Miniatures 33

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

Spanton (147 BCF) - N Foster (200 BCF)

Barbican (London) Rapid1990

Nimzowitsch Defence

1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.g3!?

The main continuations in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database are 5.c3 and especially 5.Bd3.

5...f6!?

This immediate attack on the white centre is a rare continuation but is liked by Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1.

6.exf6 Qxf6!?

How should White proceed?

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7.Bg5?

The engines suggest 7.c3 or 7.Bg2, with what they reckon is equality.

7...Bxc2! 8.Qe2

Or 8.Bxf6 Bxd1 9.Kxd1 (forced) gxf6, when Black is a sound pawn up.

8...Qf5 9.Nc3?

Better is 9,Nbd2, developing and protecting the king's knight.

9...Bb4?

Missing the strength of 9...Be4.

10.h4?

The bishop should be moved, probably to e3.

10...Be4 11.Bg2 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 Qxf3 13.Bxf3 Nxd4

Winning a second healthy pawn.

14.Bd1 Nf6 15.0-0 0-0 16.Rc1 c6 17.a3 Bd6 18.Be3 Nf5 19.Re1?! 0-1

LESSON: success against a much higher-rated opponent is made infinitely harder if basic tactical mistakes are committed while still in the opening.

Miniatures 29

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

Peter Szabo (141 BCF) - Spanton (147 BCF)

Barbican (London) Rapid 1990

King's Indian Attack

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nbd7!? 4.0-0

Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 suggest preventing ...e5 with 4.d4, or attacking Black's centre with 4.c4.

4...e5 5.d3 Be7 6.Nbd2 0-0

With both sides castling early, how would you assess the position?

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It looks like a Pirc, but with colours reversed and 'White' - Black in this case - having played the queen's knight to a somewhat unusual square. The engines reckon the position is equal.

7.c3 c6 8.e4 dxe4 9.dxe4

The engines prefer 9.Nxe4.

9...Qc7 10.Qe2 Nc5

The engines suggest 10...a5 or 10...Rd8.

How should White proceed?

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11.b4?!

Kicking the knight, before Black consolidates its position with ...a5, is normal in this type of position, but here specific analysis suggests it is too weakening. The engines suggest 11.Nc4 or 11.a4.

11...Na4 12.Qd3 Rd8 13.Qc2 Nb6

The engines like 13...b5!?

14.Nb3

White maintains equality with 14.Bb2, according to the engines.

14...Be6 15.Nfd2?!

The engines strongly dislike this, suggesting 15.Be3 or 15.Nc5!?

15...Nc4

Black has an edge after this, but even better, according to the engines, are 15...Na4 and 15...Nbd7!?

16.Rd1 Bg4 17.f3??

White is only slightly worse after 17.Re1.

17...Ne3 0-1

Resignation is not premature as, after 18.Qb1 Nxd1, White can hardly play 19.fxg4?! as Black has 19...Qb6+ etc.

LESSON: when an enemy knight is established on your fourth rank, tactics are rarely far away.

Miniatures 26

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

J Martin (140 BCF) - Spanton (147 BCF)

London (Barbican) Rapid 1990

QGD Semi-Tarrasch

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Nxd5!?

This occurs 143 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, and has been played by grandmasters, but more popular are 6.g3, 6.e3 and especially 6.e4.

6...Qxd5 7.e3 Nc6 8.Bb5 Bd7

Benoît Colin - Alexander Alekhine, Bern 1932, went 8...cxd4 8.Qxd4?? Qxb5 0-1.

9.0-0 cxd4 10.Bxc6

Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 suggest making a gambit of it with 10.Qe2!?

10...Bxc6 11.Qxd4 Be7!?

Can White safely grab the g pawn?

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My opponent thought so, but he was wrong.

12.Qxg7? 0-0-0!?

Offering a second pawn, but it too is poisoned.

13.Qe5

The engines suggest 13.Re1 or 13.e4, but agree Black is winning.

13...Rhg8 14.Qxd5 Bxd5

Queens are off the board, but Black still has strong pressure against White's kingside, the obvious immediate threat being ...Bxf3.

15.Kh1

The engines give 15.e4!? Bxe4 16.Ne1, but 16...Rd1 leaves Black with a large advantage.

Black to play and win

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16...Rxg2!

Not the only way to win, but the most convincing.

17.Kxg2 Rg8+ 18.Kh3 Bxf3 0-1

Mate cannot be prevented.

LESSON: grabbing a pawn in front of your castled king often gives the opponent lots of compensation.

