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At first, 21...Nxf3 was even better, forcing a Knight exchange while he is down, as I mentioned in my last comment.

Your next move should be 22...d5 to protect the pawn. That way, you don't give anything else away.

I had to pause for a long time having ruled out Qa3 more than once before seeing the key!

22. Qxe7?? is a blunder. Because 22.....Bxb2! But also because of 22....Qa3 which is Charles' move

As many people have told me, it is not a good idea to go for obvious threats, like this. In most cases your opponent is going to see the threat, so it is not a good idea to assume that your opponent will miss it. Believe it or not, I have lost a couple of chess games against strong opponents by making obvious mating threats that my opponents saw. In this position, he has no choice, but to play 23.bxa3.

If 23.bxa3 then bxa3 ch is a very nasty discovered check, leading to mate - his only replies to the check are Bb5 or Qb7, in which case I just take with the rook.

Great move!

yes, Qa3 is excellent!

Wow, I did not see that possibility, but that's one of the points, as well. It's also good to realize that your opponent has other options. So, here's an example. In my last comment, I said that he has to take back and expose the King. But, he had other options. So, it is not a good idea to make a move because you think that it forces your opponent to do something that causes damage. Instead, one should realize that there are other options and to explore the feasibilities. Another example is that you thought that mate was inevitable. Instead, he found a different option that none of us expected. Most strong opponents are not going to let anyone pull special tactics, like this.

Quite a resource. Interference can often work in a situation like this, but I didn't see this one.

You wanted to resume the mate, but as noted earlier, it's always a good idea to recognize that your opponent will see the immediate threat. Note: Your opponent's plans are just as important as your own. That is what he took into account, with the mating threats.

I agree, but perhaps more difficult to see that attacking the Q was not a must. 26 c3 then fails to Rxc3

Believe it or not, a rook on the seventh rank is powerful, as a mentor told me.

Well, as I mentioned earlier, mobilization is extremely important.

Also nicely blocks the potential R8 mating threat

..but did you consider 28....Nb4

I can't remember. 28...Nb4 looks good.

A knight fork. At this point the game is now lost, for black as you now win a Rook, after 29...Nc3. Good comeback, charleshiggie .

Now, I see why you made an obvious mate threat. Normally, I would not expect this from an expert, but fast time controls often makes a game extremely difficult. Believe it or not, this is why I don't like blitz. It often make me a play like a beginner, probably like someone whose rating is lower then my lowest rating, ever. It usually makes me play like an 800- rated player, as I occasionally make a few good moves. However, most moves are nothing but mistakes, as it produces an extremely high level of the, "Fight or Flight", syndrome. Remember: That even in blitz with fast time controls, it is still a good idea to assume that your opponents are paying attention and will see the threats. For a fast game, however, you played this game extremely well, for a blitz game.

Thanks for posting this, Charles. Some great fireworks and a good analysis. Best wishes, Eddie

A very interesting game - thanks for sharing it with us!