Aydin Suleymanli vs Nodirbek Abdusattorov: game review

15.Qc2!! A real sacrifice: White gives up material and the engine still rates it best.

• Leaves the knight on b5 where it can be taken.
• Taking is too dangerous: Black's best reply is 15…g6 16.Nc3 Nxc3 17.Rxc3 instead (the engine rates it +0.27).
• The queen aims at the h7 pawn, a weak point in front of the Black king.
• Adds a attacker on the c7 pawn: 2 attackers against 2 defenders.
• 15.Qc2 stops …axb5.
• Black was threatening …axb5, winning a knight for a pawn. Qc2 takes care of it.

• The idea: 15.Qc2!! leaves the knight on b5 hanging. Taking it still leaves White a little better.
• What White gives up: The knight on b5 is attacked by the a6 pawn, and 15.Qc2 doesn't save it. That's a knight on offer.
• What it does instead: It threatens Bxh7+, winning a pawn.
• If Black takes the knight: 15…axb5 is met by 16.Bxh7+, taking the h7 pawn with check. Then 18.Rh3 threatens mate, and 19.Rg3 adds pressure on the g5 pawn. White is a piece and a pawn down: White is a little better (+1.33).
• Black's best try: Black's best is to leave the knight alone and play 15…g6. White answers 16.Nc3, and the knight on b5 gets away, opening the line of the rook on b3 to the knight on b6. Then 17.Rxc3 takes the knight on c3, and 18.Be2 opens the line of the queen on c2 to the g6 pawn. Material is level and White holds the balance (+0.27).

32…Rd8 is a mistake: Black's winning chances go from 25% to 13%.

• White answers 33.g3, which takes f4 and h4 away from the Black queen on a4.
• Better was 32…Qe4 (+2.94): activates the queen (from 10 to 16 usable squares).

Better: 32…Qe4 wins the queen for a pawn, picking it up with 33…Kxh7. After 33.Qxh7+ Kxh7 34.Ng5+ Kh6 35.Nxe4 g5, Black is a pawn down (+2.94).

33.g3! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes f4 and h4 away from the Black queen on a4.
• The next best move, 33.Qg5, would drop White's winning chances from 87% to 75% (+2.93).
• 33.g3 threatens Ng5, with mate in 5.
• It threatens Ng5, with mate in 5, so Black has to spend the next move on it.
• Moves a pawn from in front of the king, loosening its cover.
• Black answers 33…Qd1, attacking the knight on f3, which is undefended.

34.Ng5 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 86% to 70%.

• Black answers 34…Qh5.
• Better was 34.Qf4 (+4.82): adds a decisive attacker on the f7 pawn: 2 attackers against 1 defender.

Better: 34.Qf4 threatens Qxf7+, with mate in 2, and stops …Qxf3. After 34…Rf8 35.Ng5 Qd8 36.Rxf7 h6 37.Rxf8+ Qxf8 38.Qxf8+ Kxf8 39.Nxe6+ Ke7, the rooks are traded, the queens come off and White comes out two pawns up (+4.82).

36.Qxh7+!! A real sacrifice: White gives up material and the engine still rates it best.

• Puts the queen on h7 where it can be taken.
• Black can take, but after 36…Kxh7 37.Ng5+ Kh6 38.Nxf3 the engine rates it +2.60.
• Takes the pawn on h7.
• Leaves Black with an isolated pawn on g6: a long-term weakness.
• 36.Qxh7+ leaves Black with an isolated pawn on g6 and shores up the knight on f7.
• Shores up the knight on f7, which was under as much attack as it had defence (2 against 1).

• The idea: 36.Qxh7+!! offers the queen on h7. Taking it gives White the material back and more.
• What White gives up: 36.Qxh7+ puts the queen on h7 where it can be taken by the king. That's the queen on offer.
• If Black takes the queen: 36…Kxh7 is met by 37.Ng5+. Then 38.Nxf3 takes the queen on f3, and 41.Rf6 attacks the e6 pawn, which is undefended. Material is level and White is clearly better (+2.16). This is Black's best try.

37.Ng5+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The knight forks the king and the queen: both can't be saved at once.
• Moving away uncovers check from the rook on c7.
• The next best move, 37.Nxd8+, would drop White's winning chances from 70% to 6% (−7.67).
• 37.Ng5+ wins the queen, picking it up with 38.Nxf3.
• Sets up a sequence and wins the queen once the captures settle, picking it up with 38.Nxf3.
• Black answers 37…Kh6, attacking the knight on g5, which is undefended.

42…Bc6+ is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 46% to 25%.

• White answers 43.Kh3: the king steps out of the firing line (fewer enemy pieces aim at it now).
• Better was 42…Bc4 (+0.39).

Better: 42…Bc4 stops Rf6+. After 43.f4 a5 44.f5 Bd5+ 45.Kf2 exf5 46.Rf6+, Black comes out a pawn up (+0.39).

47.Rf7+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Check, and Black has only two legal replies.
• The next best move, 47.Rf4, would drop White's winning chances from 85% to 71% (+2.42).
• 47.Rf7+ gives check, leaving two replies.
• Black answers 47…Kg8, attacking the rook on f7, which is undefended.
• Engine line: 47…Kg8 48.Ra7 Kf8 49.Ng6+ Ke8 50.Nf4 (+4.81).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 10.Rb1: 19 moves in all, 10 by White and 9 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 10.Rb1: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.