Annotated chess game

excellent move!

I'm guessing White has the better game at this point. He has more space and more active pieces, and good prospects of seizing the initiative.

Maybe White should not have been so keen to close up the centre. He looks to have had reasonable prospects of winning the d-pawn after, say, 12.Qd3 followed by 13.0-0-0. It is hard to imagine that White was over-concerned about ,,,Bxc3.

The perfect reply!

Forced, pretty much. 12...dxe5?? would have lost a piece; and it is hard to see any other move that holds c6 and d6 both.

Yes, this is the best choice for black.

Again, an excellent move!

Keeps c5 under guard.

Interesting! I would have expected 15.cxb5 axb5 16.Nc5 here.

I probably would not have played 15.....axb5, but either recapture with the rook or play 15.....Qa5+

I think 15...Qa5+ should wait a bit. Maybe 15.cxb5 axb5 16.Nc5 then play 16...Qa5+. It doesn't look like White is in any hurry to protect his king this game

Clever defence!

Excellent play against a formally stronger opponent! Congratulations!

Bit of a torso, this game. One feels there ought to have been more to come. Having said that, the game seems to have reached a kind of dynamic equilibrium: plenty of play left, but the state of the game too close to call: 16....bxa4 17.Qxa4ch Bd7 18.Qd4 0-0 (=/?). My impression of the game so far is that Black had quite good counter-punching chances, and that White could never quite bring his opponent to the ropes.

Many thanks guys.

Interesting decision. How low was White on time?