Just wanted to learn. I was very interested in the Mason Attack after The Jobava vs Ponomariov game in the olympiad, so decided to give it a try.
Comments and criticism are welcome!!
Was there any winning chances for either side?
Sort:
Short answer is basically I didn't like any of the minor piece trades, also in the endgame yes, you had chances because your extra pawn was also a passed pawn.
---
7...g5
This makes an h pawn break really appealing for white. Not right away, but it will be one of the main pawn breaks to consider as soon as you get enough development. Just mentioning it here because there were multiple times to try it during the game. For example after black castled queenside an easy way to play would be g4 (so that black can't advance the pawn when you play ->) followed by h4
11.Bd3
This is a nice square, but it gives black's odd looking Na6 a purpose. Better to start with the move 11.a3 then Bd3
However if you disagree with me, and like the trades, then it was better to do it immediately e.g. 11.Nxd7 and/or 11.Bxa6. This saves time plus weakens black's pawns.
I would likely have played 12.Be2 simply because I think of knights like the one on b4 as single purpose moves... take away their purpose and you've made your opponent waste a move.
14.Be5
Shouts that you want to trade your bishop off the board. Ok, but even though it was your "bad" bishop, it was outside of your pawn chain. Actually this bishop is better than your c3 knight. Don't trade your best minor piece!
The knight is typically misplaced for this queen's pawn opening pawn structure. The pawn breaks are on the c and e files for both players, and the knight blocks the c2 pawn from either defending d4 in preparation for the e4 break, and also from making the pawn break on c4. The bishop was on a long open diagonal and influencing the center.
15.Rd1
Is a hard move to understand. Typically such a move prepares a pawn break (or prepares to meet the opponent's pawn break). I guess you wanted to reinforce d4 to prepare the move e4? This is not bad thinking although it seems like 15.0-0-0 was a better way when not only do you have the e4 break but the h4 break to play with.
After that you pressured his center well and won a pawn.
In the endgame position after 36...Rxd5 it may help to try to mentally pair pieces to find what's different in the position. By pair I mean which of your pieces opposes or essentially does the same job that an opponent's piece is doing. In the endgame the kings are comparable, so are the rooks and the kingside pawns.
Your b pawn and your opponent's c pawn oppose each other (block each other from advancing all the way to a queen). So that leaves us with the difference, which is your passed a pawn. This is what you should try to leverage to win the endgame.
I'm sure you can use an engine to find some of the bigger improvements especially 38.Ke2 which keeps black's rook out of your position. I just wanted to give maybe a helpful way to think about how to play for a win (make use of your difference).
I only have to say two things. Castling queenside was much better imo because your kingside pawns were perfect for a pawns storm to open lines. You had chances in the ending because you had an extra pawn, but it most probably was a draw anyways.