Endgame wins

Originally posted by cheshirecatstevens
I just won this from a pawn down. Feel free to critique.
Game 3671751

I have a few questions about your game.

8. why not the simple Bxb2?
11. cxd6 would have been my move
20. Bxc5 seems a simple way to win a pawn but your way leads to a fairly strong endgame for white.
25. Nd5 was an excellent move but only if you do not recapture the knight and play d7 straight away.
I think it's on move 27 but I cannot believe your opponent played Rxe7?? After Ra8 black could make you work a lot harder for the point.
29. ... Kf7 looked better for black but I definitely prefer white.
32. Ba2? looks suspect, you are already covering the pawn why not Be6? My idea would be to get the king to f2 and then start the pawns rolling via d7 etc. Black may queen but you have the mate (or black can postpone queening and lose the bishop). It's better to have your king on f2 though since black will not promote with a check.
35. You could play Bxf7 and that's all she wrote.
36. Now d7 is a killer move because diverts the bishop to land the mate that you actually get in the game.

I think your description of this game as an endgame win from a pawn down is misleading. It's true that black does go a pawn ahead, near the end, but only once white is in a commanding position.

Originally posted by demonseed
I think your description of this game as an endgame win from a pawn down is misleading. It's true that black does go a pawn ahead, near the end, but only once white is in a commanding position.

Agreed.

D

Originally posted by Mahout
After recovering from a messed up opening I eventually won a pawn and went on to win the game...but I was wondering if I would still have won the endgame against a stronger opponent and also if I could have improved the endgame generally.

Any tips welcome

Game 3916840

Just looking briefly at the endgame...*
29. Rd1 should probably have been played to contest the open d file and to prevent the rook infiltrating the 7th.
Same same on move 30.
31. Rxf1 seems poor also moving the rook from a half open file to a closed file with pawn on f2.
*Ooops. Just realised you were black. I'll leave the above anyway seeing as it's been written. You played the endgame well, but your opponent played it quite poorly.

D

Originally posted by demonseed
I have a few questions about your game.

8. why not the simple Bxb2?

You mean 8.Bxb7?

Originally posted by Dutch Defense
You mean 8.Bxb7?

Yes.