Alvar Alonso Rosell vs Nodirbek Yakubboev: game review

30.f4 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 72% to 53%.

• Black answers 30…Re7: moving away uncovers the queen on c7, which now hits the f4 pawn.
• Moves a pawn from in front of the king, loosening its cover.
• Better was 30.Rc3 (+2.53): the rook takes the open c-file, aiming at the queen on c7.

Better: 30.Rc3 wins a pawn, picking it up with 31.Qxb6, and threatens Rxc7, winning the queen. After 30…Qe7 31.Qxb6 Nxe4 32.Bxe4 Rxe4 33.Qxa6 Re1+, the knights are traded and White comes out a pawn up (+2.53).

30…Re7! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moves the attacked rook to safety.
• Moving away uncovers the queen on c7, which now hits the f4 pawn.
• The next best move, 30…Re6, would drop Black's winning chances from 47% to 34% (+1.78).
• 30…Re7 gets the rook out of the way of Qxe5.
• White was threatening Qxe5, winning a rook for a pawn. The rook steps away.
• White answers 31.Rc3, attacking the queen.

38…Qb1+ misses the chance 38.Kg1 gave: Be2 would have punished it. Black's winning chances go from 38% to 27%.

• White answers 39.Kh2: the king steps out of check to h2.
• Better was 38…Be2 (+1.34).

Better: 38…Be2 prepares …Qc1+ and …Qc2. Engine line: 39.g4 Qc1+ 40.Kf2 Qc2 41.Ke3 Bd1 (+1.34).

40.a5 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 74% to 54%.

• Black answers 40…Bf1: the bishop on f1 can be taken by the bishop on g2.
• Better was 40.b4 (+2.81), which pushes the passed pawn to b4.

Better: 40.b4 stops …Bf1. Engine line: 40…h5 41.h4 f5 42.Kh3 f6 43.Qd7+ (+2.81).

40…Bf1! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The next best move, 40…h5, would drop Black's winning chances from 46% to 34% (+1.77).
• 40…Bf1 prepares …Qb2 and …Bxg2.
• The engine's plan continues with …Qb2 and …Bxg2: this move is the first step.
• The bishop on f1 can be taken by the bishop on g2.
• White answers 41.Qc6.
• After 41.Qc6 Qb2 42.b4 Bxg2 43.Qxg2 Qxb4 44.Qa2, the bishops are traded and Black comes out a pawn up (+0.40).

41…Qb2! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Pins the bishop on g2 to the king: it can't move at all.
• Attacks the b4 pawn, which is undefended.
• The next best move, 41…Bc4, would drop Black's winning chances from 46% to 26% (+2.88).
• 41…Qb2 wins a pawn, picking it up with 42…Bxg2.
• Sets up a sequence and wins a pawn once the captures settle, picking it up with 42…Bxg2.
• White answers 42.Qa8, joining the attack on the king.

49…Qc1 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 44% to 24%.

• White answers 50.Qd4: the queen aims at the f6 pawn, a weak point in front of the Black king.
• Better was 49…Bc4 (+0.67).

Better: 49…Bc4 prepares …Kf8 and …Bxa6. After 50.h4 Kf8 51.a6 Bxa6 52.Qa8+ Bc8, Black comes out a pawn up (+0.67).

52.Qe3 misses the chance 51…Qf1 gave: Bg2 would have punished it. White's winning chances go from 90% to 76%.

• Black answers 52…Qa1.
• Better was 52.Bg2 (+6.08), which attacks the queen.

Better: 52.Bg2 gets the bishop out of the way of …Qxf3 and threatens Bxf1, winning the queen for a bishop. Engine line: 52…Qc1 53.g5 hxg5 54.fxg5 Qc7+ 55.Kg1 (+6.08).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 7.Bb2: 13 moves in all, 7 by White and 6 by Black.
• Black left the book with 7…Re8. In 514 games from this position, strong players played 7…c5 (50%), 7…d5 (33%), 7…d6 (11%) or 7…a5 (4%).
• The main line goes on 7…c5 8.Nc3 d6 9.d4 cxd4 10.Qxd4 a6 11.Rfd1 Nbd7 12.Rac1.
• From here White scored 53% in those games, with 17% drawn.