Firouzja2003 vs gurelediz: game review

23.Rfe1 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 51% to 34%.

• Black answers 23…Na4, which attacks the queen.
• Better was 23.Qd2 (+0.07): moving away uncovers the rook on c1, which now hits the c6 pawn.

Better: 23.Qd2 opens the line of the rook on c1 to the c6 pawn. After 23…Qd7 24.Bg5 c5 25.Bxe7 Qxe7 26.Qe3 Rxd4 27.Nb3, the bishops are traded and White is a pawn down (+0.07).

23…Na4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Attacks the queen.
• Moving away uncovers the queen on c7, which now hits the knight on a5.
• The next best move, 23…Nd5, would drop Black's winning chances from 66% to 53% (−0.31).
• 23…Na4 threatens …Nxc3, winning the queen.
• It threatens …Nxc3, winning the queen, so White has to spend the next move on it.
• White answers 24.Qd2, opening the line of the rook on c1 to the c6 pawn.

24…Nxb2 misses 24…Rb8, which wins material. Black's winning chances go from 66% to 28%.

• White answers 25.f3, which attacks the bishop on e4, which is undefended.
• After f3, White wins 1 point of material within 7 moves.
• Better was 24…Rb8 (−1.80): the rook takes the half-open b-file, aiming at the b2 pawn.

Better: 24…Rb8 threatens …Bb4, winning a knight, picking it up with 26…Qxa5, and stops Bf4. After 25.Nc4 Bb4 26.Qe2 Bxe1 27.Rxe1 c5, Black comes out two pawns up (−1.80).

25.Nxc6 misses the chance 24…Nxb2 gave: 25.f3 would have punished it. White's winning chances go from 72% to 48%.

• Black answers 25…Bxc6, which takes the knight on c6.
• Better was 25.f3 (+2.62), which attacks the bishop on e4, which is undefended.

Better: 25.f3 wins a bishop for a rook, picking it up with 26.fxe4, and stops …Nd3. After 25…Rb8 26.fxe4 Bb4 27.Qxb2 Bxe1 28.Nb3, White comes out a pawn up (+2.62).

31.Rc3 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 38% to 21%.

• Black answers 31…Bd5: moving away uncovers the rook on c8, which now hits the rook on c3.
• Better was 31.Ra1 (−1.30): the rook takes the half-open a-file, aiming at the a4 pawn behind the bishop on a2.

Better: 31.Ra1 takes the half-open a-file, aiming at the a4 pawn behind the bishop on a2. After 31…a3 32.Re3 g6 33.Rd3 Ra8 34.d5 exd5 35.Qxd7 Bxd7 36.Bxd5 Bf5, the queens come off (−1.30).

31…Bd5! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moving away uncovers the rook on c8, which now hits the rook on c3.
• The next best move, 31…Bb5, would drop Black's winning chances from 79% to 62% (−1.35).
• 31…Bd5 threatens …Rxc3, winning a rook.
• It threatens …Rxc3, winning a rook, so White has to spend the next move on it.
• White answers 32.Rxc8, taking the rook on c8, leaving Black with an isolated pawn on a3 and no bishop pair.
• After 32.Rxc8 Rxc8 33.Bxd5 Qxd5 34.h4 a3, the rooks are traded and the bishops are traded (−3.78).

35…g6! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Makes an escape square for the king, so back-rank checks lose their sting.
• The next best move, 35…f5, would drop Black's winning chances from 83% to 71% (−2.44).
• 35…g6 wins a bishop for a pawn, picking it up with 37…Bxa2, and stops the mate threat Qxh7#.
• Sets up a sequence and wins a bishop for a pawn once the captures settle, picking it up with 37…Bxa2.
• White was threatening Qxh7#, with mate in 1. g6 takes care of it.
• White answers 36.Qe3, opening the line of the bishop on b1 to the g6 pawn.

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 7…Nf5: 14 moves in all, 7 by White and 7 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 7…Nf5: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.