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29. dxe4
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(!) If instead 29.Qxa4 Rb1+! 30.Kxb1 Nc3+ and 31...Nxa4, after which I would really have fancied Black's winning chances! |
  4 comments
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29... Qxc4
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Completely blasts away White's remaining Q-side pawn, and threatening mate into the bargain. But the attack is still speculative (check out White's material edge at +3). At this point the GK engine evaluated the position at +0.59 - slight edge to White. However, I felt the attack should be good for a draw ... at least. After all, according to GK I have 2.41 pawns' worth of spatial and temporal advantages... :) |
1 comment
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30. Rd2
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(!?) The alternative was 30.Ne1 to which I would probably have responded 30...Rb3. |
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30... Bb3
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(!) I am very pleased with this move, so hard was it to find. The reason is that the rook so wants to land on this square - you wouldn't believe how close I came to playing it. The problem, though, is that after 30...Rb3 31.Qa2 it was devilishly hard to find any kind of worthwhile follow-up. The relatively quiet bishop move frees the a-pawn to advance, which in turn gives a square to the under-employed bishop on c7. |
1 comment
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31. Kd1
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This does not unpin the knight, but what other defence was available? |
1 comment
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31... a4 32. Qc1
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(?) Unexpected, and the first indications that White was beginning to buckle under the pressure. Instead, 32.Qb2 seemed to keep White in the fight: 32.Qb2 Qxe4 (actually I might well have played 32...Ra8 here, but this is the line GK gives) 33.Re1 Bxc2+ 34.Rxc2 Qd5+ 35.Rd2 Rxb2!? (extraordinary line) 36.Rxd5 a3 37.Kc1 Rxf2 38.Re3 Rf1+ 39.Kc2 Ke6 (-0.48 - i.e. a slight edge for Black). But after... |
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32... Ba5
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... Brings up the last reserves for a very strong attack. |
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33. Re2
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(?) Obviously, to remove the rook from the direct attack. But now White can not survive Black's onslaught. Some prospect of holding out might have been gained by 33.Nfe1 Bxd2 34.Kxd2 Qxe4, but even then White's chances were slender. Now White's chances are nil. |
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33... Qd3+ 34. Nd2
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Now both knights are pinned. But no better was 34.Rd2 Bxc2+ 35.Qxc2 Rb1+ 36.Qxb1 Qxb1+ etc. |
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34... a3
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(!) I had originally intended 34...Bxd2 - even wrote it down to be played. But at the last minute I found that this quiet advance was immediately decisive. |
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35. Re3
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Desperation, I suspect. Now Black has a forced mate. |
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35... Bxc2+ 36. Qxc2
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The game would have been prolonged by one move with 36.Ke1. But I appreciated White's sporting gesture with this move. |
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36... Rb1+
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(0-1) Whatever White plays, Black's Q mates at d2. It is not seldom that a tough, hard-fought struggle ends suddenly with a dramatic collapse. From my point of view, a very enjoyable game. |
5 comments
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