Tag: Game Analysis

  • Game Analysis – The Missile!

    Game Analysis – The Missile!

    I’ve played some of the best chess of my entire life over the past few months. There were nerve-wrecking wins and heartbreaking losses, but all of them were wonderful opportunities to hone my skills and keep getting better. I chose to analyze and comment on this game because I felt that it is an important instructional moment. My opponent played solid chess until about midway through the game when he made a critical error and allowed me full access to his defenses. I hope you enjoy!

    [pgn]

    [Event “Let’s Play!”]
    [Site “Chess.com”]
    [Date “2022.04.17”]
    [Round “-“]
    [White “CMDRExorcist”]
    [Black “Internet Opponent”]
    [Result “1-0”]
    [CurrentPosition “6r1/pp6/2nP4/k1P5/4PP2/2bPB3/P6P/1R3R1K b – – 1 28”]
    [Timezone “UTC”]
    [ECO “C25”]
    [ECOUrl “https://www.chess.com/openings/Vienna-Game-2…d6”]
    [UTCDate “2022.04.17”]
    [UTCTime “01:30:28”]
    [WhiteElo “1341”]
    [BlackElo “1292”]
    [TimeControl “1/86400”]
    [Termination “CMDRExorcist won by resignation”]
    [StartTime “01:30:28”]
    [EndDate “2022.04.19”]
    [EndTime “01:16:58”]

    {I’ve played some of the best chess of my entire life over the past few months.
    There were nerve-wrecking wins and heartbreaking losses, but all of them were
    wonderful opportunities to hone my skills and keep getting better. I chose to
    analyze and comment on this game because I felt that it is an important
    instructional moment. My opponent played solid chess until about midway through
    the game when he made a critical error and allowed me full access to his
    defenses. I hope you enjoy $1

    } 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 d6 3. Nf3 Bg4 {Black
    neglects his center development in favor of an old trick to make White think his
    Queen is in danger. Spoiler alert: she is not.} (3… c5 4. Bc4 Be7 {+0.40} 5.
    d3 Nf6 6. h3 Nc6 7. b3 O-O 8. O-O {+0.69}) 4. Bc4 {4.d4 is better here, but it
    could force me to bring my Queen out earlier than I wanted.} 4… Nf6 5. d3 Nc6
    6. O-O {Stockfish is absolutely determined to get me to play h3 and attack the
    Bishop, but I was not interested in destroying my Kingside fortress just yet.}
    (6. h3 Bxf3 7. Qxf3 Nd4 8. Qd1 c6 9. O-O d5 10. exd5 cxd5 {+0.55}) 6… Nd4 7.
    Be3 Bxf3 8. gxf3 {The trade is equal in material but it opens my King up to a
    direct assault if Black continued with solid play.} 8… c5 9. Nd5 {This is
    purely bait. I wanted Black to take the Knight so that I could free up more room
    along the diagonals for my coming Bishop assault.} (9. f4 exf4 {+1.31}) 9…
    Nxd5 10. Bxd5 {The Bishop is in a prime location to strike at the heart of the
    Rook structure and the Black King himself.} 10… Rb8 (10… Qd7 11. c3 Ne6 12.
    Qb3 Rb8 13. a4 Nc7 14. Bc4 {+1.18}) 11. c3 Nc6 {Simply pushing the Knight out of
    the way.} 12. Qb3 $1 {Black needs to be very careful here. He is in danger, but
    doesn’t seem to realize it.} 12… Qc7 13. f4 Be7 $4 {Black did well by moving to
    Qc7 to defend the f7 square, but moving Be7 negates that defense and gave me the
    opening I was looking for.} 14. Bxf7+ {Black loses the right to Castle and the
    bloodbath begins.} 14… Kd8 15. Bg8 (15. Be6 Rf8 16. f5 Bf6 17. Kh1 b5 18. a3
    a5 {+4.61}) 15… Na5 {The most natural reply, but not a threat.} 16. Qf7 Bh4 $6
    17. Qf8+ Kd7 18. Qxg7+ Kc6 19. Qxh8 {It’s +7 on the analysis board at this point
    and despite my King being 100\% open and vulnerable, Black is desperately on the
    retreat.} 19… Kb6 20. b4 {I can’t think of anything else this Knight has done
    but run away for the entire game.} 20… Nc6 21. bxc5+ Ka5 {I spent a lot of
    time exploring this position because it’s apparent that my Queen is about to
    fall. When she does, I needed to ensure that I was left with the best possible
    structure I could come up with. In the end, it was better to develop the f pawn
    so as to maintain pressure with the c5 pawn.} 22. fxe5 Qd8 $2 {I was surprised
    that Black didn’t recapture on e5.} 23. exd6 Bg5 (23… Qxg8+ 24. Qxg8 Rxg8+ 25.
    Kh1 b6 26. Rab1 Bd8 27. Rb3 {+9.64}) 24. f4 Bf6 {My Queen prepares to go down in
    a blaze of glory $1} 25. Qxh7 Qxg8+ 26. Qxg8 Rxg8+ 27. Kh1 {And my once vulnerable
    King will remain safe for the rest of the game.} 27… Bxc3 28. Rab1 {Black
    resigned. This was a brutal game that demonstrates the importance of watching
    the entire board to prevent your opponent from launching a missile into the
    heart of your defenses. According to Stockfish, the game may have continued…}
    (28. Rab1 Ka6 29. e5 Nd8 30. Rg1 Rf8 31. Rg7 Rh8 32. Rb3 {+10.6}) 1-0

    [/pgn]

    Following this victory, my online rating sits at an astounding (for me) 1340!

    Game on, campers!
    Ex

  • Game Analysis – An Interesting Collapse

    Game Analysis – An Interesting Collapse

    It’s been a while since I annotated one of my games. Part of that is IRL stuff that’s been getting in the way and part of it is that I haven’t played any games that intrigued me enough recently to annotate. This game is a little bit of an exception. Let’s go…

    [pgn]
    [Event “Let’s Play!”]
    [Site “Chess.com”]
    [Date “2021.10.05”]
    [Round “-“]
    [White “CMDRExorcist”]
    [Black “Internet Opponent”]
    [Result “1-0”]
    [ECO “B23”]
    [WhiteElo “1091”]
    [BlackElo “1099”]
    [TimeControl “1/86400”]
    [CurrentPosition “8/p4k1p/2p1p1p1/2Q5/8/5P2/5KPP/1r6 b – – 0 37”]
    [Timezone “UTC”]
    [ECOUrl “https://www.chess.com/openings/Sicilian-Defense-Closed-Traditional-Line-3.Nf3”]
    [UTCDate “2021.10.05”]
    [UTCTime “14:17:56”]
    [Termination “CMDRExorcist won by resignation”]
    [StartTime “14:17:56”]
    [EndDate “2021.10.08”]
    [EndTime “16:38:11”]
    [Link “https://www.chess.com/game/daily/360542321”]

