How to Win a Drawish Game

Hi,

my opponent blundered in the game so I won by resignation, however up until that point I felt the game was looking like a certain draw. The annoying thing was that I felt I had a good dominance in terms of position and development etc. yet I couldn't get seem to make anything happen and he just seemed to be killing the game off. I know trading queens didn't help but I wasn't sure what else to do in that situation. My only really avenue of attack was pusing e and f pawns to try get one of them queened.

How could I make/have made something happen and try to get some attack going? Thanks for any help!

Oh, and on move 14 should I have taken with the pawn or bishop?

I checked with the engine - computer likes both pawn and Bishop takes on 14. Taking with Bishop has advantage that you can use the line to pressure c7 pawn. Taking with pawn creates stronger center. Personally I think I would take that with a pawn.

How to win that endgame.. it looks dangerous, it is possible to lose there : ). White probably should try to play on Kingside where he has pawn majority: push g4 - h4 - f5, use King actively, and hope for some advantage. Thats tough to win I think.

Thanks for the comments. I would normally have taken with the pawn but it seemed to cage in my bishop. I think your idea of kingside attack is the best option.

The endgame (say after the queen trade) is certainly better for Black than for White, the e5 pawn restricts greatly his bishop.

After 23...Rxa1 24.Rxa1 Rc8 the key ideas for Black are to prevent the f4-f5 break and put the knight to d5. The latter will be achieved after ...b5 with the idea ...Nb6 ; trading the bishop against the knight on b6 might be White's best choice, but the resulting endgame is still in Black's favor (active king that helps to create and push a passed pawn on his wing)

Before that, 13.Rc1 looks better than a3 (with the idea to retake with the rook later). The c file is definetely a target here.

Thanks, that helps. I didn't even think about 13.Rc1

How about trading Bishops on turn 6? His knight has little place to go, especially after you play a3.

d5 seems logical just in terms of opening lines with the king in the centre, but the tactical implications are a bit harder to see.

Thanks for the really nice 13.d5 suggestion!

However, I don't see what is so nice about 13.Nb5

The queen can defend the c7 pawn and then the knight can be kicked with simply a6. Surely this means there is no material gain or nice outpost for the knight?

I think in case of 13.Nb5 Qd8 White can continue 14.d5 and then if Black exchanges on d5 White has e5-e6 exchanging Black's f pawn and opening the e file with a check on Black's king, and if Black doesn't exchange on d5 White has d5-d6 which also looks dangerous because it threatens Nxc7 or ...cxd6, Nxd6.

The Queen can only defend the c7 pawn with 13...Qd8;  when, after 14.Qc1, he will wish he hadn't bothered.

Ah yes, thanks - I didn't see that.