Many A Slip 'Twixt Cup And Lip

PAWN endings are simple in essence but difficult to play accurately.
I reached one last night for Battersea 3 against London Deaf in the second division of the Central London League.

Black to make his 27th move at the start of the pawn ending in Spanton (167) - Neil Dunlop (160)

White is slightly better thanks to his space advantage and more centralised king. The position should surely be drawn with correct play, but that is easier said than done.
27...Kf7 28.b4
Expanding on the queenside, but maybe this could have waited. My main analysis engines, Komodo9 and Stockfish9, prefer kingside play with 28.Kf4 or 28.g4.
28...f5 29.Kd4 Kf6 30.a4 g5 31.b5 axb5 32.bxa5 a6
White's queenside play has come to nothing. White cannot make progress there as black pawns cover the entry squares b5 and c5.
So focus should switch to the kingside.
33.c5?
This innocuous-looking move may be a loser - at least, the engines think so when it appears on the board.
I should have played a neutral consolidating move such as 33.h3.
33...h5
Advancing like this seems natural, but Black has serious winning chances after 33...g4!

Position if Black had played 33...g4!

The problem for White is he is in danger of landing in zugzwang thanks to Black having more reserve tempi.
After 34.cxd6 (at some stage White will have to make this capture or play c6 if he is to free his king) cxd6 35.g3 h5, White has already run out of useful pawn moves and will have to give way with his king.
Stockfish9 suggests 34.c6, and this may be best. Black can try 34...Kg5. After White replies 35.Ke3, Stockfish9 now reckons the position is equal while Komodo9 gives Black the upper hand (later switching to only a slight edge).
Since 35...f4+ gets Black nowhere after 36.Ke4, Black should use one of his reserve tempi by playing 36...h6.
White has to find Stockfish9's 36.h4!, although Komodo9 at first dismisses this as winning for Black. Actually, it is White who is probably winning if Black plays 36...Kxh4?? as 37.Kf4 is strong. The engines' main line runs 37...g3 38.fxg3+ Kh5 39.g4+! (39.Kxf5? is stalemate) fxg4 40.Kf5 (not 40.g3?? as White is in zugzwang after 40...Kg6 41.Kxg4 h5+ 42.Kf4 Kf6) Kh4. Black is temporarily a pawn up and will soon be two pawns up, but after 41.Ke6 Kg3 42.Kd7 Kxg2 43.Kxc7 Kf3 44.Kxd6 g3 45.c7 g2 46.c8=Q g1=Q 47.Qf5+ White has very good winning chances thanks to his more-advanced passed pawn and easier-sheltered king.
Going back to the position after 36.h4!, the main line runs 36...gxh3 37.gxh3 h5! 38.Kf3 Kh4 39.Kxf4 Kxh3 40.Kxf5 Kg2. Now White's best hope is to run for the queenside with 41.Ke6 h4 42.Kd7 h3 43.Kxc7 h2 44.Kb7 h1=Q 45.c7, with a position that will be drawn by perpetual checks.
That is a lot of analysis (most of it by the engines). My conclusion is White still has a draw after 33...g4!, but it ain't easy!
34.h3
Other moves also draw.
34...h4
It is too late for Black to pose problems with 34...g4 as it is easily countered by 35.h4.
35.f3
Not 35.g3?? g4.
35...g4 36.f4 g3 ½-½
MY Battersea unbeaten streak has reached 16 games.
Updated statistics
Battersea 2018-19
Event...Colour...Grade...Opponent's Grade...Result
CLL.........B.........167................196...............…D
LL...…….B...…...167...………..159...………….D
CLL...…..B...…...167...………..161...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...167...………..190...………….D
LL...…….W...…..167...………..161...………….W
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..148...………….D
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..165...………….W
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..160...………….D
Overall this season for Battersea I have scored +3=5-0 for a grading performance of 186.
In season 2017-18 I scored +10=8-9 for a grading performance of 175.