Failed to Calculate Further

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Last Wednesday I played my second OTB game since the beginning of the pandemic.

While I did win the game, I horribly misplayed this position:

Here I played 33…Qh5?? 

Clearly the queen cannot be captured since the game would then proceed 34.Bxh5 Rg2+ 35.Kh1 Rh1+ 36.Kg1 Rag2#

What I calculated was 34.Qxc2 Qg6+ 35.Qg2 Rxg2+ 36.Bxg2 Nxe4 and thought “OK, up a pawn…must be better.” Do you see what I missed? (Scroll down for the answer)

 

 

 

 

 

Here I missed 37.f5!

In this position

I also missed 34.Bg4 Rxc2 35.f5! Qxg4 37.hxg4

So there’s a lot of work still to be done.

Luckily my opponent saw none of that and played 34.Rd2

Til Next Time,

Chris Wainscott