Philippians46 vs nihalsarin: game review

10…exd3! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the pawn on d3.
• Protects the queen on e5, which was hanging.
• The next best move, 10…Qh5, would drop Black's winning chances from 49% to 39% (+1.25).
• 10…exd3 stops dxe5.
• White was threatening dxe5, winning the queen. exd3 takes care of it.
• Trades pawns.

24.a3! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moves the attacked pawn to safety.
• The next best move, 24.Ra1, would drop White's winning chances from 48% to 35% (−1.66).
• 24.a3 stops …Rxa2.
• Black was threatening …Rxa2, winning a pawn. a3 takes care of it.
• Black answers 24…Re8.
• Engine line: 24…Re8 25.Bb4 g6 26.h4 Nd7 27.Bc3 (−0.35).

43.g4 is a blunder: White's winning chances go from 48% to 24%.

• Black answers 43…Be4: shores up the f5 pawn, which was under as much attack as it had defence (1 against 1).
• Better was 43.Rd1 (−0.23): the rook takes the open d-file, aiming at the bishop on d5.

Better: 43.Rd1 takes the open d-file, aiming at the bishop on d5. Engine line: 43…b6 44.b4 Nb7 45.g4 fxg4 46.hxg4 Nd6 (−0.23).

43…Be4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Shores up the f5 pawn, which was under as much attack as it had defence (1 against 1).
• The next best move, 43…Bb3, would drop Black's winning chances from 76% to 60% (−1.05).
• 43…Be4 threatens …Bxc2, winning a bishop, and stops gxf5.
• It threatens …Bxc2, winning a bishop, so White has to spend the next move on it.
• White was threatening gxf5, winning a pawn. Be4 takes care of it.
• White answers 44.Bxe4, taking the bishop on e4.

47…Rd3+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Check, and White has only two legal replies.
• The next best move, 47…Ke6, would drop Black's winning chances from 80% to 65% (−1.64).
• 47…Rd3+ wins a pawn, picking it up with 48…Rxh3.
• Sets up a sequence and wins a pawn once the captures settle, picking it up with 48…Rxh3.
• White answers 48.Ke2.
• After 48.Ke2 Rxh3 49.Rd1 Ke8 50.Bd4 Ne6, Black comes out a pawn up (−3.59).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 10.d4: 19 moves in all, 10 by White and 9 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 10.d4: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.