nihalsarin vs gurelediz: game review

19.Nxb5 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 50% to 35%.

• Black answers 19…Ne4: moving away uncovers the bishop on e7, which now hits the h4 pawn.
• Better was 19.Bd3 (0.00).

Better: 19.Bd3 prepares Rdc1. Engine line: 19…Rb6 20.Rdc1 Rbc6 (0.00).

20…Rc2! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The rook reaches the seventh rank, where 2 pawns sit and the king is cut off on the back rank.
• Adds a decisive attacker on the f2 pawn: 2 attackers against 1 defender.
• The next best move, 20…Ndf6, would drop Black's winning chances from 76% to 59% (−1.03).
• 20…Rc2 wins a pawn, picking it up with 21…Rxf2.
• Sets up a sequence and wins a pawn once the captures settle, picking it up with 21…Rxf2.
• White answers 21.a4, taking b5 away from the queen.

22…dxe4!! A real sacrifice: Black gives up material and the engine still rates it best.

• Leaves the rook on f2 where it can be taken.
• Taking is too dangerous: White's best reply is 23.Ne1 Re2 24.a4 Nb6 instead (the engine rates it −3.74).
• Takes the bishop on e4.
• Attacks the knight on f3, which is undefended.
• 22…dxe4 wins a bishop and stops Kxf2.
• Takes the bishop on e4 and wins a bishop once the captures settle.

• The idea: 22…dxe4!! ignores the attack on the rook on f2 and takes the bishop on e4 first. Taking the rook gives Black the material back and more.
• What Black gives up: The rook on f2 is attacked by the king, and 22…dxe4 doesn't save it. That's a whole rook on offer.
• What it does instead: It takes the bishop on e4 first. White has no bishop left to guard the light squares around the king (f1, g2, h1).
• If White takes the rook: 23.Kxf2 is met by 23…exf3, taking the knight on f3. Then 24…Nf6 attacks the h5 pawn, which is undefended, and 25…Qe4 threatens …Rc2, winning the queen for a rook. Material is level and Black is winning (−3.59).
• White's best try: White's best is to leave the rook alone and play 23.Ne1. Black answers 23…Re2, and the rook on f2 gets away, threatening …e5, winning a knight for a rook. Then 25…Rxc1 takes the rook on c1, and 26…Nxa4 takes the a4 pawn. Black ends up a piece and a pawn ahead: Black is winning (−3.74).
• Why not save the rook first?: Saving it with 22…Rxb2, the best way to do that, is clearly weaker (+2.52 against −3.74). White answers 23.Qxb2, taking the rook on b2 and threatening Bd3, winning a pawn. That would leave Black clearly worse.

24…Nf6! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Attacks the h5 pawn, which is undefended.
• The next best move, 24…Qe4, would drop Black's winning chances from 85% to 69% (−2.16).
• 24…Nf6 wins a pawn, picking it up with 25…Nxe4+.
• Sets up a sequence and wins a pawn once the captures settle, picking it up with 25…Nxe4+.
• White answers 25.e4, uncovering an attack on the f3 pawn.
• After 25.e4 Nxe4+ 26.Kf1 Bg5 27.Ra3 f2 28.Bxg5 hxg5 29.d5 exd5 30.Qd3, the bishops are traded and Black comes out two pawns up (−4.68).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 12…b5: 24 moves in all, 12 by White and 12 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 12…b5: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.