gurelediz vs nihalsarin: game review

30…Nh7 lets the win slip: 30…gxf5 kept Black winning. Black's winning chances go from 82% to 59%.

• White answers 31.Be3, which attacks the queen.
• Better was 30…gxf5 (−4.14), which takes the pawn on f5.

Better: 30…gxf5 trades pawns. After 31.gxf5 Kh7 32.Qe3 Ncxe4 33.Bxe4 Nxe4 34.Qxg5 Nxg5 35.Be3, the queens come off and Black comes out a pawn up (−4.14).

35.Be2 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 31% to 13%.

• Black answers 35…Ncxe4, which takes the pawn on e4.
• After Ncxe4, Black wins 2 points of material within 8 moves.
• Better was 35.Bxg5 (−2.13), which takes the knight on g5.

Better: 35.Bxg5 trades bishop for knight. Engine line: 35…hxg5 36.Be2 f6 37.fxg6 Qxg6 38.Rh2 (−2.13).

35…Rb2 misses the chance 35.Be2 gave: 35…Ncxe4 would have punished it. Black's winning chances go from 87% to 62%.

• White answers 36.f6, which attacks the queen.
• Better was 35…Ncxe4 (−5.17), which takes the pawn on e4.

Better: 35…Ncxe4 trades knight for pawn. After 36.Nxe4 Nxe4 37.dxe4 Rxe3 38.Qf2 Rxe4 39.Qa7 Rxe2+ 40.Rxe2 Bc6+, the knights are traded (−5.17).

39.Rd1 is a blunder: White's winning chances go from 53% to 30%.

• Black answers 39…Nb3: adds a attacker on the bishop on d2: 2 attackers against 2 defenders.
• After Nb3, Black wins 2 points of material within 8 moves.
• Better was 39.Bxg5 (+0.32), which takes the knight on g5.

Better: 39.Bxg5 wins a pawn. After 39…hxg5 40.Qxa3 Rb8 41.Qa1 Qf6 42.Qc1, White comes out a pawn up (+0.32).

39…Ba4 misses the chance 39.Rd1 gave: 39…Nb3 would have punished it. Black's winning chances go from 70% to 50%.

• White answers 40.Ra1: the rook takes the half-open a-file, aiming at the a3 pawn.
• Better was 39…Nb3 (−2.24), which protects the a3 pawn, which was hanging.

Better: 39…Nb3 wins a bishop for two pawns, picking it up with 40…gxf5, and stops Qxa3. After 40.Qb4 gxf5 41.Qxa3 Rxd2 42.Rxd2 Nxd2 43.Qxd6 Qf8 44.Qxe5 fxe4 45.Nh5, the rooks are traded and Black comes out two pawns up (−2.24).

41…Bxe2! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the bishop on e2.
• The next best move, 41…Ba4, would drop Black's winning chances from 55% to 35% (+1.72).
• 41…Bxe2 wins a pawn and stops Qb8+.
• Takes the bishop on e2 and wins a pawn once the captures settle.
• White was threatening Qb8+, winning a bishop, picking it up with 42.Bxd1. Bxe2 takes care of it.
• White answers 42.Nxe2, taking back.

43.Qb5 is a blunder: White's winning chances go from 46% to 8%.

• Black answers 43…Nxe4, which takes the pawn on e4.
• After Nxe4, Black wins 4 points of material within 4 moves.
• Better was 43.Qb7 (−0.49), which moves the attacked queen to safety.

Better: 43.Qb7 gets the queen out of the way of …Nxb2. Engine line: 43…gxf5 44.exf5 Nf4+ 45.Kf1 Qf6 46.Ng3 (−0.49).

44…Ndc5 misses 44…gxf5, which wins material. Black's winning chances go from 94% to 82%.

• White answers 45.Bxc5, which takes the knight on c5.
• Better was 44…gxf5 (−7.44), which takes the pawn on f5.

Better: 44…gxf5 wins a pawn and threatens …Qxg4+, winning a pawn. After 45.Qe8+ Kh7 46.Kf1 Qf6 47.g5 hxg5 48.c5 Ndxc5 49.Nc3 Nxc3 50.Bxg5 Qg6, Black comes out the exchange plus a pawn up (−7.44).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 5…d6: 10 moves in all, 5 by White and 5 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 5…d6: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.