    {It’s been a while since I annotated one of my games. Part of that is IRL stuff
    that’s been getting in the way and part of it is that I haven’t played any games
    that intrigued me enough recently to annotate. This game is a little bit of an
    exception. Let’s go…} 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 g6 4. Bb5 Bg7 {A fairly
    standard Sicilian Defense configuration I’ve seen in a few games recently. White
    has a slight edge here, but at this rating level its too insignificant to make a
    real difference.} 5. O-O e6 $6 ({The engine calls 5…e6 an inaccuracy and it
    does seem like 6.d6 would have been a better choice that leaves Black with a
    much more solid development after} 5… d6 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. Re1) 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7.
    e5 {Cutting off Black’s Bishop and preparing to bring the f1 Rook into play.}
    7… Ne7 8. d3 ({Good also is} 8. Ne4 O-O 9. Re1) 8… O-O 9. Re1 Nf5 {My first
    real mistake of the game. Instead of capitalizing on the weaknesses on the King
    side, I played a developing move that did very little to strengthen the
    position.} 10. b3 $2 (10. Bg5 f6 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. exf6 Qxf6 {and White has a good
    position here.}) 10… Nd4 11. Na4 b6 {The pawn structure grows a little weak
    here, but the Knight moves away and frees up more room for me to work.} 12. c3
    Nf5 13. c4 $6 {Once again, the engine prefers that I engage with the Bishop on
    g5.} (13. Bg5 Qd7 14. Qe2 Qc7 {and there’s a lot of pressure building up on the
    e5 pawn $1}) 13… Bb7 {Black misses a chance to engage on the f-file.} 14. Bb2
    (14. Bg5 f6 15. exf6 Bxf6 16. Bxf6 Qxf6) 14… Qe7 15. d4 $2 {I thought about this
    one for a long time, which is probably why it turned out so poorly at the time.
    I needed to find a way to break through on the d-file and this was one way to do
    it, although arguably not the best way.} 15… Rad8 $6 16. Ba3 Nxd4 17. Nxd4
    Rxd4 $4 {Not the breakthrough I was expecting. Now Black has placed his Rook into
    dangerous territory.} 18. Qc2 {Missing a win with Qxd4 18…cxd4.} 18… Bxe5 $4
    {Black’s position completely falls apart.} 19. Rxe5 Qf6 $6 {Black tries to put
    pressure on the Rook, but his pieces are so disorganized that there’s no real
    counterplay. An easy Rook move counters the attack.} 20. Rae1 Rfd8 21. f3 Rd2
    22. Qc1 Rxa2 $6 {I had expected a Rook trade, but this move attempts to attack
    both the Bishop and Knight, but there’s still no significant threat to the
    position.} 23. Bb2 {and the Rook is trapped.} 23… Rd3 $2 24. Rxe6 {This was very
    difficult for me to find. Ultimately, the Rook sacrifice wins the Queen and the
    game is lost for Black.} 24… Qxe6 25. Rxe6 fxe6 26. Qh6 $2 {A sloppy move, but
    considering how the position was crumbling, I was trying to see if I could win a
    quick mate with 27.Qg7#.} 26… Rxb2 27. Nxb2 Rxb3 28. Qd2 Ba6 29. Qd8+ {Trying
    to force Black’s King into the center of the board.} 29… Kg7 30. Qd7+ $6 (30.
    Na4 Bxc4 31. h4) 30… Kf6 31. Qd2 b5 32. cxb5 Bxb5 33. Qf4+ Kg7 34. Nc4 $6 {One
    last mistake. The intention was to play 35.Be5 but Black isn’t going to allow
    it.} 34… Rb1+ 35. Kf2 Bxc4 36. Qxc4 Kf7 37. Qxc5 {This was a fun game to play.
    It started out tough and there were moments where I had to dig deeper into my
    shallow mind to find the win. Ultimately, Black’s position came apart at the
    seams and I was able to pull off a nice little victory.} 1-0
    [/pgn]

  • Game Analysis – The Sludge

    Game Analysis – The Sludge

    I recently played an 86-move game that was simultaneously the longest and most frustrating game of my short chess career. In an effort to break out of my comfort zone and try something new, I decided to make this game the subject of my first-ever video analysis. Written analysis is provided below the YouTube video. I hope you enjoy it!

    [pgn]
    [Event “Let’s Play!”]
    [Site “Chess.com”]
    [Date “2021.09.04”]
    [Round “-“]
    [White “CMDRExorcist”]
    [Black “Internet Opponent”]
    [Result “1-0”]
    [ECO “C70”]
    [WhiteElo “1066”]
    [BlackElo “895”]
    [TimeControl “1/86400”]
    [CurrentPosition “1k6/1Q6/2K5/8/8/8/8/8 b – – 24 86”]
    [Timezone “UTC”]
    [ECOUrl “https://www.chess.com/openings/Ruy-Lopez-Opening-Morphy-Defense-Cozio-Defense”]
    [UTCDate “2021.09.04”]
    [UTCTime “01:39:33”]
    [Termination “CMDRExorcist won by checkmate”]
    [StartTime “01:39:33”]
    [EndDate “2021.09.08”]
    [EndTime “20:52:08”]
    [Link “https://www.chess.com/game/daily/355022875”]

