How To Save A Losing Game, Part 2

In this game, the players castle on opposite sides, which usually signals attacks on both sides.  Both players pursue their chances on each side, but Black misses something that costs him the exchange.  But he stays calm and uses the time White spends winning material to advance his attack, rather than being upset over his error.  In the end, everything works out as if Black had planned it all along.

The lesson here is that even losing material can result in new advantages.  In this game, White captured Black's pawn on h3, which (after White's h- and g-pawns disappeared), resulted in an open h-file for Black's queen and rook.  Also, the white-squared bishop that White used to capture Black's rook was defending the weak white squares around his king.  Once it was gone, Black was able to exploit those squares.  Black was in a position to utilise his new advantages much more quickly than White could use his extra rook.  Black realised this and even sacrificed a knight to create maximum counterplay.  The old saying is true: look at the pieces on the board, not off the board, to see if you are winning.  It's not what's been captured that matters, it's what's left and what you do with it.