Day four at TATA steel chess - Why didn't I just take the draw offer?

Hi all! Time to post a blog on the adventures that I'll have at TATA steel chess. I'll be playing the amateur ten camp - ten days and 9 rounds of intense chess right next to the pro players. This will be day one of my blog and I will stream the analysis of my games every day. So sit back, relax and enjoy the content!

Make sure to follow me on my twitch channel where I will live stream the analysis of my games and tell you all the on site chess gossips! https://www.twitch.tv/bikfoot

• Part one: https://www.chess.com/blog/Bikfoot/day-one-at-tata-steel-chess-not-off-to-a-great-start
• Part two: https://www.chess.com/blog/Bikfoot/day-two-at-tata-steel-chess-the-best-defense-is-good-offense
• Part three: https://www.chess.com/blog/Bikfoot/day-three-at-tata-steel-chess-bishops-rule
• Part five: https://www.chess.com/blog/Bikfoot/day-five-at-tata-steel-chess-my-opponent-played-what
• Part six: https://www.chess.com/blog/Bikfoot/day-six-at-tata-steel-chess-i-had-to-fight-really-hard-to-draw-this
• Part seven: https://www.chess.com/blog/Bikfoot/day-seven-at-tata-steel-chess-twenty-minutes-too-late
• Part eight: https://www.chess.com/blog/Bikfoot/day-eight-at-tata-steel-chess-facing-the-the-undefeated-tournament-leader
• Final part: https://www.chess.com/blog/Bikfoot/final-day-at-tata-steel-chess-i-won-my-tournament

Today I woke up early, had breakfast and wrote yesterday's blog. After a quick powernap (I've been doing those a lot between breakfast and it really helps!), I took a shower and made my way towards the playing hall. There I had white against Roland van Soest, who has a rating of 1842. As always, I'll show some key positions in the game and I'll throw in a puzzle or two, let's begin!

I started off playing the good old Hungarian opening, which is basically just 1.g3 and 2.Bg2, after that it's always different what I play. After a few moves we had the following position (I'm playing white):

A free pawn right? Nice! However, in my variations, I made a critical error and I missed a move from black. Black has the intermezzo with 18... Nf3+ and suddenly my position isn't as comfortable anymore. A few moves later, the following position took place:

Position after 21... Qxh3

My opponent, who was clearly happy to finally have gotten out of the mess that he was in, offered me a draw in the position. I thought for about 10 minutes and then I declined the draw. I'm not here to draw, I'm here to win! We played a few more moves and got into this position:

Position after 24... Qf3+

Again, if I just move my king to g1 black has a perpetual and we have a draw. However, I played Qf2! because I'd rather lose that pawn and keep pressure than to draw. Am I crazy or what?

After a bunch moves the following position arose. I already lost my rook to the knight (all forced) and black is closing in to mate me. I tried a final trick to make it a draw, but soon I had to forfeit the game.

Unfortunate! but it happens. After the game I got a snack, snuck into the press room and streamed for four hours showing my Tata steel chess games!

Follow the analysis live on www.twitch.tv/bikfoot!

As always, below is the entire game to admire. Tomorrow I will play against the top seed and probably the strongest player in the group with an elo of 1910, let's see if we can make it!

Follow me on my socials. No seriously, follow, let's keep in touch!

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BikfootNL
  
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• Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/bikfoot