Miniatures 20

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

Spanton (151 BCF) - N Rutherford (105 BCF)

Barbican (London) Rapid 1990

St George Defence

1.e4 a6 2.d4 b5

This is how Tony Miles with black beat Anatoly Karpov in a 1980 game.

3.c4!?

Karpov preferred the more conventional 3.Nf3.

3...Bb7!? 4.cxb5 axb5 5.Bxb5 Bxe4 6.Nf3 Bxb1!? 7.Rxb1 Rxa2?!

Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 dislike this.

How should White proceed?

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8.0-0

This is not bad, but strongest is 8.Qb3, according to the engines.

8...Ra8!?

The engines fluctuate between this and 8...Nf6, coming to prefer the latter.

9.Ne5

9.d5!? is suggested by the engines.

9...Nf6 10.g4?!

Again the engines like d5.

10...c6!?

This is the engines' top choice.

11.Qf3 d6??

Black is fine after 11...Qb6!?, according to the engines.

12.Nxc6 1-0

LESSON: when behind in development, and especially if uncastled, one slip can be fatal.

Miniatures 15

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

Spanton (151 BCF) - Fide Master Michael Franklin (218 BCF)

Barbican (London) Rapid 1989

Sicilian ...a6

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.a4!?

This has been played by grandmasters, and there are 483 examples of the move in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database. But it remains a sideline, and scores a poor 41%.

3...e6 4.Nc3 Qc7 5.Be2 Nf6 6.d4!?

This move is still not in Mega25. Known moves are 6.e5, 6.0-0 and 6.h3.

6...cxd4 7.Nxd4

The game has transposed to a known variation of the Open Sicilian, with 66 examples of the position in Mega25

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7...Bb4 8.Qd3?

This is the commonest continuation in Mega25, but is a mistake. Probably best is 8.0-0, when 8...Bxc3 9.bxc3 Qxc3? is too greedy, eg 10.Ra3 Qa5 11.Nb5!? 0-0 12.Nd6 with more than enough compensation for a pawn, or 9...Nxe4?! 10.Bd3!?, when again White has plenty of compensation. The engines recommend 9...0-0 or 9...d6, claiming White at best has a slight edge.

8...Nxe4!

Black captures the very pawn that White's last move supposedly protected.

9.Bd2?!

Better, according to the engines, is 9.0-0, or even 9.Qxe4!? Bxc3 10.Kf1, but Black is well on top.

9...Nxd2 10.Qxd2 0-0 11.0-0 d5 12.Rad1 Nc6

Even stronger is 12...Bc5!? or 12...Be7!?, according to the engines.

13.Nxc6 bxc6

Better, for a reason that will become apparent, is first 13...Bxc3!

How should White proceed?

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14.Qd4

Missing 14.Nxd5!, after which Black is only slightly better.

14...Bd6 15.h3 e5

As well as being a pawn up, Black has the bishop-pair, and controls the centre.

16.Qh4 Rb8 17.b3 Rb4!?

Piling on the pressure against a queen that does not have many squares available.

18.g3?

This takes away one of the queen's escape squares.

18...h6 19.Qh5 Rf5 0-1

The black queen is trapped, eg 20.Qh4 Be7 21.Qg4 h5.

LESSON: the queen is powerful, but when short of squares it can be vulnerable to the humblest of the enemy's men.

Miniatures 13

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

Tarek Fatin (204 BCF) - Spanton (151 BCF)

Barbican (London) Rapid 1989

English

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2 Be6 6.Nf3 Nbd7?!

Black should probably play the normal move, 6...Nc6.

7.0-0 c6!?

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 much prefer developing with 7...Be7.

8.d4

How should Black proceed?

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8...Bd6!?

A move that still does not appear in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database. The engines like it, along with the known 8...Nxc3, preferring both moves over the other known moves, 8...f6, 8...Qc7?! and 8...exd4?!, although they reckon White has the upper hand.

9.Ne4 Qe7?

Correct is 9...Bc7.

10.Nxd6+ Qxd6 11.dxe5 Nxe5??

Losing a piece, but moving the queen also leaves White well on top.

12.e4 1-0

LESSON: self-pinning, as Black effectively did in this game, is often dangerous, and should not be done without good reason.

Miniatures 12

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

Spanton (151 BCF) - Chris Briscoe (155 BCF)

Barbican (London) Rapid 1989

Nimzowitsch

1.e4 Nc6 2.Nf3 d5!?

