Can't Win Decisively

32.Bxf7 Rf8 33.Be6 Qf4 34.Qd8#

38.Re7?? should be Be7!

The rest of the game is garbage play.

You get draws because you play for a draw.  Play for the win!  Look for the attack on the King first.  Not viable?  Attack Queen.  Pick a piece off.  Not viable?  Forks. And so on.  Actively change your mindset and your aims. 

You played too fast.  You weren't looking at the possible replies by your opponent, it seems like you were just playing looking at your pieces unless something irritating happened like black threatened one of your pieces.

Move 30  you hang your bishop (3 seconds)
Move 32 you don't take the free bishop and at the same time hang your bishop (11 seconds)
Move 37 you miss the pawn on a6 is hanging (6 seconds)
Move 44 you hang your queen (3 seconds)

Move 9 you fling your knight out when it's still the opening and you haven't completed your development (8 seconds).  Of course black can kick it back with h6 which it eventually does but then you put your knight offsides on move 12 (3 seconds).  Which says you're not completely familiar with the basic opening principals of development and center control.

So just take your time, look at your opponent's last move to see what it threatens.  If you're thinking of a move, try to find your opponent's most annoying reply, the one you'd hate to see, not the one you want to see.  Moves 34 and 38 it seems like your either hoping you're somehow getting 2 moves in a row, or hoping black will forget about his rook so you just play whatever moves.

If you believe you can win decisively your right. If you believe you can't win decisively your right

Thanks.  I think orangehonda is right about my play speed...it's just when I play people online (via PlayChess.com which came free with Fritz 12) people only seem to play Blitz games and I feel like I need to rush.

I understand I need to try to control the center of the board but I'm working on learning openings...like a monkey I can do the moves but I need to know WHY the moves are useful and what I can gain or avoid by moving a certain piece or creating a formation of pieces.

I have no idea what aj415 said other than I can win some and I can lose some...depends...it's just that I tend to win by the other guy giving up rather than a decisive move.  

Thanks, I appreciate the feedback!

The message behind my post is not that complicated and I think you can pick up on it with a bit of thought

Play opponents with a pulse !

I think you don't win games decisively because you don't watch out for the tactical possibilities in the position - perhaps because you play too quickly?

My quick thoughts:

Instead of 20. g3 you had possibilities of exploiding the pin on the e6-pawn by your rook. For example 20. Bxc7 or 20. Bxg7, or even Bf6, followed up by Nxd5 as the pawn e6 is not defending the black bishop due to the pin from your e-rook. Thereafter you create threats of Rxe6, because your queen pins the f7 pawn.

27. Nxe6!, because your queen pins the f7-pawn. Now you threaten his queen and threaten to take on g7 at the same time, plus, his king is now vulnerable to discoveries, as your rook is pointing towards it.

32. Qxg7!, you win a piece for free, you threaten his rook and threaten to follow up with Bf6 with matethreat on d8 if he moves his rook away. That move would have won the game decisively.

38. Be7, threatening both rook and queen, is good.

And in the end, you don't see his threat of Qf1, loosing your queen.

I'd say that if you want to be able to win decisively, you should definitely improve your tactics.

I plan on doing that but I'm currently at a remote work site...  Gotta play what's available, but i have been playing people online when i get a chance.