Hello ! These pawn endings are difficult to play, especially in blitz.
Just a few thoughts, en passant :
- I'm not sure 45...c6 secures the draw - what if for example white plays 46.d4 ?
- after 46...c5?!, you should check 47.Kh3 (if 47...cxb4 48.axb4 and 47...Kf4 48.Kh4!)
- the initial position looks winning for white
Instead of 45.b4 I think thet better it 45.d4 for white
45.d4 exd4 46.cxd4 and white's central pawns will couse you a lot of trouble.
or
45.d4 c6 46.a3 a5 47.b4 a4 (now all the pawns are blocked) 48.Kf3 Kh4 49.g5 Kxg5 50.Kg3 (and draw)
i think if white did 51. kxe2, they would have stopped your pawn promotion and secured their own. after move 50, white's king can stop black's pawn promotion but black can't stop white's pawn.
hicetnunc wrote:
- I'm not sure 45...c6 secures the draw - what if for example white plays 46.d4 ?
I agree. White can play 46.d4 and black has no good replay.
46...exd4 cxd4 and black is out of moves. Either move a pawn and allows a promotion or move his king and gives away the opposition.
Black is unfortuately lost after 46. ... c5. Instead of the losing 47. bxc5 White should play 47. Kh3. Black has only 3 moves that make any sense: 1) 47. ... cxb4 48. cxb4 Kf4 49. Kh4 and the g pawn will queen (If Black retreats the king 48. ... Kg6 then White plays 49. Kh4 and will eventually sacrifice the g pawn to win Black's central pawns); 2) 47. ... c4 48. dxc4 bxc4 and White wins on the queenside with two pawns to one and 3) 47. ... Kf4 48. Kh4 and the g pawn wins. In fact Black is lost after move 41. Instead of 42. g4 the much better 42. Kf3 wins in similar fashion. An outside passed pawn is usually much too strong for the weaker side to hold a draw. Good thing the game was blitz because if White had time to think he would have won. Keep the faith, keep playing.
Mike
This was a 10 0 blitz game, so excuse the mistakes (but comment them freely)