Hi all, I am hoping someone can critique this game. Against a stronger player, I feel that a draw is acceptable, but I have many areas that I can improve.
I don't play it I find a couple of moves confusing:
9.Ne5 is just asking to trade knights. Why trade your useful knight on f3 for the less useful black knight? Notice how when you traded knights you helped black to develop his bishop. You moved your knight 3 times and traded it for 2 black moves. Your king is less protected and your opponent gains time. I don't think that's a very good combination.
Next question: do you prefer knights or bishops? After 12.Nb6 you can trade your knight for your opponent's bishop winning the bishop pair. Most people prefer bishops at lower levels, so I wonder why you didn't make the switch. That knight over there isn't doing much I'd say.
But hey, I'm not great so take what I say for what it is worth.
[Event "Clan challenge"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2015.07.18"] [EndDate "2015.07.24"] [Round "?"] [White "Wanderlust08"] [Black "Loose Screw"] [WhiteRating "1386"] [BlackRating "1507"] [WhiteElo "1386"] [BlackElo "1507"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [GameId "11281899"] 1. c4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e3 a6 4. Nb1c3 Ng8f6 5. Bf1d3 {I usually avoid this, because it loses a tempo after dxc4.} Bf8e7 6. Ng1f3 h6 7. O-O O-O 8. c5 {The point of 1.c4 (or 2.c4 in QGD) is to put pressure on the d5 square, and/or exchange with the d5 pawn. This releases that tension, so goes against the idea, but it gains space I guess.} c6 9. Nf3e5 {See Eladar's comment. This is this knight's second move, and you still have an undeveloped bishop, two rooks and a queen. It will be hard for you to break open the queenside, so e4 is needed sooner or later. I would suggest Re1 here.} Nb8d7 10. Ne5xd7 {Eladar is right. You should not help developing the bishop. At least let the opponent play Nxe5, so you have dxe5 with a tempo on the other knight, which can only move backwards.} Bc8xd7 11. Nc3a4 {Another knight going solo without his friends.} Ra8b8 12. Na4b6 {But this one keeps the queenside closed if that's what you wanted.} Nf6h7 13. Bd3xh7 {I wouldn't exchange so quickly, but try Qc2 to hit the kingside harder.} Kg8xh7 14. Qd1d3 {OK, this gives check. If the main idea is to support e4, than Re1 would have been better. After dxe4 you would have Bf4, which wins you the exchange with the rook on b8.} Kh7h8 15. e4 dxe4 {Now pawns are poking at your queen.} 16. Qd3xe4 f5 17. Qe4f4 Be7g5 18. Qf4e5 Bg5f6 19. Qe5e3 {You could have played this in the first place, and g7 would still be unprotected. Bg5 can be answered with f4.} Kh8h7 20. b4 {I don't know what this pawn is up to. You need to play on the kingside with f4 or g4. Or Re1 (with Nxd7 Qxd7 Qxe6 plan).} g5 {He's now taking the kingside space you should have claimed.} 21. f4 g4 22. h3 h5 23. hxg4 hxg4 24. Kg1f2 Kh7g6 25. a4 {Queenside play is too slow now I think.} Rf8h8 26. Rf1g1 {Instead, Bd2 would make your position stronger by connecting the two rooks.} Qd8e7 27. Bc1d2 Rb8d8 28. Bd2c3 Bd7e8 {I think Black is about equal or stronger here.} 29. Ra1d1 Be8f7 30. Rg1h1 {If this was the plan, why did you play Rd1 first. It's going to move again, what could have been done in a single move. Your knight is out of play. You could reposition to e5 (or d6) via c4.} Rh8xh1 31. Rd1xh1 Rd8h8 32. Rh1xh8 Bf6xh8 33. Nb6c8 Qe7d7 34. Nc8d6 Bf7g8 35. d5 {This is a mistake.} Bh8xc3 36. Qe3xc3 exd5 37. Qc3d3 Bg8e6 38. b5 axb5 39. axb5 cxb5 40. Nd6xb5 Qd7c6 41. Nb5d4 Qc6xc5 42. Kf2e2 Qc5d6 43. Qd3e3 Qd6a6 44. Ke2f2 Be6f7 45. Qe3e5 Qa6f6 46. Qe5e3 Qf6h4 47. g3 Qh4f6 {1/2-1/2. A draw is fair. Black has the winning chances with two passed pawns.}1/2-1/2
Originally posted by Wanderlust08 Hi all, I am hoping someone can critique this game. Against a stronger player, I feel that a draw is acceptable, but I have many areas that I can improve.
