Can someone help with the analysis of this game?

VelvetEars

Only Chess

27 Aug 11

VelvetEars

Joined: 22 Aug 08
Moves: 9361

27 Aug 11

1

This is me playing as black losing a very open and aggressive game. I'll happily accept a lot of criticism (especially as I didn't move a bishop or rook till move 30) and advice and possible alternative lines.

I've added annotations so you can an idea of what I was thinking and whether or not I was right to think it.

tharkesh

Joined: 04 Sep 10
Moves: 5716

27 Aug 11

can not add anything to what you said - the first queen move was inviting trouble of being chased around and your bishops and rooks were standing in the last row for too long.

have you thought about 18. Nxf2? If .. Kxf2 then 19. d3+ and 20. dxc2 but i guess this line is not sound...

greenpawn34

e4

Joined: 06 May 08
Moves: 43363

27 Aug 11

1 edit

Hi

I don't want to analyse anything, you seemed to have nailed the
critical stuff. I just want to applaud the style and the attitude.

"... I did look long and hard at playing f6 and sack the other rook."

You will win more than you lose, especially OTB and enjoy it.

Good game.

VelvetEars

Joined: 22 Aug 08
Moves: 9361

27 Aug 11

Originally posted by tharkesh
can not add anything to what you said - the first queen move was inviting trouble of being chased around and your bishops and rooks were standing in the last row for too long.

have you thought about 18. Nxf2? If .. Kxf2 then 19. d3+ and 20. dxc2 but i guess this line is not sound...

I looked at Nxf2, and it looked quite interesting until I saw 19. Qe2 Nxh1 20. Nxf7+ Kd7 (forced). Now, I don't really have any attack left and felt my game would peter out.

tharkesh

Joined: 04 Sep 10
Moves: 5716

27 Aug 11

true, it looks like the attack falls asleep, and this game really lives from the constant heat.

and 18. a2? also not good enough? if the rook moves, the queen check can pick up the b2 pawn and make more trouble down there...

Gambiteer

Mayberry NC

Joined: 25 Jun 11
Moves: 1120

27 Aug 11

Agreeing with tharkesh....

You were in a bad way after the queen went to c5, but he let you back in the game when he missed 18. Rxa3 -- when he played Rb1 instead, pushing the pawn to a2 was your key move.

regards,

JamesaulD

Joined: 18 Mar 11
Moves: 798

28 Aug 11

I think you are doing well in this game, and are not completely lost even after you missed the nice ...a2 move winning quickly. But there's more - as the game progresses,
look at 21...Qe7+ which seems to win material or mate in a fashion similar to the one in
which you chose BUT, his N won't be able to recapture the p AND when/if you capture the N you threaten mate on e2.
Even at 30...Bf8e7 (you said you rejected because of Nb6) I think after Nb6 you ...Bf5
and you've got some pressure - yet that could backfire with Qa8+ and chasing you around a little... yet you have many 'objective' plusses here. Early on his N and QR are out of play plus that advanced b-pawn may actually be helping YOU here🙂 In the end you can activate those two bishops and try to q that pawn.

Gambiteer

Mayberry NC

Joined: 25 Jun 11
Moves: 1120

28 Aug 11

Not exactly.... 21. .... Qe7 dies a swift death after 22. Ne5+ Kd8 23. 0-0 etc.

The line with Be7 and Bf5 goes nowhere after 32. Qa8+ Bc8 33. Nxc8 Qxc8 34. Qd5+ and the exposed state of Black's king, combined with the activity of White's pieces, means that the pawn will never queen; White can always drive Black from pillar to post and eventually either set up a double attack or pick up a tempo to thwap the pesky pawn off the board, and Black's hopes with it.

Gambiteer

Mayberry NC

Joined: 25 Jun 11
Moves: 1120

28 Aug 11

Oooops, I forgot to also point out that the pawn nudge to a2 does not win quickly; it DOES turn the game around and give Black a small advantage, but it's still a tough fight, not a quick win.

torten

bedlam

Joined: 20 Feb 11
Moves: 6387

28 Aug 11

1

Finally got this pgn thing working!

