Anish Giri vs Sergei Movsesian: game review

31.exd4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the pawn on d4.
• The next best move, 31.Ng4, would drop White's winning chances from 55% to 45% (−0.57).
• 31.exd4 wins a pawn and stops …dxe3.
• Takes the d4 pawn and wins a pawn once the captures settle.
• Black was threatening …dxe3, winning a pawn. exd4 takes care of it.
• Black answers 31…Rdd8.

42.Bg4 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 63% to 50%.

• Black answers 42…f5: the pawn kicks the bishop on g4, which has to move.
• Better was 42.Bb3 (+1.46), which pins the knight on e6 to the king: it can't move at all.

Better: 42.Bb3 gets the bishop out of the way of …Rxd1+ and pins the knight on e6 to the king. After 42…Rd3 43.Bc4 h6 44.Bxd3 Qxd3 45.Bc3, White comes out two pawns up (+1.46).

42…Qf7 misses the chance 42.Bg4 gave: f5 would have punished it. Black's winning chances go from 50% to 38%.

• White answers 43.Nf3.
• Better was 42…f5 (0.00): the pawn kicks the bishop on g4, which has to move.

Better: 42…f5 threatens …fxg4, winning a bishop for a pawn. After 43.Bxf5 Qf7 44.Bxe6 Qxe6 45.Nf3 Qd5 46.Qxd5+ Rxd5 47.Nxg5 Rxg5 48.h6 gxh6, the queens come off and the knights are traded (0.00).

46…Qd7 is a mistake: Black's winning chances go from 21% to 8%.

• White answers 47.Bxd4, which takes the knight on d4.
• Better was 46…f4 (+3.68): the pawn kicks the queen on e3, which has to move.

Better: 46…f4 threatens …fxe3, winning the queen for a piece and a pawn, and stops Bxd4. After 47.gxf4 Qd7 48.Ra1 Nc6 49.Bb3+ Kh8, Black is a pawn down (+3.68).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 10.b3: 19 moves in all, 10 by White and 9 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 10.b3: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.