Denis Makhnev vs Aram Hakobyan: game review

25…Qd7! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moves the attacked queen to safety.
• The next best move, 25…Qc7, would drop Black's winning chances from 44% to 27% (+2.67).
• 25…Qd7 gets the queen out of the way of Nxc6.
• White was threatening Nxc6, winning the queen. The queen steps away.
• White answers 26.Qd2, leaving Black with a king with pawns missing from its shelter.
• Engine line: 26.Qd2 h5 27.c4 bxc4 28.Nxc4 Bxc4 29.Bxc4 Nc7 (+0.61).

27…h4 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 45% to 25%.

• White answers 28.cxb5, which takes the pawn on b5.
• Better was 27…bxc4 (+0.50), which takes the pawn on c4.

Better: 27…bxc4 stops cxb5. Engine line: 28.Nxc4 Bxc4 29.Bxc4 Nc7 30.Red1 Reb8 (+0.50).

51.Bg5+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The bishop joins the attack: it now hits 2 squares around the Black king.
• Moves the attacked bishop to safety.
• The next best move, 51.Rd7+, would drop White's winning chances from 92% to 50% (0.00).
• 51.Bg5+ joins the attack on the king and saves the attacked bishop.
• Check, and Black has only two legal replies.
• Black answers 51…Bf6.

52.Bxf6+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the bishop on f6.
• The next best move, 52.Qh6, would drop White's winning chances from 95% to 73% (+2.70).
• 52.Bxf6+ trades bishops.
• Trades bishops: trading pieces when ahead brings the win closer.
• Check, and Black has only two legal replies.
• Black answers 52…Kxf6, taking back.

55…Kf3 is a mistake: Black's winning chances go from 1% to 0%. It allows mate in 3.

• White answers 56.Qf6+: the queen forks the king and the pawn: both can't be saved at once.
• Better was 55…Kd4 (+11.85): the king steps out of check to d4.

Better: 55…Kd4 threatens …Qa1+, joining the attack on the king. After 56.Qf6+ Kc4 57.Qxf7+ Kd4 58.Qd7+ Kc4, Black is a pawn down (+11.85).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 10.d4: 19 moves in all, 10 by White and 9 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 10.d4: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.