Annotated chess game

Which is also what I'd go for.

36.......Nh5. The gameknot computer did nt like this move but offered no alternatives. At this stage I realised my q side pawns were gone and most of my advantage. So this move equalises pawns and still retains an edge. Better minor piece and one pawn island compared to whites two.

It seems that ...Nh5 was simply mistimed - the right idea, but had to wait a move, upon 36...a3 (37.Kc2 Nh5). Having said that, Black still seems to have reasonable winning prospects after this.

Instead of 38...axb3, how about repeating the earlier recipe: 38...a3! (39.Nc1 Ba6 - now White's knight is committed and dominated - 49.Kc3 Nxg3 - of course 40.g4 was unplayable on account of 40...Nf4 - 41.b4 Nh5 42.Kb3 Nf4 43.Bh1 Nxh3 44.Kxa3 Bf1! 45.Ka4 Nf2 46.b5 Bxb5ch 47.Kxb5 Nxh1 and the passed h-pawn ought probably to bring home the win).

Jack Stockel has said that when you're in trouble, don't attack, defend. However, I disagree with him there because of what ION quoted shortly there after which is that attacking can be the best form of defense. I reckon that this is the case here.

I reckon White ought to obtain the draw from here. Her pawns aren't great, and the bishop is a poor piece right now, but that can change. All the pawns are on one wing. That helps Black, but it kinda helps White, too, in the circumstances.

As I was playing through this game, and saw the result, i wondered if maybe White was adopting the right policy, here. This was before I actually looked at the alternative, you understand. Turns out she had hit on the only means by which she could hope to survive. Going back a move let's look at 44.Kd3 Kf4 45.Kd2 g5. In effect Black will have set up a wall along the e-file stretching down to e2. If the King goes that way, the BK can invade by ...Ke3. No better is 44.Kd4 - as often in chess, a temporising move is a bad move - losing a tempo either way, after 44...Kf4.

What does prelate mean?

Another synonym for priest, clergyman. Since the names of the pieces are mentioned so often, Jo and Ion both like to vary by using synonyms for their real-life counterparts.

46.Bh1 is paradoxically strong. My original intended Kh4 does nt work. A study like position for me to work on. Thanks Jo I think 46.....Ng6 as in the game is the way to go.

That is hard to see. 46.Bh1 Nxh3 seems to me to confer a winning advantage upon Black. Looking further into this, I reckon 46.Bf1 is forced. Here's a sample line: 46.Bh1 Nxh3 47.Ke7 ... (Instead, 47.e5 Nf4 48.Ke7 Kg6 and White finds herself with only the King to play with, the bishop having no moves, and the White pawns effectively blockaded. Such an end game harbours slender hopes!) 47...f6 48.Ke6 Nf4ch 49.Kd6 ... (Instead, 49.Kf7 g6 keeps White bereft of targets) 49...h5 50.Kc5 h4 51.Kd4 h3 52.Ke3 h2 53.Ke3 ... (Instead, 53.Bg2 Nxg2 54.Kxg2 a1=Qch 55.Kxa1 Kg3 etc) 53...Kg3 54.Kd2 Nh3 55.Ke3 Nf2 etc. No: 46.Bf1 was the 'only move'.

I think that it was already interesting before this move. But, it improves it even further.

Oh, yes; White is shoving obstacles in Black's way. There is a real fight for the initiative going on, a battle that persists for some time. The winning chances lie with black, no question. White's bishop is barely adequate as a defensive piece; it's attacking potential doesn't come into question - not for the moment, anyhow (that might change). White is now fighting for the draw, and that means getting rid of some of those Black pawns, and keeping her bishop as active as she can.

It's like a huntaway dog mustering sheep. All this is pretty much a forcing line: White for the moment has seized a temporary initiative, pushing Black's foot troops against the spears of her own infantry.

And, I would've thought that black can't win this game because of the King. By that, it looked like you were successful in forcing a draw, but Wolfgang finds a way around it.

This whole sequence from move 47 has been forcing. But the time is rapidly approaching in which White will have to cast a new plan: where to from here?

That's when I realize that Wolfgang has a forced win, afterall.

Black can still go wrong here. After the white bishop moves 57......Kxh4 allows white to draw i think.

It transpires that White has at last gone wrong. Move 55 was the key. Now, what I'm about to say was revealed by analysis - in play I might not have realised the correct procedure, neither. Let's look at the position after 54...Kf4: As Black's pieces close in, the bishop lacks room effectively to defend. It has to win freedom for itself, WITHOUT RELINQUISHING ITS GUARDIANSHIP of the h-pawn. The 'window of opportunity is now: 55.Ba6!! Why? The aim is 56.Bc8, not only guarding h3, but, with the h-pawn, g4 as well. The game might have continued [A] 55...Kg3 56.Bc8 Kf4 57.Bg4 (or Ba6); [B] 55...g4 56.hxg4 h3 57.Bf1 h2 58.Bg2 Ne1 59.Bh1 ... (It is no good playing Bb7 or similar, as ...Nf3 cuts the bishop's link to h1-square) 59...Nd3 60.g5 Nf2 61.Bg2 ... (the pawn's dash to queen won't do - watch this: 61.g6?? Nxh1 62.g7 Ng3ch 63.Kg6 ... {if the K stays on the h-file, h1=Q check!} 63...Nf5 64.g8=Q ... {White queens first! BUT...} Ne7ch forks K and Q and wins) 59...Kg3 60.Bb7 Kf4 61,Bg2. [C] 55...Ke5 56.Bb7! Nd4 57.Kxg5 ends the game in a draw..

White is now lost. After 55.Bg2(?) Kg3(?! - better would have been 55...Ng1!) Black's best chance was 56.Bh1! ... with the idea 56...Kxh3?? 57.Bxf3 Kg3 58.Bg4= or 56.Ng1 Bb7. In fact, in this line Black's only move would have been to retrace: 57.Kf4, and hope to find, after 56.Bg2, 56...Ng1 after all! After this, there is no saving White.

It's also that you did an excellent job in giving Wolfgang a run for his money, but he was able to force the win, anyhow. Technically speaking, since it's mentioned in your club, that's how it should be. That's why I was excited with the fact that I gave Master Nathan Resika, who's the same strength as easy19, a run for his money, as well.  

After 59.Bb7, Nf3 cuts off the bishop. A fine game. Jo, against strong opposition. The losing mistake would not have been easy to spot. Because my note then is long I omit to mention that 55.Bc4 would have been just as good as 55.Ba6, as it has the same plan in mind. So, what about 55.Bb5, then? Let's set up the diagram again with White to play move 55. 55.Bb5?? Kg3 56.Bd7 Ne5! This attack on the bishop AT THE SAME TIME covering the g4-square - not possible with the bishop on c8 or e6 - ensures that Black gains a tempo for the win. After 55.Bc4 Kg3 56.Be6 Nd4, 57.Bg4 is playable, and holds for White.