3d4,3...Nf6,6Bc4,8O-O,14Nd5,15Re7,17...f5,18...de4,20Qh3,24...Na6,25...Rad8,26...Na6,30...Rd4,40...Ra5,44...Ra8(rook-belongs-behind-pawns-and-next-to-king-to-shield-from-checks)all-improve.congratulations!
Draw against higher rated: analysis?
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13.Re1 isn't so great, and ...d5 isn't forced.
I prefer black's position after 13...Nxc3 and now:
1) 14.Rxe7 Nxd1 15.Rxd1 d5 followed by ...Rd8 Kf8 and after white retreats the rook, take the b8 knight out and ...Re8 to shake any and all white counterplay on the e file. Black is just better here:)
2) 14.bxc3 Qf6 simple and white has to ask himself what he's doing.
3) 14.Qf3 is interesting. but I don't think white has enough for the pawn after 14...Ne4 15.Rxe4 Qg5. Although addmittedly in here white has something (at least partial compensation. Maybe more). Still the position looks interesting and better for black than the one that white could have had in the game).
after 13...d5 white should simply 14.Nxd5, and I think black is very uncomfortable here.
After his Bd3 the Nxc3 trick is back on, and you catch on to it:) Well done. It SHOULD have worked, roughly the way I stated before. Even better. Bd3 hurts white. But he chose the insane (in a bad way) 15.Bh7+?? Kxh7 16.Qd3+ Ne4 17.f3
Well, black is already winning. and your 17...Qg5 is great. But, 17...f5 seems to be a polite (though utterly crushing) request for resignation. Now even if he takes the knight, you won't only be a piece up, but also have a protected psased pawn (and an easier attack). Well, ...Qg5 is great too.
18...dxe4 is indeed simple and clear. You're a piece up:)
18...Bxh3 is a blunder indeed in the sense that you had a win on cruise control before that. Though you have to undertand you're still much better after that, even if it's a lot more complicated now.
Funnily enough, you don't mention his re-blunder with 20.Re2?. Of course 20.Qxh3 is the move, and you're no longer up a piece. Although after 20...cxd5, you're two pawns up, and so, you still hold a huge advantage.
after 20.Re2? Bg4, the cruise control win is there again.
As stated, 26...Ne6 is a blunder... Nothing much to say there. simply 26...Na4 wins (heh black's position is so winning that even 26...Na6 wins).
Although, again, you're still in a better position after the blunder.
activity in this rook endgame is important, so:
probably 28...a5 to gain access to his second rank. 29.Rxb7 axb4 30.Rxb4 Rxa2 and if white plays 31.Rxc6, just 31...Rd8 and white's pawns are weaker, black has an extra pawn, and has the outside passer.
Good chances.
The endgame went a bit weird...with the advantage drifting away and suddenly becoming a near win... and back again and so forth:)
Nice game.
This is a game I just played against a higher rated player and after the blunders that I did make, managed to pull off a draw. Analysis would be great. Thanks