An Elegant, Fighting Draw

This game has a few strategical errors in the early middlegame, but it becomes very tactical and both sides had to avoid potentially fatal missteps in order to arrive at the delicate balance in the final "see-saw" perpetual check sequence.  Playing the Black pieces, I erred with 12. ... Nd5.  The move forced me to weaken my king side pawn structure after 13. Qe4.  However, White's move 16. f4 gave me the opportunity to slow down his attack by repositioning my Knight and Queen.  After 19. ... Qd6, my Queen plays a vital role for the rest of the game in both defence and counterattack, much like a midfielder in soccer!  I think that 24. f5 is premature by White because it allowed the eventual "sham sacrifice" 26. ... Nxg2 by Black to reclaim the initiative.  The final sequence of moves are quite pretty and literally require both sides to tiptoe through a minefield.

Any comments on tactical improvements for both sides in the latter portion of the game and/or strategical suggestions to improve play throughout the game?

why not c4 in move no. 15??

I think Black should have tried 15...Qc8 to guard b7 and e6 in case f5 had to be played to protect f7. After 15...c6, 16.Qf3 could have been more testing.

magnum wrote: why not c4 in move no. 15??

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It seems winning for White on my first glance.  I did not even see this possibility in the game!  It demonstrates more consequences of Black's "lemon" on move 12.  The best reply seems to be 15. ... Nc3 16. Q x b7 N x d1 17. R x d1 and White has gained two pieces for a Rook. 

GreenLaser wrote: I think Black should have tried 15...Qc8 to guard b7 and e6 in case f5 had to be played to protect f7. After 15...c6, 16.Qf3 could have been more testing. After 15. ... c6 16. Qf3, can Black get away with 16. ... Bf6 or must 16. ... f5 be played?

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Why didn't you play 31...Qxc5+ or 33...Qxc5+, and play for the win? In my mind, you have a decent advantage. Did you not feel confident with your chances for some reason?

 

BTW: This game did not end in perpetual check. 

knetfan wrote: GreenLaser wrote: I think Black should have tried 15...Qc8 to guard b7 and e6 in case f5 had to be played to protect f7. After 15...c6, 16.Qf3 could have been more testing. After 15. ... c6 16. Qf3, can Black get away with 16. ... Bf6 or must 16. ... f5 be played?

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All I offered with 16.Qf3 was "more testing." If 16...Bf6, the test is 17.Bg5 with the ideas of c4 or Be4. Notice the squares f7 and b7 can be connected by White's queen. 16...f5 slows White down. White probably should centralize and build up.

TonightOnly wrote:

Why didn't you play 31...Qxc5+ or 33...Qxc5+, and play for the win? In my mind, you have a decent advantage. Did you not feel confident with your chances for some reason?

 

BTW: This game did not end in perpetual check. 

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After 31. ... Qxc5+ 32. Qd4+, White can trade Queens if Black doesn't initiate the trade.  You are correct in observing that there is plenty of "play" remaining in the position.  However, even with the pawn plus, Black is saddled with a pair of doubled, isolated pawns.  In most of the variations I worked out, White recovers one of the pawns pretty easily.  Moreover, there is no immediate way for Black to force White to trade off one or both pairs of rooks.  Thus, with both pairs of rooks on the board in an open position, I decided that the chances were even.

Technically speaking, you are correct that the game did not end in perpetual check.  However, if White does NOT continue to shuttle the king back and forth between f2 and f3 in response to the Queen checks, Black wins quickly because of the open g file!  There are three or four nice variations to work out as an exercise...

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