What am i doing wrong?

I am trying to improve my game as much as possible so maybe anyone who wants to can help me out with some advice.

This is a game that I was winning in but it ended up as a draw. I think its because I am making bad positional decisions among other things and Im also not great at bringing home an advantage.

Any constructive criticisms (e.g. other lines that you think I should have played at any point) would be a great help. Thanks.

that was an interesing game

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yes that might help

Yes sorry about that. Should I have aimed to swap off the minor pieces and look for a promotion or should I have gone for the mate being a knight and a pawn up? I know letting him double up my pawns (and getting a point from the exhange) was a poor mistake that must have affected my chances in the endgame... but if I didnt allow that to happen (through some of sstteevveenn's comments) would exchanging and going for the promotion been the best plan?

And also on move 10 I recaptured with the queen. Would it have been better to recapture with the bishop? it might have made it more awkward for him to castle giving me more time to marshall an attack.

 Thanks for every comment.

On move 13, instead of retreating your bishop to Bc3, you could have done Bc7. Your bishop cannot be attack for a while there. That would also limit some of black's moves.

At the time I made 19.Rad1 , I could see he would double up my pawns and gain my bish and knight for his rook but I was more concerned in occupying the open file and making steps towards his king. But I can see how keeping my position solid with 19 Rfe1 is far stronger, especially going into the endgame. Thanks for your comments.

I can't believe I'm giving advice on endgame but:

49.Re4+ Kf5 50.Kh1 zugzwang!

Or even better, work your way to playing Rf3. If he takes with bishop, you can undouble pawns, Kxh2 and the 2:1 pawn majority should be a relativly easy win.   

Yes, i would just be looking to swap off pieces, especially the rooks, while looking out for errors that would give you an easy checkmate perhaps with your 2 rooks, or that allow you to get your rooks eating all his pawns on the 7th rank, but again, this would just be looking towards a simple endgame.  Once it's just your pawns and piece against his pawns, there's nothing he can do really.  You should also be careful of your own pawns on your 2nd rank. 

I also noticed your h pawn.  I think black should have taken this, and if possible you should have avoided giving him that opportunity.  Since he didnt take it, i think  34.h3 is better. That bishop cant touch it on a white square, and it prevents passed pawns without the black king helping out. 

On move 10, taking with the queen looks better to me than putting your bishop awkwardly in front of your queen, and after you swap off it looks like you have a good advantage (a pawn and development and black should be worrying about his king).  I would have considered castling queenside too, putting your rook on that nice open file.  

Swapping off material is of course a good way to go, but I think that 30.Rxf8 is not the best option in the position (although it is still very strong and likely winning).  I think 30.Rdd7 was a better choice.  In general, doubling rooks on your opponents second rank is an extremely difficult thing to meet.

Thanks to everyone for your great advice - i didn't expect this much feedback but i guess i have underestimated the chess.com community. I will definately remember all the ideas mentioned and attempt not to repeat the mistakes I made in this game (it would be an insult not too for allowing you to watch this boring draw ).


Thanks again.

 Yes, but he has to move his king away from the bishop so Rxf4 can only be countered with gxf4 followed by Kxh2. Eventually, the white king can clear the way for his pawn faster then his black counterpart while at the same time leaving the black king on the rear of the pawn advance.

Enclosing a diagram to demonstrate: 

34. Ke2. You let your opponent take a pawn for no reason. Just play h3 here. This is a very simple mistake that has a very dramatic affect.

The remaining comments are not as blatant and their effect probably less:

18. Nf3. This move is ok, but it is risky. All of a sudden the knight is tied down to the defense of the bishop. A move like 18. Bg3 limits the counterplay of the opponent by keeping your pieces flexible.

We see the unpleasant consequences after 18. ... Re8. You chose 19. Rad1. This gives up two pieces for a rook, which is a negative material trade for you. Of course, the alternative 19. Bg3 Re2 where your opponent gets a rook on the 7th is unpleasant as well. However, material advantage is permanent, the dynamic advantage of the rook on e2 can eventually be overcome by 20. Rac1 and 21. Rfe1. (watch out for the opponent's storming g-pawn in the meantime.) 

28. Re7. I would prefer to limit the opponent's counterplay by 28. a3. That way you secure the tomb of the bishop. Bb8 loses to Re8+ forking the king and bishop. If he tries to move the king first, a check on the 7th rank followed by Rxb7 wins a pawn and forces a trade of rooks.