FairChess_on_YouTube vs MagnusCarlsen: game review

27.Qxf7+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the queen on f7.
• The next best move, 27.Qf3, would drop White's winning chances from 50% to 12% (−5.39).
• 27.Qxf7+ trades queens and gives check, leaving two replies.
• Trades queens.
• Check, and Black has only two legal replies.
• Black answers 27…Kxf7, taking back.

35.Nc4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moves the attacked knight to safety.
• Attacks the rook on d6.
• The next best move, 35.Na8, would drop White's winning chances from 50% to 30% (−2.35).
• 35.Nc4 threatens Nxd6+, winning the exchange, and gets the knight out of the way of …Rxb6.
• It threatens Nxd6+, winning the exchange, so Black has to spend the next move on it.
• Black was threatening …Rxb6, winning a knight. The knight steps away.

47.Rxe4+ is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 51% to 40%.

• Black answers 47…Kd5, which attacks the rook on e4, which is undefended.
• After Kd5, Black wins 1 point of material within 4 moves.
• Better was 47.Nb7 (+0.12), which attacks the c5 pawn, which is undefended.

Better: 47.Nb7 threatens Nxc5+, winning a pawn, and gets the knight out of the way of …Bxa5. Engine line: 47…Kf5 48.Rg7 Be5 49.g4+ Kf6 50.Rd7 (+0.12).

48.Re7 is a blunder: White's winning chances go from 40% to 12%.

• Black answers 48…Bxa5, which takes the knight on a5.
• After Bxa5, Black wins 3 points of material within 2 moves.
• Better was 48.Nc4 (−1.14): plants the knight on c4: a pawn defends it and no enemy pawn can chase it away.

Better: 48.Nc4 gets the knight out of the way of …Bxa5. After 48…Rxb3 49.Nd2 Rc3 50.Re7 Kc6 51.Re6+, White is a pawn down (−1.14).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 8…Qc7: 16 moves in all, 8 by White and 8 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 8…Qc7: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.