Two games

I’ve come to the decision that in analyzing previous games, I was not dedicating enough time to the endgame. Beginning with these games, I’ve been spending more time analyzing the endgame.

RMD – ALD, 11/20/2004 [B50]
My new analysis approach paid off in this game, where I made some real discoveries.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 e6 4. O-O d6 5. d3 Nf6 6. Nc3 Be7 7. Be3? [7. Bf4] O-O? [Missing 7. … d5 8. Bb5 d4.] 8. a3? [8. Bb3] Bd7? [8. … d5 is still there.] 9. Bb5 Rc8 10. Bxc6 bxc6 [10. … Bxb6] 11. e5 Nd5 12. exd6 Bxd6 13. d4 [13. Ne4] Nxc3 14. bxc3 cxd4 15. cxd4 c5 16. dxc5 Bxc5 17. Ne5 [17. Qe2] Bb5 [17. … Ba4] 18. c4 Qxd1 19. Rfxd1 Ba4 20. Rdc1 Bxe3 21. fxe3 Rc5 22. Nd3 Rc7 23. Rab1 h6 24. Rb4 Bc6 25. Ne5 Rfc8 26. Kf2 f6 27. Nxc6 Rxc6 28. Kf3 Kf7 29. Rb7+ R8c7 30. Rxc7 Rxc7 31. c5 Ke7 32. Rc4 Kd2 33. Kf4 [33. Ra4] Kc6 34. Ke4 Kb5 35. Kd4 Rd7+ [35. … e5+] 36. Kc3 a5 37. a4+ Kc6 38. Rd4? [As a rook endgame this is drawn, but after this move White has some slight problems.] Rxd4 39. exd4 e5 [39. … Kd5] 40. Kc4 exd4 41. Kxd4 g6 [41. … h5] 42. h3 [Chessmaster recommends 42. g3, but I think this is actually stronger.] f5 43. g3? [Now this is a mistake; 43. h4!] g5 44. Ke5? f4? [I didn’t have the time to calculate it all out, and I felt that White had sufficient time to gobble up all the Black queen side pawns. This was not the case. 44. … Kxc5 45. Kxf5 Kb4 46. Kg6 Kxa4 47. Kxh6 Kb4 48. Kg5 a4 49. h4 a3, and Black should win. Now with best play, it should be a draw.] 45. gxf4 gxf4 46. Kxf4 Kxc5 47. Ke3 Kb4 48. Kd2? [White should lose after this. The draw was to be had after 48. Kd4! Kxa4 49. Kc4 Ka3 50. Kc3 a4 51. h4 h5 52. Kc2 Kb4 53. Kb2 a3+ 54. Ka2 Ka4 55. Kb1 Kb3 (based on section 6.23 of Comprehensive Chess Endings: Pawn Endings).] Kxa4 49. Kc2 Ka3? [Now the game reverts to the drawn line previously given. Correct was 49. … h5! 50. h4 Kb4 51. Kb2 Kc5 52. Ka3 Kd5 53. Ka4 Ke4 54. Kxa5 Kf5 55. Kb4 Kg4 56. Kxh4 Kd3 with a win.] 50. Kb1? [Allowing White to get back in it. 50. Kc3! is correct.] a4? [Neglecting to take advantage of White’s oversight with 50. … Kb3!] 51. Ka1? [Losing. 51. h4! preserves the draw.] Kb3 52. Kb1 a3? [Letting the win slip yet again. 52. … h5!] 53. Ka1? [53. h4! for the draw.] h5? [The final error in an endgame which has turned out to be a comedy of errors upon being subjected to scrutiny. This move was correct earlier, but now it leads only to a draw. Correct was 53. … Kc4!] 54. h4 Kc3 55. Ka2 Kd3 56. Kxa3 Ke3 57. Kb3 Kf3 58. Kc2 Kg3 59. Kd2 Kxh4 60. Ke2 Kg3 61. Kf1 h4 62. Kg1 h6 63. Kh1 h2 ½-½

ALD – RMD, 11/20/2004 [D24]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d5 3. Nc3 dxc4 4. Nf3 Bg4 [4. … Bf5] 5. Bf4 [5. e3] Bxf3 6. exf3 Nc6 [Not best.] 7. d5 Nb8 8. Bxc4 a6 9. O-O b5 10. Bb3 g6 [10. … c5] 11. Re1 Bg7 12. d6 [12. Qe2] cxd6 13. Bxd6 Nc6 14. Bf4 [14. Bc5] e6 15. Qxd8+ Rxd8 16. Rad1 [16. Bxe6!?] O-O 17. Bg5 Rxd1 18. Rxd1 Nb8 [18. … Na5] 19. g3 h6 20. Bf4 Nh5 21. Bxb8 [21. Be3] Rxb8 22. Rd7 Bxc3 23. bxc3 Kg7? [23. … Rc8!] 24. c4? [Missing 24. Bxe6!] Nf6 25. Ra7 Rb6 26. cxb5 axb5 27. Kf1 g5 28. Ke2 Rd6 29. Ke3 Nd5+ 30. Ke2 Kg6 31. h3 f5 32. Bxd5 Rxd5 33. f4 gxf4 34. gxf4 e5 [34. … Rd4] 35. fxe5 [35. Ra6+] Rxe5+ 36. Kf3 Kg5 37. Rh7 b4 38. h4+ Kh5 39. Kg3 [39. Rb7.] Rc5 [Missing the stronger 39. … Re4, with a slight edge. Now the game is completely even.] 40. Rb7 Rc4 41. Rb5 Rg4+ 42. Kf3 Kxh4 43. Rxf5 h5 44. Rf4 Rxf4+ 45. Kxf4 [A study of similar positions from section 6.12 of Comprehensive Chess Endings: Pawn Endings leads to the conclusion that this position is a draw because of the Kings’ vicinity to the two passed pawns.] Kh3 46. Kg5 h4 47. f4 Kg3 48. f5 h3 49. f6 h2 50. f7 h1=Q 51. f8=Q Qd5+ 52. Kg6 Qa5 53. Qd6+ Kf3 ½-½