DenLaz vs artin10862: game review

34…Rc7! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moves the attacked rook to safety.
• The next best move, 34…Rd8, would drop Black's winning chances from 50% to 35% (+1.68).
• 34…Rc7 gets the rook out of the way of Bxc8.
• White was threatening Bxc8, winning a rook and a pawn. The rook steps away.
• White answers 35.h4, pushing the pawn storm towards the king.
• Engine line: 35.h4 g6 36.Kg2 Kf8 37.Kf3 Ke7 (0.00).

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

• A pawn break: it challenges the g3 pawn to open lines.
• The next best move, 49…c5, would drop Black's winning chances from 50% to 36% (+1.54).
• 49…h4 threatens …hxg3, winning a pawn, and stops Kxh5.
• It threatens …hxg3, winning a pawn, so White has to spend the next move on it.
• White was threatening Kxh5, winning a pawn. h4 takes care of it.
• White answers 50.gxh4, winning a pawn.

58…Ne4+ is a mistake: Black's winning chances go from 44% to 27%.

• White answers 59.Ke5: the king steps out of the firing line (fewer enemy pieces aim at it now).
• Better was 58…Rc8 (+0.63).

Better: 58…Rc8 wins a pawn, picking it up with 59…Kxh6, and threatens …Rxa8, winning a rook. After 59.Ra7+ Kxh6 60.e7 Ne8+ 61.Kf7 Ng7, Black comes out a pawn up (+0.63).

61…Rb7 is a mistake: Black's winning chances go from 29% to 12%.

• White answers 62.h5, which pushes the passed pawn to h5.
• Better was 61…Nf6 (+2.49): shores up the d5 pawn, which was under as much attack as it had defence (1 against 1).

Better: 61…Nf6 wins a pawn, picking it up with 62…Nxh5. After 62.h5 Nxh5 63.Ra1 Rb7 64.Rh1 Rb4 65.Rxh5 Re4+, Black is two pawns down (+2.49).

62.h5! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Pushes the passed pawn to h5.
• Pushes a pawn towards the Black king, to pry open lines in front of it.
• The next best move, 62.Ra3, would drop White's winning chances from 88% to 63% (+1.45).
• 62.h5 pushes the passed pawn to h5 and pushes the pawn storm towards the king.
• Gains space: the pawn on h5 cramps Black's pieces behind it.
• Black answers 62…Rb1, winning a pawn.

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 7…Re8: 14 moves in all, 7 by White and 7 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 7…Re8: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.