A Little Chess

Work has been swamping my chess playing schedule this month, so there hasn't been much action to write about. As these things go, a little action often means mediocre action, but I think I've learned some things, even from sporadic and inconsistent play.I was white here, and feeling pretty forlorn already. Clearly, I've lost an exchange, and I was just trying to come up with a way of holding down the damage. Hence,
15.Bd2? Nxa1
16.Qxa1 etc. and I was playing to somehow not lose.
Soon after the game, the idea 15.Rb1! was pointed out to me by none other than BCC Master Riordan, and I immediately protested that it lost the d-pawn. It must be bad right? Ahem. Play might have proceeded something like: 15...Nxd4 16.Nfxd4 Bxb1 17.Nc3 Bg6 18.f5 exf5 19.Bxd5 Rb8 20.e6 fxe6 21.Nxe6And white is looking very happy, superior development and open lines accounting for the material. Again and again I have come across this lesson - it is absolutely CRUCIAL in chess to be concrete - look deeper at lines that you want to dismiss instinctively and hunt for attacking patterns, especially when things are going badly.