mishanick vs Hikaru: game review

16.Bh4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Pins the knight on f6 to the queen.
• The next best move, 16.dxc5, would drop White's winning chances from 70% to 54% (+0.46).
• 16.Bh4 stops …cxd4.
• Black was threatening …cxd4, winning a pawn. Bh4 takes care of it.
• Black answers 16…Nc7, opening the line of the bishop on c8 to the h3 pawn.
• Engine line: 16…Nc7 17.Bh7+ Kf8 18.Rad1 cxd4 19.exd4 Be7 (+2.25).

21.Nxd5!! A real sacrifice: White gives up material and the engine still rates it best.

• Puts the knight on d5 where it can be taken.
• Taking is too dangerous: Black's best reply is 21…Bh4 22.Qe3 Be6 23.Be4 instead (the engine rates it +0.22).
• Takes the pawn on d5.
• 21.Nxd5 wins a pawn and threatens Bh7+, with a dangerous check.
• Takes the d5 pawn and wins a pawn once the captures settle.
• It threatens Bh7+, with a dangerous check, so Black has to spend the next move on it.

• The idea: 21.Nxd5!! gives up the knight on e5 to stay in the game: after it White holds the balance (+0.22); anything else leaves White a little worse (−1.32).
• What White gives up: The knight on e5 is attacked by the knight on c6, the bishop on f6 and the rook on e8, and 21.Nxd5 doesn't save it. That's a knight on offer.
• What it does instead: It takes the d5 pawn first. Now Black can take only one of the two: the knight on d5 or the knight on e5.
• If Black takes the knight: 21…Qxd5 is met by 22.Bh7+. Then 23.Rxd5 takes the queen on d5, and 24.Rc5 adds pressure on the knight on c6. White ends up a piece and a pawn ahead: White is clearly better (+2.37).
• If Black takes the knight: 21…Nxe5 is met by 22.fxe5, taking the knight on e5 and threatening Nxf6+, with a dangerous check. Then 23.Nb6 threatens Bh7+, winning the queen for 8 points of material, and 24.Bh7+ gives check. White ends up a pawn ahead: White is a little better (+1.47).
• Black's best try: Black's best is to leave the knight alone and play 21…Bh4. White answers 22.Qe3, and the queen on f2 gets away. Then 23.Be4 threatens Nb6, winning a rook, and 24.Nb4 threatens Rxd8, winning the queen for a rook. White ends up two pawns ahead: White holds the balance (+0.22).
• Why not save the knight first?: Saving it with 21.Nf3, the best way to do that, is clearly weaker (−1.32 against +0.22). Black answers 21…Bxc3, taking the knight on c3. That would leave White a little worse.

23…Bxe5 is a mistake: Black's winning chances go from 50% to 35%.

• White answers 24.Nxa8, which takes the rook on a8.
• After Nxa8, White wins 2 points of material within 3 moves.
• Better was 23…Bh4 (0.00), which attacks the queen.

Better: 23…Bh4 threatens …Bxf2+, winning the queen, and gets the bishop out of the way of exf6. Engine line: 24.Qc5 Be7 25.Bh7+ Kh8 26.Qa5 Qc7 (0.00).

25.Be4 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 62% to 51%.

• Black answers 25…Bxa2, which takes the pawn on a2.
• After Bxa2, Black wins 1 point of material within 2 moves.
• Better was 25.b3 (+1.33), which protects the a2 pawn, which was hanging.

Better: 25.b3 protects the a2 pawn. Engine line: 25…g6 26.Be4 Qc8 27.Qe3 Bb8 28.Qb6 (+1.33).

25…Qc8 misses the chance 25.Be4 gave: Bxa2 would have punished it. Black's winning chances go from 49% to 36%.

• White answers 26.b3, which takes c4 away from the Black queen on c8.
• Better was 25…Bxa2 (+0.09), which takes the pawn on a2.

Better: 25…Bxa2 wins a pawn. Engine line: 26.Kh1 Be6 27.Qb6 Qb8 28.Bxb7 a5 (+0.09).

54…Kh5 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 49% to 8%.

• White answers 55.Rxf4, which takes the bishop on f4.
• After Rxf4, White wins 3 points of material within 2 moves.
• Better was 54…Be5 (+0.12).

Better: 54…Be5 prepares …Bd6 and …Kf7. Engine line: 55.Rc4 Bd6 56.Kc3 Kf7 57.Kb3 Ke6 (+0.12).

55.Rxf4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the bishop on f4.
• The next best move, 55.Ke2, would drop White's winning chances from 92% to 53% (+0.29).
• 55.Rxf4 wins a bishop.
• Takes the bishop on f4 and wins a bishop once the captures settle.
• It prepares Rc4: the rook clears the way.
• Black answers 55…Rb8.

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 9…h6: 18 moves in all, 9 by White and 9 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 9…h6: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.