Ameet K Ghasi vs Daniel W Gormally: game review

34…Bf6 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 45% to 21%.

• White answers 35.Bxc5, which takes the pawn on c5.
• Better was 34…Bd6 (+0.57), which attacks the knight on e5, which is undefended.

Better: 34…Bd6 gets the bishop out of the way of Qxe7 and threatens …Bc8, winning a knight for a pawn, picking it up with 36…Qxb1. After 35.Nc6 Re8 36.Qa7 Qxa7 37.Nxa7 Bd7, the queens come off (+0.57).

37…Bd7 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 42% to 18%.

• White answers 38.Qc1.
• Better was 37…Kg8 (+0.83).

Better: 37…Kg8 prepares …Qb3 and …Qc3. Engine line: 38.Qc1 Qb3 39.Qd1 Qc3 40.Qe2 Ra8 (+0.83).

38.Qc1! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The next best move, 38.Bf4, would drop White's winning chances from 82% to 59% (+0.94).
• 38.Qc1 threatens Qxc4, winning the queen.
• It threatens Qxc4, winning the queen, so Black has to spend the next move on it.
• The engine's plan continues with e5 and Nxe7: this move is the first step.
• Black answers 38…Qd3.
• After 38…Qd3 39.e5 Be7 40.Nxe7 Rxe7 41.Qxc5 Re8, White comes out a pawn up (+4.24).

41.Qc3 misses the chance 40…Rxd8 gave: 41.Bh6+ would have punished it. White's winning chances go from 90% to 52%.

• Black answers 41…Bh3: moving away uncovers the rook on d8, which now hits the d5 pawn.
• After Bh3, Black wins 1 point of material within 4 moves.
• Better was 41.Bh6+ (+5.99): check, and Black has only two legal replies.

Better: 41.Bh6+ gives check, leaving two replies. After 41…Kg8 42.e6 Qxd5 43.Qb2 f6 44.Qxf6 Qd4+ 45.Qxd4 cxd4 46.exd7 Rxd7 47.Re4, the queens come off and White comes out two pawns up (+5.99).

41…Bh3! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moving away uncovers the rook on d8, which now hits the d5 pawn.
• The bishop joins the attack: it now hits 2 squares around the White king.
• The next best move, 41…Qxd5, would drop Black's winning chances from 48% to 13% (+5.23).
• 41…Bh3 threatens …Qg2#, with mate in 1.
• It threatens …Qg2#, with mate in 1, so White has to spend the next move on it.
• White answers 42.e6+, giving a discovered check.

45…Re8! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The rook takes the open e-file, aiming at the rook on e1 behind the bishop on e6.
• Moves the attacked rook to safety.
• The next best move, 45…Rf8, would drop Black's winning chances from 47% to 12% (+5.36).
• 45…Re8 gets the rook out of the way of Qxd8+ and takes the open e-file, aiming at the rook on e1 behind the bishop on e6.
• White was threatening Qxd8+, winning a rook and a pawn. The rook steps away.
• Shores up the bishop on e6, which was under as much attack as it had defence (2 against 1).

46…Qa5! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The queen forks the rook and the bishop: both can't be saved at once.
• The next best move, 46…Qc4, would drop Black's winning chances from 48% to 11% (+5.67).
• 46…Qa5 threatens …Qxe1+, winning a rook, and stops Bd4.
• It threatens …Qxe1+, winning a rook, so White has to spend the next move on it.
• White was threatening Bd4, winning the queen and a rook, picking it up with 47.Qxe7. Qa5 takes care of it.
• White answers 47.Bf2.

84…Be4 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 42% to 21%.

• White answers 85.Kh3.
• Better was 84…Kd5 (+0.93): the king steps out of the firing line (fewer enemy pieces aim at it now).

Better: 84…Kd5 steps the king out of the firing line. Engine line: 85.f5 Ke4 86.Kh4 Kf3 87.f6 Bd5 (+0.93).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 9.Re1: 17 moves in all, 9 by White and 8 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 9.Re1: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.