It is often said that chess is 99% tactics. Strategic skills may enable you to obtain a won position, but winning a 'won' game requires tactical skill. White demonstrates an abysmal shortfall in this area from move 30 onwards, as well as missing an early opportunity on move 15. His failure to manage his time properly is no excuse! Despite his failings, White had a clearly won position when his opponent's flag fell, but the note to the highly plausible 38.Qxf8 shows how easy it is to go astray in won positions, with a really neat stalemate idea for Black.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nge2 O-O 6. Ng3 e5 7. d5 a5 8. Be2 Na6 9. h4 h6 10. h5 g5 11. Be3 Nh7 Black seems determined to play ....f5, and White was very tempted to let him because the White squares in the centre and Kingside would be very weak. It also puts a stop to White's vague thoughts of playing Qd2 and saccing on g5. However, White went for another White square theme that he thought was virtually winning, strategically speaking. 12. Bg4 Now White will rule the White squares . 12... Bxg4 13. Qxg4 Nf6 14. Qe2 Nc5 15. f3 White misses the chance for a quick kill. 15. Bxg5! hxg5 16. h6 Ne8 (16... Bh8 17. h7+ Nxh7 (17... Kg7 18. Nf5+ Kg6 19. Rh6#) 18. Qh5 Re8 (18... Nf6 19. Qxh8#) 19. Qxh7+ Kf8 20. Nf5 Bf6 (20... Qf6 21. Qxh8+ Qxh8 22. Rxh8#) (20... f6 21. Qxh8+ Kf7 22. Qg7#) 21. Qh8+ Bxh8 22. Rxh8#) 17. hxg7 Nxg7 (17... Kxg7 18. Nf5+ Kg8 (18... Kg6 19. Rh6#) (18... Kf6 19. Rh6#) 19. Qh5 mates.) 18. O-O-O+- The open h-file is lethal, e.g. 18... f5 (18... Qf6 19. Kb1 Rfb8 (19... Rfd8 20. Rh2) 20. Rh2 b5 21. Rdh1 Kf8 22. Rh6 Qf4 23. Nh5 Nxh5 24. g3 Nxg3 25. fxg3 Qxg3 26. R6h3 Qf4 27. Rf3 Qg4 28. Rxf7+ Kxf7 29. Qxg4+-) 19. Nxf5 Nxf5 20. exf5 Rxf5 21. Qh5 Qf6 22. Qh7+ Kf8 23. Qh8+ Qxh8 24. Rxh8+ Ke7 25. Rxa8 Rxf2 26. Rd2+- 15... Kh7 16. Nf5 Ng8 17. O-O White now plans the classical expansion on the Queenside and Black has no counterplay at all. Around here the computer prefers plans based on taking on c5. I am not convinced that idea is better. 17... Ne7 18. Qc2 Setting up a concealed attack on the King and keeping an eye on b3 and a4. Immediate a3 ideas run into ....a4 and Nb3 blocking White's Queenside pawn push. 18... Nxf5 19. exf5 Black has removed the outpost on f5 but at the expense of creating another on e4. 19... f6 The g7 bishop now resembles Monty Python's parrot. 20. a3 Qe8 21. b4 axb4 22. axb4 Nd7 23. g4 23.Nb5 may be stronger. But this is simpler. 23... Qe7 24. Ne4 c6 Weakens d6. 25. dxc6 bxc6 26. Rad1 Exchanging a pair of Rooks on a8 first is more accurate according to the computer. I wanted both Rooks for the d-file, given half a chance. 26... Ra3 27. Bc1 Ra6 28. Rxd6 Rfa8 29. Qd3 Rd8 Self-pinning the d7 Knight just makes matters worse. On each of the next few moves White has numerous ways to win. In each case he makes a sub-optimal choice, but his position remains overwhelming. 30. Rd1 30. Be3! Takes a7 from the Black Rook and the d7 Knight is lost after Rd1. 30... Ra7 30... Ra1 31. Be3 Rxd1+ 32. Qxd1 and Nc5 will win the Knight. 31. Qd2 Now 32.Nc5 is a real threat as is 32.b5. 