Mentions:

Links to the game:

https://lichess.org/opalfshk

https://www.chess.com/a/GMCXT7S6gkU6

Green arrows show moves that could have been played instead of the yellow inaccuracy

Red indicates a blunder, or sometimes a threat

The c5 and e5 combination isn't the best because black struggles to get a pawn break, and e5 here
creates a hole on d5, and white can easily play moves like Nc3 then Nd5 and get a good centralized
knight that can no longer be kicked by the e-pawn that moved up.
The e6 before d5 is a better strategy to play for than c5 and e5, as it fights for the center and doesn't
leave black with a backwards d-pawn

4.Nf6 is a blunder (Score +0.3 to +2.0) because white can play Ng5 (and is in a winning position), the
Knight on g5 and the Bishop on c4 threaten the f7-pawn. White played 4.d3 which threatens Ng5 even if
black can skip his turn because d3 allows the DSB to guard Ng5. The capitalization for white starting from
Ng5 is a bit complicated, I’ll cover a portion of how white capitalizes after Ng5 if black plays d5.
After Ng5 black played the blunder Rg8 (+2.00 to +7.50). White’s best move here is Bxf7+ forking the
King and the Rook. Nxf7 (+4.8) was played in the game, which is still winning but not the best move.

Black’s best defense move (although he’s still losing) is d5:

If black played d5, white’s only winning move is exd5

Unlike in the normal fried liver setup (link to normal fried liver setup will be provided), white is even
better here because black played c5 beforehand, which will allow white’s pawn on d5 to be a strong
pawn.
Normal fried liver setup (completely equal position 0.00):

https://lichess.org/GJyJbZdi#14

Worse fried liver like setup after c5:

https://lichess.org/IOEu0GeG

In the worse setup, white’s d4 pawn is strong and can easily be guarded by c4 (score: +2.00)
Black played 12.g6 here, which is a blunder because white can play Qxg6 (White’s queen is no longer
under threat), and black’s queen is pinned by the bishop on g5, and the pawn that would have been
guarding Nf6 is gone after 12.g6.

Here white played the inaccuracy 14.Qxf6 which is still winning, but white could have played the
stronger move Bxf6 that pins the Queen, and keeps white’s queen alive which will make white win the
game faster.
Black played the inaccuracy Nxa1. Now white’s best move is Qxf8+ and the Queen on e7 is pinned by the
bishop on g5, so black’s queen cannot capture white’s Queen on f8. White missed Qxf8+ in the game.
Here white played the blunder Nc3 (About +6.00 to +1.00). Now black can play Rxh8 and if Rxa1 then
Rxh5, and white blundered material.

Retreating the knight on h8 to g6 is important before playing Nc3 which would trap the knight on a1
anyways.

If white played Ng6 and black tried Bxb2, white can play Nc3 (+7.00) which threatens the Bishop on a2
and the Knight on a1.
The move h6 is a premature pawn push, since it’s blocked by the rook on h8, and the pawn isn’t
supported well enough. Here white lost the big advantage he used to have, and went into a near equal
position

It’s better to push connected pawns for example, so white can play f3 with the idea of playing g4 to
support the h5 pawn, and then slowly but surely push the g and h pawns. That would be better than
prematurely pushing the h-pawn and losing it since black can attack the advanced h-pawn with the rook
and king.
The move 25.a5 is a blunder (+0.4 to +2.4) because it allows white to play Kc4.

The king in the endgame is really important to utilize. In the opening and middlegame, the king usually
tries to stay safe. However, in the endgame, the king is good to utilize and centralize in many instances
to support pawns, or to chase enemy pawns down etc.

White with Kc4 threatens Kd5 attacking the d6 pawn, so if black plays b5+ white plays Kd5 and black
plays Ke7, now black is going to have a harder time grabbing the h7 pawn since the king is distanced
from it after Ke7. Black’s king is overloaded with tasks.