The other side of the coin.
The top secret file of my recorded in-game thoughts (thus without hindsight),hopes and fears.And a small part of the variations I analysed.
You get a rare insight into my brain.Read at own risk.

e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. N1c3 a6 7. Na3 Nf6 
Nc4 b5 9. Ne3 b4 {?! pawn grabbing is risky here - de la Villa} 10. Ncd5 Nxe4 
a3 {! de la Villa's suggested idea} Qa5 { ?! book gives 11....,bxa3 with the only alternative 11...,b3.So I'm now out of book,hopefully I can still benefit somewhat from the play and ideas of those two moves it does discuss} 12. Nc4 {Ok,so de la Villa tells me Qa5 is a bad move.But how do I profit from it?Let's just drive that queen back and then see what I can do} Qc5 {? I thought Qd8 was forced.What does this do?threatens mate in 1,but I can defend with an attack on the queen and then win a rook with a knightfork.Seems like I must be easily winning.ok} 13. Nc7+ {The check needs to come first: 13.Be3,Nd4 and the queen covers c7} Kd8 14. Be3 Nd4 15. Nxa8 d5 16. Bxd4 {The knight can't move because of the threat on c2,my king could die very quickly.16.axb4,Qxb4+ 17.c3,Nxc3 is perhaps an option but I'm not so sure.Too complicated.Let's kill off an attacker,then my knight can move too} exd4 17. Ne5 {Threatening Nxf7+ winning a 2nd rook.And if 17...,d3 then 18.Nxd3 defends the mate on f2.ok} bxa3 18. Rb1 {18.Nxf7+?Not the time to get greedy,I'm under heavy fire here!hm,18.Rxa3 as in the book (in a different position) doesn't seem to work now: 18.Rxa3,Qb4+ 19.c3,Qxb2 and I'm losing the rook,he has a passed a-pawn and a mate threat.No,that can't be good.18.Nd3 then?but I really don't want to retreat that knight.18.bxa3,Qc3+ can't be right,so that leaves Rb1.This is getting really complicated.Am I still better?Was I even better to begin with?} axb2 19. Bd3 {Getting the bishop out.I want my king in his castle!} Nc3 {Uh!Totally missed that!} 20. Nxf7+ {Nothing I can do,the rook's toast.That b-pawn's about to queen.I'm probably losing now.Or not?Right,only one option.....ATTACK!} Ke8
Qh5 Nxb1 22. Nxh8+ g6 23. Bxg6+ {Must keep attack flowing.Sac knight or bishop?Forceful moves!Nothing more forceful than a check.I like knights better anyway} hxg6 24. Qxg6+ Kd8 25. Nf7+ Ke7 26. O-O {Tuck the king away and activate the last piece} Nc3 27. Re1+ Ne4 28. Ng5 {Now what?Can't sac the rook.28.f3 loses to d3+ followed by d2.Queen's got nothing.c-pawn hangs.b1 queening threat.I have to attack his king,got nothing else.So the f7 knight,28.Ne5 vacates f7 for the queen,ok,but then 28....,Be6,bleh.There's better,28.Ng5 attacks his pinned piece and vacates f7 for the queen.Yes,that must be it} Kd8 29. Nxe4 {Happy to see that beast go} dxe4 
Qxe4 {the dust has settled somewhat.Don't relax!Still have to eliminate that b-pawn.Keeping my c-pawn is important too} Bd7 31. Qb7 {hitting b2 while protecting c2 with tactics} Qxc2 {? Did I miss something again?} 32. Qb8+ {well,checked it 3 times,I don't see the problem,it's a forced mate} Bc8 33. Qb6+ Kd7 34. Qe6+ {Kinda funny how that wretched a8 knight is now useful} Kd8 35. Qe8

tharkesh

Joined: 04 Sep 10
Moves: 5716

28 Aug 11

1

thanks you two! this is nice to see both sides' thoughts!

ketchuplover

Isolated Pawn

Wisconsin USA

Joined: 09 Dec 01
Moves: 72587

28 Aug 11

Perhaps 19...Qc3+ alone or with pushing the a pawn would yield positive results

Gambiteer

Mayberry NC

Joined: 25 Jun 11
Moves: 1120

28 Aug 11

The move 19. ... Qc3+ looks like a good try, but ultimately goes nowhere. One possible line even ends up with the queen trapped: 20. Ke2 Ke8 21. Nb6 Be6 22. Nec4 ....

And just so everyone is on the same page, the way for White to follow up 18. Rxa3 Qb4+ is with 19. Ke2 Qxb2 20. Rb3 and once again Black is struggling.

What we have here, folks, is a classic example of a premature and undeveloped attack, gaining some momentum via a sacrifice, but coming up short against best defense. That is NOT to say that this is not a fun, interesting, and exciting game -- it is every bit of that! And it is also a dang good try, especially if Black is the sort of fellow who likes to go for the gusto and have some fun along the way.

🙂