hmmm... I beleive there could have been better moves... but it had a few rather interesting tactics... rather amusing...
One of my better games.
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It's a nicely played game, and you largely took advantage of your opponents mistakes, and came through with a very attractive finish.
I don't know why black decided not to capture the d6 pawn, particularly when the knight was on e4, for example on move 23, instead of Qd7 (after which you could have played Ne5! immediately). That would have evened out the position.
I'm not sure 24. c4 was the best option - if black takes back with the b pawn then their position is OK. However, you did miss the earlier option of punishing this move with 25. Ne5! rather than playing Re1 first. Since the black queen is attacked, the attack on your rook doesn't need to be dealt with yet. Had black put the bishop back on d5 rather than playing a5 on move 25, then the opportunity would have been missed, and the c pawn would have been lost for nothing.
On move 27, black again needs to play Bd5, and though your move Qc2 maintains the pressure, there are stronger options such as Bf4! threatening NxBc4 with a discovered attack on the queen. The queen actually has no safe place to hide here - take a close look!
Now your finish was a bold sacrificial ploy, but it should not really have worked! Nxg6 drops quite a lot of your advantage, and safer (but less fun!) would have been NxBc4 (then RxNc4 Qb2 with the queen on the dangerous diagonal aiming at g7). However, aftering sacrificing the knight, sacrificing the bishop as well was right - you have to be committed to the attack. Black should retreat the queen (Qe7) to help defend rather than picking of the pawn on d4, after which the bishop sac is again the right choice - bravo! Now you really have them on the rack.
I think at this point black is beaten psychologically - after 34. RxBc4 taking back with the queen is necessary to avoid checkmate - congratulations on a lovely finish.
One final thought - I am not sure why you chose to sac the rook with RxBc4 (perhaps to induce the mistake black made), but more convincing would have been Rcd1, pinning the queen. If she moves off the d file, you have mate on d7 with your queen.
A well played game - thanks for sharing it.
Nice analysis ben, and i do agree with bob as well that there could have been better moves. I'm not a good player but the opponent had overlooked a lot of moves which you have taken advantage of. I have a question, how's the membership going for you? I'm still checking out the site and maybe in the future i might go for the premium membership if i find this site helpful for a chess enthusiast like me....
I'm about about a 1350 but I want to get better. I've been on the site awhile and have been thinking of signing up for all the added features. Do those of you with memberships think it is worth it? I'm posting a game that I played tonight and is one of my better games. My oponent was ranked 1459 going into the game.