Hikaru vs sokidze: game review

9.exd6 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 57% to 39%.

• Black answers 9…Qxd6, which takes the pawn on d6.
• After Qxd6, Black wins 1 point of material within 2 moves.
• Better was 9.Bg5 (+0.78), which attacks the queen.

Better: 9.Bg5 threatens Bxd8, winning the queen, and stops …dxe5. After 9…h5 10.Qg3 f6 11.Be3 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 dxe5 13.Qg6+, the knights are traded and White is a pawn down (+0.78).

11…Qg6 is a mistake: Black's winning chances go from 63% to 50%.

• White answers 12.O-O, which castles: the king gets out of the centre and the rook joins the game.
• Better was 11…f5 (−1.41), which takes g4 away from the White queen on g3.

Better: 11…f5 takes g4 away from the queen. Engine line: 12.O-O f4 13.Qh4 Be7 14.Qh5+ g6 (−1.41).

23.Bxg4+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the bishop on g4.
• Moving away uncovers the rook on e1, which now hits the rook on e8.
• The next best move, 23.Nb6+, would drop White's winning chances from 63% to 13% (−5.09).
• 23.Bxg4+ wins a knight.
• Takes the bishop on g4 and wins a knight once the captures settle.
• Black answers 23…hxg4, taking back and pushing the pawn storm towards the king.

24.Rxe8! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the rook on e8.
• The next best move, 24.Nb6+, would drop White's winning chances from 64% to 15% (−4.75).
• 24.Rxe8 wins a knight and trades off the attacked rook instead of losing it to …Rxe1+.
• Takes the rook on e8 and wins a knight once the captures settle.
• Black was threatening …Rxe1+, with a dangerous check. The rook takes something with it instead.
• Black answers 24…Rxe8, taking back.

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 5…cxd4: 10 moves in all, 5 by White and 5 by Black.
• White left the book with 6.c4. In 2,214 games from this position, strong players played 6.cxd4 (88%), 6.Bc4 (6%) or 6.Qxd4 (5%).
• The main line goes on 6.cxd4 d6 7.Bc4 Be7 8.O-O O-O 9.Qe2 b6 10.Rd1 Bb7.
• From here White scored 52% in those games, with 12% drawn.