Xiangyu Xu vs Yangyi Yu: game review

14.a4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Shores up the knight on b5, which was under as much attack as it had defence (2 against 1).
• Takes b5 away from the bishop on a6 and the rook on b8.
• The next best move, 14.dxc5, would drop White's winning chances from 56% to 16% (−4.59).
• 14.a4 stops …Bxb5.
• Black was threatening …Bxb5, winning a knight. a4 takes care of it.
• Black answers 14…Qb6, adding pressure on the knight on b5.

33.Nxe6 is a blunder: White's winning chances go from 53% to 19%.

• Black answers 33…Qe1+: the queen joins the attack: it now hits 3 squares around the White king.
• Better was 33.Ra7 (+0.34): the rook takes the open a-file.

Better: 33.Ra7 threatens Qc8+, winning a bishop, picking it up with 34.Rxd7, and takes the open a-file. Engine line: 33…Nc5 34.Rc7 Nd7 35.Rc4 Qe1+ 36.Bf1 (+0.34).

33…Qe1+! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The queen joins the attack: it now hits 3 squares around the White king.
• Check, and White has only two legal replies.
• The next best move, 33…Rd2, would drop Black's winning chances from 81% to 46% (+0.49).
• 33…Qe1+ wins the queen for a rook, picking it up with 35…Qxd2.
• Sets up a sequence and wins the queen for a rook once the captures settle, picking it up with 35…Qxd2.
• White answers 34.Bf1.

34…Rd1! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The next best move, 34…Ne5, would drop Black's winning chances from 85% to 41% (+1.01).
• 34…Rd1 wins the queen for a rook, picking it up with 35…Qxd1, and threatens …Qg1#, with mate in 1.
• Sets up a sequence and wins the queen for a rook once the captures settle, picking it up with 35…Qxd1.
• It threatens …Qg1#, with mate in 1, so White has to spend the next move on it.
• White answers 35.Qxd1, taking the rook on d1.
• After 35.Qxd1 Qxd1 36.Nf4 Ne5 37.Rc8+ Kh7, Black comes out a piece and a pawn up (−5.04).

35…Ne5! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Shores up the f7 pawn, which was under as much attack as it had defence (1 against 1).
• Centralises the knight on e5, where it reaches the most squares.
• The next best move, 35…Qg1+, would drop Black's winning chances from 87% to 56% (−0.69).
• 35…Ne5 wins a knight, picking it up with 36…fxe6.
• Sets up a sequence and wins a knight once the captures settle, picking it up with 36…fxe6.
• White answers 36.Rc4, leaving Black with an isolated pawn on e6.

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 8…dxc4: 16 moves in all, 8 by White and 8 by Black.
• White left the book with 9.Bg5. In 59 games from this position, strong players played 9.Qxc4 (49%), 9.Na3 (15%), 9.Nfd2 (14%) or 9.Ne5 (7%).
• The main line goes on 9.Qxc4 b5 10.Qc2.
• From here White scored 46% in those games, with 28% drawn.