Annotated chess game

Well, you got me a bit wrong there. I just think that when you want to reach a higher goal, you must atleast play higher ranked players.

Here is what I recommended to several players asking me questions on this topic: Play within your rating class (for you it would be 1700-1800) 10 consecutive games. If you score more than 5 points move up 1 class, if less than 3,5 points move down 1 class. Never cheat by excluding/including games, they have to be consecutive. When in the next class follow the same rules! That means that it is possible to move between classes several times (scoring more than 5 in the lower one and less than 3,5 in the higher one), but this is good because then you have found your "niche".

At once 6...Nc6 was possibly even better.

What the annotator has subsumed under "obvious reasons" is that the move White would like to play, 12.exd5, won't do: 12.exd5?? Na5, trapping the queen!

I would have put that down but i feel its an obvious reason and should be seen.

12.a3, would also be possible for white.

Castling "into the attack". Maybe 13.Rd1 was to be preferred.

I was not paying attention here anymore. Just thought: Ok...White is lost in every way...And he should have been  

There are about a million moves for black to maintain his excellent position. Unfortunately I chose unwise. For instance: 1) 14...Nf6 after which the game gets quiet, but with black 1 pawn up. 2) 14.Na5 15.Qd3 and white has nothing again. 3)14...f5 Since black's e7 bishop controls both g5 and c5 ánd white has no lightsquared bishop anymore. 4)14... Nxg3 I guess I should have played that. Though it opens up either the f or h-file, black should be more then comfortable after 15...0-0 and the idea of Bf6 taking the long diagonal and no chance for white to get rid of that bishop. Nd6 is ofcourse a terrible blunder. With Qc3 not only the pawn is back for white, but also black's kingside is torn apart and white gains a few tempi...

First 15...Rc8 has its points.

16.Nh5 looks OK, but wodanjongen you didn't look deep enough   after 19...Kf7 you are +2 in material and White doesn't have an attack anymore. So after 16...Bf6 best is 17.Nf6, Qf6; 18.Qf6, gf6 - Black is a pawn up but White can fight for a draw.

Best for Black seems to be 16...Bf6 here (I see marinvakusic also mentions it). After the line he gives, I reckon Black can fancy his winning chances, though. Otherwise, I can't figure out the previous comments. Clarification please?

yeah, black has not lost rights at all, Bf6 infact is good for black. I looked at that and at time thought white was better. blacks biggest mistake is really Kd7

King d7 indeed was another terrible move...Really lost heart to play on.

I don't think so. Keeping the queens on the board is clearly in white's favour with black's o so vulnerable king. I guess Nf6+ is better. Black has to give up his strong bishop. After 18.Nf6...Bxf6 19.Qxf6...Qg6 20.Qf4 black is hopelessly lost.

In principle wodanjongen is right. White should keep the Queens in game when oponent's King is not secure and his King is. Objective assessment could be the same, but in practical terms the exchange of Queens allows for easier defence and less chances for another mistake from Black - this time fatal.

Unless i miss something King on c1 so after Qxc2 thats mate??? exchange of queens works for white. it leaves the initiative with white but i do understand why you are saying to keep queen alive.

Black has the better pawn structure here, so White is well advised to keep the initiative as much as possible. I like wodenjongen's suggestion 19.Nf6ch Bxf6 20.Qxf6 and if 20...Qg6 21.Ne5ch Nxe5 22.Qxe5 with some attack. Black can counter with 22...Rac8, but 23.e4! Qxg2? (has Black anything better?) 24.exd5 Qxc2ch 25.Ka1 and White retains a strong attack. *** Quite right klondike: I somehow got the WK on b1 (I hate it when that happens). So, can we resurrect the line for White by 24.c3!? Unplayable is 24...Qxe4 25.Qxe4...

But Black has a passed pawn and a "good" bishop on an open board. I find this ending very difficult to assess...

blacks pieces are accessable with the knight after some prodding and a single bishop can be n/a (lack of better word) if played against properly so i have read. With the pawn i was confident that with the king and rooks my opponent would not promote. you know the feeling i mean.

Well Bg5 is a constant threat in any case, so I wouldn't worry about it (it is not actually dangerous by itself). I think that the most precise move here is 24.g3, which removes the Rg2 threat while keeping options open on the position of Rh1.

24.Rd7 doesn't seem to achieve a whole lot neither.

i wanted Rxg2 so i could isolate the e pawn. which could allow for small mistakes from opponent against the single knight. Rd7 only works with Rhf1 but Bg5+ spoils it so...

Black's last looks an odd decision. Preferable seems 24...Bg5ch 25.Kb1 f6 setting his central pawns in motion.

Which is why the check a move earlier was preferable. Maybe Black just got his move-order wrong...