SeanWinshand vs umutataakbas: game review

19.Bxf5 is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 89% to 70%.

• Black answers 19…Ne4: moving away uncovers the queen on d8, which now hits the g5 pawn.
• Better was 19.gxf6 (+5.69), which takes the knight on f6.

Better: 19.gxf6 wins a bishop for two pawns. After 19…Bxd3+ 20.Qxd3 Nxf6 21.cxb4 Nxh5 22.Rh1, the bishops are traded and White comes out a piece and a pawn up (+5.69).

22.bxc3 is a blunder: White's winning chances go from 66% to 41%.

• Black answers 22…Re2: the rook reaches the seventh rank, where 1 pawn sits and the king is cut off on the back rank.
• Better was 22.Qc2 (+1.81), which attacks the rook on e4, which is undefended.

Better: 22.Qc2 gets the queen out of the way of …Bxd2 and threatens Qxe4, winning a rook. After 22…Re3 23.g6 fxg6 24.Rd3 Bb4 25.Rxe3 Nxe3 26.Qd3, the rooks are traded and White is a pawn down (+1.81).

22…Re2!! A real sacrifice: Black gives up material and the engine still rates it best.

• Puts the rook on e2 where it can be taken.
• Taking is too dangerous: White's best reply is 23.Qc1 Qa5 24.Rd2 Nxc3+ instead (the engine rates it −1.22).
• The rook reaches the seventh rank, where 1 pawn sits and the king is cut off on the back rank.
• 22…Re2 threatens …Rxd2, winning the queen for a rook.
• It threatens …Rxd2, winning the queen for a rook, so White has to spend the next move on it.
• The rook on e2 can be taken by the queen on d2.

• The idea: 22…Re2!! offers the rook on e2. Taking it gives Black the material back and more.
• What Black gives up: 22…Re2 puts the rook on e2 where it can be taken by the queen on d2. That's a whole rook on offer.
• What it does instead: It threatens …Rxd2, winning the queen for a rook.
• If White takes the rook: 23.Qxe2 is met by 23…Nxc3+, taking the c3 pawn with check. Then 24…Nxe2 takes the queen on e2, and 25…Nxg1 takes the rook on g1. Black ends up 7 points of material ahead: Black is winning (−4.14).
• White's best try: White's best is to leave the rook alone and play 23.Qc1. Black answers 23…Qa5, threatening …Qxa2# and mate. Then 24…Nxc3+ gives check, and 25…Nxa2 takes the a2 pawn. Black ends up a piece ahead: Black is a little better (−1.22).
• Without the sacrifice: The best move without the sacrifice, 22…Re3, is clearly weaker (+0.91 against −1.22). White answers 23.c4, attacking the knight on d5. That would leave Black a little worse.

25.Bxg7+ is a mistake: White's winning chances go from 50% to 34%.

• Black answers 25…Kxf7, which takes the pawn on f7.
• Better was 25.Rxd2 (0.00), which takes the rook on d2.

Better: 25.Rxd2 wins a rook and stops the mate threat …Qb6+. After 25…Qa5 26.c4 Ne3 27.Rf2 Kxf7 28.Rxg7+ Ke8, White comes out the exchange plus a pawn up (0.00).

28…Qd5! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Attacks the h5 pawn, which is undefended.
• Protects the knight on e4, which was hanging.
• The next best move, 28…Nc3, would drop Black's winning chances from 77% to 29% (+2.40).
• 28…Qd5 stops Rxe4 and threatens …Qc4+, forking the king and the rook.
• White was threatening Rxe4, winning a knight. Qd5 takes care of it.
• It threatens …Qc4+, forking the king and the rook, so White has to spend the next move on it.

32…Nxe2 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 61% to 22%.

• White answers 33.Nf4+, which gives check, so the reply is forced.
• The knight walks into a pin by the rook on e1.
• After Nf4+, White wins 8 points of material within 5 moves.
• Better was 32…Kd7 (−1.16): the king steps out of the firing line (fewer enemy pieces aim at it now).

Better: 32…Kd7 steps the king out of the firing line. After 33.Nc5+ Kc8 34.Re8+ Rxe8 35.Rxe8+ Kc7, the rooks are traded (−1.16).

33.Nf4+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Gives check, so the reply is forced.
• The next best move, 33.Nc5+, would drop White's winning chances from 78% to 10% (−5.85).
• 33.Nf4+ wins the queen for a pawn, picking it up with 34.Nxd5.
• Sets up a sequence and wins the queen for a pawn once the captures settle, picking it up with 34.Nxd5.
• Black answers 33…Kd6.
• After 33…Kd6 34.Nxd5 Nxd4+ 35.Kd3 Nf3 36.Re3 Kxd5 37.Rxf3 Rd8, White comes out 8 points of material up (+3.31).

34…Ng3 is a mistake: Black's winning chances go from 23% to 9%.

• White answers 35.Nf6: the knight forks the rook and the pawn: both can't be saved at once.
• After Nf6, White wins 1 point of material within 4 moves.
• Better was 34…Nxd4+ (+3.30), which takes the pawn on d4.

Better: 34…Nxd4+ wins a pawn. After 35.Kd3 Nf3 36.Re3 Kxd5 37.Rxf3 Rd8, Black comes out a pawn up (+3.30).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 5.Nf3: 9 moves in all, 5 by White and 4 by Black.
• Black left the book with 5…exf4. In 533 games from this position, strong players played 5…exd4 (88%), 5…c6 (8%), 5…Be7 (3%) or 5…g6 (under 1%).
• The main line goes on 5…exd4 6.Qxd4 c6 7.Be3 d5 8.e5 Ng4 9.Bg1 Bc5 10.Qd2.
• From here White scored 53% in those games, with 11% drawn.