Was this a draw ?

Game 9096972

your thoughts are welcome....thanks :o)

quick reply: 46. c5 (instead of withdrawal of the Knight) was better ("I think"😉

theoretically, according Averbach, after 31th move, White was in a winning position - black Bishop was shooting at his own Pawns, and Knight had advantage

I was white here, and was just beginning to see scenarios where white could actually lose, after what had earlier seemed a straightforward win.

Just ran it through tChess Pro and it did seem to favor white, sometimes by a single tempo with the respective rook pawns queening.

Either way, a good result for a hard fought game.

As an aside, what's thought to be the best chess engine for either the Mac or an iPad to just plug in a position and to see which side is favored? Only after the game like here, of course - I'm strict about no assistance either human or machine during the game!

Originally posted by vandervelde
quick reply: 46. c5 (instead of withdrawal of the Knight) was better ("I think"😉

theoretically, according Averbach, after 31th move, White was in a winning position - black Bishop was shooting at his own Pawns, and Knight had advantage

c5 wasn't on my radar.

It seemed to give up a pawn (albeit a doubled one), and would simultaneously draw the black king another square closer to my vulnerable Rook pawn.

I had not seen how my knight on d5 would have blocked black's king incursion. But as soon as the knight goes after Black's h pawn, black's king is free to go after white's a pawn and a lot of the lines seem to play out with same-tempo queening.

But white was probably better and I was seeing ghosts, playing out a lot of losing lines and disappointed with how an apparently won position could drift into losing possibilities.

Anyway, good game and good outcome regardless!

Since the outcome was unclear and the stakes are low (it is an internet game, after all) I think you should have played it out. The endgame would've been instructive.

Nothing unclear about this position. It is absolutely a forced win for White. Black has absolutely no counterplay, and the only danger of White losing is if he blunders badly, which should not happen in a CC game. No reason to even consider a draw here.

Edit: reading chesskid's comment again, he probably meant that it was unclear to the participants. As a general rule though, with equal material, when one side's minor piece is vastly superior to the other side's in the endgame, the side with the superior piece normally has good winning chances, if not an already won position. Black's compromised pawn structure, the fact that all of Black's pawns are immobile, and that all of White's pawns are completely unassailable by the Black bishop, cement this as a winning position for White.

Thanks for all the input.

For me, an interesting glimpse into my own psychology that I was actually able to see a possible loss for white here.

I saw a crippled knight hobbling around while black's king picked off my isolated pawns and got queening threats of his own.

Anyway, it's what keeps chess interesting!

Originally posted by FastEddieB
Thanks for all the input.

For me, an interesting glimpse into my own psychology that I was actually able to see a possible loss for white here.

I saw a crippled knight hobbling around while black's king picked off my isolated pawns and got queening threats of his own.

Anyway, it's what keeps chess interesting!

Originally posted by JimmyBilly
Game 9096972

your thoughts are welcome....thanks :o)