nihalsarin vs gurelediz: game review

60.Kc4 is a blunder: White's winning chances go from 51% to 10%.

• Black answers 60…Ne5+: plants the knight on e5: a pawn defends it and no enemy pawn can chase it away.
• After Ne5+, Black wins 4 points of material within 6 moves.
• Better was 60.Kb6 (+0.11): the king steps out of check to b6.

Better: 60.Kb6 prepares Ka5 and Be2 and steps the king out of check to b6. After 60…Bf7 61.Ka5 Ne5 62.Be2 f5 63.Nxf5 Kxf5 64.h6, White is two pawns down (+0.11).

60…Ne5+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Plants the knight on e5: a pawn defends it and no enemy pawn can chase it away.
• Adds a decisive attacker on the bishop on g4: 2 attackers against 1 defender.
• The next best move, 60…Nf4, would drop Black's winning chances from 90% to 51% (−0.11).
• 60…Ne5+ wins a bishop, picking it up with 61…Nxg4.
• Sets up a sequence and wins a bishop once the captures settle, picking it up with 61…Nxg4.
• Moves the attacked knight to safety.

63…Bg6! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The next best move, 63…Bf7, would drop Black's winning chances from 96% to 6% (+7.51).
• 63…Bg6 prepares …Bxh7 and …f5.
• The engine's plan continues with …Bxh7 and …f5: this move is the first step.
• White answers 64.h7, leaving Black with an isolated pawn on f5.
• Engine line: 64.h7 Bxh7 65.Kxa4 f5 66.Kb4 f4 (−8.69).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 6…h6: 12 moves in all, 6 by White and 6 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 6…h6: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.