nihalsarin vs Parhamov: game review

13…Qxb3! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the queen on b3.
• The next best move, 13…Qa5, would drop Black's winning chances from 48% to 28% (+2.58).
• 13…Qxb3 trades off the attacked queen instead of losing it to cxb6.
• White was threatening cxb6, winning the queen. The queen takes something with it instead.
• Trades queens.
• The queen on b3 can be taken by the a2 pawn.

36.Rh7 is a blunder: White's winning chances go from 39% to 18%.

• Black answers 36…Ra4, which attacks the b4 pawn, which is undefended.
• Better was 36.f4 (−1.27): a pawn break: it challenges the g5 pawn to open lines.

Better: 36.f4 challenges the g5 pawn. Engine line: 36…Ra4 37.f5+ Kf7 38.Rh7+ Kg8 39.Rxb7 Rxb4+ 40.Kd3 (−1.27).

36…Ra4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Attacks the b4 pawn, which is undefended.
• The next best move, 36…Ra1, would drop Black's winning chances from 82% to 54% (−0.46).
• 36…Ra4 threatens …Rxb4+, winning a pawn.
• It threatens …Rxb4+, winning a pawn, so White has to spend the next move on it.
• White answers 37.Kc3.
• After 37.Kc3 Ra3+ 38.Kd2 d4 39.exd4 Rxf3 40.Rxb7 Rb3, Black is a pawn down (−2.64).

38…d4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• A pawn break: it challenges the e3 pawn to open lines.
• The next best move, 38…Rb3, would drop Black's winning chances from 80% to 63% (−1.50).
• 38…d4 challenges the e3 pawn.
• The pawn on d4 can be taken by the e3 pawn.
• White answers 39.e4, joining the attack on the king.
• After 39.e4 Rxf3 40.Rxb7 Rb3 41.Rb8 Rxb4 42.Re8+, Black comes out a pawn up (−3.24).

42…Rg3+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Gives check, so the reply is forced.
• The next best move, 42…Kd5, would drop Black's winning chances from 82% to 50% (0.00).
• 42…Rg3+ gives check.
• White answers 43.Ke2.
• After 43.Ke2 Kd5 44.Rd7+ Ke4 45.Rc7 f5 46.Rxc6 Re3+, Black is a pawn down (−4.05).

43…Kd5! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Attacks the d4 pawn, which is undefended.
• Protects the c6 pawn, which was hanging.
• The next best move, 43…Rg2+, would drop Black's winning chances from 81% to 53% (−0.35).
• 43…Kd5 stops Rxc6+.
• White was threatening Rxc6+, winning a pawn. Kd5 takes care of it.
• White answers 44.Rd7+, giving check.

47…Ke5 lets the win slip: 47…Kc3 kept Black winning. Black's winning chances go from 85% to 53%.

• White answers 48.Rb6, which attacks the b5 pawn, which is undefended.
• After Rb6, White wins 1 point of material within 4 moves.
• Better was 47…Kc3 (−4.61), which attacks the b4 pawn, which is undefended.

Better: 47…Kc3 attacks the b4 pawn, which is undefended. After 48.Kf2 Rh3 49.Kg2 Rh4 50.Rd1 Kxb4 51.Rc1, Black comes out a pawn up (−4.61).

48.Rd3 is a blunder: White's winning chances go from 47% to 13%.

• Black answers 48…Rg2+, which gives check, so the reply is forced.
• Better was 48.Rb6 (−0.31), which attacks the b5 pawn, which is undefended.

Better: 48.Rb6 wins a pawn, picking it up with 49.Rxb5, and stops …Rb3. After 48…Rc3 49.Rxb5 g4 50.Rb8 f4 51.Re8+, White comes out a pawn up (−0.31).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 7.e3: 13 moves in all, 7 by White and 6 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 7.e3: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.