Originally posted by vivifyYou needed to take advantage of the fact his queen was stuck defending. Around move 25 i think you should have brought your knight on c6 into the game... You're up a piece but what does it matter if you dont use it?
This was one of those rare games that I finished the same day this game started, against a 1700 ranked player.
As black, I managed to be a minor piece up; so was there any point where I could've possibly won this game? (Skip to move 50, if you don't want to look at the whole game.)
[pgn][Event "Open invite"]
[Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"]
[Date e8e7 58. Kf7f6 Re7e8 59. Kf6f7 Re8e7 60. Kf7f6 Re7e8 1/2-1/2
[/pgn]
Originally posted by tomtom232You're right. I didn't think of that. I think I was overly concerned about tempo, and wanted to keep up the attack. But you're right. I'll keep this important piece of advice in mind for the future.
You needed to take advantage of the fact his queen was stuck defending. Around move 25 i think you should have brought your knight on c6 into the game... You're up a piece but what does it matter if you dont use it?
Also, I just realized, that at move 31, I should've played gx3, instead of capturing the bishop. That could've made a huge difference.
The move I looked at was 24. Rdb8, it drops a pawn and lets white evacuate his bishop. Instead I like the look of 24. ... Nd4 (25. Qxd4? Nxg3+ 26. Rxg3 Qxg3 leaves you a rook ahead), it can move to e2, f3 or f5, depending on what white does, and from those squares it's putting pretty direct pressure on white's king. For example, after 25. Qg2 (25. Bh4 Ng3 and 25. Rbe1 Nf5 both look good for black) Nxg3+ 26. Qxg3 Qxg3 27. Rxg3 Ne2 (Nxc2? 28. Rc1) 28. Rg2 Nf4 heading for g6 and blockade duties, leaves you with a big material advantage and white's counterplay nicely contained. Unprotecting the pawn on d6 is problematic as it lets white release the pressure on g3 and win a pawn to boot. The open d-file was important at the end.
Edit: I posted the above and then did a quick check with Crafty. It shows 24. ... Nd4 as sound (after about a minute it preferred 24. ... e5 keeping the bishop hemmed in, but it also thinks Nd4 is good), after about 5 minutes looking at the position after 24. ... Nd4 it's line of best play was: 25. Nbe1 Nf5 26. Bf4 e5! and white has to give up an exchange with 27. Re3 Nxe3 28. Bxe3
Also Crafty pointed out a mistake in the opening, after 5. ... Bxf3 white had 6. Nxd5 Bxd1 7. Nxc7+ winning the exchange.
