Annotated chess game

In order to avoid it to be exchanged after Nd3 (if that was black's idea).

It would have been a more subtle threat, since after Nd3, the R could only have gone to weird squares (say g1).

I was thinking 22...Bd3 here, attacking and pinning the knight against b1. After 23.Rd1 Rac8 looks strong.

It seems a mistake, since when your opponent is cramped, you better don't exchange but increase pressure instead. Ra-c8 would have been my choice.

Seems odd to me and all. Why not 23...Rac8 and pile on the pressure? I still think the earlier 22...Bd3 would have been the way to go though.

I agree with damalfi and Ion, I was quite glad he played this, I am starting to get back into the game.

Now it is just an exchange.

I think it is worth pointing out that the knight in this position is far better piece than the bishop, despite the open position.

I'm wondering if maybe ...Nd5 came into consideration.

Both players are in danger of a back rank mate, but your is just at one move, if he moves his R. I'm not able to say if Ba1 was better, but your d pawn can start now to run.

White is happy to get rid of his bad bishop for the knight. But Black can choose his moment to exchange....

I'm sure I would have delayed this exchange. Sure, ...g5 is not playable. But a plan might be to commit White's defence by, say, 28...Rd8 29.Be3 Rd7, then bring the King to f6 and the K-side pawns to h6 and g5, in preparation for a break ...f4. However, in my view the knight is not very well placed at d3, so it is not altogether surprising Black exchanges it off. The rook ending looks very promising for him.

Black has successfully exchanged into a favorable endgame, but it still requires some good technique to convert the win. Rook endgames are the hardest ones there are!

Black ought to win this, as not only is he a pawn ahead, but also has the stronger position.

I would have given d5 a deep look. It makes black think a bit about Rf7+, and if Re2, d6.

I think the pawn would be weaker further up the board: 30.d5 Re7 31....Rd7, and then ...Kf6, ...Ke5.

Seems like a waste of tempo to me. He could capitalize on a more mobile king here by playing Ke6 with the intention of getting it to d5. Even with other plans, he could always opt to play Re7 after Rc7, since the exchange doesn't look favourable to white at all.

d5. If black tries to get the pawn, he will lose his queenside pawns, probably both of them, for it.

I like the move as played. One possible counter-attacking option closed.