Jergus Pechac vs Ivan Saric: game review

20…Rc5 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 53% to 24%.

• White answers 21.Ng4: shores up the e5 pawn, which was under as much attack as it had defence (3 against 2).
• Better was 20…g5 (−0.35), which attacks the bishop on f4, which is undefended.

Better: 20…g5 threatens …gxf4, winning a bishop. After 21.Bg3 Nxe5 22.Nf3 Nxf3+ 23.Qxf3 Qc6 24.Bxh7+ Kg7 25.Rxd5 Rxd5 26.Re1, the knights are traded and the rooks are traded (−0.35).

22.Nh6+ lets the win slip: 22.Be4 kept White winning. White's winning chances go from 85% to 50%.

• Black answers 22…Kg7: the king steps out of check to g7.
• Better was 22.Be4 (+4.77): moving away uncovers the rook on d2, which now hits the rook on d8.

Better: 22.Be4 uncovers an attack on the rook on d8. After 22…Kh8 23.Nf6 Qc8 24.Bg5 Rxd2 25.Qxd2 Rc5, the rooks are traded (+4.77).

23…Rdxd3 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 50% to 18%.

• White answers 24.Rxd3, which takes the rook on d3.
• After Rxd3, White wins 1 point of material within 8 moves.
• Better was 23…Rcxd3 (+0.03), which takes the bishop on d3.

Better: 23…Rcxd3 wins a bishop for a rook and stops Nxd8. After 24.Rxd3 Kxf7 25.hxg6+ hxg6 26.Rh3 Nd4, Black comes out a pawn up (+0.03).

26.hxg6+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the pawn on g6.
• Moves the attacked pawn to safety.
• The next best move, 26.Qh3, would drop White's winning chances from 84% to 50% (0.00).
• 26.hxg6+ saves the attacked pawn and pushes the pawn storm towards the king.
• Pushes a pawn towards the Black king, to pry open lines in front of it.
• Leaves Black with an isolated pawn on h7: a long-term weakness.

27.Qh3! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The queen aims at the e6 pawn, a weak point in front of the Black king.
• The next best move, 27.Qc3, would drop White's winning chances from 80% to 50% (0.00).
• 27.Qh3 threatens Qh7+, with mate in 3.
• It threatens Qh7+, with mate in 3, so Black has to spend the next move on it.
• Black answers 27…Nxe5, winning a pawn.
• After 27…Nxe5 28.Qh7+ Ke8 29.Qh8+ Bf8 30.Bxe5 Qc6, White comes out two pawns up (+4.71).

28.Qh7+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Skewers the king: when it moves, the bishop on e7 behind it falls.
• The queen joins the attack: it now hits 4 squares around the Black king.
• The next best move, 28.Re1, would drop White's winning chances from 80% to 59% (+1.02).
• 28.Qh7+ skewers the king and the bishop on e7.
• Gives check, so the reply is forced.
• Black answers 28…Ke8.

41.g6 lets the win slip: 41.Ra5 kept White winning. White's winning chances go from 87% to 56%.

• Black answers 41…Bxa3, which takes the rook on a3.
• After Bxa3, Black wins 5 points of material within 2 moves.
• Better was 41.Ra5 (+5.13), which attacks the b5 pawn, which is undefended.

Better: 41.Ra5 gets the rook out of the way of …Bxa3. Engine line: 41…Kc6 42.g6 Bf8 43.Rxa7 Bxf3 44.Rf7 (+5.13).

41…Ke7 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 44% to 9%.

• White answers 42.Rd3: the rook takes the open d-file, aiming at the bishop on d5.
• After Rd3, White wins 3 points of material within 4 moves.
• Better was 41…Bxa3 (+0.69), which takes the rook on a3.

Better: 41…Bxa3 wins a rook. After 42.g7 Bb2 43.g8=Q Bxe5+ 44.Kh3 Bc7, the pawn promotes on g8 (+0.69).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 11…b6: 22 moves in all, 11 by White and 11 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 11…b6: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.