Annotated chess game

I'm here to tell you that over-reliance on games databases -machine readable or books - is a prime source of blunders.       and  

WARNING,WARNING <wave robotic arms about!> Do not, an you value your life, after 5...Bf5 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Qf3, play 7...Bxc2?? I did.

Black seems to have a solid position, and is free of the problematic light square bishop. Black ought to have a long-term edge, here, although she will have to survive whatever short term tactical blows White might be able to deliver.

This line looks very risky to me, which might (if this assessment is not misplaced) indicate that the exchange on e5 was not a good idea. Maybe an attempt to bring the rooks into the centre might have been worth a look, say 14...Qc7. If 15.Bf4 then 15...Qb6 attacks White's b- and c-pawns.

But Black has defended well so far! But I wonder if the K recapture might have been worth a good look?

Well... It could be worse... I'm not sure that Black comes out of this so badly at all! Having said that, Black's 26th was a concession - something to be avoided if possible in tense situations.

But right now Black seems to be doing fine! A judicious "premature" draw offer from Black might not have gone amiss, here. Of course, even if White could see he had (objectively speaking) no more than an even (and hence very drawish) game (and maybe has marginally the worse of it, being a pawn down still), he would probably have been confident of holding the draw. So there would be no compelling reason for White to accept the offer. But that's no reason for Black not to make the offer!

Most draw offers i will decline, usually i manage to find a way out of it with some risk. If my opponent would be Iondowman i will think twice about a draw and at this stage i guess i would accept it...

(?) It quickly becomes clear that this does Black no good at all. It seems that the rook must remain for the nonce on the 2nd rank, and in my view it would be desirable to keep it on the e-file as well, to hold out the White king. Now, although my first thoughts ran to 36...Rc7 and 37...Rd7, the likely need to keep out the WK leads me to think the best try might have been 37...a6. I think that, after due consideration, would be my choice. Note that with the White rook and bishop lined up the way they are, the Black knight is pinned against the g8-square. The question is whether Black has an OK game - or is the position "zugzwang"?

In my opinion the alternative 36.....b5 was the best move to make. Aldo there is some pressure the game keeps in balance.. 36.....Re4 tips the balance directly loosing a pawn and the initiative at once. After 36....b5 my move would be 37.Bb5 after that you can bring your knight back into the game Ne6 and if played well a exchange can be forced whit-out the bishop and knight around blacks pawn structure is slightly better then white,s

Black was already in a bad way anyhow. If 38...Ne6 39.Rxa7, or if 38...a6 39.Rf7 Ne6 40.Rf6 Rf4+ (there just isn't anything else to save the knight without White mates with Rf8+ and Rg8#). After 41.Rxf4 Nxf4 42.Bc4 (+/-). The crucial mistake was two moves earlier, at Black's 36th.