Lessons From Liverpool: When Precision Is Key

MY round-seven game reached the following sharp middlegame position.

White has just captured a pawn on c6 in Simon Johnson (1911 ECF/no Fide) - Spanton (1947 ECF/1982 Fide)

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Both kings look vulnerable, although Black has to be careful not to fall for 35...Qd5?? 36.Rg6+ etc.

However, after 35...Rb8 36.Rc8+ Rxc8 37.Qxc8+ Kg7 38.Qxf5 Qa6 the game should probably end in perpetual by 39.Qd7 Kf7 40.Qf5+ Kg7 41.Qd7 etc.

There are other lines, eg 36.Rxd6 Rxb7 37.Rg6+ Kf7 38.Ra6 Rc7 39.Ra3, but they all end in complete equality, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1.

Instead I played 35...Qb8??, and could have resigned after 36.Qd7, rather than struggling on, only to be mated four moves later.

LESSON: general considerations go out the window when kings are endangered - only accurate calculation will suffice.