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24... Qxd5 25. Be4
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Taking control of the light squared diagonal as planned. |
 
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25... Qc5
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A good defensive post for the queen, as shown by subsequent play. |
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26. Ne5
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With several threats, also allowing the queen to come to g4 and attack down the "other" light diagonal. |
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26... Bd6
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Black offers the exchange back, under danger of a mating attack, e.g. Ne8 Qg4 and wins. |
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27. Nc6
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Intending to weave a mating net by Ra7 and then strike with bishop or queen on the c8-h3 diagonal.
27 Qg4 followed by 28 Qxg7( ) looks dangerous; however black can block the 7th rank with Be7, and then follows for example 29 Nf7 Rhg8, 30 Nxd8 Rxg7, 31 Ne6 and white has no advantage.
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27... Rhe8
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A very strong defensive move, forcing white to keep his rook on the back rank and threatening Qxc6. |
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28. Qf3
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I wanted to play 28 Ra6 here, threatening 29 Nxd8. Then if Rxd8, 30 Rc6 wins the major exchange. However after the immediate Ra6 I was worried about Qg5 followed by f3 with threats of mate on g2 or c1. 28 Qg4 still does not succeed in my opinion: ...Kc7, 29 Ra7 (or Qxg7) Kb6. The problem is that black can still block the 7th rank with Be7, at the same time threatening back rank mate. 28 Ra8 was still possible; then for example ...Kc7, 29 Ra7 Kb6, 30 Qe1 b4, 31 Qa1; or 28 ...Kd7, 29 Qg4 . |
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28... Kc7 29. Ra6
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A careless move, made very quickly. I had seen this in analysis but forgotten about it. Cashing in by Nxd8 would likely have led to an endgame draw, with white still having the better tactical chances if the major pieces remained on the board. |
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29... Rda8
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The end of white's attack, and now he is in trouble. |
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30. Rxa8
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Ng8 or Nb4 looked interesting, but do not work. |
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30... Rxa8 31. g3 Ra6
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Another strong move. The knight is the main platform of my attack, but there is no way to extricate it. |
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32. Qc3
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Probably best, using the long dark diagonal while the knight is still preventing Be5. |
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32... Rxc6 33. Qxg7+ Kb6 34. Bxc6 Kxc6 35. Qxh7
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This loses, abandoning the defence of the g-pawn. On the other hand, black can easily force the queen off the long diagonal, winning the b-pawn. The text is a (flawed) attempt to make counterplay on the light squares, defending th g-pawn indirectly. Returning the queen to c3 seems equally inadequate, e.g. 35 ...Bd5 and white must abandon either b2 or g3. |
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35... fxg3 36. Qe4+
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Hoping to provoke the bishop in to g6 and win it with a fork. |
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36... Kb6 37. hxg3 Bxg3
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Black goes for it, but at this point I realized that I had overlooked the variation Qg6 Qd6!, Qxg3 Qxg3, fg b4, Kf1 (the g-pawn is not fast enough) c3, bc b3! and white's king cannot reach the b-pawn. |
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38. Qg6+
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Just to show what I had intended, but I resigned immediately. :-( |
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