Ivan Zemlyanskii vs Khumoyun Begmuratov: game review

20…Nxf4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the knight on f4.
• Protects the h5 pawn, which was hanging.
• The next best move, 20…Nce7, would drop Black's winning chances from 49% to 27% (+2.70).
• 20…Nxf4 trades knights and protects the h5 pawn.
• Trades knights.
• The knight on f4 can be taken by the queen on d2 or the bishop on g3.

31…f6 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 43% to 20%.

• White answers 32.Re6, which attacks the a6 pawn, which is undefended.
• After Re6, White wins 1 point of material within 7 moves.
• Better was 31…Nc1 (+0.79).

Better: 31…Nc1 prepares …Nd3 and …g6. Engine line: 32.Re3 Nd3 33.Kg1 g6 34.fxg6 fxg6 35.Rf6 (+0.79).

32.Bb4 is a blunder: White's winning chances go from 80% to 50%.

• Black answers 32…Rxe1, which takes the rook on e1.
• Better was 32.Re6 (+3.76), which attacks the a6 pawn, which is undefended.

Better: 32.Re6 wins a knight for two pawns, picking it up with 33.cxd4. After 32…Nxd4 33.cxd4 Rxd4 34.gxf6 Rxh4+ 35.Kg3, White comes out a pawn up (+3.76).

33…fxg5 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 50% to 22%.

• White answers 34.hxg5, which takes the pawn on g5.
• After hxg5, White wins 1 point of material within 2 moves.
• Better was 33…Kh7 (0.00).

Better: 33…Kh7 stops the mate threat Re8+. Engine line: 34.gxf6 gxf6 35.Re7+ Kg8 36.Re8+ Kg7 (0.00).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 9.g4: 17 moves in all, 9 by White and 8 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 9.g4: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.