[Event "Hammersmith Games 2022/23: Cavendish vs Hammersmith 1 - Watson-Gallana"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/w4O5chxQ/Ahbb1wrg"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Variant "From Position"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/GatoEnZugzwang"] [FEN "r2q1rk1/1p2pnbp/2p1b1p1/p1p1p3/4N1P1/2NPB2P/PPP1QP2/2KR3R b - - 0 15"] [SetUp "1"] [UTCDate "2023.05.20"] [UTCTime "17:27:06"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/w4O5chxQ/Ahbb1wrg"] [Orientation "black"] 15... b6 16. h4 h6 { I was quite happy with my position. White's attack on the king-side is not going anywhere and I'm still a pawn up. Having said that, White's position seems very solid. } 17. Kb1 a4 18. f3 { After these logical moves, I had to decide how to play on. One idea is to bring the knigth from f7 to d5, but I wanted to keep it on the kingside to prevent any sacrifice ideas from White. Hence, the only resonable plan I came up with was to try to organize the only pawn break I have in the position, i.e., c5-c4. } 18... Qc8 19. Qh2 Rd8 20. Qe2 { It's quite telling that my opponent gave me two tempi in this position. It's not clear what White should play. } 20... Rd4 21. Ng3 Qd7 { Maybe the immediate c4 was more precise, but I thought I had enough time to improve my queen's position. } 22. Nce4 (22. Bxd4 cxd4 23. Nce4 Qd5 { I thought that Black has more than enough compensation for the exchange. White's rooks are not really impressive in this position, and White's king feels a bit lonley. }) 22... c4 23. dxc4 Bxc4 24. Rxd4 (24. Qxc4? Rxd1+ $17) 24... Qxd4?! { This is quite an instructive moment for me. I wanted to keep my light squares bishop at all costs, assuming that it was my stronger piece, but I didn't pay attention to my other bishop on g7 which is stuggling at the moment. As they say, it doesn't matter what leaves the board, but what remains on the board. } (24... exd4! 25. Qxc4 dxe3 { opening up the g7 bishop. Black is better. }) 25. Qf2 Qd5 26. a3? { Time trouble was approaching, in particular for my opponent, but I don't understand why he didn't play 26.Nc3 at this point. } 26... c5 { now Black is better again } 27. h5 g5 28. Nf5 Bf8 29. Nc3 Qc6 30. Rd1 e6 31. Ng3 { At this point, I thought I was clearly better, because of b5-b4 ideas. However, things are not that simple and I probably overestimated my position. } 31... b5?! { This is too rushed and gives White a lot of counterplay. } 32. Nce4 Rc8 (32... b4 { was my original plan, but suddenly I decided to simply defend the c5 pawn, leaving b5-b4 as a threat. } 33. Bxc5 bxa3 34. Bxf8 Rxf8 35. bxa3 { looks dangerous for White, but it's objectively unclear. }) 33. Qd2 { creating the threat of Qd7. I wanted to keep queens on the board, because I wanted to keep the attack going. Also a minor pieces endgame didn't look so bad for White. } 33... Rd8 34. Qe1 Rb8 35. Nf6+ Kg7 36. Nd7 Rb7? { This could have cost me the game, but the position was already out of control. } 37. Nxf8 b4!? { practically speaking the best chance I think. } (37... Kxf8 38. Ne4 Kg7 39. Bxc5 $18 { is too easy to play for White even with few minutes on the clock. }) 38. Ka1? { It's not easy to allow bxa3 with few time on the clock! } 38... bxa3 39. bxa3 Kxf8 40. Ne4 Bd5 41. Nxc5 Rb5 42. Qc3 Kg8 43. Rb1 Rxb1+ 44. Kxb1 Qb5+ 45. Qb4 Nd6 46. Nd3 Nc4 47. Qxb5 Nxa3+ 48. Kc1 Nxb5 49. Nxe5 Nd6 50. Bc5 Nf7 51. Nd7 Bxf3 52. Nf6+ Kg7 53. Ne8+ Kh8 54. Nf6 e5 55. Kd2 Bc6 56. Bf8 { After many tactical mistakes caused by time trouble, we ended up in this funny position, where I'm a pawn up, but my king is locked in the corner. However, the game is not over yet. } 56... e4 57. Ke3 Ne5 { Now White has to be extremly precise. } 58. Kd4?? { The last mistake! } (58. Bxh6! a3 59. Bf8 a2 60. h6! Nxg4+ 61. Nxg4 a1=Q 62. Bg7+ Qxg7 63. hxg7+ Kxg7) 58... Nd7? { Sadly returning the favour } (58... e3! 59. Kxe3 a3 $19) 59. Nxd7 Bxd7 60. Bxh6 a3 61. Kc3 e3 62. Bxg5 e2 63. Bd2 Bxg4 64. h6 Be6 65. Kd3 Bc4+ 66. Ke3 Kh7 67. Kf2 a2 68. Bc3 Kxh6 69. Bb2 Kg5 70. Bc3 Kf5 { Funnly enough the position is a draw, thanks to the c2 pawn which covers the light-squares. Black can't make any progress. } 1/2-1/2