    {Very few games have made me consider quitting chess completely, but this was
    one of them. What follows is an incredible battle that I’ve nicknamed \”The
    Sludge\”. You’ll see what I mean…} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nge7
    5. O-O {At this rating range, five book moves into an opening is a decent
    start.} 5… b5 6. Bb3 Bb7 7. d4 {Pushing forward hard and fast; trying to break
    open the center and assert control.} 7… exd4 8. Nxd4 Nxd4 9. Qxd4 Nc6 {Black
    attacks the Queen but also blocks his dominant Bishop.} 10. Qd5 Qe7 11. Bg5 $6
    {Certainly not the best move in this position. I was trying to dislodge the
    Queen and/or force Black to weaken his pawn structure on the Kingside.} 11…
    Qe6 12. Qd3 Qd6 {My opponent is determined to trade Queens.} 13. Qxd6 Bxd6 {I
    can oblige in this position because I have a very nice Bishop pair dominating
    the board at the moment.} 14. Nc3 f6 15. Be3 O-O-O 16. a4 {One of many times in
    this game where the engine and I don’t agree. It marks this as a $6 but there
    was a solid plan behind it. My intention was to break the Kingside defense
    because almost all of my pieces were activated on that side. It wasn’t
    productive to waste time in this position and allow my opponent to gain
    counterplay.} 16… bxa4 17. Bxa4 Ne5 18. f4 Nc4 19. Bc1 $2 {A solid mistake,
    but worse (IMHO) was Kf2 which puts my King right in harms way.} 19… Rhe8 20.
    Re1 Bc5+ 21. Kf1 g6 22. b3 $4 {My only blunder of the game. Black has an
    opportunity to skewer my Knight and Rook, but doesn’t take it.} 22… Nd6 23. e5
    Nf5 24. Ne4 Bxe4 25. Rxe4 Re6 26. Bb5 {Offering the Bishop in exchange for a
    tactic.} 26… Nd6 27. Bxa6+ Kb8 28. Rea4 fxe5 29. Bc4 {Another sacrificial
    offering.} 29… Nxc4 {Black takes the bait…} 30. Ra8+ Kb7 31. Rxd8 {And the
    tactic is successful.} 31… Nb6 32. g3 Kc6 33. Bd2 exf4 34. b4 Be3 35. Bxe3
    fxe3 36. Ke2 {A trad and move sequence that builds a barrier in the center of
    the board for the next few moves. The King holds the pawn hostage to prevent a
    new Queen from appearing on the board.} 36… Nc4 37. b5+ Kxb5 38. Rxd7 Nb6 39.
    Rxc7 {Gobbling up free pawns.} 39… h5 40. h4 Nd5 41. Rb1+ {This is a critical
    moment in the game. I missed the fork 41.c4 $1. Missing this move is most likely
    what caused the game to carry on for so long.} 41… Nb4 42. c4+ Kb6 43. Rd7 Kc5
    44. Rc7+ Nc6 45. Rcb7 {A move I made with little thought that cost me a pawn.}
    45… Kxc4 46. Rd7 Kc5 47. Rc1+ Kb6 48. Rd3 {Trying to find any way possible to
    force Black’s King to the a-file.} 48… Kc7 49. Re1 g5 50. hxg5 Re5 51. g6 Rg5
    {Black gives up the e3 pawn to stop my newly passed pawn on g6.} 52. Rxe3 Rxg6
    53. Rc1 Kd6 54. Rd1+ Kc5 55. Rc3+ Kb4 56. Rcc1 Na5 57. Rd4+ Kb5 58. Kf3 Nb3 {I
    panicked for a moment here because of the fork, but a simple move to Rb1
    prevents Black from taking either piece. And The Sludge continues…} 59. Rb1
    Kc5 60. Rdd1 Na5 61. Rbc1+ Nc4 62. Rd3 Rg4 63. Rdc3 Kb4 {At this point, I was
    frustrated with my own play and with how long the game had continued. I
    calculated a few lines before deciding it was time to trade off all the minor
    pieces and try to win a King-Pawn endgame.} 64. Rxc4+ Rxc4 65. Rxc4+ Kxc4 66.
    Kf4 h4 $4 {Black gives away any chances he had of counter play and helps to put
    my pawn on the h-file where it is much easier to guard against Black’s
    approaching King.} 67. gxh4 Kd5 68. Kg5 Ke6 69. Kg6 Ke7 70. Kg7 Ke6 71. h5
    {Black is not fast enough to stop the promotion.} 71… Ke5 72. h6 Kf5 73. h7
    Kg5 74. h8=Q Kf5 75. Qh5+ Ke6 76. Kg6 Ke7 77. Qf5 Kd6 78. Kf6 Kc6 79. Qe5 Kd7
    80. Qe6+ Kc7 81. Ke7 Kb7 82. Qd6 Kc8 83. Qd7+ Kb8 84. Kd6 {These last few moves
    were critical to ensure that I didn’t end this 80-move game in a stalemate…}
    84… Ka8 85. Kc6 Kb8 {Black’s only move.} 86. Qb7# {This was one of the longest
    games I’ve ever played and it was also one of the most frustrating. Ultimately,
    it ended in victory but this was the hardest 4 ELO points I think I’ve ever
    earned.} 1-0
    [/pgn]

  • Never Give Up! Never Surrender!

    Never Give Up! Never Surrender!

    Sometimes I get so frustrated when I make a blunder that I simply give up and rage quit the game. Making a mistake in a chess game can often be as frustrating as being spawn camped by some n00b in Call of Duty. This is something I’ve been actively working on for the past few months: trying to stay in the game despite the apparent hopelessness of the position. Now, there are times when its important to realize that you have no chance of winning and you’re just delaying the inevitable. A lone King versus a Rook and a bunch of pawns comes to mind. But when most of the pieces are still on the board, there’s little reason to give up so quickly. Such is the case with this game where I had to make a painful sacrifice early in the middlegame but was able to turn things around in the end.

