Nice video. You will improve a lot doing analyses like that and thinking about the game. You said that you wouldn't figure these things out over the board because it's hard to calculate. As you improve you will find that breaks like f5 will become elementary to you. The most important element in pawn endings aside from the opposition is probably the distant passed pawn. A passed h-pawn vs the opponents f-pawn is usually very easily winning because you are quicker to pick up his remaining pawns and make another passer.

Also what you did in the end position when he resigned after d7 you went 1...h3 2.d8=Q h2 3.Qh8. That is very much winning as you sac the queen and clean up the q-side pawns. However 3.Qa8 is more easily winning, next move is 4.Qh1 and he can't make a queen and the win is "cleaner"

Educational! Like public television. I really enjoyed this video, and you should submit it for
the contest

The opening was interesting. I'm not familiar with too many e4 lines where white fianchettoes the king-bishop.

I actually don't mind that position where you get doubled pawns after Nd5. It gives you a decent initiative on the queenside and in the center.

After you play Re1 and black can trade into a Queen vs. two rooks position, I think you have an interesting (potential) material imbalance. Sometimes I worry about playing lines like that over the board, as coordinating the rooks can be tricky against the agile queen. In a correspondence game you might not need to worry as much, but you might need to be careful if black can get a passed pawn. That being said, you're right that your rooks will give you a lot of play against the black king.

Then you get into a rook ending, which looks pretty good for you, except for the move you say black should've played! Re3 looks like it forces you into a relatively passive position. However, maybe it isn't took much of a problem (you should be able to draw), since as soon as the black king goes onto the e-file, you can play Re2 and you're probably winning. So I'm thinking that position might just lead to a draw. So while you're passive, black can't quite win there.

After ..d5 you mention that fritz said the position is drawish. That looks to be the case to me...but I think you'll have great practical chances.

The decision about the rook trade is really complicated. Trading seems like it might be a little drawish, but it all depends on analysis.

You make an EXCELLENT point about black's move ...b5. I was thinking about the exact same thing. Now you don't have to worry about black invading on the queenside (although you can't invade there either).

"No mistakes or you are crying. I've had that happen to me a couple times." I'm quoting you on that.

(NOTE: I wrote the following paragraph before realizing the breakthrough idea. White WINS in these lines. After g4, white can later play f5 and win with a breakthrough like in the game. It's an awesome breakthrough and it's the same one Fritz later suggests)

I don't like your h4 move (around 9:35). It seems like black could cause a lot of frustration with ...h5 and trying to blockade. It's going to be hard to get an outside passer there. In fact, I'm pretty sure ...h5 secures a draw for black. You can try g4 next move, but black just ignores it and whenever you play gxh5, black can play gxh5 and your king can't penetrate on the e- or g-files so your f-pawn isn't going anywhere. Let me know if I missed something there. (like I said, this paragraph is wrong, white can still break through)

Ah, black now plays ...h5. You illustrated the reason why black should've played it earlier. But I just realized that white still wins here. Fritz's suggestion of f5 is exactly right. You get the outside passed pawn and win there, there's really nothing black can do. After f5 and black plays hxg4+, you just play Kxg4 and if gxf5+ you play Kf4 with a winning position. All you do is push your h-pawn and as soon as black goes to capture it, you munch the f4 pawn and both the d-pawns. After that, it's all over for black.

But, your move order wins as well. Very nice breakthrough! Now one note though, is that gxh5 is a better move. Ah..you just said that. I'm typing these comments as I watch. Good discussion of the outside passed pawn. They make a huge difference in pawn endings.

Beautifully engineered pawn breakthrough. After all that, it's over. Fascinating endgame. Thanks for the analysis.

gratsi on the comments -

regarding the opening - I've just been dinking around with different variations of the KIA lately - I was also looking at the first of Bobby Fischer's 60 Memorable games - (vs Sherwin) and noticed he did 1. e4 2. Nf3 3. d3 4. g3 5. bg2, but that was vs. a Sicilian - it loses a lot of impact with 1. e5 :)

Well played endgame, or should I say that your opponent blundered with the exchange of rooks.