Leon Luke Mendonca vs Ilamparthi A R: game review

23.Nc5! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Attacks the rook on d3, which is undefended.
• Protects the c4 pawn, which was hanging.
• The next best move, 23.Qb4, would drop White's winning chances from 48% to 33% (−1.94).
• 23.Nc5 threatens Nxd3, winning a rook for a pawn.
• It threatens Nxd3, winning a rook for a pawn, so Black has to spend the next move on it.
• Black answers 23…Rd8.

32…Ne7 is a mistake: Black's winning chances go from 45% to 32%.

• White answers 33.Ng5, which attacks the queen.
• Better was 32…h5 (+0.51), which pushes a pawn towards the White king, to pry open lines in front of it.

Better: 32…h5 pushes the pawn storm towards the king. After 33.Rd2 e4 34.Nd4 Nxd4 35.Rxd4 Qf6, the knights are traded (+0.51).

33.Qxe5 misses the chance 32…Ne7 gave: 33.Ng5 would have punished it. White's winning chances go from 68% to 51%.

• Black answers 33…Qxe5, which takes the queen on e5.
• After Qxe5, Black wins 1 point of material within 4 moves.
• Better was 33.Ng5 (+1.99), which attacks the queen.

Better: 33.Ng5 threatens Nxe6, winning the queen for a knight. Engine line: 33…Qg6 34.Ne4 Nc6 35.Nd6 Re6 36.a4 (+1.99).

36…Nc8 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 50% to 13%.

• White answers 37.Bc5: plants the bishop on c5: a pawn defends it and no enemy pawn can chase it away.
• Better was 36…Re2 (0.00): the rook takes the open e-file.

Better: 36…Re2 threatens …Rxe5, winning a knight, and takes the open e-file. After 37.Be3 f6 38.Nc4 Nxc6 39.b5 Ne5 40.Nxe5 Rxe5 41.Rb1, the knights are traded and Black comes out a pawn up (0.00).

37.Bc5! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Plants the bishop on c5: a pawn defends it and no enemy pawn can chase it away.
• Moves the attacked bishop to safety.
• The next best move, 37.Nd3, would drop White's winning chances from 87% to 74% (+2.88).
• 37.Bc5 gets the bishop out of the way of …Nxb6.
• Black was threatening …Nxb6, winning a bishop. The bishop steps away.
• Protects the b4 pawn, which was hanging.

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 6…Nd4: 12 moves in all, 6 by White and 6 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 6…Nd4: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.