Sinquefield Cup 2015 - Round 6 ( So - Nakamura )

I think that 24. Be1 it's a standard move to prepare white's defense and counter play against the potential g3 plan from black. It's a preparation move, he didn't find this on the board. What he missed is that white can't afford Nxe4 cause in this position the penetration on the f file with this battery Queen-Rook can't be defended. Believe it or not he lost because he trusted the computer evaluation more than his instinct. Fortunately for chess there are some variations like the Mar del Plata were engines understand nothing until the moment are already busted.

Yes, I agree that 23.Rc7 ? it's a disaster. It gives no counterplay to white and leave black easy to find the way to attack . I don't know what is the best chance for So, but 25.fxg4 it's hopeless. An idea to save the position, not the game, is to play 25. Nf2, to defend the e4 pawn with the Queen, 25...g3, 26 Nh3 ?! and I don't know what white plays next but black for sure Rxd7! . I don't want to see the rest!

I believe whites set up from the beginning is wrong. According to theory when black goes 9...Nd7 it's preferable to do not support c5 when you decide the Be3 system but to sacrifice the pawn. Wesley didn't need to play Nd3. He just needed to push the pawn and when the knight capture to play b4! Black will go Na6 leaving the knight out of the king side equation and that minimize his attacking chances. White usually proceeds pressuring the c7 pawn and eventually takes back the a pawn as a compensation. What So tried to play yesterday it's a mystery.