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Could I have won this endgame?

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LogoCzar

I would like help understanding this endgame. 

I felt like my position was better as:

a. I was more active

b. I had a better pawn structure

c. Good bishop vs bad bishop

but even in slow time control 45/45, I failed to win the game.

 

Can I have some help understanding how I could have played this better?

BronsteinPawn

What about instead of 26...h5 you just expand on the queenside with a5?

LogoCzar

Thanks, interesting idea. 26...h5 probably wasn't the best.

gluestix

on the 26th move you need to break with a5 trying for b4

BronsteinPawn

Yes. 

26...h5 makes some sense, you want to restrain those kingside pawns. But those arent a majority and really worst thing White can probalby do is end up exchanging pawns and putting his g-pawn on g6, making g7 a permanent weakness. But that takes a lot of time, and you would have probably promoted on the queenside by that time.

BronsteinPawn

My first bullet instinct would be to play d4, evne tho it gets rid of the e3 weakness it looks interesting, and it vacates d5 for the king. Have you looked at that too?

keisyzrk

I think it's just a draw.

keisyzrk

On move 23, I would have played Bxe5.

Zipho_Lunika

I believe its a draw since in the absence of heavy pieces it is difficult to exploit the pawn weakness. Also dynamic factors like a better bishop is of very little value in an endgame. Hence, in truth, black is slightly better but as a result of correct defence the game should be a draw....note. i havent consulted a computer to test the objectivity of my evaluation.

Zipho_Lunika

Another factor you might want to add in your evaluation is that you have a space advantage. of course with very little pieces its neglible

canwedoit

u were probably slightly better, but ur opponent played good defense so it wasnt ur fault u couldn't win. 

BronsteinPawn
keisyzrk escribió:

On move 23, I would have played Bxe5.

Are you Carlsen or something? Stop it with the piece imbalances, calm down.

Bab3s

After 28...d4 even your symbolic advantages vanish completely. 28...c4 keeps the game going, though White should hold as long as he doesn't blunder. Even more importantly though, White getting e4 in is crucial to the assessment of the endgame. If you had even one more tempo, there would have been chances to press.

EDIT: Actually, 26...Bxh2!? 27. g3 Kf5 deserves serious attention. If 28. Kg2 Ke4 29. Kxh2 Kd3 30. e4 dxe4 31. Bf4 Kc2 is not clear to me. Perhaps it can be solved by deep calculation, but also White has other resources, such as 29. Be1 Kxe3 30. Bf2+ Ke2 31. b4 or even 28. e4+ and only then Kg2. More complicated than it may seem at first! At least I don't see any straightforward refutation of 26...Bxh2.

LogoCzar
BronsteinPawn wrote:
keisyzrk escribió:

On move 23, I would have played Bxe5.

Are you Carlsen or something? Stop it with the piece imbalances, calm down.

I considered 23...Bxe5 after I already played Nxe5.

I regretted 23...Nxe5 soon after.

SAGM001

This guy is Very strong , can beat Engines too :/

Riten

I would probably play c4 at one point to keep his pawn on c3 but it's still draw if white doesn't blunder. As someone said before, keeping the knight on board would give you more chances.

keisyzrk
Bab3s wrote:

After 28...d4 even your symbolic advantages vanish completely. 28...c4 keeps the game going, though White should hold as long as he doesn't blunder. Even more importantly though, White getting e4 in is crucial to the assessment of the endgame. If you had even one more tempo, there would have been chances to press.

EDIT: Actually, 26...Bxh2!? 27. g3 Kf5 deserves serious attention. If 28. Kg2 Ke4 29. Kxh2 Kd3 30. e4 dxe4 31. Bf4 Kc2 is not clear to me. Perhaps it can be solved by deep calculation, but also White has other resources, such as 29. Be1 Kxe3 30. Bf2+ Ke2 31. b4 or even 28. e4+ and only then Kg2. More complicated than it may seem at first! At least I don't see any straightforward refutation of 26...Bxh2.

See, that's all very complicated to me xD I would have just played 23...Bxe5 and won with K-e6-f4-e4. 0_o

BronsteinPawn

I would just have played 3...g6 and win. 

LogoCzar
BronsteinPawn wrote:

I would just have played 3...g6 and win. 

4.c4 and I prefer white.

BronsteinPawn

Really? 4.c4 would be a weird Grunfeld where Black is already better.