Middlegame Lessons From Crete III

IN this series I am looking at important middlegame tactical and positional decisions players faced in my games at the Amateur Chess Organization's world senior championship at the Fodele Beach Resort, Crete.

In round four I had black against Tomasz Sielicki, a Pole with a Fide rating of 1905, although he was listed at the tournament under his previous month's rating of 1938. The full game can be seen at https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2021/06/crete-round-four.html

Position after 17.Bf1-d3

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17...Rd8!

The  analysis engines Stockfish13 and Komodo12.1.1 agree this developing move, giving the black king luft, is best.

The problem with 17...Be6 is that after 18.Bxf6, Black is obliged to play 18...gxf6 as 18...Qxf6?! 19.Rxd6 Ba2+ 20.Kxa2 Qxd6 21.Rd1!? slightly favours White. True, after 18...gxf6 19.Rh5 Rfc8! White does not have enough compensation for a bishop, but the position is certainly less clear than after the text.
White also gets unnecessary chances after 17...Qe6 18.Rd4, although again Black should come out on top.

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How should Black capture on f6?

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19...gxf6

I rejected 19...Qxf6?! because of 20.Bh7+ Kf8 21.Rxd6 Rxd6 22.Rxd6 Ba2+ 23.Kxa2 Qxd6 24.Be4, when White has two pawns for the exchange and should be fine.

Black can seemingly improve with 22...g6!?, when the engines give 23.Bxg6 fxg6 24.Qc5, after which White has three pawns and the safer king for a bishop. Black is better but the text is much clearer, although the black king is more exposed.