STC Open Round 8 - A loss to look at!

I was up against a strong player in this game, and hoped to hold on for a draw. Alas, it was not to be. I got through the opening reasonably unscathed, but then missed a couple of good chances in the middle game and dug myself in a big hole.

As always, your insights are welcome. I used the Slow Chess Blitz program for analysis. I like its ability to show multiple lines. I'd still like a way to show the "why" of a particular line. It's not always obvious why a particular move is not selected (e.g., in the analysis of 15. ... Bd7 below, what's wrong with 17.RxQ?).

More tactical study is required!



















[Event "STC Open 2006"]
[Site "freechess.org"]
[Date "2006.04.21"]
[Round "8"]
[White "thingummywut"]
[Black "RBHawkins"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "1847P"]
[BlackElo "1632P"]
[ECO "D37"]
[TimeControl "3600"]

1. d4 {[%clk 1:00:00]} d5 {[%clk 1:00:00]} 2. c4 {[%clk 0:59:43]} e6 {[%clk
0:59:48]} 3. Nc3 {[%clk 0:59:34]} Nf6 {[%clk 0:59:34]} 4. Nf3 {[%clk
0:59:11]} Be7 {[%clk 0:59:06]} 5. Bf4 {[%clk 0:58:33]} c5 {[%clk 0:57:23]} 6.
dxc5 {[%clk 0:57:38]} Bxc5 {[%clk 0:57:09]} 7. e3 {[%clk 0:56:21]} Nc6 {[%clk
0:55:39]} 8. a3 {[%clk 0:55:07]} O-O {[%clk 0:53:46]} 9. Qc2 {[%clk 0:52:57]}
b6 {[%clk 0:51:55]} 10. Rd1 {[%clk 0:52:34]} Re8 {[%clk 0:47:30]} 11. cxd5
{[%clk 0:50:59]} exd5 {[%clk 0:46:03]} 12. b4 {[%clk 0:49:34]} Be7 {[%clk
0:43:41]} 13. Nxd5 {[%clk 0:49:15]} Nxd5 {[%clk 0:42:07]} 14. Qxc6 {[%clk
0:48:53]} Be6 {[%clk 0:40:37]} 15. e4 {[%clk 0:47:08]} Bd7 {[%clk 0:37:59]}
16. Qxd5 {[%clk 0:46:38]} Be6 {[%clk 0:35:54]} 17. Qxd8 {[%clk 0:46:28]}
Raxd8 {[%clk 0:35:37]} 18. Rxd8 {[%clk 0:45:39]} Rxd8 {[%clk 0:35:22]} 19.
Be2 {[%clk 0:45:37]} Rc8 {[%clk 0:33:33]} 20. O-O {[%clk 0:45:15]} Rc2 {[%clk
0:32:30]} 21. Nd4 {[%clk 0:44:17]} Ra2 {[%clk 0:31:56]} 22. Nxe6 {[%clk
0:43:51]} Rxe2 {[%clk 0:31:06]} 23. Ng5 {[%clk 0:42:14]} h6 {[%clk 0:29:53]}
24. Nf3 {[%clk 0:41:47]} Rxe4 {[%clk 0:29:11]} 25. Re1 {[%clk 0:41:35]} Rxe1+
{[%clk 0:28:13]} 26. Nxe1 {[%clk 0:41:31]} Kf8 {[%clk 0:27:02]} 27. Nd3
{[%clk 0:41:18]} Bf6 {[%clk 0:25:49]} 28. Bb8 {[%clk 0:41:09]} a6 {[%clk
0:25:13]} 29. Ba7 {[%clk 0:41:06]} b5 {[%clk 0:25:05]} 30. Kf1 {[%clk
0:40:22]} Ke8 {[%clk 0:24:36]} 31. Ke2 {[%clk 0:39:21]} Ke7 {[%clk 0:24:12]}
32. Ke3 {[%clk 0:39:18]} Kd6 {[%clk 0:23:54]} 33. Bd4 {[%clk 0:39:00]} Bg5+
{[%clk 0:23:33]} 34. f4 {[%clk 0:38:57]} Bf6 {[%clk 0:23:09]} 35. Bxf6 {[%clk
0:38:54]} gxf6 {[%clk 0:23:04]} 36. Kd4 {[%clk 0:38:53]} f5 {[%clk 0:22:52]}
37. h4 {[%clk 0:38:49]} f6 {[%clk 0:22:36]} 38. Nc5 {[%clk 0:38:48]} Kc6
{[%clk 0:21:42]} 39. Nxa6 {[%clk 0:38:45]} h5 {[%clk 0:21:19]} 40. Nc5 {[%clk
0:38:42]} Kd6 {[%clk 0:21:03]} 41. Nd3 {[%clk 0:38:38]} Kc6 {[%clk 0:20:45]}
42. Nf2 {[%clk 0:38:36]} Kd6 {[%clk 0:20:38]} 43. Nh1 {[%clk 0:38:35]} Kc6
{[%clk 0:20:01]} 44. Ng3 {[%clk 0:38:33]} {RBHawkins resigns} 1-0