Game 2711283
A few words:
Moves: 1-6 is the opening French Defense Winawar, this opening is quite popular putting the bishop pair versus the two knights, typically with this type of defense, we want our minor pieces to be better than his, and we do this by locking up pawns, keeping the center closed, plus we want to incorporate Steinitz rule for knights, which is to defeat knights you have to take away their advanced support points, and to be successful with them you have to try and create advanced support points. I would also like to trade off one of my bishops so I can break up his bishop pair and make it a more managable bishop vs. knight game.
My opponents 8th move isnt a particularly good move as its only played once out of 334 games according to chessbase, I think thats because it takes the bishop off of the c1-h6 diagonal after h6.
My moves 7 and 8: Im trying to continue with my plan to make the game a bishop versus knight game, and this is how Im able to break up his bishop pair, another reason I would like to get rid of this bishop is because the fixed pawns on what will be later the c4-f7 pawn chain, makes this a "bad bishop" and with a bad bishop you have to do one of three things: 1) Get it outside the pawn chain 2) move my pawns to different colors 3) trade it.
Options 1-2 wernt available so I just went with option 3.
Move 12-13: I wanted to get his bishop, off the c1-h6 diagonal, and make it less active
Move 14: Getting my knight to an advanced support point
Move 20: Im invoking Steinitz rule there.
I had the majority of my peices on ther queenside because your supposed to place the bulk of your army on the side where the fixed pawns lean, looking back
I pretty much did everything I wanted to do, his knight is on the edge of the board "a knight on the rim is dim" and he has a bad bishop because of the c3-e5 pawn chain. Somehow for the life of me I cant figure out how to shove my opponent off a cliff, any thoughts where I may have gone wrong?
Originally posted by gambit3But the game is over. There's nothing wrong in asking for advice when the game is finished.
Seems like you want some move advice. It is unfair and against the rules at any level of play to ask for and or receive advice as to which move to play. Try to play the game as best as you can and come what may.
Originally posted by HomerJSimpsonI don't think 8. Bg5 is a mistake, Crafty assesses the position as +0.10 after it, so at worst it's not the strongest available move, but white's still got a slight advantage. The score stays more or less level until move 15. Qe2, when it drops to -0.30 (ish) with the suggestion of 15. ... g4. After 15. ... Nc7 the score stays at +0.05. 16. a4 appears to be a mistake by white - you get a passed rooks pawn out of it which you might have tryed to make use of. 18. axb5 is a definite mistake, the score jumps to -0.54, so you've an advantage. You preserved the edge until you offerred your opponent a draw. I think that this was your fundamental mistake, the position looks like one which you had realistic hopes of winning by advancing the a-pawn, and with white's bishop where it was there probably wasn't much danger of losing it either. Then again a draw with the black pieces against someone rated around 100 points higher is a perfectly respectable result.
Game 2711283
A few words:
Moves: 1-6 is the opening French Defense Winawar, this opening is quite popular putting the bishop pair versus the two knights, typically with this type of defense, we want our minor pieces to be better than his, and we do this by locking up pawns, keeping the center closed, plus we want to incorporate Steinitz rul ...[text shortened]... t figure out how to shove my opponent off a cliff, any thoughts where I may have gone wrong?
I am glad you posted commentary on our game because to be honest I agree with most of what what you are saying:
(1) both from the game and the posting you know more theory than I do and I think it helped you formulate and execute a plan.
(2) you were pushing me around. I can say this both from my position which is caving in and from internally -- these were not moves I wanted to make, they were moves that I really needed to make. For example, my knight was stuck on a end file and then the back row. My queen was forced to stay on d2 to protect my c3 pawn and d4 pawn. Maybe I am ignoring theory but I was far more concerned that my bishop was in a closed file than a "wrong color" but the combination certainly was not in my favor.
I felt like you were forcing me to cave in and you have a passed pawn on the other side. I was willing to continue and fight it out. But I thought my chances were fairly bleak. I was going to attack your a7 pawn in the hope that maybe it would shift the attack away from the kingside where I was getting whalloped and myabe I'd figure something out. Obviously, my thought process is desperate at best.
Thus, when you offered me a draw. I had to take it.
Originally posted by HomerJSimpsonI haven't checked this carefully, 20. ... Qb7 (instead of the pawn push) and white has either to move the rook, or play Rba8 when the knight join in. I tryed a few lines against Crafty and white has tactical tricks on the kindside which you have to be careful of, but you should be able to get the pawn moving, after which it gets easier as you have more space to play with.
How would you go about advancing that a pawn? My opponent is dealing with it in a textbook fashion it seems
At first I thought you had White because the White men are on the bottom and my brain seems to be in neutral. I believe that Black has a better position. I would have tried to force White to prove he could play his position. I am not a strong enough player to give move advice.