Annotated chess game

This allows Black a simple perpetual check if he chooses to take it....

No fun in that...particularly as I thought I could win this game.

Black has every reason to look for more!

I tried to find a way to advance that pawn but with White having so many passed pawns, I didn't think I had the time.

Black would take the perpetual only if he was feeling tired or generous. Black is correct to go for the win, bearing in mind that he pretty much has the draw in hand. That kind of ending is a joy to play: when you know you can safely bale to a draw at any time, but at the same time you still have good winning chances. However, as White, I'd probably look to placing the rook on f3 and then just making waiting moves with the King (h1, h2). It is hard to see White finding a breakthough against such a fortress. At least, overcoming such a defence would present Black with a considerable technical problem!

In hindsight, I wonder if I should have worked to keep that pawn on the board.

Yes: you should have. In fact it ought to have advanced to h4 by this time. White ought now to draw this fairly comfortably. However, my earlier remark holds: once White's rook had its anchorage at f3, the win would have been hard to realise anyway.

but still, a nice turn around from a +3 material advantage from Black (as it was from White earlier)

I would have tried to bring the rook to f3 or maybe g4, depending on convenience. The idea is to present the Black king with a barbed wire fence he can not cross.

why not keep the rook on row 5? As long as Black's king can't get near yours, then he has nothing (unless a fork made it impossible?)

The idea presented by x-machine is correct in principle: to create a barrier the Black King can not cross. The best places for the rook to stand are f3 or g4, but right at the moment, they are unreachable because the access squares are either directly covered, or are taboo on account of forks. White now has to be very, very careful.

It is almost impossible for me to believe that an 1800+ player walked into a pin. And then somehow, a 1700+ player completely misses the pin and the win. As I noted to joanne, this was an epic error on both our parts.

Waaa-oooch! The rook has to avoid dark squares! No better would have been 47.Kh1?? Qb1+ 48.Kh2 Qb8. Probably best would have been 47.Rd7 and hope sooner or later to reach safe haven at f3 or g4. At any rate, the only move for survival is a rook move. White does not want to weaken her pawns by moving them (which would in any case lose the rook shortly), nor is any King move safe: 47.Kf2?? Qb2+ 47.Kf1 (you can check out for yourself the consequences of 47.Kf3 and 47.Kg3) 47...Qb5+ and 48...Qc5+ or ...Qe5+ depending on White's reply, picks up the rook; 47.Kf1?? Qb5+ and picks up the rook in 2 moves.

I always enjoy my games against joanne. They are typically hard fought and interesting. And during this game, joanne provided me with a wonderful compliment. As the game progressed she commented, "what a fightback from you." If there is a reputation that I wish to create, it's one of not giving up.

A fine game. After the horrible mistake that might have turned the tables, Joanne did well to hold on in the resulting endgame. Just by the way: even without the h-pawn, White can secure the draw if she can arrive at this kind of position: w White's King just shuffles around, and if the rook must move, makes sure it stays in touch with f3 and avoids forks, pins and skewers. The protected rook presents a barrier the King can not cross to come at the pawn.

very entertaining to play through! thanks