[Event "CCT2024-Event1-Div2-KO"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2024.02.02"] [Round "1.3"] [White "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Black "Yu, Yangyi"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2770"] [BlackElo "2733"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E32"] [Opening "Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/KkITMFGZ/PoeoCOj5"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d6 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 O-O 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 Nc6 9. Nf3 g5 10. Bg3 Ne4 11. Qc2 f5 12. e3 Qf6 13. Bd3 Nxg3 14. fxg3 $146 (14. hxg3 { The 19 previous games in this position all saw the more principled capture. } 14... e5 15. d5 Ne7 { is standard. } (15... e4?! 16. dxc6 exd3 17. Qxd3 bxc6 18. c5! $16)) 14... e5 15. d5 e4 16. dxc6 exd3 17. Qxd3 bxc6 18. O-O (18. c5 { is riskier here, as the queen has more reach after } 18... Qxb2 $13 { than she would after 14. hxg3. }) 18... c5 { Black should be happy with the half-open e-file and ensuing pressure on the weak e3-pawn. But White has ideas, too: } 19. b4 Bb7 20. Nd2 Rae8 21. Rab1 Bc6 22. b5 Bb7 23. a4 Re5 24. a5 Qe6 { Very accurate play from both sides in a rather unusual structure. } 25. Rb3?! (25. Rbe1 Re8 $15) 25... Re8 26. Re1 d5 { Objectively, this move is no better than 26. ... f4. With perfect play, it might even be slightly less accurate. But, given White's 25. Rb3, clearly b5-b6 is on White's agenda. Black chooses the move that refutes b5-b6 rather than the one that leaves it on the table. } (26... f4 { was also an option: } 27. e4 Bxe4 28. Rxe4 Rxe4 29. Nxe4 Qxe4 30. gxf4! (30. Qxe4? Rxe4 $19) 30... gxf4 31. h3 $17 { I suppose Black didn't want to play into this line, despite the apparent advantage, because White's b3-rook is doing exactly what it wants (after staying on the b-file on move 25) eyeing possible breaks and opportunities to create a passed pawn on the queenside. }) 27. b6? (27. a6! Ba8 28. Rf1 dxc4 29. Nxc4 Be4 $17 { is promising for Black and, moreover, White's b5-b6 threat is eliminated. }) 27... cxb6 28. axb6 a6?! (28... dxc4! { was the proper response. } 29. Nxc4 (29. Qxc4 Bd5 $19) 29... Ba6 { using the weakening of the a6-square! } 30. Rc3 axb6 $17) 29. Rc1 d4! 30. Qe2 Rxe3 31. Rxe3 dxe3 32. Nf1 Qxb6 (32... f4!) 33. h4 Qc6 34. Rc3 Qxg2+ 35. Qxg2 Bxg2 36. Nxe3 Be4 { with a winning endgame. } 37. hxg5 hxg5 38. Ra3 Re6 39. Ra5 Rc6 40. Nd1 Kf7 41. Nc3 Ke6 42. Na4 Kd6 43. Kf2 Bc2 44. Nb2 Rb6 45. Ra2 { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1