mishanick vs Sina-Movahed: game review

16…f6! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Makes an escape square for the king, so back-rank checks lose their sting.
• The next best move, 16…g6, would drop Black's winning chances from 49% to 37% (+1.49).
• 16…f6 stops Bxg7.
• White was threatening Bxg7, winning a pawn. f6 takes care of it.
• White answers 17.Rae1.
• Engine line: 17.Rae1 Nc5 18.Bb1 Qe7 19.f5 Nd7 (+0.15).

21.Qf3 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 63% to 44%.

• Black answers 21…f5: a pawn break: it challenges the e4 pawn to open lines.
• After f5, Black wins 1 point of material within 4 moves.
• Better was 21.f5 (+1.39): a pawn break: it challenges the g6 pawn to open lines.

Better: 21.f5 threatens fxg6, winning a pawn, and stops …Bxe4. Engine line: 21…g5 22.Qg4 Qf7 23.Rd1 h5 24.Qe2 (+1.39).

25…Ne4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moving away uncovers the queen on c7, which now hits the c4 pawn.
• Centralises the knight on e4, where it reaches the most squares.
• The next best move, 25…Kf7, would drop Black's winning chances from 75% to 62% (−1.32).
• 25…Ne4 opens the line of the queen on c7 to the c4 pawn and centralises the knight.
• White answers 26.Re1, leaving Black with an isolated pawn on d5.
• After 26.Re1 d5 27.h3 Rc8 28.c5 bxc5 29.Be5, Black comes out a pawn up (−2.89).

31…Rc8! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The rook takes the open c-file, aiming at the bishop on c3 behind the queen on c5.
• Lines up rook and queen on the c-file, so the two pieces push in the same direction.
• The next best move, 31…Re7, would drop Black's winning chances from 67% to 52% (−0.19).
• 31…Rc8 takes the open c-file, aiming at the bishop on c3 behind the queen on c5.
• White answers 32.Qe1.
• After 32.Qe1 Qf2 33.Bd2 Qxe1 34.Bxe1 Rc7, the queens come off (−2.18).

33.Qh4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The next best move, 33.Qa1, would drop White's winning chances from 50% to 17% (−4.27).
• 33.Qh4 stops …Rxc3.
• Black was threatening …Rxc3, winning a bishop. Qh4 takes care of it.
• The engine's plan continues with Qe7 and Rd7: this move is the first step.
• Black answers 33…Qa4, winning a bishop and a pawn.
• After 33…Qa4 34.Qe7 Nxc3 35.Rd7 Qxf4+ 36.Kh1, White is a piece and a pawn down (0.00).

34…Qe7! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Shores up the h7 pawn, which was under as much attack as it had defence (1 against 1).
• The next best move, 34…Qxc3, would drop Black's winning chances from 56% to 7% (+7.12).
• 34…Qe7 stops the mate threat Qg7#.
• White was threatening Qg7#, with mate in 1. Qe7 takes care of it.
• White answers 35.Bb4, winning a pawn.
• After 35.Bb4 Qf6 36.Qxf6 Nxf6 37.fxg5 Ne4, the queens come off and Black is a pawn down (−0.80).

35…g4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• A pawn break: it challenges the h3 pawn to open lines.
• Pushes a pawn towards the White king, to pry open lines in front of it.
• The next best move, 35…Re8, would drop Black's winning chances from 67% to 51% (−0.07).
• 35…g4 wins a rook for a piece and a pawn, picking it up with 37…Nxg3.
• Sets up a sequence and wins a rook for a piece and a pawn once the captures settle, picking it up with 37…Nxg3.
• White answers 36.Ba1, leaving Black with an isolated pawn on f5.

36…Nf2! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The knight forks the rook and the pawn: both can't be saved at once.
• The next best move, 36…fxg4, would drop Black's winning chances from 78% to 33% (+1.87).
• 36…Nf2 wins the exchange, picking it up with 37…Nxg4+, and threatens …Nxg4+, winning the queen and a pawn.
• Sets up a sequence and wins the exchange once the captures settle, picking it up with 37…Nxg4+.
• It threatens …Nxg4+, winning the queen and a pawn, so White has to spend the next move on it.
• White was threatening gxf5, winning a pawn. Nf2 takes care of it.

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 6.a3: 11 moves in all, 6 by White and 5 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 6.a3: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.