Hikaru vs Sina-Movahed: game review

11…Bg6! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moves the attacked bishop to safety.
• The next best move, 11…Nxg4, would drop Black's winning chances from 48% to 31% (+2.21).
• 11…Bg6 gets the bishop out of the way of gxh5.
• White was threatening gxh5, winning a bishop for a pawn. The bishop steps away.
• White answers 12.Nh4, leaving Black with doubled g-pawns and a king with pawns missing from its shelter.
• Engine line: 12.Nh4 Nd7 13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.Nb3 O-O (+0.12).

22.Nxg6! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the knight on g6.
• The next best move, 22.Ng2, would drop White's winning chances from 69% to 55% (+0.50).
• 22.Nxg6 trades knights.
• Trades knights: trading pieces when ahead brings the win closer.
• The knight on g6 can be taken by the f7 pawn or the bishop on h7.
• Black answers 22…Bxg6, taking back, leaving White with a king with pawns missing from its shelter.

27.Nd5! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Plants the knight on d5: a pawn defends it and no enemy pawn can chase it away.
• Attacks the queen.
• The next best move, 27.Rxa5, would drop White's winning chances from 58% to 47% (−0.33).
• 27.Nd5 wins the exchange, picking it up with 28.exd5, and threatens Nxc7, winning the queen for a piece and a pawn.
• Sets up a sequence and wins the exchange once the captures settle, picking it up with 28.exd5.
• It threatens Nxc7, winning the queen for a piece and a pawn, so Black has to spend the next move on it.

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

• Attacks the bishop on h7, which is undefended.
• Takes f7 away from the Black queen on c7.
• The next best move, 33.Re2, would drop White's winning chances from 60% to 46% (−0.40).
• 33.g6 threatens gxh7, winning a bishop.
• It threatens gxh7, winning a bishop, so Black has to spend the next move on it.
• Black answers 33…Bg8, attacking the d5 pawn, which is undefended.

34.c4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Protects the d5 pawn, which was hanging.
• Pushes a pawn towards the Black king, to pry open lines in front of it.
• The next best move, 34.Rcd1, would drop White's winning chances from 63% to 37% (−1.45).
• 34.c4 stops …Bxd5.
• Black was threatening …Bxd5, winning a pawn. c4 takes care of it.
• Black answers 34…Ka7.

36.Qf3! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Attacks the h5 pawn, which is undefended.
• Moves the attacked queen to safety.
• The next best move, 36.Qe2, would drop White's winning chances from 67% to 50% (+0.02).
• 36.Qf3 gets the queen out of the way of …exf2.
• Black was threatening …exf2, winning the queen for a rook. The queen steps away.
• Black answers 36…Qe5, attacking the b2 pawn, which is undefended.

49.Bxd7 is a blunder: White's winning chances go from 50% to 27%.

• Black answers 49…Rxe4, which takes the queen on e4.
• After Rxe4, Black wins 10 points of material within 4 moves.
• Better was 49.Qxe3 (0.00), which takes the pawn on e3.

Better: 49.Qxe3 wins a pawn and stops the mate threat …Qxh3+. After 49…Qc6+ 50.Kg1 Rd4 51.d7 Kc7 52.Rxa4 Be6, White comes out two pawns up (0.00).

53…Rd4 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 47% to 22%.

• White answers 54.Rxe5, which takes the bishop on e5.
• Better was 53…Rd6 (+0.34).

Better: 53…Rd6 wins a rook for a piece and a pawn, picking it up with 55…fxe5. After 54.Be8 Be6 55.Rxe5 fxe5 56.Rxe5 Bg4, Black comes out a pawn up (+0.34).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 10.h3: 19 moves in all, 10 by White and 9 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 10.h3: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.