SeanWinshand vs ilqar_74: game review

20.b5 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 47% to 35%.

• Black answers 20…Qd6: moving away uncovers the bishop on d7, which now hits the b5 pawn.
• Better was 20.Ne5 (−0.29).

Better: 20.Ne5 threatens Nxc6+, winning the queen for a knight. After 20…Bxe5 21.dxe5 d4 22.exd4 Qxg2 23.Qf3 Qxf3 24.Nxf3 Bc6, the queens come off (−0.29).

20…Qd6! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Moves the attacked queen to safety.
• Moving away uncovers the bishop on d7, which now hits the b5 pawn.
• The next best move, 20…Qc8, would drop Black's winning chances from 65% to 52% (−0.20).
• 20…Qd6 gets the queen out of the way of bxc6.
• White was threatening bxc6, winning the queen for a pawn. The queen steps away.
• White answers 21.Qd1.

22…e5 is a mistake: Black's winning chances go from 70% to 58%.

• White answers 23.f4: a pawn break: it challenges the e5 pawn to open lines.
• Better was 22…h5 (−2.27), which pushes a pawn towards the White king, to pry open lines in front of it.

Better: 22…h5 pushes the pawn storm towards the king and shores up the g4 pawn. Engine line: 23.Qd1 Bf6 24.Qc2 Rhg8 25.Rb4 Rc8 (−2.27).

23.dxe5 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 42% to 27%.

• Black answers 23…Bxe5, which takes the pawn on e5.
• After Bxe5, Black wins 1 point of material within 2 moves.
• Better was 23.f4 (−0.87): a pawn break: it challenges the e5 pawn to open lines.

Better: 23.f4 threatens fxe5, winning a pawn. Engine line: 23…exd4 24.exd4 Rhe8 25.Qf2 Re7 26.Ra1 (−0.87).

30.Qd4 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 38% to 27%.

• Black answers 30…Qxd4, which takes the queen on d4.
• Better was 30.a6 (−1.32): a pawn break: it challenges the b7 pawn to open lines.

Better: 30.a6 wins a pawn, picking it up with 31.axb7. After 30…Rh7 31.axb7 Be8 32.b6 axb6 33.Ra3 Rxb7 34.Ra6, White is a pawn down (−1.32).

31.Nd2 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 30% to 16%.

• Black answers 31…Qxd4, which takes the queen on d4.
• Better was 31.Qf4+ (−2.35), which gives check, so the reply is forced.

Better: 31.Qf4+ gives check. Engine line: 31…Ka8 32.Rcc1 Rc8 33.b6 a6 34.Qd4 (−2.35).

48…Rxe6! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the rook on e6.
• Shores up the bishop on c6, which was under as much attack as it had defence (1 against 1).
• The next best move, 48…Rb2, would drop Black's winning chances from 92% to 65% (−1.65).
• 48…Rxe6 trades off the attacked rook instead of losing it to Rxf6.
• White was threatening Rxf6, winning a rook. The rook takes something with it instead.
• Trades rooks: trading pieces when ahead brings the win closer.

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 7…Nh5: 14 moves in all, 7 by White and 7 by Black.
• White left the book with 8.Bg3. In 24 games from this position, strong players played 8.Bg5 (42%), 8.dxc5 (29%) or 8.Be5 (21%).
• The main line goes on 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bh4 g5 10.Ne5.
• From here White scored 52% in those games, with 4% drawn.