31. Nc5? Nxc5 hitting the Queen is not the way to go, even if White is still much better after 32. bxc5 31. Rxc6?! Qxb4 ditto. Black is helpless against positional continuations such as 31. c5 followed by Be3 and b5 or 31. b5 which are both very strong, but a better move order is 31. Be3 Rc7 followed by either b5 or c5, both of which are crushing. 31. Bxg5 is the flashy way to win. For the second time in this game White failed the tactical test and, in doing so, used up most of his remaining time to reach the time control at move 40. To rub salt in the wound, it is the same move (Bxg5), albeit in a completely different setting. 31... hxg5 (31... fxg5? 32. f6 Bxf6 (32... Qe8 33. Nxg5+ Kg8 34. Qh7+ Kf8 35. Qxg7#) 33. Nxf6+ Kh8 (33... Kg7 34. Qh7++- Kf8 35. Qg8#) 34. Qg6 the computer's choice.(My choice 34. Nxd7 wins as well, of course. 34... Qg7 (34... Qh7 35. Qe3 Re8 (35... Raxd7 36. Qxe5+ Kg8 (36... Qg7 37. Qxg7+) 37. Rxd7 Rxd7 38. Qe8+ Kg7 39. Rxd7+ Kf6 40. Rxh7 c5 41. Qe7#) 36. Qxa7+-) 35. Nxe5+-) 34... Qg7 35. Rxd7 Qxg6 (35... Raxd7 36. Rxd7 Qxg6 (36... Rxd7 37. Qe8+ Qg8 38. Qxg8#) (36... Qxd7 37. Qxh6+ Qh7 38. Qxh7#) (36... Rg8 37. Qh7+ Qxh7 38. Rxh7#) 37. Rxd8+ Kg7 38. Rg8+ Kf7 39. Rxg6+-) 36. Rxd8+ Kg7 37. hxg6 Kxf6 38. R1d6+ Kg7 39. R8d7+ Rxd7 40. Rxd7+ Kxg6 41. Rd6+) (31... hxg5 This looks like it stops all the fun. I completely missed that White has a second sac on g5. ) 32. Nxg5+ fxg5 (32... Kh6 33. Nf7+ Qxf7 34. Qe3+ Kh7 35. Qxa7+-) (32... Kh8 33. Ne6+-) 33. f6+ e4 34. fxe7 exd3 35. exd8=Q+- 31... Bf8 32. b5 32. Nxf6+ Nxf6 33. Rxd8+- wins, but 32. Rxd7! Raxd7 33. Qxd7 Rxd7 34. Rxd7 Qxd7 35. Nxf6+ Kg7 36. Nxd7+- is another, better variation on the theme. 32... cxb5 33. cxb5 33. Rxd7 33... Raa8 34. Nxf6+?! 34. Rxd7! Rxd7 35. Qxd7 is much cleaner. 34... Nxf6 35. Rxd8 Rxd8 36. Qxd8 Qc5+ The resource I missed when playing 34.Nxf6+. 37. Kg2 and Black's flag fell with 4 moves still to make. A possible continuation is 37... Qxb5 38. Rd2 Almost anything sensible wins here, but not 38. Qxf8?? This would throw away the win - but not for the obvious reason of the fork on e2. 38... Qe2+ 39. Kg3 (39. Kh3?? Qxf3+ 40. Kh2 Nxg4+ 41. Kg1 Qf2+ (41... Qg3+ mates next move as well.) 42. Kh1 Qh2#) (39. Kh1? Qxf3+ 40. Kg1 (40. Kh2 Nxg4+ etc. as before.) 40... Qxd1+ wins as g4 is falling with check wherever the King moves, and Black has an unstoppable initiative.) (39. Kg1?! Not much of a winning attempt! 39... Qxd1+ 40. Kf2 (40. Kg2 Qe2+ 41. Kg3 is the main line, minus the d1 Rook. This allows a perpetual starting with 41. ...Qe1+ as well as the rather nicer main line idea.) (40. Kh2 is the same.) 40... Nxg4+ 41. fxg4 Qc2+ and draws by perpetual check.) 39... Ne4+!! (39... Qxd1?? loses as follows 40. Qf7+! Kh8 41. Qxf6+ Kg8 42. Be3+- and there is no perpetual check.) 40. fxe4 (40. Kh3?? Qxf3+ 41. Kh2 Qg3+ 42. Kh1 Nf2#) 40... Qg2+!! 41. Kxg2 Stalemate! 38... Bg7 39. Bb2 Nxg4 The computer's suggestion as a last desperate attempt to expose the White King and pray for perpetual check. 40. Qd6 Another computer move. Any 'normal' player would call the bluff with 40. fxg4 Qc4 41. Bxe5 Qxg4+ 42. Bg3 Qe4+ 43. Kh2 Qxf5 44. Qe7+- The Rook is coming to d7. 40... Ne3+ 40... Nf6 41. Bxe5+- 41. Kf2 Qf1+ 41... Nc4 42. Qg6+ Kh8 43. Rd8+ 41... Nd5 42. Rxd5 Qxb2+ 43. Kg3 and Black has to give up his Queen to prevent mate with 44.Qg6+ and 45.Rd8. 42. Kxe3+- Qg1+ 43. Rf2 Qe1+ 44. Re2 Qg1+ 45. Kd2 wins. 0-1 [Mike ]