DenLaz vs artooon: game review

19.Nc3! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moves the attacked knight to safety.
• Moving away uncovers the bishop on g2, which now hits the c6 pawn.
• The next best move, 19.f4, would drop White's winning chances from 48% to 12% (−5.30).
• 19.Nc3 gets the knight out of the way of …cxd5.
• Black was threatening …cxd5, winning a bishop for a pawn. The knight steps away.
• Black answers 19…f5, pushing the pawn storm towards the king.

35…Rd2+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The rook reaches the seventh rank, where 2 pawns sit.
• Gives check, so the reply is forced.
• The next best move, 35…Nd2, would drop Black's winning chances from 50% to 33% (+1.94).
• 35…Rd2+ invades the seventh rank.
• White answers 36.Kf3.
• After 36.Kf3 Rxd1 37.Rxd1 Rxd1 38.Nxd1 Nd2+, the rooks are traded (+0.11).

39…Rd2+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The rook reaches the seventh rank, where 2 pawns sit.
• Adds a decisive attacker on the b2 pawn: 2 attackers against 1 defender.
• The next best move, 39…Rb7, would drop Black's winning chances from 50% to 30% (+2.27).
• 39…Rd2+ wins a pawn, picking it up with 41…Nxf5.
• Sets up a sequence and wins a pawn once the captures settle, picking it up with 41…Nxf5.
• White answers 40.Kf3.

44.Kg3 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 48% to 29%.

• Black answers 44…Ne4+, which centralises the knight on e4, where it reaches the most squares.
• After Ne4+, Black wins 1 point of material within 4 moves.
• Better was 44.Kh5 (−0.19): moving away uncovers the rook on g1, which now hits the g7 pawn.

Better: 44.Kh5 opens the line of the rook on g1 to the g7 pawn and steps the king out of check to h5. After 44…Rxb4 45.Nc5 Rxh4+ 46.Kg6 Nf3 47.Ne6+, White is two pawns down (−0.19).

44…Ne4+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Centralises the knight on e4, where it reaches the most squares.
• Gives check, so the reply is forced.
• The next best move, 44…Rxb4, would drop Black's winning chances from 71% to 55% (−0.52).
• 44…Ne4+ centralises the knight and gives check.
• White answers 45.Kg2.
• After 45.Kg2 Nd6 46.Rd1 Nxf5 47.h5 Rxb4 48.Nc5, Black comes out two pawns up (−3.49).

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

• The next best move, 46…Nd6, would drop Black's winning chances from 84% to 71% (−2.41).
• 46…h5 prepares …Nd6 and …Nxf5.
• The engine's plan continues with …Nd6 and …Nxf5: this move is the first step.
• White answers 47.Ra3.
• After 47.Ra3 Nd6 48.Nc5 Nxf5 49.Ra8+ Ke7, Black comes out a pawn up (−4.62).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 6.g3: 11 moves in all, 6 by White and 5 by Black.
• Black left the book with 6…a5. In 29 games from this position, strong players played 6…Re8 (34%), 6…Bxc3 (24%), 6…d6 (17%) or 6…d5 (17%).
• From here White scored 52% in those games, with 22% drawn.