Magnus Carlsen has played the text, which keeps the game in independent Nimzowitsch Defence lines, and has a strong affinity with the Scandinavian.

3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nc3 Qa5 5.d4 Bg4 6.Be2

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 like 6.Bb5!?

6...e6

The engines reckon 6...0-0-0 equalises.

7.h3 Qh5?

The engines give 7...Bxf3 8.Bxf3 Rd8!? 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.0-0, with what they reckon is a slight edge for White.

8.Bf4

Even stronger is the simple 8.0-0, forcing 8...Bxf3 9.Bxf3, when White has more space, the bishop-pair and a lead in development.

8...0-0-0 9.Qd2

White is still better after this, but the engines give 9.Bh2 as best, whereas 9.0-0 allows 9...Qf5 10.Be3 Bh5, when 11.g4? Bxg4! 12.hxg4 Qxg4+ 13.Kh1 Qh3+ is a perpetual as 13.Nh2? loses to 13...Bd6 14.f4 (forced) Qxe3.

9...Bb4?!

Probably better is the engines' 9...Bxf3!? 10.Bxf3 Qa5, albeit they give White at least a slight edge.

10.0-0-0?

The wrong side.

After 10.0-0 Bxf3 11.Bxf3 Qa5 White would be well on top

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10...Bxf3 11.Bxf3 Qa5

The same position as in the previous diagram, except here White has effectively castled into Black's attack instead of away from it

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12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.Kb1?

This somewhat natural-looking move is a mistake. White should unpin the knight, for example with 13.a3!? or 13.Qe3, or get on with development with 13.Rhe1.

13...Nf6 14.Bg5??

Correct is 14.Qd3, albeit Black is better after 14...Bxc3 15.bxc3 (15.Qxc3? Qxc3 16.bxc3 Ne4) and 15...c5 or 15...Nd5.

14...Ne4 15.Qc1?

White can more-or-less struggle on, at least at rapidplay time controls, after either 15.Qe3 Nxc3+ 16.bxc3 Bxc3 17.Rd3 Qb4+ 18.Kc1 or 15.Nxe4!? Bxd2 16.Bxd8 Rxd8 17.Rxd2.

15...Nxg5?!

Good enough for a winning advantage, but immediately decisive is 15...Nxc3+ 16.bxc3 (16.Ka1 Qxa2#) Bxc3, when White has nothing better than giving up the queen with 17.Qb2!?

16.Qxg5?? Qxg5 0-1

LESSON: I cannot recall what I was thinking during this game, but my moves have all the hallmarks of playing too quickly, and I am convinced more games are lost through playing too quickly than through playing too slowly.

Miniatures 11

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

J Barrett (ungraded) - Spanton (151 BCF)

Barbican (London) Rapidplay 1989

Veresov

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 Bf5 4.f3 Nc6!?

This is Dragon1's second choice, at least for a while, behind the commonest continuation 4...Nbd7, but the text is not liked by Stockfish17.

5.e3!?

The thematic 5.e4 is, perhaps surprisingly, less popular in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, and scores nine percentage points lower.

5...e6 6.Bd3 Be7!?

Apparently a novelty, and still not in Mega25. Known moves are 6...Bxd3, 6...Bg6 and 6...h6!?

How should White respond?

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7.Nge2

The engines marginally prefer capturing on f5.

7...0-0 8.g4!? Bxd3 9.Qxd3 Rc8 10.0-0-0!?

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the game?

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I think these positions are very hard to judge, and are very dependant on who understands the ideas better. For what it is worth, Stockfish17 gives Black a slight edge, but Dragon1 is less sure.

10...Nb4 11.Qd2 c5 12.h4 Qa5 13.a3?!

This creates a target. Probably better is 13.Kb1.

13...Nc6 14.h5?!

In opposite-side castling, one of the trickiest decisions can be knowing when to proceed with your attack and when to react to the opponent's threats. Here the engines much prefer the latter, in the shape of 14.Kb1.

14...b5

The engines reckon even stronger is the prophylactic 14...h6, preventing White from playing 15.h6.

15.dxc5?!

Probably better is 15.h6.

15...Bxc5??

This turns a winning position, according to the engines, into a losing one. Both 15...h6 and 15...b4 are much better.

16.Bxf6??

Returning the compliment. Instead, 16.h6 leaves Black without a good answer, eg 16...b4 (16...gxh7? 17.Bxf6) 17.hxg7 Kxg7 18.Qe1! etc, or 16...Bxa3!? 17.bxa3 Qxa3+ 18.Kb1 Qb4+ 19.Ka1 Qa3+ 20.Na2, or 16...Ne5 17.hxg7 Kxg7 18.Bxf6+ Kxf6 19.Nxd5+!

