Finally Played 1.e4

It turned out to be a pretty fun game and I won.

I can see now that how my opponent played allowed me to apply pressure and have the advantage in time. I'm not sure if this will always be true but it was a good game for me I guess. I am not really good enough to know if I did well or if my opponent just did poorly.

I felt much more in control of this game than I do playing 1.b3 as long as my opponent doesn't blunder.

Hi Eladar,

Welcome to the 1.e4 world of joy, heartbreak, euphoria and misery.

You will rejoice this day and yet there will be times when you will swear you will never play 1.e4 again.

I followed the first few moves in my head, That Be2 - Bh5+ getting a Knight to f7
is a manoeuvre I'm familiar with in the Latvian Gambit but there was something different about it.

I skipped through the game and saw the irony.
Black has played d5. In the Latvian line the d-pawn is on d6. Here.


You jumped onto f7 with the Knight.

Only when you are in check do you a limited number of replies.
Here you are not in check, you are not forced to play Nf7.

The move you have given up. 8.b3.threatens Ba3+ The King goes to d7 and Ne6 wins the Queen.

Not sure if Black would have spotted that, chances are he would have played 8...Rg8
anticipating you playing the Knight fork on f7 which you still threatening to do.

Here after he played 14...Bb5.


You hit the Bishop with 15. a3. There is a better move.

In time you will learn that in 1.e4 e5 openings when things are ragged and you
have a King on the hop moves like 15.a3 have nothing to do with where the action is.

Playing 1.b3 does not really put you in a position to punish tactically lack of
development so you are a wee bit short on lack of development attacking ideas.

But they will come. (but be ready to get you hands burnt in the learning process.)


Look at the Black King and Queen. Just imagine that e4 Knight going to f6.

15.f6 opens up the files and diagonals and 16.Qg4+ is a massive threat..

15...Nxf6 (what else) 16.Rxf6 and Black cannot take back due to 17.Nxf6.

Have fun with 1.e4. You are in excellent company.

You will learn a lot about strategy playing 1.e4.

Originally posted by moonbus
You will learn a lot about strategy playing 1.e4.

I know next to nothing about strategy. I mostly play hoping my opponent screws up and I can make something of it.

Hey Greenpawn,

Thanks for the time and effort as well as the welcome to e4. I never wanted to try because of the fact that there are so many options for black but now I just try to play what seems best. General idea of the opening then play from the hip.

Thanks for the advice about Nf7, when you suggested b3 I thought why am I play Bb2? 😀 Old habits die hard.

I seem to need to reread what you say 2 or 3 times to actually see what you are talking about. I reread to be exact in my reply only to find out I wasn't understanding what you were saying. Now I see.

Pushing the f pawn does seem to be the fastest way to take the advantage.

I pushed the bishop out of the diagonal so that I could load up the rook to take the queen with a knight check. Slow and obvious isn't a good combination.