Denis Lazavik vs Mahammad Muradli: game review

14…Nxb5!! A real sacrifice: Black gives up material and the engine still rates it best.

• Leaves the queen on d8 where it can be taken.
• White can take, but after 15.Rxd8 Nxc3+ 16.Bxc3 Rxd8 the engine rates it 0.00.
• Takes the bishop on b5.
• Protects the rook on e8, which was hanging.
• 14…Nxb5 threatens …Nxc3+, with mate in 3, and stops Bxe8.
• It threatens …Nxc3+, with mate in 3, so White has to spend the next move on it.

• The idea: 14…Nxb5!! leaves the queen on d8 hanging. Taking it still leaves Black level.
• What Black gives up: 14…Nxb5 leaves the queen on d8 hanging to the rook on d1. That's the queen on offer.
• What it does instead: It takes the bishop on b5. Now White can take only one of the two: the knight on b5 or the queen on d8.
• If White takes the queen: 15.Rxd8 is met by 15…Nxc3+, taking the knight on c3 with check. Then 16…Rxd8 takes the rook on d8, and 17…Nxe4 takes the e4 pawn. Black is two pawns down: Black holds the balance (0.00). This is White's best try.
• If White takes back on b5: 15.Nxb5 is met by 15…Qxd1+, taking the rook on d1 with check. Then 16…Qxc1# is mate.

15…Nxc3+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the knight on c3.
• The next best move, 15…Rxd8, would drop Black's winning chances from 50% to 14% (+4.84).
• 15…Nxc3+ wins a rook and a pawn.
• Takes the knight on c3 and wins a rook and a pawn once the captures settle.
• White answers 16.Bxc3, taking back.
• After 16.Bxc3 Rxd8 17.Qe1 Nxe4 18.Ba5 Nd2+, Black comes out 6 points of material up (+0.02).

17.Qe1! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Protects the e4 pawn, which was hanging.
• The next best move, 17.Ne2, would drop White's winning chances from 50% to 39% (−1.18).
• 17.Qe1 stops the mate threat …Rd1+.
• Black was threatening …Rd1+, with mate in 3. Qe1 takes care of it.
• Black answers 17…Nxe4, winning a pawn.
• After 17…Nxe4 18.Ba5 Nd2+ 19.Kb2 Rd5 20.Bxd2 Rxd2 21.Nf3, White is a pawn down (+0.07).

17…Nxe4!! A real sacrifice: Black gives up material and the engine still rates it best.

• Puts the knight on e4 where it can be taken.
• Taking is too dangerous: White's best reply is 18.Ba5 Nd2+ 19.Kb2 Rd5 instead (the engine rates it +0.16).
• Takes the pawn on e4.
• Creates a passed pawn on e5: no enemy pawn can stop it any more.
• 17…Nxe4 wins a pawn and threatens …Rd1+, winning the queen for a rook, picking it up with 19…Rxe1.
• Takes the e4 pawn and wins a pawn once the captures settle.

• The idea: 17…Nxe4!! offers the knight on e4. Taking it leads to mate.
• What Black gives up: 17…Nxe4 puts the knight on e4 where it can be taken by the queen on e1. That's a knight on offer.
• If White takes the knight: 18.Qxe4 is met by 18…Rd1+. Then 19…Bc1+ gives check, and 20…Ba3# is mate.
• White's best try: White's best is to leave the knight alone and play 18.Ba5. Black answers 18…Nd2+, and the knight on e4 gets away. Then 19…Rd5 threatens …Rxa5, winning a bishop, and 20…Rxd2 takes the bishop on d2. Black ends up a pawn ahead: Black holds the balance (+0.16).
• Without the sacrifice: The best move without the sacrifice, 17…Bb7, is clearly weaker (+0.99 against +0.16). White answers 18.Nf3, threatening Bd2, winning a rook for a piece and a pawn. That would leave Black a little worse.

18.Ba5! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Attacks the rook on d8, which is undefended.
• The next best move, 18.Ne2, would drop White's winning chances from 51% to 38% (−1.28).
• 18.Ba5 stops …Rd1+ and threatens Bxd8, winning a rook.
• Black was threatening …Rd1+, with a dangerous check. Ba5 takes care of it.
• It threatens Bxd8, winning a rook, so Black has to spend the next move on it.
• Black answers 18…Nd2+, giving check.

20.h4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Pushes a pawn towards the Black king, to pry open lines in front of it.
• Takes g5 away from the bishop on h6.
• The next best move, 20.Bc3, would drop White's winning chances from 66% to 53% (+0.34).
• 20.h4 threatens h5, winning a knight, picking it up with 21.bxc4.
• It threatens h5, winning a knight, picking it up with 21.bxc4, so Black has to spend the next move on it.
• Black answers 20…Rb8.

21.Rh2! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Adds a decisive attacker on the knight on d2: 3 attackers against 2 defenders.
• Moves the attacked rook to safety.
• The next best move, 21.Rh3, would drop White's winning chances from 65% to 54% (+0.49).
• 21.Rh2 gets the rook out of the way of …Bxh1.
• Black was threatening …Bxh1, winning a rook. The rook steps away.
• Brings the rook, White's least active piece, into play (from 2 to 6 usable squares).

31.Qg5! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Attacks the bishop on g3, which is undefended.
• Protects the h4 pawn, which was hanging.
• The next best move, 31.h5, would drop White's winning chances from 92% to 81% (+3.89).
• 31.Qg5 wins a bishop, picking it up with 32.Bxe5, and threatens Rd8+, with mate in 5.
• Sets up a sequence and wins a bishop once the captures settle, picking it up with 32.Bxe5.
• It threatens Rd8+, with mate in 5, so Black has to spend the next move on it.

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 11.Kb1: 21 moves in all, 11 by White and 10 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 11.Kb1: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.