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18... fxe6 19. d4
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Trying to remove the e5 pawn defending the Black Knight. |
 
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19... Rd8
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If 20.dxe4 dxe4 and there's no way for White to get rid of the pawn defending Black's bothersome Knight. |
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20. Rg3
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Preparing to double Rooks on the g-file and thunder down on the BK. |
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20... Kh8 21. Rg4
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?! White seems prepared to take the Knight by force, giving back his material advantage if he has to--he simply has no way to make headway against the BK without his Queen in the picture. Look at that pretty white cage she's trapped in. |
1 comment
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21... Qa5
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With the obvious threat of ...Qxa3+ and suddenly Black will have an attack that White can neither ignore, nor properly defend. |
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22. Kb2
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The only way for White to shore up a3 and c3. |
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22... c5
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Black threatens to win at least a pawn with ...cxd4, as White cannot retake; his c-pawn is pinned to his undefended Queen. Additionally, the weak c3 pawn itself is coming under fire. |
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23. Rhg1
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I think 23.Qe3 might have been stronger here, to prevent Black's onrushing queenside incursion, but now White's battery is prepared, and he invites Black to play ...Nxh5?, defending g7 and winning a pawn--anything to get that Knight off of f4, because if that happens, White's forces spring back to life in an instant. |
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23... cxd4
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! This pawn is worth much more than the h-pawn (especially since 23...Nxh5? is met by 24.Qg5! g6 25.Rh1 with a winning attack (thanks to tiger_lilov for the continuation)). Black is also looking to force a trade of Queens, and with the WQ gone and no more reason to block that diagonal, Black's heroic Knight will have one final blow to deal to the White forces--24.Rxg7?? dxc3+! 25.Qxc3 Qxc3+ 26.Kxc3 Ne2+! |
1 comment
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24. Kb3
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The only way to avoid Black forcing the Queens off the board. |
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24... dxc3 25. Qxc3
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?? I debated rating this only a mistake, but I really think this is the blunder that costs White the game. After this exchange he will be behind in material and have a vastly inferior pawn structure. 25.Qe3 would have been a far better choice, threatening to get behind the Black lines to deadly effect with Qa7. |
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25... Qxc3+ 26. Kxc3 Ne2+ 27. Kb4 Nxg1 28. Rxg1 Rc8
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Now it's down to a Rook-and-Pawn endgame--White has an advantage in superior King placement, but his pawns are tremendously vulnerable, and Black has the initiative. |
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29. c3 Kg8 30. Rc1
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Threatening c3-c4 and Rc3, trading off a weak White pawn for a strong Black one. |
1 comment
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30... d5
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Black invites White to further cripple himself by undoubling the Black e-pawns and isolating the already-weak White f-pawns. This move also forestalls c3-c4. |
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31. Rd1 Rc4+
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Defending the d-pawn with style. |
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32. Kb3
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32.Ka5 Ra4+ 33.Kb6 d4 isn't much better. |
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32... d4 33. cxd4
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White doesn't have much choice in the matter. |
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33... exd4 34. Rd3 e5 35. a4
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?? White overlooks that the Rook can capture without any detriment to Black's position. He was already lost, but this clinches it, as now Black will have passed pawns on both sides of the board. |
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35... Rxa4 36. f4
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A good try, isolating the d-pawn and setting White's e-pawn free. |
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36... exf4 37. Rf3 Rc4
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Black prevents the WK from coming near the d-pawn. |
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(1875)