that line by YKW is a typical example how positional features (here the open c-file) emerge, lie dormant for some time because no one is really interested and then come back to haunt you.

a little tweak to the previous line that I thought of while sleeping (wtf why do I think about this game while I'm sleeping?!): 30.. Rxf2 31. Ne4 Rf5 32. Rc1 b6 33. b4 Bxb4 34. Rc7+ Kf8 and now if white simply takes Rxg6 as I previously offered, black has a strong Rf7! which seems to reduce the pressure immensely. So instead of 34. Rxg6, maybe 34. Rh7 is a good option, and after 34.. Kg8 probably 35. Rd7 and again white should get everything back and then some. Now it is getting a little bit hard to calculate w/o the board, but one crazy line would be 35.. Raf8 (so that white king is now in some danger) 36. Rg6+ Kh8 and now white can take a draw obv, but I think after 37. Ng5! white king should be able to escape, Rf1+ 38. Kb2 R8f2+ 39. Kb3 Rb1+ 40. Kc4 Rc2+ 41. Kxd4 Bc3+ 42. Ke4 and to any check Kf3 next move.

There is no way all of the above is correct, but it was really fun to calculate it while sleeping lol

Well, this walks right into 30.Ne4, but I don't really know what other options I have. If I don't take f2 then Ne4 comes anyway and I don't have a pawn to show for it. So I think this is basically forced. I'm looking at something like 29...Rxf2 30.Ne4 Rf5 and will be curious to see what white does at that point.

Same thoughts as earlier. Still not entirely sure where I'm going with this line to get the pawn back, but the position just has to be good.

As mentioned in earlier posts, this is obviously forced.

I wonder if Kyle will see Rc1 or tunnel vision on the kingside instead

it's probably worth looking at the position at least deeply enough to see what the two most forcing moves do: Nxc5 should win back a pawn straight away, and Ng5+ wins a pawn or forces a repetition at least. but yeah White should definitely be looking for more

I had a long post typed out with a lot of analysis that got eaten by the internet monster, and I don't feel like going over it all again.

Long story short: Nxc5 gives me almost the better end of a near-certain draw, and that is most definitely not how I roll. Ng5+ is more speculative, unbalanced and probably not the best move. That is much more my speed.

Wonder no more

I didn't think Rc1 was a hard move to see. It seems very natural to me- put the rook on the open file.

I wasn't considering Ng5. It decentralizes the knight and doesn't seem to have a plan behind it.

it's typical pattern recognition. A strong player sees the fork on d6 immediately and tries to make it work.

How do these Malkovic games work, are the players allowed to use assistance of a board to play through potential moves and stuff (how I assume correspondence chess works) but not allowed to use computer assistance (where I assume the line is drawn)?

I'm really surprised Rc1 wasn't noticed by seemingly either player. They both seem plenty strong (both over 1500 right?). I'm not that strong of a player and it was pretty easy to spot. I'm sure I've missed worse in OTB games, but I mean, OTB it's easy to miss a bunch, doing this Malkovic style it seems much less likely to actually get tunnel vision since you are "fresh" looking at the position every time and maybe even can play out moves on the board when analyzing?

Also, even though it's moot, what about 31. Rdg1 (...Rg8 32. h5)? That seems like another natural move if white doesn't want to get into a drawy position. I dno, maybe it's not that strong but it seems to me it creates a bunch of possibilities on the Kingside. Not sure why the Knight has to move, seems it's in a good spot to me and black has pretty much no threats for a while.

maybe Kf6 Ne4+ Kf7 is best play for Black anyway, so White has lost nothing and given Black a chance to do something stupid? Black has some problems defending his pawns in all other lines, an alternative is Ke7 Re1 e5 Ne4 Bb4 Rc1 which does not look any more promising for Black than the Rc1 line

black could try to improve by Kf6 Ne4+ Kg7, stepping out of the d6 fork.

then Rdg1 looks strong, you get to take a pawn with check! and maybe take some more pawns and give some more checks.

that's true

Yugoslavian: 31.Rdg1 is definitely interesting. 31.-Rg8 32.h5 Rxh5 33.Ng5+ looks pretty dangerous due to the discoordinated black pieces. Not sure if it's enough for more than equality in the end though, two pawns is a lot