Annotated chess game

surely this is just bad, as black wins the d pawn. I'd think about something like 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.b4 Be7 11.Bf4

it's also a mistake. I see no problem with 11... cxd4 where white is just down a pawn. There's no need to play ...a6 yet. Just take the material.

Even after 12.Be3 protects the d-pawn, if I were Black, I'd still be interested in exchanging on that square: 12...cxd4 13.Bxd4 Nxd4 14.cxd4 Rc8 leaves White with a doubled isolated pawn on the b-file, and a weakish pawn at d4. Against that is White's big lead in development. Can he achieve anything with it whilst Black is mobilising his troops? Black might instead choose to let White keep his "bad" bishop; or White might decide not to hazard his bishop pair, recapturing 13.cxd4 and so limiting the exchange to pawns.

(!?) 13...cxd4 is the thematic move. See comment to Black's 15th.

The last few moves indicate Black was at a loss for a plan. This is where having some knowledge of the ideas behind the openings can be a big help. The game has turned into something very like the Advance Variation of the French Defence. Now, ...f6, as played a move ago is a thematic break, but equally thematic - and more likely to be effective - is Black's attack on d4, with the purpose of undermining that square, and hence e5. To that end, the capture ...cxd4 is clearly indicated before playing ...f6, which can wait for a more favorable moment. So, instead of 13...f6 better seems 13...cxd4 14.cxd4 (say) Bb4 followed by ...Nge7 and even ...Nf5 to pile on the d4 square. --- After exchanges on the f6 square, Black now has to worry about his own weak pawn on e6, which is hampering operations against d4. Casting around for something to do, Black makes a critical mistake.

A pity this is such a long string of moves! After 24.Bf4 I kinda like 24...Nxc4, which restores material parity. After 20 moves, White seemed to have a distinct edge, but somehow it has gradually been eaten away... Possibly 30.Kf1 would have maintained at least equality...

Hmmm... I wouldn't call a lost position dead even after 40... Kxc4 41.Nxd2 Nxd2 42.Rc3 Kd4 43.Kxd2 Rxb2 where white must play 44.Rc2 or lose a rook. After the rook trade black will be up a pawn and easily winning. An improvement is 43.Rc2! where white will regain the d pawn and hold a draw.

The main line given by raskerino does indeed leave Black with a winning pawn ending, but maybe he reset the position wrong when assessing 43.Rc2, placing a Black P at d2 instead of the Black N. This knight can escape 42...Nc4! winning White's b-pawn and thence the game. The drawing line is 40...Kxc4?? 41.Nxd2 Nxd2 42.Rc3ch Kd4 43.Rd3ch! K moves 44.Rxd2. *** Readers may note the '??' after 40...Kxc4 in the above line. That is because eddlad had a much more decisive continuation: 40...Re6ch! 41.Kd1 (else the pawn just promotes!) Re1ch 42.Kc2 d1=B,mate! (Of course the underpromotion is just swank, but you gotta admit that it's a very economical mate!) *** Bit of luck for White, eh?