Center Counter leads to a draw ...

This week I played against the 'center counter opening' in a club game. I have played against this opponent several times before and played the same variation with an early b4 pawn sacrifice against him and lost. This time I improved - and managed a draw ... Afterwards I was duly and rightly criticised for not taking the initiative and playing more aggressively with 11.Nb5. It ended as a same coloured bishop ending (I remained a pawn down)...

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. b4 Qb6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. h3 Bf5 7. Rb1 Nbd7 8. Bc4 e6 9. d3 Bxb4 10. O-O Qa5 11. Ne2 11.Nb5 was better 11...  Nb6 12. Bb3 O-O 13. Ng3 Bg6 14. Nh4 Bh5 15. Nxh5 Nxh5 16. Bb2 Be7 17. Qg4 Qg5 18. Qxg5 Bxg5 19. Nf3 Bf6 20. Bc1 hoping to trap knight 20...  Bc3 21. Ng5 Nf6 22. f4 h6 23. Ne4 Bd4+ 24. Kh1 Rab8 25. Nxf6+ Bxf6 My knight was strongest piece - should have left it on really? 26. f5 e5 27. Ba3 Rfe8 28. Rfe1 Be7 29. Bb2 Bd6 30. Re4 Nd7 31. Re2 c6 32. Rf1 Nc5 33. Rfe1 Nxb3 34. axb3 f6 35. d4 Bb4 36. c3 Bd6 37. g4 Re7 38. c4 Bb4 39. Rd1 exd4 40. Rxe7 Bxe7 41. Rxd4 Rd8 42. Kg2 Rxd4 43. Bxd4 c5 44. Bc3 Kf7 45. Kf3 Bd6 46. Ke3 Ke7 47. Ke4 b6 48. Kd5 Kd7 49. Bd2 Bg3 50. Bc3 Bf2 51. Bd2 0.5-0.5

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