Philippians46 vs gurelediz: game review

9…Bd7 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 60% to 39%.

• White answers 10.Qxb4, which takes the pawn on b4.
• After Qxb4, White wins 1 point of material within 5 moves.
• Better was 9…Qa5 (−1.12), which attacks the knight on a4, which is undefended.

Better: 9…Qa5 threatens …Qxa4, winning a knight, and stops Qxb4. Engine line: 10.e5 Ne4 11.Qd3 Qxa4 12.Qxe4 d5 (−1.12).

14.Bb5 is a blunder: White's winning chances go from 70% to 48%.

• Black answers 14…Rxb6, which takes the knight on b6.
• After Rxb6, Black wins 1 point of material within 4 moves.
• Better was 14.Rxd6 (+2.25), which takes the pawn on d6.

Better: 14.Rxd6 stops …Nxb6. After 14…Bxd6 15.Qxd6 Rxb6 16.Bxb6 Qxb6 17.Bc8, White is two pawns down (+2.25).

59…g5 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 50% to 10%.

• White answers 60.Rh6, which attacks the h5 pawn, which is undefended.
• Better was 59…Rf7 (0.00).

Better: 59…Rf7 stops Rd7+. Engine line: 60.c5 h4 61.Rd8 g5 62.Kc4 Rf4+ (0.00).

62.Rg6+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Gives check, so the reply is forced.
• The next best move, 62.Rg5, would drop White's winning chances from 91% to 51% (+0.12).
• 62.Rg6+ gives check.
• Black answers 62…Kb7.
• Engine line: 62…Kb7 63.c5 Kc8 64.Rg7 Rf3+ 65.Kb4 (+5.48).

63.c5! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The pawn joins the attack: it now hits 2 squares around the Black king.
• Pushes the passed pawn to c5.
• The next best move, 63.Rg7+, would drop White's winning chances from 91% to 69% (+2.23).
• 63.c5 joins the attack on the king and pushes the passed pawn to c5.
• Pushes a pawn towards the Black king, to pry open lines in front of it.
• Black answers 63…Rf7.

65.Rg7+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Gives check, so the reply is forced.
• The next best move, 65.Rh6, would drop White's winning chances from 90% to 51% (+0.08).
• 65.Rg7+ gives check.
• Black answers 65…Kc6, attacking the c5 pawn, which is undefended.
• Engine line: 65…Kc6 66.Rc7+ Kd5 67.b7 Rf3+ 68.Kb4 (+5.86).

66.Rc7+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Check, and Black has only two legal replies.
• The next best move, 66.Rg8, would drop White's winning chances from 90% to 51% (+0.14).
• 66.Rc7+ gives check, leaving two replies.
• Black answers 66…Kd5.
• Engine line: 66…Kd5 67.b7 Rf3+ 68.Kb4 Rf4+ 69.Kb5 (+6.04).

67.b7! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Pushes the passed pawn to b7, close to promotion.
• The next best move, 67.Kd3, would drop White's winning chances from 93% to 50% (+0.03).
• 67.b7 threatens b8=Q+, with mate in 2.
• It threatens b8=Q+, with mate in 2, so Black has to spend the next move on it.
• Black answers 67…Rf3+, giving check.
• After 67…Rf3+ 68.Kd4 Rf4+ 69.Ke5 Rf1 70.b8=Q+, the pawn promotes on b8 and White comes out 8 points of material up (+8.50).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 7…b5: 14 moves in all, 7 by White and 7 by Black.
• White left the book with 8.O-O-O. In 57 games from this position, strong players played 8.f3 (96%).
• The main line goes on 8.f3 Nbd7 9.g4 h6 10.O-O-O Bb7 11.h4 b4 12.Na4 d5.
• From here White scored 60% in those games, with 18% drawn.