My last game of last year

During my current break from chess (I am not scheduled to play for 2 more weeks), I realised that I hadn’t posted my last game from last year. It was a weird game, from beginning to end – I was out of theory on move 2(!) but felt that my higher-rated opponent didn’t necessarily play as well as his rating would imply! Ours was the last game to finish in the league match and the victory allowed us to draw the match at 2.5-2.5. Anyway, here’s the game (I am black).

1. f4 e5 2. d3 d6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e4 Nf6 5.f5 d5! 6. Nc3 dxe4 7. dxe4
(7. Nxe4 Bxf5)

7… Qxd1+ 8. Kxd1 Bb4 9. Bd3 O-O 10.Bd2 Bd6 11. a3 a6 12. h3 Nd4 13. Nxd4 exd4 14. Ne2 Re8 15. Rf1 Nxe4
(15… c516. c3 Nxe4 17. cxd4 cxd4)

16. Bf4 Bxf4
(16… Bd7 17. g4 Rad8 18. Bxe4 Rxe419. Bxd6 cxd6)

17. Rxf4 Nd6 18. Nxd4 b5
(18… c5 19. Nb3 b6)

19. Nb3
(19. a4 c5 20. axb5 cxd4 21. bxa6)

19… Bb7 20. Rf2
(20. g4 Rad8 21. Nc5)

20… Rad8
(20… Nc4 21. Bxc4 bxc4 22. Nd2 Rad8)

21. Nc5 Bc8
(21… Ne4 22. Nxe4 Rxe4 23.b4 Re3 24. Kc1)

22. Kd2
(22. Re2 Nxf5 23. Rxe8+ Rxe8 24. Bxf5 Bxf5 25. Nxa6)

22… Bxf5 23. Raf1 Bxd3 24. cxd3 Re5 25. b4 Rxc5
(25… a5 26. Kc3 a4)

26.bxc5 Ne4+ 27. Ke3 Nxf2 28. Rxf2 f6 29. d4 Kf7 30. Rd2 c6 31. Ke4 Re8+ 32. Kf4
(32. Kd3)

32… Re1
(32… Ke6 33. Re2+ Kd7 34. Ra2 (34. Rxe8 Kxe8 35. Ke4 Kd736. d5 f5+ 37. Kd4 cxd5 38. Kxd5 g5 39. c6+ Kc7 40. Ke5 Kxc6 41. Kxf5 Kd5 42.Kxg5 a5))

33. d5 cxd5 34. Rxd5 Rc1 35. Rd7+ Kg6 36. Ra7
(36. Rc7)

36… Rc4+
(36… Rxc5)

37. Ke3 Rxc5 38. Rxa6 Rc2 39. Kf3 Ra2 40. Ra5 h5 41. Kg3 Rb2 42.Ra7
(42. a4 b4 43. Rb5 b3 44. a5 Ra2 45. Rxb3 Rxa5)

42… Kh6 43. Kh2 h4 44.Ra8 g5 45. Rb8 Rb3 46. Rb6 Kg6 47. Kg1 Kf5 48. Kf2 Ke5 49. Rb8 Kf4 50. Rd8 Rxa351. Rd4+ Ke5 52. Rb4 Ra5 53. Kf3 Kd5 54. Rb2 Kc4 55. Rc2+ Kb3 56. Rc6 b4 57.Rxf6 Rb5?
(57… Ka2 58. Rb6 b3)

58. Ke3 Kc2 59. Rf2+ Kc3 60. Ke4 b3 61. Rf3+Kc4 62. Rf1 b2 0-1