Bulldog Challenge Game (Martin0 - captaintugwash)

is going slightly mad due to not understanding any of tug/martins comments.

69... Gxb4

Either Martin is resigning in style or I'm missing something and am soon going to cry.

70.a8=Q

Don't force me to resign please. I want the game to end in 2 moves.

70... Gb3+

71.Kb1

71... Gb2#

What a game.

Thank you for an excellent game. I am not joking when I say that is easily the most intense, stressful and enjoyable game of chess I have ever played. At times I was really struggling with the mental side of it, especially after my typo blunder. I was extremely lucky to get away with that.

And I was even not seeing this mating pattern. Instead, a1Q Ra5+ QxR GxR with a certainty of win.

This was what Martin was referring to when he asked me not to force him to resign. 

Yes after that comment I saw it quickly.

What move would that have been?

I'll wait for Martin to post the checkmate board before digging into the post match analysis, but I'll get to that.

Why not here 59. ... Rxc4

71...Gb2#

gg

If the game ended in a draw, then I would decline the rematch which would be a bit anticlimactic way to lose the title. So I went for a while where I objectively shouldn't have winning chances, but with possibility for tug to lose if he goes wrong in a winning attempt.

Interesting. I too intended to decline my right to a rematch if it had drawn, which is why I went all out for the win. There was no way we could play again while keeping the next challenger waiting, it would not be fair.

Now it's time for me to ruin everyone's fun and point out a missed win for Tug about a month ago.

Here you had 52...Rg1+ 53. Ka2 Gb1+ 54. Ka3 Rg3+ 55. Rb3 Gc2 and wins because of the h pawn.

Where to start with the post match analysis? 

I think Martin got the better of the opening, the first inaccuracy for white I believe was 20. Bxb6, intended as a pawn grab on d7, but I was able to win back the pawn by force so white actually gives up a very good bishop for a not-so-good knight. This is where the game really sprung into life.

23. Wd5 was a wild move and not something I had even considered. I think this is a blunder, I suspect Martin overlooked 26... Bxg3 to grab a very important pawn, which I think gave me the edge. 

32. ixh4 forced the queen trade, which I think was better for me than Martin, even though it weakened my witch. 

35... Rg6 (typo blunder) made the game incredibly tense. I was furious with myself for making such a stupid mistake in such an important game. I had to take time off to regather myself and get myself in the right frame of mind to continue. I lost rhythm here and probably lost the edge, I think the position is drawish now.

42... Gd4 was a key moment. I have an easy draw with Gd6, but I went for the win. I think it was very risky but I really did not want to draw this game at any cost. Had we drawn I would have forfeited my right to a rematch, as it's not fair to keep the next challenger waiting, so I decided to go all out for the win, even if it meant I lost.

I still think the position is drawn with perfect play, but it's very sharp, as we see at move 52, which for me was the final key moment. 

52. Rhxb7, which I believe was a losing blunder. Martin simply has to play Rb6 here to cut my king off, and prepare repetition. I would have no choice but to accept a draw. Given recent comments by Martin, I suspect he knew this.

61. j3 threw me off my notes and almost caused me to blunder the game. I was expecting j4 and had a clear path to victory. I was hasty playing 61... Rj2, I didn't have time to capture on j3 so it was a wasted tempo that could have proven important. A little careless from me here but I was lucky it was not costly.

Finally, 66. b4 was an excellent attempt to induce a blunder. 66... Rh3 looks very appealing here, with Gb3+ Rh1# in mind, but Martin can save with 67. Rxc2+, which at least draws and perhaps even wins for Martin. 

After 66... Rb5 Martin was dead lost.

I'm sure I'm missing a lot here but those are the key moments for me.