LeonLivaic2000 vs MagnusCarlsen: game review

16…Nxd5! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the knight on d5.
• Protects the queen on c7, which was hanging.
• The next best move, 16…Qd8, would drop Black's winning chances from 51% to 39% (+1.26).
• 16…Nxd5 stops Nxc7.
• White was threatening Nxc7, winning the queen for a knight. Nxd5 takes care of it.
• It prepares …Qc3, offering a trade of queens: the knight covers c3.

25.h4 is a blunder: White's winning chances go from 38% to 10%.

• Black answers 25…Rxg4, which takes the bishop on g4.
• After Rxg4, Black wins 3 points of material within 2 moves.
• Better was 25.c3 (−1.37), which takes b4 away from the rook on a4.

Better: 25.c3 prepares Bf3 and Rbb1 and takes b4 away from the rook on a4. After 25…Rea8 26.Bf3 Ra1 27.Rbb1 Rxb1 28.Rxb1 Ra4, the rooks are traded (−1.37).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 6…Bg4: 12 moves in all, 6 by White and 6 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 6…Bg4: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.