1.d4f5My opponent said it was his first time playing the Dutch. Well, gotta start at some point I guess.2.c4Nf63.Nc3...Reflecting on this position a bit more, I'm not sure about Nc3 here. Perhaps better (will see later on) waiting for Nbd2 is best. Like, ideally, I would want:3.g3e64.Bg2d55.Nh3c66.O-OBd67.Bf43....e64.g3Be75.Bg2O-O6.Nh3!?...Definitely not the usual idea, Nf3 much more frequently played. I had recalled this move from watching Chessexplained's video series on it (see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eNqo3R-FsA&list=PL9FA3D5561ADFB090&index=14#t=4m15s). However, looking back on it, I'm not sure I would continue this line without further study. However, the general idea is trading the DSB on f4.6....d56...c67.O-Od58.b3Bd69.Bf47.cxd5...My coach and I discussed this move a lot. He wasn't a big fan, which I understand because I'm making my LSB look at a wall of pawns. I'm also not big on Catalan structures yet so I wasn't comfortable with:7.O-Odxc48.Qa4due to things like:Qxd49.Be3Qd610.Qxc4c67....exd58.Nf4...A little bit of hope chess, but I'm very interested in how he plans on developing the queen side, and am hoping he'll develop without thought and play Nbd7.8....c69.O-ONe410.Re1?!...This rook move was terrible, combined with a following move later on. I was thinking I wanted f3-e4 at some point, but even if I wanted that, my rook probably would be better on f1, not e1, getting access to the open file.10.f3Nxc311.bxc3Bd612.e410....Nd7?Immediately responded.11.Ne6Qa512.Nxe4...I actually had some difficulty calculating out a line here, which was stupid because I hadn't noticed that even if it did work, it didn't work.12....fxe412...Rf6I thought...13.N4c5??when clearly...(13.Nxf6+!Nxf614.Nc5Bxc515.dxc5)Nxc514.Nxc5Bxc515.dxc5Qxc516.Be313.Nxf8Nxf814.a3...14.Kh1I was worried about Bb4 and me being stubborn about that rook placement.Bb414.f3but I probably should just playBb415.Rf1exf316.exf314....Ne6My thoughts in my head : "e3 seems the sound way to go. Just be up an exchange. But I wanna win, let's blow him off the board. f3 should win."15.f3?Nxd4I'll be honest - thank you Bc1. I only had seen my rook hanging.16.Be3...16.Qxd4??Qxe1+!but my opponent had noticed the more pressing threat (though stockfish likes my continuation better for black)(16...Bc5!17.Be3Bxd418.Bxd4)17.Bf116....Nf517.b4...Another blunder. I felt under a lot of pressure and was just willing to go into this terrible end game that he for whatever reason avoided.17....Qa617...Nxe3!18.bxa5Nxd119.Rexd1exf320.Bxf3And while the computer says I'm a bit better, I think I'd rather be Black. He definitely has almost full compensation.18.Bc1...Here is another blunder. I realize when I start getting into some pressure I break pretty easily. But I had trouble figuring out where to place my bishop (but obviously this was the worst square). You can see in the following lines I was rejecting because of my LSB, but really it's a terrible piece and I shouldn't feel bad about losing it.18.Bf4g519.Be5Qb6+20.Kh1Ne321.Qb3Nxg222.Kxg218.Bd2Qb6+19.Kh1Ne320.Bxe3Qxe321.fxe4dxe418....Bf619.Rb1Bc320.Rf1Qb6+21.Kh1e322.g4Qc723.gxf5Qf4As soon as this move happened, I started swearing loudly in my head. I really thought I was completely lost, and there was no way to protect h2. I never even considered Bb2, which is a complete shame. Granted, it's not like my LSB looks like it'll be doing anything ever, but