    [pgn] [Event “Let’s Play!”] [Site “Chess.com”] [Date “2021.08.09”] [Round “-“] [White “Internet Opponent”] [Black “CMDRExorcist”] [Result “0-1”] [CurrentPosition “8/7p/1b4pk/8/5PP1/5Q1P/6K1/6q1 w – – 1 51”] [Timezone “UTC”] [ECO “B23”] [ECOUrl “https://www.chess.com/openings/Sicilian-Defense-Closed”] [UTCDate “2021.08.09”] [UTCTime “00:44:21”] [WhiteElo “904”] [BlackElo “1052”] [TimeControl “1/86400”] [Termination “CMDRExorcist won by checkmate”] [StartTime “00:44:21”] [EndDate “2021.08.12”] [EndTime “01:06:00”] [Link “https://www.chess.com/game/daily/350244835”] {While it’s certainly not the prettiest game out there, this one is quite the enigma. It was played over the course of about four days and there were moments where my position was hopelessly lost and I somehow managed to convert it into a winning endgame. Lets take a ride.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 d6 4. Bc4 Nf6 {Structurally, placing the Knight here before moving the Bishop out constricts the Bishop and makes it difficult to activate later.} (4… Be7 5. O-O h6 6. a3 Nf6 7. b4 Nc6 {is a little better.}) 5. d3? {My opponent trades a mistake for a mistake.} 5… Bg4 6. O-O Be7 7. Be3 O-O 8. h3 Bxf3 {I had several ideas for breaking through the center, so this Knight had to be eliminated before any of them could be started.} 9. Qxf3 Nc6 10. Rfe1 Nb4 11. Rac1 Qb6 {Defending the Knight and opening the back rank to connect my Rooks. I anticipate an attack on the b4 Knight, so I needed to keep squares open for a potential retreat.} 12. a3 Nc6 13. Rb1 Nd4 14. Bxd4 exd4 {Removing the defender on e5 would come back to haunt me later in the game.} 15. Nb5 a6 16. Nxd6 Bxd6 17. e5! {A solid move and destructive fork. Removing the e5 blockade enabled this and I paid for it dearly more than once.} 17… Bb8? (17… Bxe5 18. Rxe5 {would keep material even and prevent a hard sacrifice to come.}) 18. exf6 Qc7? {Obviously there’s no chance of Qh2#, but a man can dream.} 19. g3 g6?! {This kind of feels like a mistake. It definitely leads to some unpleasant positions and a sacrifice I wasn’t too happy with.} (19… Qc6 20. Qxc6 bxc6 21. Re4 Bd6 {would have relieved some of the bleeding.}) 20. Qg4 Ba7? {I’m not sure what I was thinking with this move. Perhaps I was worried about the Rook coming forward to target my c5 pawn. Even though, it’s already defended by the Queen. This was just careless and thoughtless.} 21. Qg5! {It was here that I realized what he was trying. I was in serious trouble of a deadly checkmate. I needed to come up with a plan fast, but everything I tried in my head ended in a Queen sacrifice…} 21… Qd6 {The obvious target here is the f6 pawn to prevent Qg7#!} 22. Re4 Rae8? {A futile attempt to bait White into trading Rooks and giving my King an escape route.} 23. Rf4 b5 24. Qh6! Qxf6 {The only way to prevent Qg7#. I was not happy that I had to sacrifice my Queen in this position and was pretty demoralized. However, I decided it was best not to give up and press on to see if I could convert the position into a draw (at least).} 25. Rxf6 bxc4 26. Rxa6 Bb8 27. dxc4 Re2 {White is quickly moving into my house, so I decided to pay him a little visit as well.} 28. Ra5 Bd6 {The next few moves are developmental, but also very defensive. Knowing that I was down 8 whole points in this position, I wanted to see how well I could defend multiple pieces and still maintain a solid structure.} 29. Ra6 Rd8 30. Qg5 Be7 31. Qg4 Rxc2?! {A mistake I noticed almost immediately after making it, but it still helped to maintain my immediate goal of pushing the d-pawn down the board.} 32. Rxg6+? Kh8? {Not a blunder, but it probably should have been. I missed the MUCH better 32.hxg6!} (32… hxg6 33. Qe4 {and my position is still terrible, but at least I win a Rook.}) 33. Qf5 fxg6 {Found the best move this time. And now, things are about to get interesting.} 34. Qf7?? {Black misses an opportunity to eliminate the deadly Rook hanging on c2. Now’s my chance!} 34… Re2 {Protecting the e7 Bishop and building a wall for the d-pawn.} 35. b4 d3 {The lone soldier marches forward!} 36. Rd1 d2?! {The Rook on d1 is pinned and it will take careful maneuvering to trick White into sacrificing it.} 37. Qf3?? {White misses the chance to prevent having his Rook sacrificed to promote the d-pawn. Now, the tables have turned.} (37. Kf1 {prevents 37…Re1+!.}) 37… Re1+ 38. Kg2 Rxd1 39. Qxd1 cxb4 40. axb4 Bxb4 41. f4 Rc8 42. Qb3 {White is chasing my pieces around the board when he should be pushing pawns since he has a Kingside majority. This was a stressful part of the game because I had calculated a few variations with the intention of baiting White into trading my Rook for promotion potential.} 42… Ba5 43. Qa4 Rxc4!? {Offering my opponent a tasty treat.} 44. Qxc4? {White takes the bait.} 44… d1=Q {The sacrificed matriarch returns to the board and I go from -8 to +2.} 45. Qc8+ Kg7 46. Qb7+ Kh6 {And my King is safe from harm.} 47. Qf3 Qd2+ {The next few moves are merely luck of the draw, in my opinion. There were many variations in which White can force a draw or even convert for a better position over time, but none of those were fleshed out in this game.} 48. Kf1 Qe1+ 49. Kg2 {A good move, but the initiative allows me a chance to place my Bishop on the deadly b6 square.} 49… Bb6 50. g4?? {A fatal mistake.} 50… Qg1# {As I said in the beginning, this is not a pretty game by any stretch of the imagination, but I enjoyed playing and analyzing it because of how I was able to convert a hopelessly lost position into a win.} 0-1 [/pgn]

  • It’s Been a Bad Day

    It’s Been a Bad Day

    Today was rough all around. Network problems made my day job a challenge and I lost two daily chess games that I should have won. That’s not saying that my opponents didn’t deserve to win. They certainly played good games and came out on top, but there were so many ridiculous blunders today that have been so uncharacteristic of me lately. I managed, in extraordinary fashion, to blunder not one, but two Bishops today. Perhaps the analysis of these games is just a way of venting. I’m sure that I’ll bounce back…I always do. But wow, these are hard to stomach.

    [pgn] [Event “Let’s Play!”] [Site “Chess.com”] [Date “2021.08.04”] [Round “-“] [White “Internet Opponent”] [Black “CMDRExorcist”] [Result “1-0”] [ECO “B21”] [WhiteElo “1030”] [BlackElo “1055”] [TimeControl “1/86400”] [CurrentPosition “r1b1k2r/pp1pqppp/2nQ1n2/1N2p3/4P3/5N2/PPP2PPP/R1B1KB1R b KQkq – 2 8”] [Timezone “UTC”] [ECOUrl “https://www.chess.com/openings/Sicilian-Defense-Smith-Morra-Gambit-2…cxd4-3.Qxd4-Nc6-4.Qd1”] [UTCDate “2021.08.04”] [UTCTime “18:32:24”] [StartTime “18:32:24”] [EndDate “2021.08.05”] [EndTime “18:04:14”] [Link “https://www.chess.com/game/daily/349479391”] {I’ve had a really rough day. This is the first of two heartbreaking games I played over the past two days. I had just gotten my rating to 1066 with a 12 game winning streak and was feeling good about my progress. But, alas, the chess gods were there to humble me.} 1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qd1 e5 {Looking good so far. I’m out of the Book, which I think I’ve made significant improvement in my playing of the Sicilian as Black.} 5. Nc3 Nf6 {The buildup in defense and anticipation of destruction for the e4 pawn. The center is about to get crowded.} 6. Nf3 Bd6?? {Holy mother of God. This was a move that I made in a hurry and its 100\% obvious I wasn’t really paying attention to what’s going on. The Bishop is blundered and there is no saving it. Essentially, the game is over because my pieces are trapped and there’s no way to gain a tempo to fight against the coming onslaught.} 7. Qxd6! {I hoped and prayed that my opponent would blunder similar to me, but he did not. The Bishop is gone and things are about to get worse.} 7… Qe7!? {Offering a Queen trade in a last ditch effort to develop some counterplay.} (7… Qb6 8. Nxe5 Nd4 9. Qxb6 axb6 10. Nc6 Nxc2+ 11. Kd1 Nxa1) 8. Nb5 {Ouch. Stockfish wants White to take the Queen trade, but the human side of me is devastated by the nice Nb5 because after 8…Qxe7 9.Kxe7, it’s just a gobble fest for White.} (8. Nb5 Qxd6 9. Nxd6+ Ke7 {is the most likely continuation, with White being up almost two pieces before the core of the middlegame begins.}) 1-0 [/pgn]

