Annotated chess game

Once you play the check I think trading queens is pretty much forced, it's amazing just how quickly things can turn around in these positions I've found and leaving the black queen on can sometimes be very risky. I'd prefer to develop than play the check though, 9. d4 or 9.Rf1 or even 9. 0-0 if you're feeling brave! You're material behind, you need to get your pieces into the game and fast, you can't allow black the time to untangle.

In other words: let Black exchange on his own time.

I don't think it's so bad, it gets rid of a bishop on an open board and removes an attacker from the f4 pawn.

Black is significant material ahead, so exchanges, broadly speaking, will merely add value to that margin. Besides which, exchanging gains time for Black, and keeps the f-pawn (i.e. if 17...Nf1 18.Bxf4).

sorry, thought you could capture on f4 first, turns out you can't because after the king moves and you capture the knight, black moves Bd6 and pins the rook to the king. Oops!

As the f1-Rook was performing useful service where he stood, 18.Raxc1 was certainly the better option. Meanwhile, 18.Rxf4ch might just about have been worth looking into: 18.Rxf4ch Ke8 -(any other king move allows 19.Rf7ch and then 20.Rxc1)- 19.Rxc1 Bd6 20.e5 Bxe5 21.Re1 d6 22.Kh1 Kd8 23.Rf3.... Black keeps the extra piece, but no more.

Good timing - the Knight has only the dismal square a6 available right now...

I would guess he thought the knight was trapped, and didn't realise he had the a6 square still.

Or else felt that a6 was so Siberian a spot, it was worth more to him to continue the game with a pawn, rather than a piece, advantage.

And now 22.g3 will restore material equality.

Maybe 22. Ne2 instead? Need to gang up on the weak f-pawn before black untangles.

22.Ne2 would have been a good idea, as would 22.g3 (my own preference). With the bishop pair and the extra pawn, Black has retained a fair proportion of his earlier advantage.

You have to be careful, moving the b-pawn leaves the knight unguarded. Can't black now just play Bd4 and win it for free? The knight is pinned and you've no way of guarding it again!

In fact itchynscratchy has pointed out the tactical reason why 24.b4 is a mistake. But it was already quite hard to find a decent move for White anyway.

A minority attack. If White can break up Black's pawns on the Q-side, he might be able to fight himself back into the game.

forget the f-pawn, my first thought was that your king was in danger! Black pieces are swarming all over it and most of yours are on the other side of the board.

He's right, you know: Black has an enormous attack going.

Had black played 29. ... Be3 you might have been in much more trouble. the f-pawn drops and I'd be surprised if the king wasn't far behind.

For some reason, I am lacking focus in this tournament. this is the first themed tourney I've ever played and it is UNCOMFORTABLE! Not an excuse though. I've been beaten by everyone. lol

@ rakbeater: you were doing bally well at this point in this game! Having forced both rooks off the back rank with a series of quick threats, Black seems to be on the brink of a decisive attack. One possible line is 30...Rxf3! 31.Rxf3 Bg2ch 32.Kg1 Bxf3ch 33.Kf2 Rg2ch 34.Kxf3 Rxc2 35.Ne2 c5.