KodandaPrime vs Hikaru: game review

19.Bd6! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Skewers the queen: when it moves, the rook on f8 behind it falls.
• Attacks the queen.
• The next best move, 19.Qd6, would drop White's winning chances from 45% to 33% (−1.92).
• 19.Bd6 wins a rook, picking it up with 20.Bxf8, and threatens Bxe7, winning the queen.
• Sets up a sequence and wins a rook once the captures settle, picking it up with 20.Bxf8.
• It threatens Bxe7, winning the queen, so Black has to spend the next move on it.

22…Qxd4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the queen on d4.
• Protects the bishop on c4, which was hanging.
• The next best move, 22…b5, would drop Black's winning chances from 52% to 32% (+2.04).
• 22…Qxd4 stops Qxc4.
• White was threatening Qxc4, winning a bishop. Qxd4 takes care of it.
• Trades queens.

42.Ke3 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 32% to 13%.

• Black answers 42…c5, which pushes the passed pawn to c5.
• Better was 42.Rc3 (−2.00): the rook takes the half-open c-file, aiming at the c6 pawn.

Better: 42.Rc3 threatens Rxc6, winning a pawn, and takes the half-open c-file, aiming at the c6 pawn. Engine line: 42…Kb5 43.Rb3+ Kc4 44.Rb1 c5 45.Ke3 (−2.00).

42…c5! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Pushes the passed pawn to c5.
• Takes b4 away from the rook on b3.
• The next best move, 42…Ka4, would drop Black's winning chances from 87% to 66% (−1.84).
• 42…c5 pushes the passed pawn to c5.
• White answers 43.Rb1, leaving Black with an isolated pawn on c4.
• Engine line: 43.Rb1 c4 44.Rc1 Kb4 45.Rb1+ Ka3 (−5.62).

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

• Pushes the passed pawn to c4.
• Takes b3 away from the rook on b1.
• The next best move, 43…Ka4, would drop Black's winning chances from 88% to 73% (−2.64).
• 43…c4 pushes the passed pawn to c4.
• Gains space: the pawn on c4 cramps White's pieces behind it.
• White answers 44.Rb8, leaving Black with an isolated pawn on c4.

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 7.g4: 13 moves in all, 7 by White and 6 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 7.g4: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.