    And shortly after that little gem was played, this happened…

    [pgn] [Event “Let’s Play!”] [Site “Chess.com”] [Date “2021.08.04”] [Round “-“] [White “CMDRExorcist”] [Black “Internet Opponent”] [Result “0-1”] [CurrentPosition “5rk1/1b1r1ppp/p2p4/4n3/2p2q2/1QN4P/PPP2PP1/R3R1K1 w – – 0 21”] [Timezone “UTC”] [ECO “B01”] [ECOUrl “https://www.chess.com/openings/Scandinavian-Defense-Mieses-Kotrc-Main-Line-4.d4-Nf6-5.Nf3”] [UTCDate “2021.08.04”] [UTCTime “18:32:22”] [WhiteElo “1046”] [BlackElo “974”] [TimeControl “1/86400”] [Termination “razorace1 won by resignation”] [StartTime “18:32:22”] [EndDate “2021.08.05”] [EndTime “19:09:13”] [Link “https://www.chess.com/game/daily/349479385”] {After blundering a Bishop in an earlier game today, I had this gem to deal with. What follows is an absolute nightmare…} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 {My depth in book openings has certainly improved over the last few weeks. More people in Daily chess seem to play solid openings at this rating level than some of the Live chess games I’ve played.} 5… Nc6 6. Bb5 a6 7. Bxc6+ bxc6 8. Ne5 {This is a very nice position for me. The Knight is dominating my opponent’s pieces, but there is counterplay options for Black if he plays carefully.} 8… Bb7 9. O-O {9.a3 is best here, but I was hyperfocused on opening the E-file and missed the pawn push.} 9… c5 10. d5 {I thought long and hard in this position about what’s the best next move. There were several lines, but I decided on one that ultimately sealed my downfall.} 10… Rd8 {I had anticipated 10.c4 or 10.c6.} 11. d6?? {There’s really no excuse for this move. There’s nothing to be gained by it and it ultimately just sacrifices the pawn and forces me to move my Queen. Much better was to move the Queen to f3 to put some pressure on that annoying f6 Knight.} (11. Qf3 Qb6 12. Re1 e6 13. a4 {and things would have been different.}) 11… exd6?? {The chess gods have smiled upon me. My opponent commits a similar blunder in the position and gives me a chance to redeem myself. This is especially dangerous as 11…exd6?? exposes the King to a direct attack on the e-file.} 12. Nc4 Qb4 {The Queen’s only safe space.} 13. Qe2+ {Defending the vulnerable c4 Knight.} 13… Be7 14. Re1 O-O 15. Qxe7?? {Greed. That’s all this was. I saw a piece and gobbled it up like it was first day playing chess. What I didn’t realize was that I had missed winning my opponent’s Queen with the awesome 15.a3! What’s worse is that I didn’t gain any material from this because the move eliminates protection of the c4 Knight and allows Black’s Queen to escape from any future trap on the Queenside.} 15… Qxc4 16. Qxc7?? {I’m pretty sure it was just frustration at this point. MUCH better was 16.Qe2 and offering a trade of Queens. Instead, I backed myself into a corner.} 16… Rd7 17. Qb6 Ng4 18. h3 {Preventing any sneaky ideas my opponent might have had on the f2 square.} (18. Re4 {looks like a neat fork, but is an illusion.} 18… Bxe4 19. Nxe4 Qxe4 +-) 18… Ne5 19. Bf4?? {Two Bishop blunders in a single day. I didn’t see it until after I had made the move and pretty much resigned at this point.} 19… Qxf4 20. Qb3 c4 {There’s really no reason to continue. A few lines offer me a chance to regain some points, but there’s no real path to victory and I knew that I’d let the game get to me too much to continue in a sensible way. Maybe I should switch to checkers… ;)} (20… c4 21. Qa3 Re7 22. Ne2 Qe4 23. Qg3 Qxc2 24. Nd4 {is one possible continuation. Black retains an upper hand, but at least there is some counterplay.}) 0-1 [/pgn]

    At least tomorrow is a new day.

    This post is simulcast on Chess.com. Check out Campfire Chess on Chess.com.

  • Game Analysis – Chipping Away

    Game Analysis – Chipping Away

    I’ve lost quite a few disappointing games in the past couple of weeks, so this was a welcome and refreshing victory that gave me insight into some common problems I’ve been having. Given its (albeit brief) instructional value for myself, I felt it was worth a surface analysis and commentary. I hope you enjoy!

    [pgn] [Event “Let’s Play!”] [Site “Chess.com”] [Date “2021.07.22”] [Round “-“] [White “CMDRExorcist”] [Black “Internet Opponent”] [Result “1-0”] [CurrentPosition “3rrk2/5Qpp/p6q/1p6/4PP2/1B6/PP4PP/R4RK1 b – – 0 21”] [Timezone “UTC”] [ECO “C60”] [ECOUrl “https://www.chess.com/openings/Ruy-Lopez-Opening-Gunderam-Variation”] [UTCDate “2021.07.22”] [UTCTime “01:29:47”] [WhiteElo “1024”] [BlackElo “1080”] [TimeControl “1/86400”] [Termination “CMDRExorcist won by checkmate”] [StartTime “01:29:47”] [EndDate “2021.07.26”] [EndTime “01:51:26”] [Link “https://www.chess.com/game/daily/346988745”] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Qf6 4. O-O a6 5. Ba4 Nh6? {Not sure what the plan here was, but Black’s strange Queen placement prevented the typical 5…Nf6.} 6. Nc3 Bc5 7. Nd5! {Going straight for the heart of Black’s defenses.} 7… Qd6 {The expected response. Nxc7 was never really an option in this position.} 8. c3 b5 9. Bb3 O-O 10. d4 {I ran this move through my head for quite a while to make sure that a complete exchange between us would at least come out even. If Black chooses each exchange, it would. However, my opponent had other ideas.} 10… exd4 11. cxd4 Bb6!? {Black decides against the full piece exchange and places his Bishop in an inferior and cramped position.} 12. Nxb6? {Certainly not the best move, but I was determined to eliminate the Bishop and double up Black’s pawns if possible.} (12. e5! Qg6 13. Nf4 Qg4 {would have put more pressure on my opponent’s Queen and a stronger position for me.}) 12… Rb8? 13. Nxc8!? {A good move at the time, but in retrospect 13.Nd5 was probably a better option.} 13… Rbxc8 14. Bxh6!? {My intention was to force Black to break his Kingside wall, but I completely missed the Qxh6 response that followed. I got the piece exchange, but not the breakthrough I was looking for.} 14… Qxh6 15. Ne5 Nxe5 16. dxe5 d6 17. f4 Rcd8 18. Qd5 {A tricky position. Any misstep could cost me the advances I had made so far.} 18… dxe5 19. Qxe5 {At the time, this didn’t seem like much more than gobbling up a pawn, but it would come in handy shortly.} 19… Rfe8 {This move surprised me as offering a Queen trade (at least) was a better option than breaking the King’s protection in this position.} (19… Qb6+ 20. Kh1 Rfe8 {was a better line for Black.}) 20. Qxc7 {Gobbling up the pawn with a threat of invading Black’s position on f7.} 20… Kf8?? {A devastating blunder that immediately ended the game.} 21. Qxf7# 1-0 [/pgn]
  • Personal Analysis – A Closed Conundrum

