Annotations on a trio of games

[Event "Open invite"] [Site "https://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2018.02.07"] [EndDate "2018.03.25"] [Round "?"] [White "AlphaZero"] [Black "Andrew Kerr"] [WhiteRating "1486"] [BlackRating "1277"] [WhiteElo "1486"] [BlackElo "1277"] [Result "1-0"] [GameId "12590682"] 1. e4 {I like to start most of my games as white with e4} e5 2. Ng1f3 Nb8c6 3. Bf1c4 h6 4. c3 {Preparing to push d4} Qd8f6 {A very aggressive move and slows kingside development} 5. d4 a6 {My opponent ignores d4} 6. a4 {dxe5 was possible, however I believe it is better to keep the tension at the moment. a4 creates space on the queenside and stops any b5 ideas with a tempo on the bishop} Bf8d6 {(?) Probably black's first 'real questionable' move. Bd6 is awkward as it prevents the movement of the d file pawn which then only slows black's light square bishop's development} 7. O-O Nc6a5 {(?) An unwise move...allows for a beautiful tactical shot} 8. dxe5 Bd6xe5 9. Bc4xf7 {Here's the tactic. If Qxf7 Nxe5 Qe6 perhaps and then Qh5+ At this point black's king needs to move Kf8 which allows an addtional tactical shot Nxd7 Bxd7 Qxa5. Kd8 is not good as it allows a fork after Nf7. Also, g6 is not good as Nxg6 follows} Ke8xf7 {I'm not sure what a computer would say here, but I believe Qxf7 was better. Kxf7 exposes the king and only slows white down by one move from equalling material again} 10. Qd1d5 {Check with a double attack on the bishop and now black's 7th move shown to be unwise} Kf7g6 {I guess black is seeking king safety on h7...but this only increases black's pain} 11. Nf3xe5 {A check on the king and now white will gobble up the knight on a5 as well} Kg6h7 12. Qd5xa5 b6 13. Qa5d5 c6 14. Qd5d4 Ra8b8 15. Rf1d1 {Taking ownership of the d file and prevents black advancing the d file pawn} Bc8b7 16. Ne5xd7 {No fear of a pin on the knight with Rd8 because of the attack on the queen and check} Qf6xd4 17. cxd4 {Vacates c3 for white's knight and white gains a central pawn} Rb8d8 18. Nd7xb6 Ng8f6 19. Nb1c3 c5 20. d5 {white has two passed pawns!} Rh8e8 21. f3 Rd8d6 22. Nb6c4 {I also considered a5 but I'm intent on pushing these pawns} Rd6d8 23. Bc1e3 Nf6d7 {(??)} 24. Nc4d6 {Fork the rook on e8 and the unguarded bishop} Re8e7 25. Nd6xb7 {black just made a lot of bad moves in this game} Rd8b8 26. Nb7xc5 Nd7e5 27. d6 Re7d7 28. Nc5xd7 Ne5xd7 29. Nc3d5 Rb8xb2 30. Nd5b6 {In a position like this my personal philosophy is to simplify the position-exchange pieces so I limit my opponent's ability to create counter play} Rb2xb6 31. Be3xb6 Nd7xb6 32. d7 Nb6xd7 33. Rd1xd7 Kh7g6 34. Rd7d6 Kg6g5 35. Ra1c1 {A instructive point here: I'm looking for a fast way to deliver checkmate. I was thinking this rook might go to my fifth rank so Rb1 is pointless with black's pawn holding b5} Kg5f4 36. Kg1f2 {Stopping any infiltration of black's king} Kf4e5 37. Rc1c6 a5 38. Kf2e3 {Lots of ways to deliver checkmate here} h5 39. f4 {First game on redhotpawn and I get to deliver checkmate with a pawn!} 1-0