1. c4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e3 a6 {When I saw this move I thought the point of it was to play dxc4 followed by b5, but dxc4 was never played so I'm not sure what the point was.} 4. Nb1c3 Ng8f6 5. Bf1d3 Bf8e7 6. Ng1f3 h6 {Another mysterious pawn move, seems to be a waste of time to me.} 7. O-O O-O 8. c5 { I don't like this move, it strengthens an e5 push for black. Usually c5 stuff is only playable with a bishop on the h2-b8 diagonal (To prevent e5). Alternatively black could play b6 and cxb6 is pretty much forced (b4 a5 bxa5 bxc5) and black has equality} c6 {A mistake, either b6 (As I mention earlier) or Nbd7 had to be played to prevent Ne5} 9. Nf3e5 Nb8d7 10. Ne5xd7 {I think f4 is better, a knight or a pawn on e5 is strong} Bc8xd7 {Nxd7 is better, to play for an e5 push, also the knight covers the weak b6 square} 11. Nc3a4 Ra8b8 12. Na4b6 Nf6h7 13. Bd3xh7 {This move was a shocker, white trades his best minor piece for a knight which is out of the game} Kg8xh7 14. Qd1d3 Kh7h8 15. e4 {Threatening Bf4} dxe4 16. Qd3xe4 f5 17. Qe4f4 {I like Qe2 better, the Bf4 threat is still on, if black plays Bg5 he trade his best minor piece for whites worst. If 17..f4 the queen goes back to e4, Bf4 is still on. Now if g5 Qg6! or Bg5 h4! or f3 Bf4!} Be7g5 18. Qf4e5 Bg5f6 19. Qe5e3 Kh8h7 20. b4 g5 21. f4 g4 22. h3 {opening lines against his own king? I think white should play against the e6 pawn eg. Re1 Bb2 Qe2 a4 Ra3 Re3 NxB etc. I think white is winning} h5 23. hxg4 hxg4 24. Kg1f2 Kh7g6 25. a4 Rf8h8 26. Rf1g1 {Too passive} Qd8e7 27. Bc1d2 Rb8d8 28. Bd2c3 Bd7e8 29. Ra1d1 Be8f7 {A good square for the bishop, it can defend the pawn without being in the way, like it was before} 30. Rg1h1 Rh8xh1 31. Rd1xh1 Rd8h8 32. Rh1xh8 Bf6xh8 33. Nb6c8 Qe7d7 34. Nc8d6 Bf7g8 35. d5 {A brilliant move the bad bishop is traded for a good one at the cost of a pawn. If white can trade queens he will have all the winning chances despite being a pawn down.} Bh8xc3 36. Qe3xc3 exd5 37. Qc3d3 {I like Qe5 here threatening Qe8+, once queens are off the b7 pawn falls} Bg8e6 38. b5 axb5 39. axb5 cxb5 40. Nd6xb5 {Qxb5! the b7 pawn is doomed} Qd7c6 41. Nb5d4 Qc6xc5 42. Kf2e2 Qc5d6 43. Qd3e3 Qd6a6 44. Ke2f2 Be6f7 45. Qe3e5 Qa6f6 46. Qe5e3 Qf6h4 47. g3 Qh4f6 {Surprised black agreed to a draw here, there's still some play left I think, blacks bishop is bad but 2 pawns is 2 pawns. Maybe Qd8 Qe5 Qd7 then start pushing the b-pawn}
Originally posted by KnightStalker47 [pgn] 1. c4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e3 a6 {When I saw this move I thought the point of it was to play dxc4 followed by b5, but dxc4 was never played so I'm not sure what the point was.} 4. Nb1c3 Ng8f6 5. Bf1d3 Bf8e7 6. Ng1f3 h6 {Another mysterious pawn move, seems to be a waste of time to me.} 7. O-O O-O 8. c5 { I don't like this move, it strengthens an e5 pu ...[text shortened]... cks bishop is bad but 2 pawns is 2 pawns. Maybe Qd8 Qe5 Qd7 then start pushing the b-pawn}[/pgn]