Javokhir Sindarov vs Praggnanandhaa R: game review

25.b4 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 49% to 38%.

• Black answers 25…Rxb4, which takes the pawn on b4.
• Better was 25.g4 (−0.07), which pushes a pawn towards the Black king, to pry open lines in front of it.

Better: 25.g4 pushes the pawn storm towards the king and takes f5 away from the knight on d4. Engine line: 25…Rd7 26.Qg2 Qg5 27.Rde1 h5 28.Kg1 hxg4 29.hxg4 f5 30.exf6 gxf6 31.Qe4 (−0.07).

25…Rd7 misses the chance 25.b4 gave: 25…Rxb4 would have punished it. Black's winning chances go from 62% to 52%.

• White answers 26.b5, which takes c6 away from the knight on d4.
• Better was 25…Rxb4 (−1.36), which takes the pawn on b4.

Better: 25…Rxb4 leaves White with an isolated pawn on a2 and takes the b4 pawn. After 26.Bxb4 cxb4 27.h4 c5 28.Kh3 a5, Black is a pawn down (−1.36).

32.Rxd3! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the rook on d3.
• Protects the bishop on c3, which was hanging.
• The next best move, 32.Rde1, would drop White's winning chances from 50% to 12% (−5.29).
• 32.Rxd3 trades off the attacked rook instead of losing it to …Rxd1.
• Black was threatening …Rxd1, winning a rook. The rook takes something with it instead.
• Trades rooks.

36.Ra1 is a blunder: White's winning chances go from 50% to 12%.

• Black answers 36…Qd5, which attacks the e5 pawn, which is undefended.
• Better was 36.Qf6 (0.00), which attacks the h6 pawn, which is undefended.

Better: 36.Qf6 attacks the h6 pawn, which is undefended, and protects the g7 pawn. Engine line: 36…Rc2+ 37.Kg3 Re2 38.Rf3 Re1 39.Kh2 (0.00).

36…Qd5! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Attacks the e5 pawn, which is undefended.
• The queen joins the attack: it now hits 2 squares around the White king.
• The next best move, 36…Qd8, would drop Black's winning chances from 88% to 53% (−0.28).
• 36…Qd5 stops the mate threat Ra8+ and threatens …Qxe5+, winning a rook and a pawn.
• White was threatening Ra8+, with mate in 4. Qd5 takes care of it.
• It threatens …Qxe5+, winning a rook and a pawn, so White has to spend the next move on it.

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 8.exd4: 15 moves in all, 8 by White and 7 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 8.exd4: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.