16...gxf6 17.Nd4 b4 18.axb4?

Better, but still losing, is 18.Na2 bxa3 19.b3.

18...Nxd4??

An inexplicable blunder. Every capture on b4 wins, but most straightforward is 18...Qa1+ 19.Nb1 Nxb4 20.c3 Na2+ 21.Kc2 Rb8 22.b3 Rfc8 etc.

19.bxa5 20.Nxf3 Qe2 1-0

LESSON: if you play like Black did in this game, consider taking up draughts.

Fundamentals (part 20)

DT Lee (137) - Spanton (147)
Barbican (London) Rapidplay 1991

White to make his 47th move - what should the result be?

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47.Kc5?
Both 47.Ke4 and 47.g3 draw, eg 47.Ke4 h4 (not 47...g4? 48.g3 Ke7 49.Kf5 Kf7 50.Kg5 etc) 48.Kd4 g4 49.Ke4 h3 50.gxh3 gxh3 51.Kf3 Kxe5 52.Kg3 Kd5 53.Kxh3 Kc5 54.Kg3 Kb5 55.Kf3 Kxa5. You may recall from my post The Power Of Two Squares (https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-power-of-two-squares.html) that this is only a win if the Black king can reach b2 or b1. A quick calculation shows that here Black is one tempo short, so the position is drawn.
The game finished:
47...Kxe5 48.Kb6 Kd6 49.Ka6 Kc6 (the white king cannot reach b7 or b8, so White cannot force the a pawn through to queen) 50.Ka7 Kc7 51.a6 h4 52.Ka8 g4 53.g3 Kc8 (not 53...hxg3? 54.a7) 54.Ka7 h3 55.Ka8 h2 0-1

Fundamentals (part 18)

Spanton (147) - Arthur F Reed (100)
Barbican (London) Rapidplay 1991

White has just captured on c4 - who stands better, and by how much?

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White has the more-centralised king and the better pawn-majority, so has an advantage. The opening, as you may well have guessed, was a Spanish Exchange, and a position like the one in the diagram is supposed to be White's dream ending. The supposition is probably correct, but Komodo10 reckons White has only a slight edge, while Stockfish10 is not that much more bullish about White's chances.
23...b6
The engines reckon Black should play 23...a5, although 24.f4, as in the game, and 24.b4, to get rid of White's doubled pawn (24...a4? is met by 25.b5), appear good answers.
24.f4 Kf7 25.e5!?
The engines strongly dislike this move, but it may be OK. They want White to gain queenside space with 35.b4.
25...fxe5
The engines switch their preferences between the text, 25...f5 and 25...Ke6, but it is not clear that any move solves Black's problems.
26.fxe5 Ke6 27.Kd4 c5+ 28.Ke4 b5
The engines prefer 28...g6, which covers the White king's entry square at f5, but they reckon White is much better.
29.c4 g5
Again the engines prefer ....g6, but with a large advantage for White.
30.g3 c6

White to play and win

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31.h4?
The only winning move is 31.h3, when Black will end up in zugzwang, eg if, as in the game, 31...h6 then 32.h4 gxh4 (32...b4 33.h5 a5 34.g4 etc, or 33...g4 34.Kf4 a5 35.Ke4 etc) 33.gxh4 and, once Black runs out of pawn moves, his king will have to retreat.
31...h6 32.h5 a5 33.cxb5?
This loses. White's easiest route to a draw is 33.g4 b4 34.Kf3 (or 34.Kd3) Kxe5 35.Ke3.
33...cxb5 34.g4 b4 35.Kd3 Kxe5 36.Ke3 Kd5 37.Kd3 a4?
This allows a draw. Black's most-direct win is 37...Ke5 38.Ke3 c4! 39.bxc4 a4 40.Kd3 a3 41.bxa3 bxa3 42.Kc3 a2 43.Kb2 Kd4 44.Kxa2 Kxc4 when Black wins both White's remaining pawns.
38.bxa4 c4+ 39.Kc2 Kc5

