Le vs Shankland - 9th Hainan Danzhou GM 2018 - Round 6

China has not been good to Sam Shankland. The US Champion has suffered his first two losses of 2018 at this same tournament.

While playing through the game, scroll slowly so that when you get to the questions you can put some time on the clock (ten to fifteen minutes) and try and find the solution.

Le,Quang Liem (2728) - Shankland,Samuel L (2727)

9th Hainan Danzhou GM 2018 Danzhou (6), 02.08.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Nc3 c6 8.Bf4 E16: Queen's Indian: 4 g3 Bb7 5 Bg2 Bb4+ 

8...d5 9.cxd5 

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9...Nxd5N [9...cxd5 10.Nb5 Na6 11.0–0 0–0 12.Rc1 Ne4 13.h4 Nd6 14.a4 Nc4 15.Ne5 Na5 16.Bh3 Qe8 17.h5 Nc6 18.h6 g5 19.e4 dxe4 20.Nxc6 Bxc6 21.Bxg5 Bxg5 ½–½ (66) Bacrot,E (2717)-Ivanchuk,V (2729) Morelia/Linares 2006] 

10.0–0 0–0 11.Qc2 Nxf4 12.gxf4 Nd7 13.Rfd1 Qc7 14.e3 Rfd8 15.Rac1 Rac8 16.f5 exf5 17.Qxf5 g6 18.Qh3 c5 19.d5 Bf6 20.Nd2 Qb8 21.Nde4 Bg7 22.Rc2 Nf8 23.Rcd2 Rd7 24.Qh4 Qe5 25.f4 Qe8 26.Kh1 f5 27.Ng5 

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27...Bxc3 

Can you find an improvement for black here? 

00000 

[Better is 27...h6µ 28.Nf3 Rcd8] 

28.bxc3 Qxe3 29.Nf3! Qxc3 30.Ne5 Rg7 31.Qf6 Re8 

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32.Re2 [32.Ng4!? Qc4 33.Nh6+ Kh8 34.Nf7+ Kg8 35.Nh6+ Kh8 36.Nf7+ Kg8 37.Nh6+=] 

32...Qb4 [32...Ree7= remains equal.] 

33.Ng4! fxg4 34.Rxe8 Rf7 

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35.Qe6 [35.Qe5!±] 

35...c4? 

What should Black have rather have played in this position? 

00000 

[35...Qa4± 36.Re1 Qd4] 

36.Rf1+- 

What would have been wrong with 36.Qxg4? 

00000 

[Weaker is 36.Qxg4 c3²] 

36...c3 37.f5 Kg7 38.f6+ Kg8 39.Qe7 1–0