Hikaru Nakamura vs Javokhir Sindarov: game review

20…cxb3! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the pawn on b3.
• Creates a passed pawn on b5: no enemy pawn can stop it any more.
• The next best move, 20…Qd8, would drop Black's winning chances from 57% to 37% (+1.47).
• 20…cxb3 takes b3 and creates a passed pawn on b5.
• Takes b3.
• Moving away uncovers the queen on c7, which now hits the knight on c3.

23…Bxg4!! A real sacrifice: Black gives up material and the engine still rates it best.

• Puts the bishop on g4 where it can be taken.
• Taking is too dangerous: White's best reply is 24.Nc6 Nxc6 25.dxc6 Qc7 instead (the engine rates it −1.55).
• Takes the pawn on g4.
• Leaves White with an isolated pawn on h2: a long-term weakness.
• 23…Bxg4 wins a pawn.
• Takes the g4 pawn and wins a pawn once the captures settle.

• The idea: 23…Bxg4!! offers the bishop on g4. Taking it gives Black an attack worth more than the bishop.
• What Black gives up: 23…Bxg4 puts the bishop on g4 where it can be taken by the f3 pawn. That's a bishop on offer.
• If White takes the bishop: 24.fxg4 is met by 24…Nxe4, taking the e4 pawn and threatening …Nxd2, winning the queen for a knight. Then 25…b2 pushes the passed pawn to b2, and 26…Qd7 threatens …Nxg4, winning a pawn. Black is still a pawn down, but the attack is worth more: Black is clearly better (−2.71).
• White's best try: White's best is to leave the bishop alone and play 24.Nc6. Black answers 24…Nxc6, taking the knight on c6. Then 25…Qc7 aims at the h2 pawn, a weak point next to the king. Black ends up a pawn ahead: Black is clearly better (−1.55).
• Without the sacrifice: The best move without the sacrifice, 23…b2, is clearly weaker (−0.62 against −1.55). White answers 24.Rc2, lining up rook and queen on the 2th rank. That would leave Black a little better.

25…b2! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Pushes the passed pawn to b2, close to promotion.
• Attacks the rook on c1.
• The next best move, 25…Nc5, would drop Black's winning chances from 85% to 68% (−2.02).
• 25…b2 stops Rxb3.
• White was threatening Rxb3, winning a pawn. b2 takes care of it.
• White answers 26.Rc2, adding pressure on the b2 pawn, leaving Black with an isolated pawn on b2.

28…Rb4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The next best move, 28…Qg5, would drop Black's winning chances from 86% to 59% (−0.98).
• 28…Rb4 wins a knight for a pawn, picking it up with 29…Rxd4.
• Sets up a sequence and wins a knight for a pawn once the captures settle, picking it up with 29…Rxd4.
• White answers 29.Qf1, winning the queen for 6 points of material.
• After 29.Qf1 Rxd4 30.Rcxb2 Nxg4 31.Rb8 Rxb8 32.Rxb8+ Kh7 33.Qxh3 Nxf2 34.Qxh4+ Rxh4, the rooks are traded, the queens come off and Black comes out the exchange plus a pawn up (−4.97).

29…Rxg4+!! A real sacrifice: Black gives up material and the engine still rates it best.

• Puts the rook on g4 where it can be taken.
• Taking is too dangerous: White's best reply is 30.Kf1 Nxf3 31.Nxg4 Rxe2 instead (the engine rates it −6.81).
• Takes the pawn on g4.
• Leaves White with an isolated pawn on h2: a long-term weakness.
• 29…Rxg4+ leaves White with an isolated pawn on h2 and takes the g4 pawn.
• Takes the g4 pawn.

• The idea: 29…Rxg4+!! offers the rook on g4. Taking it gives Black the material back and more.
• What Black gives up: 29…Rxg4+ puts the rook on g4 where it can be taken by the knight on f2. That's a whole rook on offer.
• If White takes the rook: 30.Nxg4 is met by 30…Qxg4+, taking the knight on g4 with check. Then 31…Qg2+ gives check, and 32…Nxf3+ gives check. Black ends up a piece and a pawn ahead: Black is winning (−9.81).
• White's best try: White's best is to leave the rook alone and play 30.Kf1. Black answers 30…Nxf3, taking the knight on f3 and threatening …Rg1# and mate. Then 31…Rxe2 takes the bishop on e2, and 32…Qxh6 takes the knight on h6. Black ends up a piece and a pawn ahead: Black is winning (−6.81).
• Without the sacrifice: The best move without the sacrifice, 29…Nxf3+, is clearly weaker (−4.86 against −6.81). White answers 30.Bxf3, taking the knight on f3. Black would still be winning, but far less than after 29…Rxg4+.

30…Nxf3! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the knight on f3.
• Protects the b2 pawn, which was hanging.
• The next best move, 30…Qxf2+, would drop Black's winning chances from 89% to 29% (+2.41).
• 30…Nxf3 threatens …Rg1#, with mate in 1, and stops Nxh4.
• It threatens …Rg1#, with mate in 1, so White has to spend the next move on it.
• White was threatening Nxh4, winning the queen for a knight. Nxf3 takes care of it.

31…Rxe2!! A real sacrifice: Black gives up material and the engine still rates it best.

• Puts the rook on e2 where it can be taken.
• Taking is too dangerous: White's best reply is 32.Nh6+ Qxh6 33.Qxe2 Qf4 instead (the engine rates it −6.68).
• Takes the bishop on e2.
• The rook reaches the seventh rank, where 1 pawn sits and the king is cut off on the back rank.
• 31…Rxe2 wins a bishop and a knight.
• Takes the bishop on e2 and wins a bishop and a knight once the captures settle.

• The idea: 31…Rxe2!! offers the rook on e2. Taking it gives Black the material back and more.
• What Black gives up: 31…Rxe2 puts the rook on e2 where it can be taken by the queen on d1, the king and the rook on c2. That's a whole rook on offer.
• What it does instead: It takes the bishop on e2.
• If White takes the rook: 32.Rxe2 is met by 32…Qxg4, taking the knight on g4 and threatening …Qg1# and mate. Then 33…Kh7 threatens mate, and 34…Bd4 joins the attack on the king. Black ends up a pawn ahead: Black is winning (−6.73).
• White's best try: White's best is to leave the rook alone and play 32.Nh6+. Black answers 32…Qxh6, taking the knight on h6. Then 34…Nxh2+ gives check, and 35…Bxb2 takes the rook on b2. Black ends up a piece ahead: Black is winning (−6.68).
• Without the sacrifice: The best move without the sacrifice, 31…Qxg4, is clearly weaker (−4.72 against −6.68). White answers 32.Bxf3, taking the knight on f3 and threatening Bxg4, winning the queen. Black would still be winning, but far less than after 31…Rxe2.

34…Nd4+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moves the attacked knight to safety.
• Centralises the knight on d4, where it reaches the most squares.
• The next best move, 34…Qxd1+, would drop Black's winning chances from 94% to 51% (−0.08).
• 34…Nd4+ wins the exchange, picking it up with 36…Qxf2+.
• Sets up a sequence and wins the exchange once the captures settle, picking it up with 36…Qxf2+.
• White answers 35.Ke3, uncovering an attack on the b2 pawn.

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 8…e6: 16 moves in all, 8 by White and 8 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 8…e6: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.