Aram Hakobyan vs Mahammad Muradli: game review

16…Nh6! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moves the attacked knight to safety.
• Moving away uncovers the bishop on c8, which now hits the h3 pawn.
• The next best move, 16…d4, would drop Black's winning chances from 46% to 21% (+3.60).
• 16…Nh6 gets the knight out of the way of hxg4.
• White was threatening hxg4, winning a knight. The knight steps away.
• White answers 17.exf6, taking the f6 pawn and pushing the pawn storm towards the king, leaving Black with a king with pawns missing from its shelter.

24…Bxh3!! A real sacrifice: Black gives up material and the engine still rates it best.

• Puts the bishop on h3 and the rook on a8 where it can be taken.
• Taking is too dangerous: White's best reply is 25.Rxe7+ Qxe7 26.Qxe7+ Kxe7 instead (the engine rates it +0.58).
• Takes the pawn on h3.
• Moving away uncovers the rook on a8, which now hits the queen on d8.
• 24…Bxh3 stops Rf3.
• White was threatening Rf3, winning a knight for a pawn, picking it up with 25.Rxe7+. Bxh3 takes care of it.

• The idea: 24…Bxh3!! gives up the rook on a8 to stay in the game: after it Black is a little worse (+0.58); anything else leaves Black losing (+3.30).
• What Black gives up: 24…Bxh3 leaves the rook on a8 hanging to the queen on d8. That's a whole rook on offer.
• What it does instead: It takes the h3 pawn. Now White can take only one of the two: the bishop on h3 or the rook on a8.
• If White takes the rook: 25.Qxa8 is met by 25…Qxg2#, and it's mate.
• If White takes the bishop: 25.gxh3 is met by 25…Rxd8, taking the queen on d8 and threatening …Rg8+ and mate. Then 26…Rxd7 takes the rook on d7, and 27…Qxe3+ gives check. Black ends up 14 points of material ahead: Black is winning (−17.69).
• White's best try: White's best is to leave the rook alone and play 25.Rxe7+. Black answers 25…Qxe7, taking the rook on e7 and threatening …Rxd8, winning the queen. Then 26…Kxe7 takes the queen on e7, and 28…f5 pushes the pawn storm towards the king. Material is level and Black is a little worse (+0.58).
• Without the sacrifice: The best move without the sacrifice, 24…Qxe3+, is clearly weaker (+3.30 against +0.58). White answers 25.Kh2, threatening Rf3, winning a knight for a pawn. That would leave Black losing.

44…Ke7 is a mistake: Black's winning chances go from 34% to 18%.

• White answers 45.Rh8, which attacks the h5 pawn, which is undefended.
• After Rh8, White wins 1 point of material within 4 moves.
• Better was 44…Kf7 (+1.80): the king steps out of check to f7.

Better: 44…Kf7 prepares …h4 and …Ke7 and steps the king out of check to f7. After 45.Ra6 h4 46.Rf6+ Ke7 47.Rxf5 Rg3+, Black is a pawn down (+1.80).

45.Rh8! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Attacks the h5 pawn, which is undefended.
• The next best move, 45.h4, would drop White's winning chances from 82% to 65% (+1.67).
• 45.Rh8 attacks the h5 pawn, which is undefended.
• Black answers 45…Rb4, attacking the f4 pawn, which is undefended.
• After 45…Rb4 46.Kg3 h4+ 47.Rxh4 Rb3+ 48.Kf2, White comes out a pawn up (+4.18).

48…Ke6 is a mistake: Black's winning chances go from 22% to 12%.

• White answers 49.Rh5.
• Better was 48…Rb2+ (+3.42), which gives check, so the reply is forced.

Better: 48…Rb2+ gives check. Engine line: 49.Ke3 Rb3+ 50.Kd4 Rf3 51.Rh7+ Ke6 (+3.42).

54.Rb4+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The rook joins the attack: it now hits 2 squares around the Black king.
• Gives check, so the reply is forced.
• The next best move, 54.Rb2, would drop White's winning chances from 87% to 54% (+0.48).
• 54.Rb4+ joins the attack on the king.
• Black answers 54…Kd5.
• Engine line: 54…Kd5 55.Rb2 Ke4 56.Rf2 Ra6 57.Kg3 (+4.84).

60.e6! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Pushes the passed pawn to e6, close to promotion.
• The next best move, 60.Kg1, would drop White's winning chances from 91% to 69% (+2.15).
• 60.e6 pushes the passed pawn to e6.
• Black answers 60…Rxh5, winning a pawn.
• After 60…Rxh5 61.e7 Rh8 62.e8=Q+ Rxe8 63.Re2+ Kxf4 64.Rxe8 Kf3, the pawn promotes on e8 and White comes out two pawns up (+5.84).

61.e7! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Pushes the passed pawn to e7, close to promotion.
• The next best move, 61.Kg2, would drop White's winning chances from 90% to 51% (+0.08).
• 61.e7 pushes the passed pawn to e7.
• Black answers 61…Rh8, winning the queen.
• After 61…Rh8 62.e8=Q+ Rxe8 63.Re2+ Kf3 64.Rxe8 Kg3, the pawn promotes on e8 and White comes out a piece and a pawn up (+11.29).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 8.e3: 15 moves in all, 8 by White and 7 by Black.
• Black left the book with 8…Nf8. In 28 games from this position, strong players played 8…O-O (50%) or 8…h6 (39%).
• The main line goes on 8…O-O 9.Bd3 h6 10.Bh4 Re8 11.O-O Nf8 12.Rab1 Bg4.
• From here White scored 68% in those games, with 8% drawn.