Please critique my game.

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Daniel0037

I'd like some improving advice on this game. Mainly the endgame that I really struggled to conduct properly. Feel like I got my bishop stuck on a4 and had a difficult time to promote my pawns. I'm aware my knight decided to go far into no mans land in the end there due to little time on the clock. Also I probably should have watched the white's knights intentions better. Some advice how I could have placed my pieces a little better in order to get those pawns to promotion is what I'm really wondering. The 1600 rating is a hard one for me to break.

justbefair
Daniel0037 wrote:
 

I'd like some improving advice on this game. Mainly the endgame that I really struggled to conduct properly. Feel like I got my bishop stuck on a4 and had a difficult time to promote my pawns. I'm aware my knight decided to go far into no mans land in the end there due to little time on the clock. Also I probably should have watched the white's knights intentions better. Some advice how I could have placed my pieces a little better in order to get those pawns to promotion is what I'm really wondering. The 1600 rating is a hard one for me to break.

A 30 minute game, so you had some time to think about your moves.

It can take a long time to get into a game. If you want help with your analysis, it is helpful to highlight the areas of your concern by showing the key areas that you are focused on.

Daniel0037

I think my trouble started around move 16 or so. Attempting to get my 3 passers to promote. I haven't really looked at the engine move recommendations as I've learned I should try and understand where the game went wrong without the engine analysis.

Daniel0037

With further thought I see that 16.. Bd3+ is not too good. Be4 is just way better as it paralyzes the knight which became a big issue later in the game. Also the e2 pawn can never move.

Daniel0037

Also 28.. b5 This part I misplayed but struggling a bit to understand how I could have done better?

Daniel0037
AlekhinesRazor wrote:
justbefair wrote:

It can take a long time to get into a game.

Agreed. This is a particularly involved game, with great moves by both sides at times. I have only one initial observation that might be useful: Black was trying to find a tactical way to force his pawns through, which seems reasonable, but with so many pieces on the board such winning tactics are going to be extra hard to find. As in most endgames, the side with superior material should trade off pieces whenever possible, and avoid pawn exchanges whenever possible.

For example, the White knight's invasion with 30. Nc6 should have been prevented. That knight might well have been exchanged off earlier by bringing the Black K and N toward the center and action side (the queen side), like with Kf8 (like at 27. Kf8) followed by Ke7 followed by an offer to exchange knights by Nd7. Note that White's knight has nowhere useful to go anyway, unless White makes room for it with f4 followed by Nf3. Instead, Black made a lot of kingside knight moves that ultimately didn't do anything except to lose tempi, and gave that White knight an invasion square with 27...b4. Similarly, the exchange 50....Nxe5 followed by 51...Kh5 was probably best. Similarly, 52....g6 or 52...g5 would have hung on to Black's pawn chain longer.

Black may have been able to draw by repetition by 39...Nc4 40. Rb1 Na3 41. Rb2 Nc4 42. Rb1 etc.

Thank you for the insight. I did feel terrified to exchange pieces honestly due to white being up an exchange. But I guess trading off knights wouldn't have been such a bad idea. I worried during the game that if I traded down all my pieces, I would only be left with a bishop vs whites rook. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad had I gotten the King over to the Queen side to support the passed pawns.