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24. Bxb8
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All I can say is I am totally focused on mounting some combination against the king I cannot see Be4. Lesson learned... scan the table, every piece, every potential attack, every turn! |
  1 comment
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24... Rxb8
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This is where I wanted to go. Now my rook threatens w e8. We exchange rooks and I mate with Queen. But... |
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25. Qxh5
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I know PINK won't hit my rook first for that would be mate. If I attack RxR. At best I can chase the king around the table for he escapes to c7. So I nab a pawn to keep the score even. |
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25... Qd2
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My attack has run out of gas for the moment so PINK pressures white. |
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26. Re8
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I decide to give it go and hope for a blunder. But Qe2 would be interesting. After an exchange of queens I might beat black to the pawn promotion. Another more provocative option is Qe8, offering my queen to black. A temptation that will lead to mate for white if indulged. |
1 comment
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26... Qxc2
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Instead black kills another pawn. |
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27. Qh8
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I hope now to gain black's rook. |
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27... Qd1+
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A check is always a beautiful way to buy time and reposition your defense. |
1 comment
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28. Kh2 Qd6+
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Now we are between a rock and hard place. My attack is thwarted and all remaining pieces are locked up in attack and defense. |
1 comment
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29. Qe5
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Seeing no option, I go for the queen exchange. |
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29... Qxe5+ 30. Rxe5
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Now to push pawns and stop his. |
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30... b5
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Black sees the prize and begins the race. Black has what is now a huge one pawn advantage. Sometimes grabbing a pawn early pays big later. |
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31. Rc5
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My best effort to complicate things for black. But all I did was lose a move. Better to jump to e1 then cut left to block any promotion. But the black pawns outnumber my own and are further advanced. A bad combination. |
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31... Rb6
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Black may have done better to bring out the king to dislodge my rook and run her rook to the d-file. |
1 comment
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32. Rxg5
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Clear the way for my own. |
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32... c3
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You can see the sweat on white's brow now. |
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33. Re5
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Not far enough this time. Should have gone to c5 making black's pawn progress difficult while my own raced unimpeded up the sidelines. |
1 comment
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33... Ra6 34. Re1 Rxa2
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This is a game where pawns made the difference (and missed opportunities on my part). I resigned here but later analysis says I should have a gone a few more moves to sees black's plan. Who knows, with a little help from black I may have salvaged a draw or better. Certainly my rook is better positioned to defend and block than block's. |
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(1558)