 27. Rd2 d3! 28. Rf5 Qh6 29. Qc3 Qe3+ 30. Kg2 Rfb8 31. Rd5 Qxd2+! 32. Qxd2 Rxb2 33. Rxd3 Rxd2+ 34. Rxd2 Kf8 and Black, despite the minus Pawn, should draw the ending.
25. Nc8! A deadly zwischenzug. In all probability White was expecting 25. fxe4? Rxb6= with equality.
25. ... d3. Desperation, but if 25. ... Rg6 (menacing mate at g2), then 26. Ne7+ forking King and Rook.
26. fxe4 Rd7 27. Qc5 Qd8 28. Nb6 Rd4 29. Nd5 Rxe4 30. Rxd3 Rfe8 31. Rdd1 Qh4 32. Qf2 Qxf2+ 33. Kxf2 Re2+ 34. Kf3 Rxb2

35. Re1! Rd8 36. Re2! An elegant display of technique by Lee.
36. ... Rb5 37. Ne7+ Kf8 38. Rc8 Rxc8 39. Nxc8 Rf5+ 40. Ke4 g6 41. Nd6 Rf1 42. Kd4 f5 43. Nc4 Kg7 44. Kd3 f4 45. Ke4 Kf6 46. Nd2 Rh1 47. Nf3 g5 48. Re1 1 : 0.

Nice comeback from Lee, but in the end — like last year — it was Krush who had the last word, taking her second straight title on a tie-breaker. Photo © Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club.