still.24.Bxe3??...24.Bb2□Be525.Bxe5Qxe524....Qxe325.Qd3...Trading queens was another mistake here. I was just exhausted after what felt like constantly defending though and wanted to relieve some of the pressure. But clearly I should first focus on my pawns. And look at this structure I'm going into...25....Qxd3⩱26.exd3Bxf527.Rfd1d4I was actually slightly happy about d4. That dark square bishop just lost a lot of its movement. Instead, I think he should have rushed to attack d3.27...Re828.f4Re3(28...Re229.Rb3d4)29.Bf128.Kg1Re829.Kf2...I offered a draw here, I don't think he heard me.29....Re330.Bf1g531.Be2h631...h532.Rg1(32.Rf1)Bxd333.Rxg5+I was thinking about this line but i hadn't considered that Rxg5 would come with check.32.Rb3Re733.Rxc3...I felt like I just had to release the bind at this point.33....dxc334.Rc1Kf735.Rxc3Ke6So, throughout this end game, one thing I should have considered is a much faster d4/f4. My light squared bishop is not playing at all atm, and it's definitely my worst piece. Also, I make a fatal flaw later by placing more pawns on light squares.36.Rc5...36.d4Kd637.Rc5Be636....Kf636...Bg637.d4Be8Didn't think of Re5+ here trading down.37.b5cxb538.Rxb5Rc739.a4b639...Rc340.Rxb7Bxd341.Bxd3Rxd342.Rxa7Ra340.a5Bd740...Rc241.axb6Bxd342.b7□(42.bxa7?Rxe2+43.Kg3Ra2)Bxb543.b8=QRxe2+44.Kg341.axb6Bxb542.bxc7Ba643.d4Bc8I honestly had about a two minute think about how simple this was with just Ba6 and promote. Then laughed and hated myself for how stupid that was. I offered a second draw here. We were winding down - definitely past hour 3 at this point and very few people left in the club. He mentioned he wanted to play it out and see. Thankfully though, perhaps my fast play combined with the earlier draw offer made him not consider his winning ideas later.44.Ke3...44.Ba6??Bxa645.c8=QBxc844....Ke645.Bc4+...45.f4!gxf4+(45...g446.Bxg4+Ke747.Bxc8)46.Kxf4Kd647.Bc4Kxc748.Ke5a549.Kf6h550.h4=45....Kd746.Ke4Bb7+The computer still says draw here, but it's definitely harder than it looks.47.d5...47.Ke3Probably best. Accept my Ke4 was a bad idea.47....Kxc748.Ke5Kd749.Bb5+Kd850.f4...Computer is still 0.00. However, I am sacing a pawn for no clear reason. I think better was:50.Bc4a551.f4gxf452.Kxf4and defend the pawn.50....gxf451.Kxf4...51.Be2□to hold 0.0051....Bxd552.Kg4Bf753.h4a554.Kf4...54.Kf5Be855.Bc4a456.Kf6Bd757.Kg6Ke758.Kxh6Kf6Entombed king isn't any good.54....Ke755.Ke4Bb356.Kd4a4Even here I still thought I was okay. However, it's not as clear.57.Kc3Bd158.Kb4Kf659.Be8Kf560.Ka3...All I can do is shuffle and hope to sac for the H pawn. However, it's not possible.60....Kg461.Kb4Kxh462.Ka3Kg562...Kg463.Kb4Kg564.Ka3Bh565.Bxa4Bg666.Bd1Bf5!67.Kb4Bg468.Bc2h569.Be4h470.Bb7h371.Ba6h272.Bb763.Kb4h5??However, as I was just replying with my shuffling very quickly, he wasn't really thinking.
It's not to say this is the only drawing move, there are a few others.63...a3=64.Kxa3Bh565.Bc6Bg666.Kb4Kf467.Kc3Ke368.Kc4h569.Bd7h470.Kc3Kf471.Kd2Bf5(71...Kg372.Ke3Bh573.Bc8Bg474.Bxg4Kxg475.Kf2h376.Kg1)63...Bc264.Kc3Bb365.Kb2Bd166.Ka2Bc267.Ka3Bg668.Ka2a369.Ka1a270.Kb2a1=B+71.Ka2Bxe864.Bxh5Kxh565.Ka3Kg466.Kb2Kf467.Ka3Ke368.Kb2Kd269.Ka1Kc1At this point we agreed draw. I had a moment of panic in my mind though right before he said yes, in that for whatever reason my knowledge that "this is clearly a draw" went out the window when my mind thought:69...Kc270.Ka2Kc1and for whatever reason i wouldnt be able to go back to a1. Hahah.71.Ka1=(71.Ka3??Kb1)