I’ve chosen a game I won because I think I learn bad habits when I win. If I lose, I tend to analyze for poor moves, but when I win, I tend to think I did something right, when I may have just gotten away with poor moves.
I’ve decided to hold off on any of my own analysis for now, but I have looked the game over and made notes.
I should comment that this was and odd game in that it started as a slow correspondence game (a few moves an hour) then stopped, then had flurries of activity, then stopped for several days… You get the idea.
Some moves were made far too quickly. Others, I analyzed for a long time. I think my opponent missed a key move because we walked away from the game for several days. If he had moved immediately after my move, I’m almost sure he would have done something different.
I am an amatuer and I tend to make stupid mistakes, so have at!
Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve played and a long time since I’ve analysed a game, so take that for what it’s worth. Also, I’m commenting as I go, not looking at it in totality.
6.Be2 Bxf3
Not sure what this accomplishes. You take out a knight, but the d4 square it was defending wasn’t really drawing much action. Meanwhile you’ve traded it for your centralized bishop and allowed his bishop to move into a better position.
7.Bxf3 Na6
In general, it’s not great to push your knights to the sides of the board in midgame as it limits mobility. I know you were trying to avoid white’s pawn push to e5, but I don’t see why that’s a problem for you. Or maybe Nd7 to avoid the push altogether.
11.Re1 Nd7
Not terrible, but combined with your previous knight move, you’re scrunching yourself back up. Look at White right now compared to you. He has control of the center and you’ve locked your queen away.
14.h4 Bxb2
I have no idea why white ignored the threat on his knight with this pawn push. That said, I think it would be better to take the knight straight away rather than nab that free pawn.
22.Bf4 Qxb1*
Yeah. I don’t think even White knows why he did this. I’m surprised the game lasted even another move.
Overall not terrible, but I think quite a few of your choices limited your mobility and could have been taken advantage of by a stronger opponent.
In this vein, ultimately you ended up trading your fianchettoed* bishop for a knight in a relatively poor position. This is a poor move because that bishop is important for your defense. Especially when white still has that colored bishop.
*This is the term for when you move the knight’s pawn up a space and move the bishop into that spot.