Commentary: 2022 U.S. Women's Championship, Round 2 (Krush - Foisor)

This commentary game directly follows Eswaran - Lee from round 1 of the U.S. Women's Championship. I find it particularly valuable to look at similar but divergent games - this one again features an English with an e3/Be2 and b3/Bb2 structure against Black's Semi-Slav type setup. Black is the first to diverge from the previous game, pursuing a more assertive central strategy while White deliberately hangs back and waits to see if Black will over-commit. The conflicting central positional strategies merit close study, particularly the decisions around moves 16-20, as well as the clash of minor pieces and their exchanges. White ends up with the two bishops and eventually what could/should be a won ending, but the "all rook endings are drawn" saying again proves itself valid.

[Event "U.S. Women's Chess Championship 2022"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2022.10.05"] [Round "02"] [White "Krush, Irina"] [Black "Foisor, Sabina-Francesca"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2432"] [BlackElo "2203"] [ECO "A11"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon by Komodo 2.6.1"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] 1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.b3 Bd6 {the first deviation from Eswaran-Lee. Black is going to play differently, emphasizing controlling and occupying the e5 square.} 6.Bb2 O-O 7.Be2 {White's setup so far is standard in this line.} 7...e5 {this forces White into making a defining choice about the center.} 8.cxd5 {the principled exchange, also played in the vast majority of database games. The point of flank play is to create a target in the center that can be attacked/undermined, and exchanging off a supporting pawn advances that goal.} 8...cxd5 9.Nb5 {universally played here. Black's bishop is significantly better than White's knight in general, and is supporting the key e5 pawn, so exchanging it makes strategic sense.} 9...Nc6 {choosing to maintain the pawn on e5.} 10.Nxd6 Qxd6 11.O-O {this postpones any decision-making regarding the center.} ( 11.d4 {is standard here. White takes care not to give Black too much presence in the center and also forces Black to define intentions in the center.} 11...e4 12.Ne5 {and White is fine, as} 12...Qb4+ $6 13.Qd2 {just helps White develop, since the king would be quite safe on d2 after an exchange.} ) 11...Bg4 {this seems to be played without a specific purpose other than development, since there is no resulting pin on the Nf3 and Black then wastes time by not exchanging the minor pieces immediately.} ( 11...Bf5 $5 ) 12.h3 Bh5 13.d3 {Krush seems to be intentionally baiting her opponent by using a more passive strategy, seeing if Black will commit to something erroneous.} ( 13.Nd4 $5 {is an interesting solution to the placement of the Nf3, made possible tactically by the Q+B battery against the Bh5.} 13...Bxe2 14.Nxe2 {and now White has the option of f2-f4, while the knight helps control d4 and has c3 potentially to go to.} ) ( 13.d4 {is still possible as well.} ) 13...Rfe8 14.Rc1 ( 14.a3 {would result in a full Hedgehog-type pawn structure, which White however avoids. Here the b4 square is not so useful for Black.} ) 14...Rad8 15.Qd2 {developing the queen and connecting the rooks, while waiting to see what her opponent chooses to do.} 15...Bxf3 {perhaps Black got tired of trying to figure out what to do with her light-square bishop?} 16.Bxf3 e4 $6 {this is too committal, since the advance does not lead to an advantage. A waiting move like ...h6 would be useful, as an alternative.} 17.Be2 {White continues with her non-committal strategy.} ( 17.dxe4 {is recommended by the engine.} 17...dxe4 {often a supported, advanced e-pawn is a strength, but here the advance would open up the game for White after piece exchanges.} ( 17...Nxe4 {also would give White easy play in the center and an advantage with the two bishops.} 18.Qc2 Nb4 19.Qd1 Nxa2 20.Ra1 Nb4 21.Rxa7 $16 ) 18.Qxd6 Rxd6 19.Rfd1 {and White's bishops and rooks combine for an advantage. For example} 19...Red8 20.Rxd6 Rxd6 21.Bd1 Rd2 22.Bc2 $16 {and now if} 22...Nb4 $2 23.Bxe4 $18 {wins due to Black's back rank weakness.