Without further comments: Two very  good games !

Friendly greetings,

Herman

You played well most of this game, but then started getting too defensive.
Your 21...g6 looks good (though no forced win) but later also 23...Qb6! is just begging to be played.  White has abandoned the Queenside for some minimal threats on the kingside that are easily repulsed.  Now his b and d pawn are under attack.

There is no defense, white loses material. If 24. Nh5, then Rg6. If the seemingly strong 24 Nf5 is played, simply 24...g6. White's in deep doodoo. Fore example, 24 Nf5 g6 25 Nh6+ Kg7 26 Nf5+ Kh8! and something's gotta give. 

Similar thing happened to me in my last tournament few last week! PLayed poorly in my last game to get no money :(. Your opponent somehow missed 30. Qh3 for a win! I dont think your should have been moving that rook so much! You attacked his queen then moved it back to the same place thus giving your opponent a free tempo!

I should've considered ...f6 before ...g6 or ...f5 because it follows the strategic principle of putting the pawns on the color opposite your bishop.

scowgod , I'm annoyed I fell for a simple tactic, and better defense would've survived longer, but as soon as White advanced his pawns my position would've crumbled.

My biggest mistake was how I responded to f2-f4.

a) I didn't like abandoning the only open file with ...Rf6.

b) I didn't like giving myself a horrible bishop with ...f5.

So...

c) I decided to stop the f-pawn with ...g6, and if it advanced alone my pieces would attack it and prove it was weak.

A poor plan, since I have a light-squared bishop that can't attack the pawn on f6!

Better was simply 27...f6.

...37 Qc7 seemed to put your Queen out of action. Would something like 37 Qf8 or Qe8 have been better?

what does g6 accomplish can't his queen get out?

Well this is what i see his queen moves to H4 and than you trade off your bishop for his knight and possibly queens as well...he gets doubled pawns than you put a rook on the seventh and destroy his position.

hicetnunc , I will definitely analyze these games in detail soon.

uritbon , sorry to hear that. Hopefully you are studying chess while listening to that classical music in a darkened room. ;)

batgirl , it gives me, in hicetnunc's words,  energy to channel. Mon/Tue I went through 85 pages of Watson's Mastering Chess Openings, Volume III with an analysis board, which is not light reading. I am never going to lose this way again.

"I'm furious at myself for losing. I didn't even stay for my $120 consolation prize. Damn. Damn. $*&@)(%#! Next time, next time..."

That's the correct attitude for the "successful"  tournament player!  
And attitude is everything (almost).

check out my :"status" 'sitting in a dark room listening to classical music' why do you think i am sitting in a dark room listening to classical music? (lost a tourney, dropped from an easy win and first place in 1 very simple move to second due to tie break...)

but, as said, other chances will come.

It should be interesting for you to review this game with a cold head and see how your emotions have affected your play.

Obviously, chesswise, you were perfectly up to the challenge, so it's more a question of self-control and (as often) correct channeling of one's energy

mauerblume > So this time you were not luckily.

Receiving Black and the tie-breaks were unlucky for me, but I am at least half-way responsible for creating the loss.

mauerblume > there will come other opportunities!

That's what I need to focus on.

SamuraiChess > it's hard to come across better fuel for some hardcore chess studying

Aye. I don't own a punching bag, so I will be taking some of my frustration out on my poor analysis board this morning. Next time.

I hate losing too, with a passion! But it's hard to come across better fuel for some hardcore chess studying than a bitter loss.

Decisive  rounds have their own rules. - Everything can happen. So this time you were not luckily, but there will come other opportunities!-

So perhaps there was nothing wrong with Bd7/Nf5 /Nxe3.- But I do not like that manoevre . It is in my view too direct played forward for  win. -

Perhaps here you should have looked for a more patient strategy

Partly, the loss was so infuriating because I know I can play better chess than this! I think I didn't handle the pressure of the last game very well, and missing 21...g6 did nothing to settle my nerves. Grrrr.... I hate losing for stupid reasons.

My performance rating was apparently USCF 1557.