    Personal Analysis – A Closed Conundrum

    One of my favorite parts of playing daily chess is how the battles unfold over several days. There are some positions that go fast and others that seem to drag on forever. Then there are those moments where it seems that both sides are ready to lash out. I find myself constantly checking to see if I’ve received a notification that it’s my turn to move when there are tight positions and it’s all hanging by a thread. The game that follows is one such game that I recently played. It was a close battle for most of the game with blunders and mistakes on both sides, but ultimately, I pulled out a very nice win.

    [pgn] [Event “Let’s Play!”] [Site “Chess.com”] [Date “2021.06.30”] [Round “-“] [White “Internet Opponent”] [Black “CMDRExorcist”] [Result “0-1”] [StartTime “14:26:45”] [ECOUrl “https://www.chess.com/openings/Sicilian-Defense”] [BlackElo “1034”] [WhiteElo “1103”] [Termination “CMDRExorcist won by checkmate”] [Link “?”] [Timezone “UTC”] [EndDate “2021.07.05”] [EndTime “18:08:56”] [UTCDate “2021.06.30”] [CurrentPosition “7k/7P/p7/Pp6/1P3p2/Kqr2P2/5b2/R2R4 w – – 0 48”] [TimeControl “1/86400”] [ECO “B20”] [UTCTime “14:26:45”] 1. e4 c5 {One day I hope to be proficient at the Sicilian Defense. For now, its almost an automatic reply that descends quickly into madness.} 2. e5 {White pushes forward in an effort to strange my position, but I’m happy to give up a pawn for pawn to break open and bring some power into the center.} d5 3. exd6 Qxd6 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. f3 e5 6. Qe2 $2 {White would do better to further develop their pawn structure and activate other pieces before bringing out the Queen. I did so out of necessity.} Be7 7. g4 O-O 8. h4 {A very unusual combination. Obviously designed to display my Knight and add pressue to my King side.} Nc6 {Ignoring the King side pawn push at the moment in favor of additional center development.} 9. Nb5 Qd7 10. c3 a6 11. Na3 b5 12. Bh3 Nd5 {With the intention of trying to fork Qe2 and Bh3, but I wasn’t expecting my opponent to allow such a move.} 13. g5 {An obvious effort to bait me into the fork and to trade Queens. Not interested.} Qd6 14. d3 $2 {White seemingly ignores the fork with the unusual move 14.d3?} Nf4 15. Qe4 Nxh3 16. Nxh3 {I have a very nice pair of Bishops bearing down on the h-file side. White’s Queen is totally exposed in the center and in a growing danger zone.} g6 17. Nc2 Bf5 18. Qe2 Bxd3 {I thought about this move for a long time, but the fork was a somewhat intuitive move.} 19. Qd2 c4 20. b4 {The engine move after 20.b4 is 21.cxb4, but I preferred to keep my pawn structure in tact to prevent White from developing any counterplay.} f5 21. Ne3 f4 {Adding more of a strangehold on White’s position. Things are very closed at this point with little to no wiggle room.} 22. Ng4 Kh8 {Avoiding any unnecessary checks or forks with the approaching Knights.} 23. Nhf2 h5 24. gxh6 g5 25. hxg5 Bxg5 26. h7 {This little pawn would provide a nice bit of protection for my King for the rest of the game.} Qd5 27. Qd1 Rae8 28. Nxd3 {White begins trying to break open the position. Tactics are going to be key in future positions.} cxd3 29. Nf2 Bf6 30. Ne4 {White really wants my Bishop and I really want that pawn, but neither of us we were willing to give up at this point.} Qd8 31. a4 Bh4+ {The engine doesn’t like this move, but I don’t care. I was willing to sacrifice the Bishop for the Rook or just to bring White’s King out into the center so I could push him around a bit.} 32. Kd2 Qb6 {A threat of mate in one if White isn’t careful.} 33. Kxd3 $4 {A devastating mistake. White’s Queen is lost.} Rd8+ 34. Kc2 Rxd1 35. Rxd1 Rd8 {Offering a Rook trade.} 36. a5 {White declines the offer.} Qa7 37. Rh1 {An odd position…back to putting pressure on my Bishop.} Nd4+ 38. cxd4 Qxd4 39. Bb2 Qc4+ 40. Bc3 Qe2+ 41. Nd2 Bf2 {I thought in this position for a very long time and ran a few lines on my analysis board. Ultimately, I was ready to sacrifice my Rook to completely blow open White’s position, but…suddenly…} 42. Bxe5+ $4 {I noticed after the game that my opponent had sent me a sad faced emoji as he recognized what he’d done. Now it’s just time to put a bow on the game.} Qxe5 43. Rhd1 Qc7+ 44. Kb1 Rc8 45. Ka2 {There is no escape.} Qc2+ 46. Ka3 Rc3+ 47. Nb3 Qxb3# 0-1 [/pgn]

  • Personal Analysis – Pushing and Discovering

    Personal Analysis – Pushing and Discovering

    Since I returned to writing about and playing chess regularly, I’ve tried to center myself more on developing a comprehensive study plan and maintaining some sense of focus. Previously, I was obsessed with openings, but these days I’m trying to focus more on positional play and strategic level positions in the middlegame. I’m finding myself more able to find discovered checks and push my pawns forward with more momentum and purpose.