} ) 17...d4 {Black bravely (and correctly) presses forward, with all her pieces supporting the advanced pawns. Now the center will have to be resolved.} 18.Rcd1 dxe3 {Black leverages her pressure along the d-file.} 19.fxe3 ( 19.Qxe3 $6 Nd5 20.Qg5 f6 21.Qg4 e3 {and White is on the defensive.} ) 19...exd3 20.Bxd3 {White has the two bishops in an open position, but the isolated e-pawn offers Black a target as compensation.} 20...Ne4 {the knight looks good on the advanced central square, but this is premature. The queen sidesteps effectively to e2 and Black has no real threats. Moving the Black queen off the d-file instead would helpfully pin the bishop, for example with ...Qe7.} 21.Qe2 Qe7 ( 21...Qg6 22.Rf4 $16 ) 22.Rf4 {unlike in the above variation, this is less effective without another good target for the rook besides the Ne4. Qh5 or Qg4 seem more effective continuations, targeting h7 or g7 respectively.} 22...Ng5 23.Rdf1 {a pawn sacrifice that doesn't seem to offer much for White, other than trading material.} 23...Qxe3+ 24.Qxe3 Rxe3 25.Bc4 Ne5 26.Bxe5 Rxe5 27.Bxf7+ Nxf7 28.Rxf7 Rb5 {awkward-looking but an effective defensive move. In a double-rook ending with symmetrical pawns, a draw is normal unless one player blunder. Krush decides to try to press for a win, however.} 29.Rc7 a5 ( 29...h6 $5 {would get the h-pawn out of the line of fire of the rooks on the 7th rank and give the king a square on h7.} 30.Rff7 Rd1+ 31.Kh2 Rg5 {and now} 32.Rxb7 $2 Rd2 $17 {and the more important g-pawn goes.} ) 30.Rff7 Rd1+ 31.Kh2 Rg5 32.Rf2 h5 ( 32...h6 {would perhaps be more prudent.} ) 33.Rxb7 {still not decisive for White.} 33...Kh7 34.Rc7 Re5 ( 34...a4 $5 {with the idea of} 35.bxa4 ( 35.b4 Rb1 $10 ) 35...Rd4 36.Ra7 Rd3 {and the doubled rook pawns should be too weak to promote.} ) 35.Rff7 Rg5 36.Rc2 Kh6 37.Rfc7 Rdd5 38.R7c4 Rge5 {White of course has an edge, but with the double rooks and Black able to cover her weaknesses, there is no clear winning path.} 39.h4 Rb5 {this limits the scope of the Black rook, normally something to be avoided in rook endings.} 40.Rc6+ Kh7 41.R2c3 Re2 {Black's rooks are now uncoordinated and White tries to take advantage of this.} 42.a4 Rb4 43.R6c4 Re4 $2 {this simplifiies down and leaves Black's remaining rook out of position.} ( 43...Rb2 {rooks belong behind your opponent's pawns in an ending. This would also simplify, but with Black's remaining rook in a much better position.} 44.Rxb4 axb4 {and White's advantage is minimal.} ) 44.Rxe4 Rxe4 45.Rc5 {effectively swapping the White h-pawn for the Black a-pawn and giving White two connected passed pawns, which should be enough to win.} 45...Rxh4+ 46.Kg1 Kh6 47.Rxa5 $18 Rd4 {"all rook endings are drawn" is still a rallying cry for the worse-off player. Let's see how Black manages to draw here.} 48.Rb5 h4 49.a5 Rd1+ 50.Kf2 ( 50.Kh2 $5 ) 50...Ra1 51.Kf3 ( 51.Rb6+ {followed by a5-a6 looks more to the point.} ) 51...Ra2 52.b4 {this makes the situation too static. White's rook is out of place in front of her pawns, while Black's is behind them and also targets White's king and pawn from the side.} ( 52.Kg4 {White can use her king actively here.} 52...Rxg2+ 53.Kxh4 g5+ 54.Kh3 Ra2 55.Kg4 Rg2+ 56.Kf3 Ra2 ) 52...g5 {the engine considers the position with just a small advantage to White.} 53.Rb8 Ra3+ {over-using the rook and leaving the king passive.} ( 53...Kg6 ) 54.Ke4 ( 54.Kg4 Rg3+ 55.Kf5 Rxg2 56.b5 {and White will eventually win the pawn race, with Black running out of checks.} ) 54...Ra2 55.Rb6+ {this drives the Black king forward, where it wants to be. The engine shows that keeping the White king active and centralized is the key.} ( 55.Kf5 ) ( 55.Kd3 ) ( 55.Ke3 ) 55...Kh5 56.a6 Rxg2 {now the balance is more obvious. Both rooks can get behind the other side's pawns, but can't support their own to queen.} 57.Rb5 h3 58.a7 ( 58.Ra5 $2 h2 59.a7 h1=Q 60.a8=Q Ra2+ $19 ) 58...Ra2 59.Rb7 Kg4 60.b5 h2 61.Rh7 Rxa7 62.Rxh2 {now it is a forced draw.} 62...Ra4+ 63.Kd5 Rb4 64.Kc5 Rb1 65.Rc2 Kf3 66.Rc3+ Kf4 67.Rc4+ Kf3 68.Rc3+ Kf4 69.Rc4+ Kf3 70.Rc3+ Kf4 1/2-1/2

Evaluation generated by HIARCS Chess Explorer Pro