Comments on https://lichess.org/@/datajunkie/blog/what-most-improvers-are-missing-a-new-gm-explains/16Mof4ST
"a very good score with the Najdorf as White and Black"
* A player usually scores well with an opening he plays as white and black.
His point about analyzing the games and finding the weaknesses is quite apt, but many players turn away because they don't want to look at the mess they created, and some of them like me are tired after the game.
I do acknowledge that we might have an engine with LLM which can explain the moves and their purpose, but I don't think books might go away. They might become a bit rare perhaps, maybe a bit niche, but books offer human experiences which you won't get from an LLM.
Just my own uneducated thoughts.
Can we talk about **move 21** in the game against Costa? White is chilling down a pawn, but with better pieces, more queenside and kingside space. 3 open files on the kingside, it's so human to try and use them right? That's what Rishi did with **22.Rhf1**. What does the engine say? **21.Rh4!!** It's literally magical. I don't know how much time would I have to spend to even find a move as such, but as soon as I played it on the board everything just makes perfect sense (strategically at least). The rook goes to the queenside and it's not alone. Such a simple move turns a pretty static position into a death trap, since Black can't get the knight to the typical c6 square, as soon as the rook lands on the queenside it's simply game over.
But the rook on **h4** is so vulnerable, the e7-bishop is looking at it, so **...Nxd5** has to be considered. White can move the rook to **c4** threatening the c7-queen and the d5-knight is now hanging. Black has no choice, but to sacrifice the queen on **c4**, white recaptures and Black takes on **e3**... WRONG!
Before taking the queen White plays the stunner **Ba7+** only to displace the king and recaptures only after Black takes on **a7**. The d5-knight is still hanging and after it moves White will take on **f7**, but what about **...Ne3** forking the queen and the rook? Simple, we still take on **f7** attacking the e7-bishop an- WRONG AGAIN!
We play **Qc7** instead, still attacking the e7-bishop, but leaving the f7-pawn alive. Why? After **...Nxd1 Qxe7** Black's knight is hanging. If it goes to **f2** White just plays **Qh4** trapping it thanks to the closed f-file. What about **...Ne3**? The only move is **Bf3** threatening mate. **...d5** runs into **Qc5+** picking up the knight, so Black is forced to defend with **...Rb8** where we can just take on **d6** threatening the same fork as after **...d5**
Black is running out of options. **Rhd8** trying to deliver a back-rank mate doesn't work, because the f3-bishop defends **d1**; **...Ka8** blunders **Qxa6#**; **...Nf1** allows **Qc5–Qf2**; **..Nc4** runs into **Qc5+–a4** threatening **a5**, so Black plays **...Rhc8** and after **Qe3** defends with **...a5**, but White just takes another pawn on *e5* and it's clear that Black won't untie easily; that leaves only **...Nf5**. White just takes on **e5** and Black has to watch out for **Qc5–Qb6** with a forced mate. The best move is **...Rbe8** with back-rank trick, white gives a check on **c5**, Black steps to back to **b8**, White defends from the mate with **a4** (which will be important later) and the knight has no safe squares in view of **Qb6**, so Black plays **...g6** trying to hold on. White threatens mate with **Qb6**, Black defends with **...Re7** and White goes **Qf6** attacking the h8-rook. Since the h5-pawn can become a passer, Black has to keep the rook on the h-file with **...Rh7** and White plays...
...
**b4**
Black is tied down in such a weird way, the g6-pawn defends the f5-knight, which defends the e7-rook and the h7-rook defends against the passed h-pawn, so White just wants to play **b5** and deliver a back-rank mate themselves. If Black hanks around with **...Ka7** meeting **b5** with **...axb5** and **...Re6** White's winning plan is to push the last pawn in front of the king with **c4–c5**.
If you want to see the whole variation, here's the PGN of my analysis (mind you, of a single move of this game).
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O Bd7 9. Kb1 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Be7 11. f3 Qc7 12. h4 h6 13. Be3 h5 14. g4 hxg4 15. fxg4 e5 16. Qd3 Bxg4 17. Be2 Be6 18. h5 O-O-O 19. Nd5 Bxd5 20. exd5 Kb8 21. Rh4 Nxd5 (21... Rc8 22. Rb4) 22. Rc4 Qxc4 23. Ba7+ Kxa7 24. Qxc4 Ne3 25. Qc7 Nxd1 26. Qxe7 Ne3 (26... Nf2 27. Qh4) 27. Bf3 Rb8 (27... d5 28. Qc5+) 28. Qxd6 Nf5 (28... Nc4 29. Qc5+ Nb6 30. a4 Rhc8 31. Qe3 a5 32. Qxe5) (28... Nf1 29. Qc5+ Ka8 30. Qf2) (28... Rhd8 29. Qc5+ Ka8 30. Qxe3) 29. Qxe5 Rbe8 30. Qc5+ Kb8 31. a4 g6 32. Qb6 Re7 33. Qf6 Rh7 34. b4 Ka7 35. b5 axb5 36. axb5 Re6 37. Qd8 Rb6 38. Qd3 Nd6 39. c4 Rh8 40. Ka2