Lessons From Liverpool: Keep Sharp

I WAS in trouble at an early stage of my round-four game.

Black has just captured on d3 in Spanton (1947 ECF/1982 Fide) - Brian Hewson (2097 ECF/2062 Fide)

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

White is knight and pawn down, but the knight will fall, and Black's extra pawn is doubled and part of a majority that cannot create a passer with normal play.

The ideal for White would be to capture the knight without suffering a damaged pawn-structure; the worst outcome would be to lose further material.

Actually, I managed to come up with a move that was even worse - losing further material AND suffering a damaged pawn-structure.

The first thing to note is that 15.Qxd3?! Qxd3 16.Bxc4?? is hit by 16...Bc4.

Clearly 16.cxd3 is an improvement, although the white rook on d1 is passive.

A better version of this can be had via 15.Rfe1 Rd8, and now 16.Qxd3 Qxd3 17.Rxd3 Rxd3 18.cxd3, when White no longer has a passive rook.

Ture, Black has the upper hand, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1, but White has drawing chances.

Instead I thought I could get the 'ideal' income of capturing the knight and not allowing my pawn-structure to be damaged, by playing 15.Qc3?

This would indeed be the best move if Black did not have 15...Nf4!

After the forced sequence 16.Rxd6 Ne2+ 17.Kh1 Nxc3 18.bxc3 Black continued 18...Bxa2, when White is two pawns down and has doubled and isolated c pawns.

LESSON: there is no substitute for accurate calculation in tactically sharp positions.