A bad late night game
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23.h3? should lose to Nfxg3+, there is actually a saving move though, with 23.c5! b6 24.Bd6 Nxd6 25.cxd6 26.Rxd6 Rxd3 etc. Im not sure with black's switch to the h-file, I would have concentrated with the d3 pawn, if not promoting then at least threatening something with material gain, say. I miss going to a bar and playing some chess. I remember entertaining games like this before i moved to a city, bars where everything dances and disrobes under the glitter ball :)
If I was black, I would've pushed the pawn to the 2nd row, thereby forcing a piece to stay and guard the promotion row. If I had say a bishop or knight guarding it via adjacent file, it's pretty solid, especially since a rook can't run along the 1st row to try and take the support down, else walking right into the pawn's attack. Then I would simply make like a laser and slab two rooks on the same file for devastating offensive prowess against the castle, while advancing with the pawn-storm.
that was one messy game....
shleena thanks! that's an excellent idea about 23. c5!, and I do think you're right about Nfxg3!. Of course this is the same theme that PonyAmRand uses to construct the mating sequence at move 25. illuminosferatu is right too, I think, that method would have led to a win also. g4lamos : yes, i agree it's not neat! But that's what can happen when you play chess and drink beer at the same time :)
I think my mistake came much earlier on. I'm reasonably satisfied with my play up to move 8, though I think I could have played more sharply after 4. ... d6, for example 5. Nxf7 even looks possible. I think the real problems started when I played 9. Bb4? . 9. Nc3 looks more natural, followed maybe by Be3, with an eye to castling long. That development would have been more consistent with my plan to pressure the d-pawn, it would have stopped alex from advancing the pawn. Instead I basically forced him to advance it, which led to all sorts of unnecessary problems for me. and it might have led to a less messy game :)
Thanks all for taking the time to read and for the excellent comments!
This is a casual game I played with a friend last night at a local bar, no time control. I don't feel I played very well even if I did end up winning. I think my friend blundered away a pretty good attack that I should somehow have prevented, before it ever got started. I've pointed out places where I think I didn't play the best possible way in the annotations. I'ld like to see what other people think. All comments appreciated, constructive or otherwise!