Did I miss a Checkmate?

 Yep, that's got it. Just been through it on a board. Alas, a win thrown away.

ED.

White wins: 1.Qf3 Kh3 2.h5!! exd3 3.Qh1 Kg4 4.f3 Kxg3 5.Qh2 Kf3 6.Qg2 Kf4 7.Rf1#

Does 30.Qf3 Kh3 31.Qf5# work?

oh yea, just saw the bishop. duh

Black had a tied game after 25. h4+, where 25... Kh5 26. Qh7+ Rh6 27. Qf7+ Rg6 is a draw by perpetual... however, you did miss a mate in six after black threw away the game with 27... Kg4, where 28. Kg2 Qxh4 29. gxh4 dxe3 30. Qf3+ Kxh4 31. Qg3+ Kh5 32. Rh1+ Bh3+ 33. Rxh3#. I believe any other line by black just results in a quicker mate (since white threatens mate with pawn push to f3 as well), although I may have missed something. (this is in the actual game itself, which I found by looking at your profile)

Instead, I believe you did 28. Qf3+.

 You are correct. The h4 pawn is unprotected and they could have escaped by taking it. I missed that...

Muderotica: Interesting variation, but after 2. h5, why would black play ...Rh7? Would 2...dxe3 not be winning for black?

Youngdude: Perhaps it would have been better for me to post the whole game, as your analysis shows that I could have won from an earlier position.

I think, all things being equal, a draw was probably a fair result. I have clearly not yet reached a level in chess where I can accurately work out variations such as 'mate in six'. And going through this process adds that tiny fraction more to my chess knowledge.

Thank you all for taking the time to analysise this. Very interesting indeed.

ED.

 Alas, Kxh4 haunted my dreams!

Computer spoiler -- select below to see the awful truth: the awful truth is that I the line I put in here the first time was mistaken -- a typing error on my part... but McCand's line is faulty, according to the computer engine. exd3 is not forced and is a mistake.

No macand's line is no good... 1.Qf3 Kh3 2.h5!! exd3 3.Qh1 Kg4 4.f3Kxg3?? 5.Qh2 Kf3 6.Qg2 Kf4 7.Rf1#

4...Kg5 and White cannot make progress... but, the computer gives White a +5.00 evaluation with 1.Qf3 Kh3 2.Qe2!! (exd3 gets mated... Black's only defense is 2...Qg5!)And the whole line from there is very computer-y  It's computer chess... yeeech!

I saw a checkmate by playing Kh2, blocking the Kh3 move.

if he tries to take away Qf3 from you on by playing something like an Rf6, you simply slide your queen to d1. ifyour opponent doesnt try to take away the f3 square, which he must or it is checkmate, you have that obvious option after the Kh2

 If 4...Kg5 then 5.Qh4#

 That's it, I missed the win.

I clearly couldn't see this when I was playing, but there's no excuse really, this was a correspondance. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I could improve my analysis of variations so that I could have got this checkmate?

ED.

Well done macand!

This would be an excellent - and tough - puzzle for the day. Not often you see a forced mate in seven. (I certainly didnt see it, when looking at this great post.)

Which engine, Lentinik? Because it's wrong.

 While you are correct, murderotica, there's no way, with the chess knowledge I have I could have worked out a mate in six in the actual game. If I don't have the talent/ability to see the win, then a draw is all I deserve. This has been a very illuminating series of posts, I clearly have work to do.

Fritz 11 sais that you have +15.73 lol :P Thats almost two queens.

you shouldnt of had drawn

you had to play: h5 after Qf3+ and Kh3.

 If the king goes on g5, white mates by playing Qh4#. After Rf6 3.Qh1 Kg4 4.Qh4#

After 1. Qf3+ Kh3 2. h5 Rxp white wins immediately with 3.QxRch. I don't think many people find forced mates in seven, or what ever it is, easy but think macand and others have done a good job in finding the forced win here.  2h5 is a very nice move, took me quite awhile to work out the point of it.