Was going for the draw the right move?

I had a tricky endgame situation that was very drawish. If I (as black) went RE5 and he took my RG4 then I would follow up with RE3 threatening checkmate, but not sure where the game would go from there.

Note that he was up a pawn, but if I never went RE5 then he could not take any of my stuff without giving up a piece, and continuing to move my king instead would force a draw. 

The computers all tell me Rb6+ was the right follow-up move to 37 ..e6 38. b1 but it seemed risky. Should I have tried to go for the win?

you could have played for a win with 0 risk, seems very hard for white to draw if he can even draw.

actually, i think white can draw only with accurate play upon farther analysis.

for example, 38. Kb1 Rb6+ 39. Ka1? Rf6 40. Kb1 Rf1+ 41. Kc2 Kxa2 42. Rxg4 Rf2+ 43. Kc1 Kb3 and he is almost busted, if not losing.

39.Kc2! Kxa2 40. Rxg4 Rb2+ 41. Kc1 Kb3 42. Rxc4! draws

doesn't hurt to play on here either you are against a weak opponent, ... Rc2+ 43. Kd1 Rxg2 44. Rc8 a4

im going to say a 1500 standard player on chess.com is going to easily crumble under pressure and blunder.

It looks like a draw because as soon as Black moves his rook White plays rook takes g4.

Black should have attacked the rook instead of going to the queenside.

Wolf183 has a point .  Black can move his king to h4 at that point White must have his king on h2 to protect his rook.

White can protect his rook but then in the mean time Black moves his a pawn to a3! 

Then Black apparently wins by playing his rook to say e5 and then to b5 and then to b2  -I would have to put this on a board to check it out but it could very well be a forced win for Black.

Looking at the game two winning motifs have to be examined.

1) The rook on g3 has no squares, as Wolf183 indicated. Assume your king on h4 and the white on f2. After the a-pawns have done their moves white loses the rook or if it is black's move after e.g. Re5 e4 Rxe4 Re3 Rxe3 Kg3 black will win the pawn endgame.

2) The game plan. After 38. Kb1 Rb6+ KirbyCake's variation with 39.Kc2 should be met with Rb2+ and now:

a) 40. Kc1 Rxa2 e.g. 41. Rxg4 Kb3 black takes on c3 next with mating threat or just pushes the a-pawn

b) 40. Kd1 (guards e2 to protect the e-pawn homerun) Kxa2 41. Rxg4 Kb3 black should win because of the passed a-pawn

To answer your question, no draw. You had one simple win with 1) and at least a very probable with 2)

nvm, yeah black has a simple win.

overlooked on 40. Kd1 Kxa2 41. e4 loses by 1 tempo.

also, don't listen to this fiveofswords guy, he's been trolling other threads as well by saying tactics don't matter at all.

he probably cheats, there is no way a 2300 standard player can't tell immediately that black has a huge advantage in that position.

i can bet you that any expert player would not take a draw against magnus carlsen in that position, even without doing any calculations. blacks chances of losing in that position is clearly 0.

can no one see that whites rook is trapped and black can just manuever his K acroos the board forcing whites king to go defend it at which point black can pick off the A pawn and promote?

Black was winning. End of.

Kind of...

sometimes it seems we are so caught up in our analysis we, as chess players, forget to see the simplistic, obvious solution.  Go Pack!  Next year!