Hikaru vs Firouzja2003: game review

7…Bg7 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 48% to 20%.

• White answers 8.Bxf7+, which takes the pawn on f7.
• Better was 7…Qc7 (+0.19).

Better: 7…Qc7 stops Bxf7+. Engine line: 8.O-O b5 9.axb6 Nxb6 10.Bb3 Bg7 (+0.19).

8.Nc3 misses 8.Bxf7+, which wins material. White's winning chances go from 80% to 50%.

• Black answers 8…O-O, which castles: the king gets out of the centre and the rook joins the game.
• Better was 8.Bxf7+ (+3.82), which takes the pawn on f7.

Better: 8.Bxf7+ takes the f7 pawn. After 8…Kxf7 9.Ng5+ Kg8 10.Ne6 Qe8 11.Nc7, White is two pawns down (+3.82).

12…Nc6! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moving away uncovers the bishop on g7, which now hits the knight on c3.
• Moves the attacked knight to safety.
• The next best move, 12…c4, would drop Black's winning chances from 48% to 35% (+1.69).
• 12…Nc6 gets the knight out of the way of fxe5.
• White was threatening fxe5, winning a knight for a pawn. The knight steps away.
• White answers 13.Nc4, leaving Black with an isolated pawn on a6.

25…Nc2! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moves the attacked knight to safety.
• The next best move, 25…Nxa5, would drop Black's winning chances from 72% to 56% (−0.71).
• 25…Nc2 threatens …Nxa1, winning a rook, and gets the knight out of the way of cxb4.
• It threatens …Nxa1, winning a rook, so White has to spend the next move on it.
• White was threatening cxb4, winning a knight for a pawn. The knight steps away.
• White answers 26.Rc1, adding pressure on the knight on c2, leaving Black with doubled c-pawns.

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 6…g6: 12 moves in all, 6 by White and 6 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 6…g6: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.