[Event "2022 US Amateur Team North"] [Site "Schaumburg, IL"] [Date "2022.02.20"] [Round "5"] [White "Balakrishnan, Praveen"] [Black "Neal II, James"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2604"] [BlackElo "2207"] [Annotator "JJ Lang"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E04"] [Opening "Catalan Opening: Open Defense"] [StudyName "USATN 2022 - Game Highlights w/Annotation"] [ChapterName "Balakrishnan, Praveen - Neal II, James"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/3rh4t8h2/jsZKUIZr"] [Orientation "white"] 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 e6 3. c4 Nf6 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 Nc6 6. O-O a6 7. e3 Rb8 8. Nfd2 Bd7 9. Nxc4 b5 10. Ncd2 { Up until this point, the game has been following Leko-Karpov 2007 } 10... Bd6 11. Nc3 O-O 12. Nde4 Nxe4 13. Nxe4 Ne7 14. Qc2 b4 15. b3 Bb5 16. Rd1 Nd5 17. Bb2 Nf6?! { Black's position shifts from solidity into passivity at an almost imperceptible moment. } (17... f5 18. Nc5 Qe7 { This would dare white to push e4, at least creating imbalances and an open file for black's pieces to find counterplay. }) 18. Nc5 Qe7 19. Nd3 Nd7 20. Rac1 Rfc8 21. Nc5 Rd8 22. Nb7 Rdc8 23. Nxd6 Qxd6 24. e4 (24. d5 { was also playable immediately. } 24... e5 25. Be4 Nf6 26. Bf5 Rd8 { Now white can dominate the center with } 27. e4 { . }) 24... c6 25. Qd2 h6 26. Qe3 Re8 27. e5 Qc7 28. a4 bxa3 29. Bxa3 Qb7 30. Be4 f5 { This move was black's last chance of achieving counterplay on the kingside, but after } 31. exf6 { his position is frozen. } 31... Nxf6 32. Bg2 Qf7 33. Re1 Nd5 34. Qd2 Rbd8 35. Re5 Rd7 36. Rce1 Nc7 37. Bc5 Kh8 38. R1e4 Qg6 39. Bf3 Qh7 40. Re1 Qd3 41. Qxd3 { 1-0 Black resigns. } 1-0