Answers.Body: <p>Just because a move doesn't worsen the objective evaluation of a position, it doesn't automatically imply there's a valid reason to play it.</p>
  <p>Black has the choice between a simplifying sequence that draws the game with relative ease and a move that makes his life harder with no chance to win against any reasonable play by White. Black should therefore go for the simplification, even though objectively speaking both options lead to a draw with perfect play.</p>
  <p>As you've checked yourself with the engine, Black need to calculate a somewhat complicated line and that's just against one of the many responses White could play against 37...Ra4. Of course in analysis we can take as much time as we want to figure out why of the alternatives leads to a win for White, but in a real game time and brain power are limited.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-09-09T23:39:04.633Z
Answers.Text: What's the alternative move that simplifies "with relative ease"?  It's not obvious to me but I'm hundreds of points below Nakamura and Carlsen's level.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Noam D. Elkies
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-09-10T00:15:31.267Z
Answers.Text: @NoamD.Elkies Nakamura gave 37...Bxe6 38. dxe6 Re8.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Allure
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-12-23T03:35:01.877Z
Answers.Text: I actually just remembered that this position occurred after adjournment, so Borgov actually did have time to work through the intricacies at home.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Allure
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-12-23T20:58:10.107Z
Answers.Text: @Allure even with an adjournment involved, you could forget some of the lines or your opponent could find a way to complicate things that you hadn't thought of.
Answers.UserDisplayName: David
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-09-09T21:20:37.833Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-09-09T21:26:19.767Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2024-09-09T21:26:19.767Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: David
Body: <p>In the last featured chess game in <em>The Queen's Gambit</em>, in the following position, both Nakamura and Carlsen criticize Borgov's 37...Ra4. Carlsen says Borgov should realize that however much he wants to win, he cannot, so he should play to equalize and liquidate towards a draw. Nakamura goes further and calls the move &quot;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J_PvWkkvag&amp;t=430s" rel="nofollow noreferrer">completely insane</a>&quot;. However, neither explain in detail why, and <a href="https://lichess.org/analysis/r1b5/2p3pk/3bNnqp/1p1PpN2/4P3/3QB1PP/1P4K1/5R2_b_-_-_0_1?color=white" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Stockfish gives the move 0.00</a>. Stockfish's principal variation (d=44) continues 38. b3 Nxe4 39. bxa4 Nxg3 40. Ne7 Qxd3 41. Nf8+ Kh8 42. Nfg6+ Kh7, leading to a perpetual.</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;r1b5/2p3pk/3bNnqp/1p1PpN2/4P3/3QB1PP/1P4K1/5R2 b - - 0 1&quot;]
  [startply &quot;3&quot;]
  
  1... Ra4 2. b3 Nxe4 3. bxa4 Nxg3 4. Ne7 Qxd3 5. Nf8+ Kh8 6. Nfg6+ Kh7    
  </code></pre>
  <p>What is so wrong with 37...Ra4?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-09-09T12:21:40.663Z
Comments.Text: is your suspicion that it's insane because of the variation you gave but then they didn't give this reason when they said it's insane? or what?
Comments.UserDisplayName: BCLC
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-09-10T00:15:52.457Z
Comments.Text: @BCLC they didn't give this reason, yes (in fact they barely cited any lines, as you can see from the video).
Comments.UserDisplayName: Allure
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-09-10T07:37:10.183Z
Comments.Text: What is the position before 37...Ra4 ?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Evargalo
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-09-10T07:38:55.267Z
Comments.Text: @Evargalo rook was on a8.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Allure
Tags: <analysis><film>
Title: Why is 37...Ra4 in Harmon-Borgov "completely insane"?
ThreadText: # Why is 37...Ra4 in Harmon-Borgov "completely insane"?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2024-09-09)
  
  In the last featured chess game in The Queen's Gambit, in the following position, both Nakamura and Carlsen criticize Borgov's 37...Ra4. Carlsen says Borgov should realize that however much he wants to win, he cannot, so he should play to equalize and liquidate towards a draw. Nakamura goes further and calls the move "completely insane". However, neither explain in detail why, and Stockfish gives the move 0.00. Stockfish's principal variation (d=44) continues 38. b3 Nxe4 39. bxa4 Nxg3 40. Ne7 Qxd3 41. Nf8+ Kh8 42. Nfg6+ Kh7, leading to a perpetual.
  [FEN "r1b5/2p3pk/3bNnqp/1p1PpN2/4P3/3QB1PP/1P4K1/5R2 b - - 0 1"]
  [startply "3"]
  
  1... Ra4 2. b3 Nxe4 3. bxa4 Nxg3 4. Ne7 Qxd3 5. Nf8+ Kh8 6. Nfg6+ Kh7    
  
  What is so wrong with 37...Ra4?
  
  **Tags:** analysis, film
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: is your suspicion that it's insane because of the variation you gave but then they didn't give this reason when they said it's insane? or what?  
  > **username_0**: @username_1 they didn't give this reason, yes (in fact they barely cited any lines, as you can see from the video).  
  > **username_2**: What is the position before 37...Ra4 ?  
  > **username_0**: @username_2 rook was on a8.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2024-09-09. Score: 2
  
  Just because a move doesn't worsen the objective evaluation of a position, it doesn't automatically imply there's a valid reason to play it.
  
  Black has the choice between a simplifying sequence that draws the game with relative ease and a move that makes his life harder with no chance to win against any reasonable play by White. Black should therefore go for the simplification, even though objectively speaking both options lead to a draw with perfect play.
  
  As you've checked yourself with the engine, Black need to calculate a somewhat complicated line and that's just against one of the many responses White could play against 37...Ra4. Of course in analysis we can take as much time as we want to figure out why of the alternatives leads to a win for White, but in a real game time and brain power are limited.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_4**: What's the alternative move that simplifies "with relative ease"?  It's not obvious to me but I'm hundreds of points below Nakamura and Carlsen's level.  
  > **username_0**: @NoamD.Elkies Nakamura gave 37...Bxe6 38. dxe6 Re8.  
  > **username_0**: I actually just remembered that this position occurred after adjournment, so Borgov actually did have time to work through the intricacies at home.  
  > **username_3**: @username_0 even with an adjournment involved, you could forget some of the lines or your opponent could find a way to complicate things that you hadn't thought of.  
  
  ---
  
  