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Caro-Kann mid-game strategy and ending

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feastwood

My first post here on chess.com (after a long time lurking and using the various resources, of course)!

After 3 years of learning chess and playing on FICS and in bars etc, I now hope to up my game - entering tournaments and properly annotating my games. This game is from the first round of an online tournament I am playing on ChessVideos.TV. My annotations should give my impression of the game and where I think I went wrong. Mostly I'm interested to know if people agree with my assesment of the game.

Thanks, and happy new year!

AndyClifton

I think Black is winning that pawn ending all the way.  With 35... Kb5 he can stop your queening idea and then he is a pawn up and on his way to victory.

waffllemaster

After the queens are exchanged, it's a dead even position.  Better to retreat your knight and keep some material on the board.

After the rooks are exchanged, I'd rather be black... but looking through this pawn endgame makes me realize I have a lot of room for improvement for my pawn endgames.

Seine

Black made a couple of mistakes. You already mentioned them. But all the exchanging going on it would be draw. The endgamewas amazing. I didn't see it coming. 

AndyClifton
paulgottlieb wrote:

With 33.f4 you set up a winning breakthrough 33.f4 Kb5 34. f5! exf5 35.gxf5 Kc5 36.Ke3 Kd5 37.Kf4 and you're winning. 


After 33... Kd4 though it still looks to me like Black is winning.

AndyClifton

I think 34... Kd3 is a better move.

AndyClifton

Hm, I suppose that does work.  I still wonder though about that ending...it seems to me a bit strange that Black can't turn his king position to better account.

One thing that seems interesting is that the position after White's 34th looks like mutual zugzwang...ie whoever moves loses (assuming I'm not missing the boat yet again). Smile

Dumb-Bull-Door

I've always heard that a Queen-side castle indicated a wild game. This game had two Queen-side castles for a VERY wild game! All Bishops exchanged early and all pieces off the board with almost the whole platoon of pawns still in action.  Crazy game! I liked it!

I know this isn't really the kind of comment you are looking for but I just wanted to give you some encouragement to keep it up. You're turning chess into a spectator sport with games like this. Laughing 

mrtoto

In the endgame after F4 black plays F6 and black wins.