    [pgn] [Event “Daily Chess (1 Day/Move)”] [Site “Chess.com”] [Date “2021.06.14”] [White “Internet Opponent”] [Black “CMDRExorcist”] [Result “0-1”] [Termination “CMDRExorcist won by checkmate”] [BlackElo “980”] [ECO “B20”] [TimeControl “1/86400”] [EndDate “2021.06.14”] [WhiteElo “984”] 1. e4 c5 2. Qh5 $6 {I’ve seen this move many times in games against people with my rating. It looks wrong at first, but it can be a deadly trap if not handled properly.} d6 3. Bc4 e6 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Qf3 e5 {The problem with trying to gain position in the center with Knights is that you often lose the protection for the other squares. In this case, the d5 square is free for White to capture.} 6. Nd5 Be6 {A nice skewer.} 7. Nxf6+ Qxf6 8. Bb5+ Nc6 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 {White wants to remove my Knights from the board and I’m okay with that. Given the choice in trade, I prefer to keep Bishops whenever possible.} 10. Qc3 $4 {A major blunder for White. His path of attack is obvious, but I couldn’t understand what he hoped to gain from it. The space on my Queenside is wide open, but defended by my e6 Bishop and a8 Rook.} Be7 {In anticipation of 11.Qa5!?…} 11. Qa5 O-O {King to safety and whatever White’s plan was on the Queenside is finished.} 12. Qc7 Qg5 13. g3 Qg4 14. Qxc6 {The only free pawn that Black could hope to capture on that side of the board. Notice that none of Black’s other minor pieces are activated. Everything is still hidden behind a pawn blockade.} Rac8 15. Qa4 Bd7 16. Qxa7 {Black takes the bait.} Qxe4+ $3 17. Kf1 {I actually thought for several hours about this position and analyzed a few ideas on my Chessmate pocket board. I knew that I was going to take the Rook, but wasn’t sure when. Then, I noticed Bb5+! would absolutely crush my opponent’s position.} Bb5+ 18. d3 Qxh1 {White’s position is quicky crumbling.} 19. Qxe7 c4 {Thus begins one of the reasons I chose to annotate this game. The pushing of pawns and use of discovered checks in this game are very fulfilling for a learning chess player.} 20. Qxd6 cxd3 21. cxd3 Rfd8 22. Qxe5 $2 {Another fatal mistake for Black. He should have kept his Queen on the d-file to protect the d3 pawn. Another discovered check is coming and it’s mate in 7.} Bxd3+ 23. Ke1 $2 {Removes the defender of the Knight on g1.} (23. Qe2 Bxe2+ 24. Kxe2 Rc2+ 25. Bd2 Rdxd2+ 26. Ke3 {Is not much better, but at least it puts up a fight.}) Qxg1+ 24. Kd2 {Everything else is forced.} Qxf2+ 25. Kd1 Bc2# {My opponent came out swinging with his Queen, but things fortunately turned out in my favor. This game was exciting for a number of reasons, especially the pawn pushes and discovered checks. A worthy opponent, for sure.} 0-1 [/pgn]

    The game above was played against an internet opponent on Chess.com on the Daily Chess function. The time control was 1 move per day, but we finished it much sooner than that. I decided to annotate this game because while it’s filled with amateur mistakes, I believe it’s representative of my improvement in the middlegame and my growing ability to identify key moments that can turn a losing position into a winning steamroller. My opponent played hard, but I was fortunate that the chess gods shined their light on me for this one.

  • Game Analysis: Rolling a Troll?

    Game Analysis: Rolling a Troll?

    Have you ever set down to play a game against an opponent who seems hell bent on driving you completely insane with irrational moves? Maybe you’ve played against someone who insists on moving every single pawn forward before activating any of their back pieces. Sometimes, we meet an opponent who defies all traditional logic of the game but can be just as deadly as a precision player. I recently played against an opponent who embodied some of those traits. The first few moves of the game were infuriating and it led to a wild game where the balance tipped many times, but I managed to come out on top.

    [pgn] [Event “Let’s Play!”] [Site “Chess.com”] [Date “2021.05.28”] [Round “-“] [White “Internet Opponent”] [Black “CMDRExorcist”] [Result “0-1”] [StartTime “00:53:27”] [ECOUrl “?”] [BlackElo “936”] [WhiteElo “933”] [Termination “CMDRExorcist won by resignation”] [Link “https://www.chess.com/game/daily/336628607”] [Timezone “UTC”] [EndDate “2021.05.28”] [EndTime “02:05:38”] [UTCDate “2021.05.28”] [CurrentPosition “4r1k1/5pp1/7p/p7/2p2P1Q/7P/4q1P1/5K2 w – – 0 35”] [TimeControl “1/86400”] [ECO “B20”] [UTCTime “00:53:27”] 1. e4 c5 2. c4 d6 3. b4 cxb4 4. d4 Nf6 5. f3 e6 6. Qa4+ {I can’t help but feel that moves like this are just troll chess. It was really frustrating, which caused me to focus a little more than usual.} Nc6 {Stockfish wants me to use the Bishop, but I was unwilling to give it up in this situation.} 7. d5 exd5 8. cxd5 Bd7 9. dxc6 Bxc6 {Using the pawn instead of the Bishop would have reduced White’s lead slightly by half a pawn.} 10. Qxb4 a5 {Certainly not a good move, but I needed his Queen out of the way and had plans to bring my Rook into play.} 11. Qd4 Qd7 12. Bf4 d5 13. e5 Bb4+ {Not the best move, but I needed to do something to save my f6 Knight.} 14. Nd2 Nh5 {Knights are certainly no fun on the edge, but I needed a way to dislodge the f4 Bishop.} 15. Bd3 Nxf4 16. Qxf4 d4 {At the time, I thought this move protected the b4 Bishop, but the a5 pawn was enough to do that. This just weakened my center control.} 17. Ne2 O-O 18. Nxd4 {White attacks in the center, but opens his King to some serious vulnerability.} Bd5 {Stockfish hates this move and suggested Rd1.} 19. Qh4 {Threatening mate with Qh7, but that’s not happening…} h6 20. Bb5 Qc7 {With the intention of forking the Knights or attacking the pawn depending on White’s response.} 21. Rd1 Qxe5+ 22. Ne2 Bxd2+ {A major blunder. I should have gone for the a2 pawn to break up White’s defense even further. Instead…} 23. Rxd2 Qa1+ 24. Rd1 Qxa2 {It took me a few extra moves, but the a2 pawn falls amidst the chaos.} 25. Rxd5 {A decisive mistake by my opponent giving me a free Rook.} Qxd5 26. Bc4 Qe5 27. O-O b5 28. f4 Qe3+ {A good move, but misses the opportunity to capture the Bishop with Qc5.} 29. Rf2 bxc4 {The Bishop falls and White’s defeat is inevitable.} 30. Ng3 Rad8 31. h3 {Trying to build an escape route from the increasingly crowded attack.} Rd1+ 32. Nf1 Rxf1+ 33. Kxf1 {Sacrificing the Rook to get the pesky Knight out of the way. Now it’s just a matter of tactical finishing.} Re8 34. Re2 {My opponent’s final mistake allows for a puzzle-like finish.} Qxe2+ {Game may have continued…} (34…Qxe2+ 35. Kg1 Qe3+ 36. Kh2 c3 37. Qg3 Qxg3+ 38. Kxg3 {-M11}) 0-1 [/pgn]