[Event "Open invite"] [Site "https://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2018.03.25"] [EndDate "2018.04.12"] [Round "?"] [White "Brady Siegal"] [Black "AlphaZero"] [WhiteRating "1106"] [BlackRating "1486"] [WhiteElo "1106"] [BlackElo "1486"] [Result "0-1"] [GameId "12659212"] 1. e4 d5 {As black against e4 I really enjoy the Scandinavian. I've had great success with it in blitz and rapid OTB} 2. e5 {Advancing the pawn tends to create a lot of tension early on on d4} e6 3. Nb1c3 {(?) Probably not a good move} d4 4. Nc3e4 Qd8d5 5. Bf1d3 {Probably not a great option. Is awkward and blocks black's center pawns} Nb8c6 {Qxe5 was possible but it allows white to gain a tempo on the queen with Nf3. I want to bring my knight to b4} 6. c4 {I expected f4 but this is fine as it is easily parried with en passant} dxc3 7. dxc3 Nc6xe5 8. Ke1e2 {(???) Bringing the king forward this quickly to guard a piece is just bad. Far better was Bc2 or even Bb1 or f3. All of these would have been far better} f5 {I have my eyes on the g2 pawn}9. Ne4g5 Bc8d7 {(!) This was a very important move. I'm not confident what my opponent would have played next but let's suppose f3 to stop any Qxg2 ideas. Then Nxd3 Qxd3 Bb5 c4 Bxc4 pinning the queen wins easily} 10. c4 {Stops Nxd3 Qxd3 Bb5} Qd5xg2 11. Ng1f3 {Only move to save the rook temporarily} Ne5xf3 12. Ng5xf3 Bd7c6 {Another reason Bd7 was so good. The pressure on f3 is real. The move Ke3 only worsens white's king's position and possilby moves into a mating attack} 13. Nf3e5 Qg2xh1 {Drops a full rook. If Nxc6 then Qxd1 not Qxc6. Again, simplify the position to limit counter play}14. Qd1xh1 Bc6xh1 15. Bc1f4 Bh1e4 {Seeking to simplify again} 16. Bd3xe4 fxe4 17. Ra1d1 Ng8f6 18. h4 Bf8d6 19. Ke2e3 Bd6xe5 {This will exchange the minor pieces} 20. Bf4xe5 Nf6g4 {This move came with a couple threats. If Kxe4 Nxf2 and the king and rook are forked. If Kd4 then Rd8 and black loses his rook.} 21. Ke3f4 {Only move to prevent a loss of the rook or bishop} Ng4xe5 22. Kf4xe5 Ke8e7 {Connects rooks and holds the e6 pawn} 23. Ke5xe4 Ra8d8 {Wanna trade please?} 24. Rd1g1 {Okay, fine. I guess not} g6 {Stopping any infiltration by my opponent's rook} 25. f4 Ke7f6 {Limiting the squares for my opponents king. And I'm looking again for a quick checkmate}26. Rg1g5 Rd8d2 {I'm actually not interested in any of white's pawns} 27. Rg5b5 {Only move to hold any pawns} Rh8d8 {Mating pattern getting set up} 28. Rb5xb7 {White really needed to move their king and not chase pawns...game is lost apart from a horrendous blunder by black} Rd2d3 {Checkmate next move. White cannot stop it or even delay it with a check on black's king} 29. Rb7xc7 Rd8d4 0-1

[Event "Open invite"] [Site "https://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2018.04.12"] [EndDate "2018.04.13"] [Round "?"] [White "AlphaZero"] [Black "Marek T Rogowicz"] [WhiteRating "1486"] [BlackRating "1074"] [WhiteElo "1486"] [BlackElo "1074"] [Result "1-0"] [GameId "12685080"] 1. e4 {Again, as white I like e4} e5 2. Ng1f3 f6 {(?) The Latvian!} 3. Bf1c4 {I'm curious if my opponent sees the tactic. Wonder if they will make what I call a 'nothing move'} c6 {A nothing move. Putting a knight on c6 instead of a pawn would have been far better} 4. Nf3xe5 {The tactic} fxe5 5. Qd1h5 {If black moves their king Qxe5#. Therefore, the best move is g6 Qxe5 Qe7 Qxh8 Qxe4 Be2 and this is a very playable position for white. But my opponent resigned} 1-0