Endgame Focus 5

MY round-six game at Kenilworth did not reach an ending, but in round seven I had white against a player with a Fide of 1918 and an ECF of 1977.

The full game can be seen at K7 but here I want to focus on the endgame.

White has just captured on e1 - how would you assess this ending?

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White has the bishop-pair but multiple queenside weaknesses, whereas Black's only weakness is the d pawn. Stockfish14.1 gives Black the upper hand, but Komodo12.1.1 reckons Black is only slightly better.

20...Ne4 21.Re2!?

Possibly better is 21.Rd1 as it gives White latent pressure against d5 as well as protecting the back rank.

21...Rc8 22.Be1 Rc5 23.Ba4? 

Better is 23.Bd3 or the engines' 23.a4.

23...Kg7?

Much better is 23...Nxc3, which wins a pawn and obliges White to give up the bishop-pair.

24.Kf1?

24.Re3 more-or-less equalises.

24...Nxc3 25.Bxc3+ Rxc3 26.Rd2 Rc5 27.Bb3!

The rook-and-bishop combination is usually stronger than rook and knight, but here the rook-and-pawn ending is White's best hope of drawing, especially as 27.Bd7?, for instance, costs White a second pawn after 27...Nc4 28.Re2 Ba3.

27...Nxb3 28.axb3 Kf6 29.Ke2 Ke5 30.Kd3 a5?

Black should not let the white rook invade the back rank.

31.Re2+ Kd6 32.Re8 Rc7 33.Rd8+ Rd7 34.Ra8 b6 35.Rb8 Kc7 ½–½
My opponent implied he would have played on if this had not been a last-round game.