Annotated chess game

This was what Black was hoping for. The same motif appeared in my game against dmaestro (I was Black), and although my opponent resigned on the spot, he was by no means out of the game - his position was quite reasonably defensible.

Actually, as in the aforementioned dmaesto vs ionadowman game, 15.Nh4 was the right move. It drives the enemy Queen of the g-file (no bad thing, surely?), so: 15.Nh4 Qf6 16.d4 Qxh4 17.dxc5 Qg4 18.Qxg4 and White is pretty much out of the woods.

More aggressive was 15...Bg4.

In this kind of situations, i usually play for small position improvements and anticipate on possible threads. So i would have moved 15...Bb6 for most players a counter intuitive move..

My intention with this move was to eventually play pawn to h3.

Or try it only when it's the right thing to do. There's nothing wrong with the move played here, though.

White is able to delay my attack for several moves, but it proves not enough. However, it was still good play from White, since it forced me to find accurate moves.

I don't think there is anything wrong with 17...Na5 in response to this thrust. Maybe 17.a4 ought to be played first.

I agree with Ion it was better to play 17.a4 first and i think 17.Rb1 was also Worth a try

OK, as you were...

I had been hoping you would play this capture. My rook recapture gives me pressure on your queenside, a useful distraction given that I still hope for a kingside attack.

This is White's first real mistake. Possibly best was to break out in the centre by 20.d4. I kind of like 20.Ra2 as well, defending f2, but still with an eye to Q-side action.

This is no pin, unless you can induce the rook onto an unprotected square. Probably best here is something like 21.Qc2, giving added protection to f2 - a very vulnerable point just now - but also preventing ...Bxc3 (which the move played also does).

Overlooks a very sneaky idea: 21...Bg4! 22. Qb3 Be2, winning the exchange. How is that to be prevented? 22.Nf3?? Bxf3 is just horrible; and 22.f3? Bb6+ 23.d4 exd4 24.Rxa6 bxa6 and the threat along the a7-g1 diagonal gives Black a strong, probably winning, attack.

I noticed after the game that after 22... Bb6 I could have played Bg4 at any time. I failed to notice that I could also have played it before Bb6.

And pins your f-pawn.

But you are giving me a passed pawn on the queenside, which was what I hoped for.

I think this bishop might have come too far back. But since the f2-point has been such a problem so far, maybe 24.Be3 ought to be preferred, or maybe 24.Bg5+ Ke8 25.Be3. One feels that Black has something the better of it after that, bit nothing really decisive just yet.