White to play and draw

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40.Kd2?
The drawing line is 40.b3 c3 (not 40...cxb3+? 41.Kxb3 and 42.Kxb4) when the mutual protected passed pawns mean neither side can make progress.
40...Kb6 41.Ke3
Black offered a draw.
41...Ka5 42.Kd4
I should have taken the draw as now it is Black to play and win.
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42....Kxa4?
This turns a win into a loss. Correct is 42...c3! 43.bxc3 b3 44.Kd3 Kxa4 etc.
43.Kxc4 b3
If 43...Ka5 then 44.b3.
44.Kc3
The game finished:
44...Kb5 45.Kxb3 Kc6 46.Kc4 Kb6 47.b4 Kc6 48.b5+ Kb6 49.Kb4 Kb7 50.Kc5 Kc7 51.b6+ Kb7 52.Kb5 Kb8 53.Kc6 Kc8 54.Kd6 Kb7 55.Ke6 Kxb6 56.Kf6 Kc5 57.Kg6 Kd5 58.Kxh6 1-0

Fundamentals (part 16)

J Clifford (108) - Spanton (147)
Barbican (London) rapidplay 1991

White has just captured on c5 - who stands better?

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Black, thanks to having the more-centralised king and the better pawn-structure, is winning, according to Stockfish10, or at least has the upper hand (Komodo10).
30...Ke5
But it seems that necessary to prove Black's advantage is 30...d4! The point is that after 31.cxd4 Ke6 32.Ke3 Kd5 Black has more reserve tempi with his pawns and so d4 will eventually fall, which means c5 will also fall. So the engines suggest 31.c4!? when they much prefer Black but never manage to make progress, at least in the lines I looked at with them.
31.Ke3
Better is 31.Kf3! but can you see why?
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31...g6
Winning is 31...d4+ 32.cxd4+ (if 32.Kd2 then 32...Kd5!) Kd5 and again Black's extra reserve-tempi mean the d4 and c5 pawns will eventually fall. Note that after 31.Kf3! White can meet 31...d4 with the drawing 32.c4.
After I played the text White offered a draw for the third time in the game.
32.g3?
Drawing is 32.Kf3! and, probably, 32.d4+ and 32.Kf2!?
32...g5
32...d4+! wins.
33.h3?
The engines reckon 33.Kf3! and 33.d4+ draw.
33...h5
Once again ...d4+! wins.
34.d4+
The engines slightly prefer 34.Kf3! but it seems the text also draws.
34...Kf5
The engines reckon Black's best shot is 34...Ke6!? Their main line runs 35.Kd3 Kd7!? 36.h4! (an only-move, apparently, eg 36.Ke3 runs into 36...Kc6, and if 37.Kd3 then 37...Kb5 seems to win, one variation running 38.h4 gxh4 39.gxh4 a5 40.Kc2 Kc4 41.Kd2 b5 42.cxb6 cxb6 43.Kc2 b5 44.Kd2 b4 45.cxb4 axb4 46.Ke3 Kc3 etc) gxh4 37.gxh4 Ke6 38.c4 a6!? 39.cxd5+ Kxd5 40.a3 a5 41.a4 c6 42.Kc3 Ke4 43.Kc4 and White holds, but there are plenty of alternatives along the way.
35.Kf3?!
It may be White had to play 35.Kd3.
35...a5
The engines give 35...Ke6!, which reaches the same position as in the previous note but with the white king one further square away from the queenside. Their main line continues 36.Ke3 Kd7 and now 37.h4 does not work as after 37...gxh4 38.gxh4 Black has 38...Ke6!, eg 39.Kf4 Kf6 40.a3 a6 41.a4 a5 42.Ke3 Kf5 43.Kf3 c6 and the white king has to give way.
36.g4+ hxg4+ 37.hxg4+ Ke6 38.Ke3 Kd7 39.Kd3 Kc6 40.a4 b5 41.cxb6 cxb6??
41...Kxb6 draws easily, eg 42.c4 c6 but presumably I was still trying for a win.
42.c4 Kd6
White offered a draw.
43.Kc3 dxc4??
Other moves also lose, eg 43...Kc6 44.cxd5+ Kxd5 45.Kd3 etc, but the double question-mark is for not taking the draw.
44.Kxc4 Kc6 45.d5+ Kd6 46.Kb5 Kxd5 47.Kxb6 Kc4 48.Kxa5 Kc5 ½–½
My notes do not show, but I think that after I played 48...Kc5 White made his fifth draw-offer of the game, and even I by now could see I had to accept.

Fundamentals (part 13)

Spanton (147) - Peter L Szabo (141)
Barbican (London) rapidplay 1990

White has just captured on f3 - who stands better?

