Annotated chess game

31.Rh8, essential to keep the Q out of h5. That would actually suggest confirmation that it would have been at least as good a move earlier, when the g- and h-pawns were still level.

Oops...

Ooops indeed, this unfortunatey loses an oherwise equal game

Rh8 was definitely the proper move. You were doing fine until you gave the queen a window for entry.

No: this move is the only half-way reasonable one. K to the g-file would have been rewarded with 33.Qg6ch Kf8 34.Bxf6; and 32...Ke7 33.Kf2! and the Black rook cashes in his chips.

33....Ke8 would have avoided the further disaster that ensues, not that it would have made much difference in the long run: 34.Bxf6 Kd7 (having to free another square for the stranded rook) 35.Qg7ch Kc8 36.Bxg5 Ne8 37.Qg8 Re2 (threatening mate, forsooth!) 38.Bxh4 Qd7 (Threatens ...Qxf5) 39.Qd5... and White 3 passed K-side pawns should seal the deal.

Rather an abrupt finish. I think this might be an illustration of how constant pressure throughout the game can have a catastrophic effect later on. White always had a niggling edge, I think, though a couple of times let Black back into the game. It was just when Black seemed to have set up a defence too strong to break down that the first decisive slip occurred. How often does that happen! It'll be against strong opponents as a rule too!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: strong players tend to do one of 2 things during a game with weaker opponents: either sit and wait for an error, or try to blast his weaker opponent off the board with gambit play and complications. Looks like the first happened here. Good effort and nice comments.

Many thanks for your comments.

I think black has a last, desperado try to make: 34...Re2+, 35. KxR (or mate), Qxg2+, and the only escape I see for the white king is to run into b1, allowing the BQ to take f5. The resulting position would be like this: . White is probably winning, but the position is still interesting, with all those black pawns ready to run...