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Dubious

Here's a game I lost because I didn't bother calculating all the lines and just used the logic: "the king will be forced in front of the pawns and I have lots of pieces pointing at it - therefore I should win".

My question is: After 19.Bxh7 should I have played for the win or just settled for the draw with 23..Kg6 24.Qg3+?
..or was the whole 20.f5 & Bxh7 thing just a bad idea from the start?

 Thanks for your advice.


Dinkydoe

I wouldve gone for the exchange sacrifice, 21. Rxe5, dxe5 and 22.Qh3 is a strong move..

Threatning Qxe6+ and Qxh7#. Then you can think of even more sacrifices. But the exchange sacrifice was much more appropriate I think.


Dinkydoe

 I believe this is the best way to play. This is a sample variation i came up with. With an exchange sacrifice, wich I believe is absolutely necessary. However you played, u should have had a forced win!
 I don't understand why you would ever! settle with a draw.

After Bisshop -h6 threatning mate, black could also have played Bf6 defending the g7 pawn. Then after Rxf6, black could defend the g7 pawn with rook or queen. but then he wouldve lost a piece for nothing. And still had a horribly exposed king, with still a lot of sacrifices to come.

Other possible line. Defending h7 with Bisshop f6. So actually the exchange sacrifice had te be played first.

Dinkydoe

I fount even better lines. Check this out.

 

 

 

 

 

I believe one of these 2 variations is the guaranteed winning combination. Although Im not 100 % sure. I Don't see any ways for black to dodge these attacks. So I do believe you wouldve had a win in all variations. They key- move is just the exchange sacrifice. Blacks knight was just a nuisance, attacking the white bisshop and taking squares around the king. Without the exchange sacrifice there there is just not enough space to move your pieces to.

 

 

 


Dubious
Thanks for the lines, unfortunately it's not that simple...
I rejected 21.Rxe5 de 22.Qh3 because of 22..e4! now 23.Qxe6+?? Kh8 and white loses a piece because of the treat Bc5+.
And 22.Bh6 is meet by 2..Bf8.

Dinkydoe

Auch, you're absolutely right. There seems to be more subtleties in the position.

The Bb5+ threat is horrible, maybe it is a good move to slide king over to h1, just get out of the scope of the bisshop. After that, anticipating on your opponents move, see if there are still good sacrifices to make. But you're absolutely right, you don't immediately exspect so much powerful options of a seemingly passive position of black.

Maybe you should let a engine analyze this game.