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Black is a pawn up, has a 2-1 farside majority and has a protected passed pawn ... but the position is dead-equal. The reason it is equal is there is no way for Black to penetrate with his king against correct play.
38...a4!?
The best try. If 38...Ke8, White can completely lock the queenside with 39.a4.
39.Ke3
Other moves also draw, including 39.a3.
39...Ke8 40.Kd2 Kd7 41.Kc3 Kc6 42.Kb4 a3!?
Again, pushing this pawn is Black's best try.
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43.Kxa3??
43.Ka4 draws, as does any move with the f pawn, but the text loses.
43...Kb5 44.Kb2 Ka5
Black is still winning after this, but at some point he needs to play ...Kb4 or ...Ka4.
45.Ka3 Kb5 46.Kb2 Kb4 47.a3+ Ka5
This spoils nothing, but 47...Ka4 is more natural.
48.Kc3 Kb5 49.Kc2 Ka4 50.Kb2 Kb5 ½–½
Black is still winning, eg 51.Kc2 Ka4 52.Kb2 c3+! 53.Kxc3 Kxa3 54.f3 Ka4 55.Kc2 Kb4 56.Kd3 Kb3 57.f4 Kb4 58.Kd2 Kc4 59.Ke3 Kc3 etc.

Fundamentals (part nine)

Spanton (151) - Martin Cutmore (152)
Barbican (London) Rapidplay 1989

Black has just captured on e6

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Black's king is more centralised, and White has a backward e pawn, but neither factor seems very important - the position is dead-equal, according to analysis engines Stockfish10 and Komodo10.
26.Kf3 h5
Komodo10 reckons 26...f5 27.Kf4 Kf6 is a tiny bit better for Black, which is why the engine preferred 26.g4. Stockfish10 rates the position after 27...Kf6 as still dead-equal.
27.e4 dxe4+ 28.Kxe4
We now have rival pawn majorities, which makes it much easier to go wrong, as Black does immediately.
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28...f5+?
A useful general rule-of-thumb is that you should first advance the unopposed pawn of a pawn majority. But here that rule-of-thumb is wrong as, after the text, White's h pawn is holding up two black pawns. And since the white g pawn is holding up the f pawn, Black's pawn majority can no longer make a passed pawn with normal play.
Indeed, after ...
29.Kf4
... Black is obliged to reply ...
29...Kf6
(29...g6 30.Kf5 Kf7 is no improvement) ... and White is free to create a winning passer on the queenside.
30.c4 g6 31.d5 cxd5 32.cxd5 a5 33.b3 b5 34.a4 b4 35.g3
Having this reserve tempo is nice, but it is not necessary as 35.d6 also wins.
35...Ke7 36.Ke5 1-0

Fundamentals (part five)

Spanton (151) - Chris O'Bee (128)
Barbican (London) rapidplay 1989

Black has just captured on b5 - what should the result be?

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The position is drawn, but Black has to play accurately to get his half-share of the point, as can be seen from the fact Stockfish10 for quite some time reckons White is winning (Komodo10 quickly recognises the game should be a draw).
60.Kd3 Kc6 61.Ke4 Kd6
Too slow is 61...Kc4?, viz 62.Kxe5 Kd3 63.Kf5 Ke2 64.Kxg5 Kf2 65.Kxh4 Kxg2 66.Kg4 etc.
62.Kf5 Kd5 63.Kxg5

Black to play and draw

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63...e4?
Black draws by 63...Kd4 64.Kxh4 Ke3 65.Kg5 Kf2 66.h4 Kxg2 67.h5 Kxf3 68.h6 Kg2 69.h7 f3 70.h8=Q f2, reaching a position the Nalimov endgame tablebase confirms is drawn.
White could try the tricky 66.Kf5!? but the engines show the position is still drawn with correct play, ie 66...Kxg2 67.Ke4 (not 67.Kxe5? Kxf3 68.h4 Ke3 69.h5 f3 70.h6 f2 71.h7 f1=Q 72.h8=Q Qa1+) Kg3! (not 67...Kxh3 68.Kxe5 Kg3 69.Ke4 etc) 68.h4! (68.Kxe5 transposes to 67.Kxe5?) Kxh4 69.Kxe5 Kg5 70.Ke4 Kg6! 71.Kxf4 Kf6 - the final position is drawn because, with his pawn on f3, the white king needs to get to e5, f5 or g5 to force the pawn home (for a fuller explanation, see: https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-power-of-two-squares.html)
64.fxe4+ Kxe4 65.Kxh4 Ke3 66.Kg4 Kf2 67.Kxf4 1-0