Hao Wang vs Xiangyu Xu: game review

27.Qa6! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moves the attacked queen to safety.
• Activates the queen (from 11 to 16 usable squares).
• The next best move, 27.Qxf7+, would drop White's winning chances from 47% to 17% (−4.36).
• 27.Qa6 gets the queen out of the way of …Bxe6.
• Black was threatening …Bxe6, winning the queen. The queen steps away.
• Black answers 27…Bb6.

29.Qa3 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 50% to 39%.

• Black answers 29…Rb7: the rook takes the half-open b-file, aiming at the b3 pawn behind the bishop on b6.
• After Rb7, Black wins 2 points of material within 7 moves.
• Better was 29.Kg3 (0.00), which attacks the bishop on g4, which is undefended.

Better: 29.Kg3 threatens Kxg4, winning a bishop. After 29…Bxf3 30.Rxf3 Qg1 31.Qf1 Qxf1 32.Rxf1 Rb8, the queens come off and White is two pawns down (0.00).

33…Rf5! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moves the attacked rook to safety.
• Protects the d5 pawn, which was hanging.
• The next best move, 33…Rg7, would drop Black's winning chances from 70% to 50% (0.00).
• 33…Rf5 gets the rook out of the way of exf7+.
• White was threatening exf7+, winning a rook. The rook steps away.
• White answers 34.Kh2, leaving Black with a king with pawns missing from its shelter.

36…Re8! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The rook takes the half-open e-file, aiming at the e6 pawn.
• Attacks the e6 pawn, which is undefended.
• The next best move, 36…Rb8, would drop Black's winning chances from 78% to 51% (−0.06).
• 36…Re8 stops e7 and takes the half-open e-file, aiming at the e6 pawn.
• White was threatening e7, winning the queen for a rook, picking it up with 37.exf8=R+. Re8 takes care of it.
• White answers 37.Qb6.

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 7…cxd4: 14 moves in all, 7 by White and 7 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 7…cxd4: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.