I missed out on a checkmate - did I go about it poorly?

http://www.chess.com/livechess/game.html?id=9759900

I'm black, it's from the series of moves roughly from move 19/20 onwards. I thought it was quite an interesting situation and I felt that I could have got checkmate more simply. It was a 10 minute game and we were only 4 minutes in at this point so time wasn't an issue, really.

Or did I do the right thing by staying within myself, playing it safe - taking out his other pieces and get my pawn to the end of the board?

I'm really interested to read your opinions :)

U played that game great and u were right to stay back and play it safe.

At move 26 you have two different ways to play checkmate in 1. I'll let you find them.

Wow, it seems so simple when pointed out which move! Thanks

Bxd3 or Rbb1 (I am fairly sure that I've termed that correctly :/ )

Rg1, but I think you've seen the right move.

What other answer is there?  You missed a chance to win, and that's always poor play.

9. Ng5 seems to be quite winning.

6. dxe5 Nd7 (or else 7.exd5 wins knight on pin)  7. exd5 is powerful

Dont ever play 4...d6 ? in that same opening again because of 5.dxe5! and you will lose right to castle after white exchanges his queen with yours on d8.

Had you move 26....Rg1+ its already checkmate.

Dont worry, chess as in life, there is always room for improvement.

Thanks for all the replies, I learnt a lot from them. Good point about 4...d6, I've done it enough times on others to know better than to do it myself..

lol if only we all saw the moves that would win the games so easily. Beating him the way you did was perfectly fine in my opinion. You were on top of him despite not seeing the mate but easily had a winning position. I know exactly how it feels to do stuff like that. Maybe not as basic but still. good stuff!

to answer your forum question i dont think you played poorly for your level. And in the end you did what you did to get the job done which is all you need!

You played a great game

However...

24. Rg1#

chessmagic 5, once the queens are off castling becomes much less of an important point, and if your opponent castles regardless, you can often utilise the fact that your king is closer to the action by exchanging down to an endgame.