If black plays Ke6 after Kc4, white can play Nc3 which covers the b5 square preventing b5+ and white
gets a more active knight, which can hop to b5 eventually, and white can play Rh6+ and grab the
backwards d6 pawn attacked by the knight and Rook.
Rh6 isn’t a good move yet, as black can play Kg7 and win the h7 pawn, and if white plays Rxd6 Black
plays Kb5+ forking the King and rook. Moving the King up to c4 with the ideas explained about
overloading black’s king before playing Rh6 is necessary in this position. White will no longer have to
worry about the fork threat after moving Kc4, which is why it’s the cleanest winning move for white.
As mentioned before, Rxd6 doesn’t work because Nb5+ forks the king and rook. Black missed this
forking tactic in the game.
Rb6+ looks like a pointless move. In chess there is a concept of tempo, there is an element of time in
chess (Chess Network has a vid on it). After Rb6 Black can just play Kxh7 and gains a tempo getting rid of
white’s pawn and getting ready for other threats such as Rd8 (threatens pawn on d3)

Element of time in chess, tempo (chess network video link):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3B34oKM0oI
Rb5 is inaccurate, Black can play Rd8 threatening the pawn on d3 (Black missed this in the game), which
is also being threatened by the knight. White’s best way out of this threat (only winning move) would be
Nd5, but that still loses a pawn after Nxd5 exd5 Rxd5. This position in harder to grind. Positions of rook
and pawn endgames are typically long and hard to grind, even if one side is up a pawn.
Nd4 is a blunder (+4.00 to 0.00). White could have played Na4 for example, guarding the b2 pawn
allowing white to capture a pawn on a5 or c5 with the rook that isn’t forced to guard the b2 pawn.
Centralized knights in general are good, however in this position there are bigger priorities in this
endgame. White needs to get rid of black’s pawns in the way with his rook, and try to promote the b2
pawn for example since it would have a cleared way with no enemy pawns blocking it
After Nd4 black should have played Rxf3+ (only drawing move black should play, other moves lose)
which comes with check, Kd2 is forced, Rf2+. If White’s king retreats to the first rank, then it’s cut off
from helping pawn promote, and isn’t active

If White responds to Rf2+ with Kc3, then Ne2+.

If white plays Kb3 or Kc2 then black plays Nd4 forking the king and rook

If White plays Kc4 for example, then Nc1 and white’s progress is crippled since white’s rook is forced to
guard b2 (cannot win a pawn by playing Rxa5 or Rxc5)
Nxf3 is a blunder (+4.00 to 0.00), black could have played Rxf3+ with check (gains tempo), as I pointed
out the lines earlier

White’s has only 1 technical calculation response here: Rxc5. If black plays Nd4 white must play Nf4 to
win. The reasons for this are because:

1) It opens the 5th rank for Rxe5

2) If exf4 Kxd4 and white can push the central pawns towards promotion
3) If Rxf4 Rxe5, then black’s knight and rook are under threat by the king, then the central pawns
will be pushed to promotion
4) Nf4 Prevents Rf3+ that can lead to forced draws (as mentioned before)
Rxa5 doesn’t work because black can play Nd4 (Black missed this in the game), and that knight will be
guarded by the c5-pawn and the e5-pawn. This knight is preparing Rf3+. If white plays Rxc5 here then
Rf3+ Kd2, then Rf2+ threatening to grab the pawn on b2, the main hope of white’s win was promoting
the b2 pawn. If Kc1 Then Nb3 forks the king and rook. If Kc3 Then Rc2+ forces Kb4, then Rxb2+ and it’s a
drawn position even though white is up a pawn because black has potential perpetual checks, and a fork
if white responds to Rxb2+ with Ka5 in attempt to escape perpetual (If white was thinking of playing Ka5
then Kb6 Then Kc7 to escape the perpetual checks). Notice that white’s pawns are also blockaded by
Black’s knight and pawn.

40.Ke3 is a blunder because Re2#. Black missed this opportunity and played Rxb2
White blundered because of the same Re2# threat. Black missed the #1 again, and from there black was
losing for the rest of the game.