Amatuer Chess Slice n' Dice

The Game Room
#1

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.

Anyway. Here is the GAME:

1.e4 d6
2.d4 Nf6
3.Nc3 g6
4.Bg5 Bg7
5.Nf3 Bg4
6.Be2 Bxf3
7.Bxf3 Na6
8.d5 c5
9.O-O O-O
10.a4 Nc7
11.Re1 Nd7
12.Nb5 Re8
13.c4 a6
14.h4 Bxb2
15.Rb1 axb5
16.Rxb2 bxa4
17.Rxb7 Ne5
18.Be2 Na6
19.Qxa4 Nb4
20.Qb5 Qa5
21.Rb1 Qa2
22.Bf4 Qxb1*
23.Kh2 Qxe4
White Resigns

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!

#2

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.

#3

I find it to be worth quite a bit, thanks.

#4

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.