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17. Bh5
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?? White has the right idea of attacking the f7 square, but leaves his knight hanging. White will lose his knight, and will struggle for a draw. |
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17... Bxg5
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!! Capturing a piece and attacking White's queen. |
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18. Qe2 g6 19. Bg4
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White finally decides to trade off his weak bishop. |
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19... Bxg4
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Black is ahead in material and will gladly trade down to get closer to the endgame. |
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20. Qxg4 Kg7
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Black finds a slightly safer square for his king. Things will open up on the king-side soon (the king-side pawns are the only ones White can push), and the king will be safer closer to his pawns. King safety is important since all of the action is on the king-side. |
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21. g3
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Here comes White's pawns. |
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21... h5
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! Forcing White's queen to a less active square, and locking down White's king-side pawns on the same color as Black's bishop. These pawns will become targets for Black's bishop in the endgame. |
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22. Qd1 Rc5 23. h4
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Attacking Black's bishop. It must retreat. |
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23... Bf6 24. Ra2
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24. Ra2 prepares 25. Rd2, setting up a battery with White's rook and queen on the soon to be half-open d-file after White plays d4. |
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24... Qa8
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24...Qa8 prepares 25...Qa7 to control the a7-g1 diagonal. Faster would have been 24...Qb6, but Black's queen should keep an eye on the weak f7 pawn from a7. |
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25. Rd2 Qa7
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In this position, Black's queen can control the d4 square, pin White's f2 pawn, and put pressure on White's king on g1, once the rook is out of the way. Also, if the f7 square comes under attack, the pawn push b7-b6 will open up the Black queen's defense of that square. |
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26. f3
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?? White moves the only protection his king has against Black's queen. Black can now take White's pawn on c4 with his rook with discovered check. Not only that, Black can then place his rook on the c3 outpost deep in White's territory protected by the pawn on b4. White never recovers from this blunder. |
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26... Rxc4+ 27. Kg2 Rc3
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Black's rook occupies a powerful outpost. Four of White's pawns are on this rank, and the rook is protected by Black's b pawn. Only White's rooks can dislodge the Black rook from this square, which would give Black a passed pawn deep behind enemy lines. |
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28. g4
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? White continues his pawn storm towards Black's king, but leaves the pawn on h4 hanging. |
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28... hxg4
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Black captures the g pawn first, to ensure his king stays covered. White's queen and rooks look imposing, especially since the king-side is opening up. |
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29. fxg4
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? White's h4 pawn is still hanging. White missed his chance to further open up Black's defenses by 29. h5, forcing Black to either leave his king open to attack or give a pawn back to White. |
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29... Bxh4
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! White's king-side is open to attack now. |
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30. Qf3
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White builds a battery against Black's weakest square, f7. However, this move is easily countered, and it leaves the b3 pawn hanging. |
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30... b6
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Black's 24...Qa8 plan comes to fruition. 30...b6 protects Black's f7 pawn, as well as protecting the a5 pawn. |
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31. Qh3
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White's queen attacks Black's bishop along the open h-file. White's b3 pawn is still hanging. |
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