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| White has just played 22.Rc1-c7, defending the bishop on b7, which has helped snaffle a pawn |
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I replied with 22...Rfd8?, the idea being that White is forced to move the bishop from b7 as Black threatens to kick the queen's rook with 23...Be5.
However, after 23.Ba6 Rxb2 (there is nothing better) White played 24.Bc4, when Black must lose either the f or a pawn.
Black is lost, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1, as I show in my notes to the game.
What is more important is that in the diagram Black has an instructive way to equalise (Stockfish18) or at least be only slightly worse (Dragon1).
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The way to do this is to give up a second pawn by 22...d3!?, the point of the move being to activate Black's bishop.
After 23.exd3, Black does not take on b2 straightaway (if at all!), but instead hits the white queen's rook with 23...Be5.
That effectively forces 24.Rd7, and now 24...Rfd8 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 results in two White pawns being en prise.
White cannot defend both of them, so, after Stockfish18's line, 26.b3 Rxd3 27.Re1 f6, Black has regained one pawn, and has the better coordinated pieces.
Dragon1 suggests 26.Re1 Bxb2 27.Ba6, after which White has a passed pawn, but it is difficult to see how White makes progress following, for example, 27...Bd4.
LESSON: piece activity is hugely important, and can be well worth achieving at the price of a pawn, especially as the pawn may well be regained in short order.
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