Lessons From Fagernes VII

MY round-seven game featured a simple but instructive endgame mistake.

White has the better pawn-structure, but Black's activity, including threats from the passed d4  pawn, have forced all the white pieces to the back rank

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Stockfish15.1 reckons Black is equal after 27...Nd5 or 27...Nc6. Komodo14.1 agrees those are the best moves, but gives White a slight edge.

The game saw 27...Nc2, presumably expecting an exchange of knights. Indeed Black would probably be winning after 28.Nxc2?? Rxc2.

Instead 28.Nd3 Rc8 29.Bd2 trapped the black knight, which cannot be anchored by the d4 pawn, and no longer has an escape route via b1.

LESSON: what goes up, must come down, or, in chess terms, what goes in, must have a way to come out if it is to survive.