[Event "33rd Annual North American Open"] [Site "Las Vegas"] [Date "2023.12.30"] [White "Praveen Balakrishnan"] [Black "Viktor Gazik"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2505"] [BlackElo "2567"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E20"] [Opening "Nimzo-Indian Defense: Romanishin Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/u9vHrp1t/E5Yj6491"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 Nc6 6. Nf3 d6 7. Qc2 e5 8. dxe5 dxe5 9. O-O h6 10. Rd1 Qe7 11. a3 Bd6?! { This move doesn't actually preserve the bishop, so fighting for the e4-square was more accurate: } (11... Bxc3 12. Qxc3 a5 13. b3 Bf5 14. Bb2 Rfe8) 12. Nb5 Bg4 13. b4 a6 14. Nxd6 cxd6 15. Bb2 Rac8 16. Rac1 Rfd8 17. h3 Be6 18. c5?! { Unnecessarily forcing. } (18. Qb1 Qc7 19. Nd2 Ne7 20. e3 { keeps the pressure building, and it is up to Black to keep things dynamically balanced. } 20... b6 21. Qd3 Qb8 22. e4 b5!? $14) 18... dxc5 19. Rxd8+ Qxd8 20. bxc5 Nd7 21. Nd2? { This just drops the weak c-pawn without obtaining compensation. } (21. Qe4 Qa5 22. Qe3 f6 23. Nd2 Qb5 24. Ba1 Ne7 25. Ne4 { when even though Black can win the c-pawn, White will have more counterplay: } 25... Nf5 26. Qd2 Nxc5 27. g4 Nxe4 28. Rxc8+ Bxc8 29. Bxe4 Ne7 30. Qd8+ Kf7 31. Bc3 Qe8) 21... Nxc5 22. Qxc5 Qxd2 23. Qc2 Qa5 24. Qc5 Qd2 25. Qc2 Qd6 26. Qd1 { White correctly infers that the trade of queens would actually help obtain an equal position, despite being down a pawn, as Black's queenside majority is relatively immobile. } 26... Qc7 27. Qa4 Bd7 28. Qe4 Qb6 29. Ba1 (29. Bxe5?? Re8) 29... Qa5 30. Qe3 Re8 31. Rd1 Qc7 32. Qc5 f6 33. Kh2 Rd8 34. Qc4+ Kh8?! (34... Kf8! { was necessary, covering the f7-square. } 35. Bc3 g6 36. f4 { is ambitious, but Black can hold: } (36. Qc5+ Kg7) 36... Be8 37. Rxd8 Qxd8 38. fxe5 fxe5 39. a4 Bf7 40. Qc5+ Qe7 41. Qe3) 35. Qf7 Qc8 36. Be4!? (36. f4! { pushes, but Black should hold with precise defense: } 36... Be8 37. Qf8+ Kh7 38. Be4+ Bg6! 39. Rxd8 Qxd8 40. Qxd8 Nxd8 41. Bd5) 36... Nd4?? (36... Bf5! { liquidating was necessary. } 37. Rxd8+ Nxd8 38. Qe8+ Kh7 39. Bd5 Nc6!) 37. Bxd4! Be6 38. Qg6 Bg8 { No better was } (38... Kg8 39. Qh7+ Kf8 40. Bc5+! $18) 39. Bxe5! { White finds all the requisite tactics. } 39... fxe5 40. Bxb7! Qb8 41. Rxd8 Qxd8 42. Qxa6 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0