John Purdy Memorial - Round 4

This blog follows my quest for an official FIDE rating.

*** See comments section of this blog for an endgame puzzle ***

Round 4 at Norths Chess Club was a real heart-breaker! On the black side of another Semi-Slav, we reach a R + P endgame where I'm a pawn up and have all the winning chances. Unfortunately though, at the critical moment (isn't it always?), I miss the only idea that keeps an advantage. It's a relatively simple pawn breakthrough tactic that I hope to NEVER miss again. I could blame it on the fact that I'd already calculated a 'winning' line, but that's just an excuse. I probably wouldn't have found it even if I did see his refutation. Kudos to my 1665 rated opponent, an enjoyable game despite the result.