    I doubt that the player himself was trolling me, but it certainly felt like it at times, especially in the opening. Of course, this is a very low rated game and sloppy as hell, but I am pleased with the result given the frustration that played out on the board. This was a daily chess rated game with a time control of one move per 24 hours.

  • A Solid Blitz

    A Solid Blitz

    I’ve been carving regular time out of my day to do chess studies and they have started paying off. Despite all of the mistakes and blunders, I believe that my fundamentals are improving steadily as a result. Here’s a solid game I played recently on lichess.org that I felt was worth annotating.

    [pgn]
    [Event “Rated Blitz game”]
    [Site “https://lichess.org/WxA0I30F”]
    [Date “2019.02.05”]
    [Round “-“]
    [White “Wesley Surber”]
    [Black “Internet Opponent”]
    [Result “1-0”]
    [UTCDate “2019.02.05”]
    [UTCTime “04:02:41”]
    [Opening “Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Caro Variation”]
    [WhiteRatingDiff “+12”]
    [ECO “C70”]
    [BlackElo “1160”]
    [WhiteElo “1113”]
    [Variant “Standard”]
    [TimeControl “300+0”]
    [Termination “Normal”]
    [BlackRatingDiff “-34”]

    1. e4 {[%clk 0:05:00] [%eval 0.12]} e5 {[%clk 0:05:00] [%eval 0.37]} 2. Nf3 {[%clk 0:04:58] [%eval 0.23]} Nc6 {[%clk 0:04:58] [%eval 0.15]} 3. Bb5 {[%clk 0:04:56] [%eval 0.14] The Spanish (Ruy Lopez) opening.} a6 {[%clk 0:04:57] [%eval 0.26]} 4. Ba4 {[%clk 0:04:55] [%eval 0.4]} b5 {[%clk 0:04:55] [%eval 0.36]} 5. Bb3 {[%clk 0:04:54] [%eval 0.27] The Morphy Defense. Creates a balanced position for both sides.} Bb7 {[%clk 0:04:54] [%eval 0.58]} 6. O-O {[%clk 0:04:53] [%eval 0.46]} f6 {[%clk 0:04:53] [%eval 0.9]} 7. Nc3 {[%clk 0:04:51] [%eval 1.43]} Nd4 $5 {[%clk 0:04:50] [%eval 2.18] The first inaccuracy of the game. Black misses Na5 to put pressure on the b3 Bishop.} 8. d3 $2 {[%clk 0:04:43] [%eval 0.52] I followed up with a mistake of my own. The better option was to take the Knight on d4.} Nxb3 {[%clk 0:04:46] [%eval 0.53] Losing my light square Bishop was a consequence of missing Nxd4.} 9. axb3 {[%clk 0:04:40] [%eval 0.57]} Bb4 {[%clk 0:04:43] [%eval 1.04]} 10. Bd2 {[%clk 0:04:37] [%eval 0.16] This move was simply a result of me not taking enough time to consider my position. The Knight was already defended by the b-Pawn. Stockfish preferred pushing d4.} Ne7 {[%clk 0:04:41] [%eval 0.44]} 11. Qe2 {[%clk 0:04:31] [%eval -0.37] The intent was to strengthen the e-File and connect my Rooks, but Nh4 was a better option.} c5 {[%clk 0:04:36] [%eval 0.42]} 12. Qe3 {[%clk 0:04:14] [%eval -0.44]} d6 {[%clk 0:04:31] [%eval -0.36]} {This was one of the few moments in the game where I was genuinely confused and unsure what to do. Nd5 to meet was a way for me to threaten d7, but not much else. Not the best of moves but it gave me some additional pressure on Black’s position.} 13. Nd5 $5 {[%clk 0:03:55] [%eval -1.49]} Bxd5 {[%clk 0:04:28] [%eval -1.06]} 14. exd5 {[%clk 0:03:54] [%eval -1.21]} Nxd5 {[%clk 0:04:27] [%eval 1.32]} 15. Qe4 {[%clk 0:03:45] [%eval 1.41]} Bxd2 {[%clk 0:04:25] [%eval 1.45]} 16. Nxd2 {[%clk 0:03:43] [%eval -1.43]} Ne7 $5 {[%clk 0:04:20] [%eval -0.57] The trade is complete and the Bishops are off the board. This works well for me because of the closed position on the board. The Knights are better in these situations and will come in very handy shortly.} 17. Rfe1 {[%clk 0:03:37] [%eval -1.43] Solidifying my position on the e-File.} Qc7 $4 {[%clk 0:04:13] [%eval 8.09] A major mistake that I MISSED!} 18. c4 $2 {[%clk 0:03:31] [%eval -1.42] A very bad move that missed capturing the a8 Rook.} Qc6 {[%clk 0:04:11] [%eval 0.67]} 19. Qg4 {[%clk 0:03:21] [%eval -0.83] Preparing an attack on e6.} Ng6 {[%clk 0:04:03] [%eval 0.6]} 20. Qe6+ {[%clk 0:03:19] [%eval -0.94] Unless black makes a serious counter move, it’s over.} Ne7 {[%clk 0:03:59] [%eval 1.16]} 21. cxb5 {[%clk 0:03:16] [%eval 0.18] Forcing the Queen away.} Qxb5 $2 {[%clk 0:03:56] [%eval 3.5] Black should have traded Queens, but missed the exchange and loses the game.} 22. Ne4 {[%clk 0:03:13] [%eval 3.32]} Qxd3 {[%clk 0:03:54] [%eval 10.25]} 23. Nxd6+ {[%clk 0:03:12] [%eval 9.97] Black’s only real move is Qxd6.} Kf8 {[%clk 0:03:52] [%eval #1]} 24. Qf7# {[%clk 0:03:11] Overall, I believe that this was a much more solid game than I’ve been playing. I hope that it’s a sign that my studies are paying off.} 1-0
    [/pgn]