Sina-Movahed vs MagnusCarlsen: game review

25…Kg7! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The next best move, 25…Kh8, would drop Black's winning chances from 50% to 30% (+2.31).
• 25…Kg7 stops Rxf7+.
• White was threatening Rxf7+, winning a pawn. Kg7 takes care of it.
• The engine's plan continues with …Re7 and …Rcc7: this move is the first step.
• White answers 26.R1f2.
• Engine line: 26.R1f2 Re7 27.Qb1 Rcc7 28.Qf1 Re6 (0.00).

44…Rh1+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The rook takes the half-open h-file.
• Check, and White has only two legal replies.
• The next best move, 44…Rxf3, would drop Black's winning chances from 50% to 6% (+7.68).
• 44…Rh1+ takes the half-open h-file and gives check, leaving two replies.
• White answers 45.Kxh1, winning a rook.
• After 45.Kxh1 Qd1+ 46.Kh2 Qxf3 47.Qg4 Qxg4 48.Rxg4 Rc7, the queens come off (0.00).

45…Qd1+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The queen forks the king and the rook: both can't be saved at once.
• Moves the attacked queen to safety.
• The next best move, 45…Qe1+, would drop Black's winning chances from 50% to 4% (+8.31).
• 45…Qd1+ wins a rook, picking it up with 46…Qxf3.
• Sets up a sequence and wins a rook once the captures settle, picking it up with 46…Qxf3.
• White answers 46.Kh2.

52.Rg1! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The next best move, 52.Rf2, would drop White's winning chances from 68% to 56% (+0.64).
• 52.Rg1 prepares Ra1 and hxg4+.
• The engine's plan continues with Ra1 and hxg4+: this move is the first step.
• Black answers 52…Kh5.
• Engine line: 52…Kh5 53.Ra1 g4 54.hxg4+ Rxg4+ 55.Kf3 (+2.24).

53.Ra1! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The rook takes the open a-file.
• The next best move, 53.Rc1, would drop White's winning chances from 68% to 52% (+0.22).
• 53.Ra1 takes the open a-file.
• Black answers 53…g4.
• Engine line: 53…g4 54.hxg4+ Rxg4+ 55.Kf3 Rg7 56.Ra6 (+3.29).

61…d3 is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 50% to 13%.

• White answers 62.e6, which pushes the passed pawn to e6, close to promotion.
• The pawn on d3 can be taken by the rook on d5.
• Better was 61…Kxh3 (0.00), which takes the pawn on h3.

Better: 61…Kxh3 wins a pawn. After 62.e6 g4+ 63.Kf4 Rf2+ 64.Kg5 Re2, Black comes out a pawn up (0.00).

64…g4+ is a blunder: Black's winning chances go from 50% to 10%.

• White answers 65.Kf4+: moving away uncovers check from the rook on e3.
• After Kf4+, White wins 1 point of material within 4 moves.
• Better was 64…Rb8 (0.00).

Better: 64…Rb8 prepares …Kh4 and …g4. Engine line: 65.Ke4+ Kh4 66.Kf5 g4 67.e7 Re8 (0.00).

66.e7! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Pushes the passed pawn to e7, close to promotion.
• The next best move, 66.Rd3, would drop White's winning chances from 90% to 50% (0.00).
• 66.e7 pushes the passed pawn to e7.
• Black answers 66…Rb4+, giving check, leaving White with an isolated pawn on e7.
• After 66…Rb4+ 67.Re4 Rb2 68.e8=Q Rf2+ 69.Ke5, the pawn promotes on e8 and White comes out 8 points of material up (+13.81).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 6.a3: 11 moves in all, 6 by White and 5 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 6.a3: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.