A day of missed opportunities

Huang Qian - Jimmy Liew, Round 2

Black to move

Black can win easily by advancing his a-pawn e.g 49...a5 50 Kc2 a6 51 Kb2 Rf3 and wins the white f-pawn. But when you have few minutes on the clock, your mind plays tricks on you.

49. ..Ra5 50. Kd3

Now I realized the intended 50...Rf5 51 Ke4 Rxf6 51. Rh7+ Kg6 52. Ra7 wins the a-pawn with a drawn rook ending.

Ra4 51. Ke3 a5 52. Kd3 Rf4

Ok now I can win the f-pawn AND defend the a-pawn

 53. Ke3 Rxf6 54. Rh7+ Kg6 55. Ra7 Rf5 56. Ke4

Black cannot proceed without giving up a pawn

Kf6 57. Ra8 Rb5 58. Rf8+ Ke7 59. Ra8 Kd6 60. Ra6+ Kc5 61. Rxe6 Kc4 62. Ke3 Rd5 63. Ra6 Kb4 64. Rb6+ Ka3 65. Ke4 Rd8 66. Rb5 a4 67. Ke3 Ka2 68. Rb7 Rd1 69. Ke2 Rb1 70. Ra7 Rb4

Maybe the best try but the Chinese player defends perfectly.

 71. Kd2 Kb2 72. Rc7!

I think this is the only move to hold

a3 73. Rc2+ Kb3 74. Rc3+ Ka4 75. Kc2! Rb2+

75...a2? 76. Rc8 draws

76. Kc1 Rb5

Now I was expecting to win after 77. Kc2 a2 78. Rc8 Rc5+ 79. Rxc6 a1=Q

77. Rc2!!  Rb7

The ending is already drawn. There is a well known tactic after 77.. Rh5 78.Kb1 Kb3 79. Rb2+ axb2 stalemate.


78. Rh2 Rb8 79. Rh4+ Kb3 80. Kb1 Rc8 81. Rh3+ Kb4 82. Ka2 Rc2+ 83. Kb1 Rg2 84. Rh4+

1/2-1/2
 
Jimmy Liew - Ziaur Rahman , Round 3
 

Black to move

Black has sacrifice two pieces for this attacking position and now expected to win with
 
23... Ba6??
 
The point being that 24. Qxa6 g3 25. Nf3 comes the thematic sac 25...Rxf3 26. gxf3 Qh2+ 27. Kf1 Qf2 mate which I also see. Therefore I saw no alternative but to give up the queen.
 
24. Bb2??
 
In reality both of us missed that after 24 Qxa6 g3 25. Nf3 Rxf3 white has 26. Qc8+ when it is black who has to resign, 26...Rf8 27. Qxe6+ Kh8 28. Qh3
24... Bxe2 25. Rxe2 Rxc5 26. Be4 Rh5 27. f3 gxf3 28. Bxf3 Rxf3 29. gxf3 Qh1+ 30. Kf2 Rh2+ 31. Kg3 Rh3+ 32. Kf2 Rxf3#

0-1
 
Days like this makes me wondor why I still torture myself with chess.