Polish_fighter3000 vs FairChess_on_YouTube: game review

15…Rxf3!! A real sacrifice: Black gives up material and the engine still rates it best.

• Puts the rook on f3 where it can be taken.
• White can take, but after 16.gxf3 Qf6 17.Qxb7 Rf8 the engine rates it −0.22.
• Takes the knight on f3.
• 15…Rxf3 stops Qxe6.
• White was threatening Qxe6, winning a pawn. Rxf3 takes care of it.
• White answers 16.gxf3, winning a rook.

• The idea: 15…Rxf3!! offers the rook on f3. Taking it still leaves Black a little better.
• What Black gives up: 15…Rxf3 puts the rook on f3 where it can be taken by the g2 pawn. That's a whole rook on offer.
• What it does instead: It takes the knight on f3.
• If White takes the rook: 16.gxf3 is met by 16…Qd7, preparing …Rf8. Then 17…Rf8 attacks the f3 pawn, which is undefended, and 18…Rb8 threatens …Rxb7, winning the queen and a pawn. Black is a piece down: Black is a little better (−0.50). This is White's best try.
• Without the sacrifice: The best move without the sacrifice, 15…Qd7, is clearly weaker (+1.11 against −0.22). White answers 16.Nxg5, taking the bishop on g5 and threatening Qxe6, winning a pawn. That would leave Black a little worse.

20.Kf1 is a blunder: White's winning chances go from 40% to 19%.

• Black answers 20…Ng6.
• Better was 20.f4 (−1.11): the pawn kicks the bishop on g5, which has to move.

Better: 20.f4 threatens fxg5, winning a bishop for a pawn. After 20…Ng6 21.Kh1 Nxf4 22.Qd1 c5 23.Re3, White is a pawn down (−1.11).

20…Ng6! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The next best move, 20…Kh7, would drop Black's winning chances from 81% to 65% (−1.69).
• 20…Ng6 prepares …Nh4 and …Bf4.
• The engine's plan continues with …Nh4 and …Bf4: this move is the first step.
• White answers 21.Re2.
• Engine line: 21.Re2 Nh4 22.d4 Bf4 23.Qd1 Qg6 (−3.50).

26…Bg5+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The bishop joins the attack: it now hits 2 squares around the White king.
• Gives check, so the reply is forced.
• The next best move, 26…Qf3, would drop Black's winning chances from 93% to 50% (0.00).
• 26…Bg5+ joins the attack on the king.
• White answers 27.Kd3.
• After 27.Kd3 Qf3+ 28.Kc2 Qxe2+ 29.Kb1 Qxe4+ 30.Ka2 dxe5 31.Rd1, Black comes out 7 points of material up (−7.79).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 8…h6: 16 moves in all, 8 by White and 8 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 8…h6: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.