My first league game
24 Oct '12 14:274 editsHere is my first league game, Playing black again, so you might want to invert the board so the comments make more sense. I've given my thoughts about the game as I played it, I've looked over it since but obviously I'm not a strong player (though I feel I'm getting better) and my comments might well be wrong. As always, all feedback appreciated.
My opponent was a 108 ECF player, so about 1500 ELO.
My opponent was a 108 ECF player, so about 1500 ELO.
[Position White "Ke1,Qd1,Ra1,Rh1,Bc1,Bf1,Nb1,Ng1,a2,b2,c2,d2,e2,f2,g2,h2"] [Position Black "Ke8,Qd8,Ra8,Rh8,Bc8,Bf8,Nb8,Ng8,a7,b7,c7,d7,e7,f7,g7,h7"] [Topic ""] 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8 4. Bc4 c6 5. Qf3 {Threatening Qxf7, a cheap shot, probably underestimating me as I'm ungraded and playing bottom board. Long term it means black will be pushing white's queen about despite it being a centre counter opening, and he's also stolen his own g1 Knights best square.} Nf6 {Other option was e6 but I wanted to get my light squared bishop outside of the pawn chain first.} 6. h3 {Stopping me from getting my light squared bishop to g4 as I'd hoped, but possibly a wasted move. The fact that he felt the need to do it, only highlights how bad the queen move 5.Qf3 was.} e6 7. d3 Nbd7 8. Nge2 Ne5 {forking bishop and queen, I'm happy to drop a knight to break up his bishop pair, again highlighting the short term nature of white's 5th move.} 9. Qe3 Nxc4 10. dxc4 Be7 {I was going to play Bb4, But I thought developing the bishop to d2 was probably a decent move for white, and the pinned Knight would only encourage him to make that move. White has only used 5 minutes, most of it on his second move, I have used 17.} 11. O-O O-O 12. Qg3 {Again I'd say white is wasting time.} Bd6 {If you give me a target, I might as well have fun pushing it around.} 13. Qf3 Qc7 {Building some pressure on the h2 square. Starting with black, and with my captain having said he'd be very happy with a draw on bottom board, I was feeling quite comfortable here. Equal on material, and certainly not behind on development.} 14. Bf4 Bxf4 15. Nxf4 e5 {I liked this move, I've certainly started to move my pawns less often since putting some effort into studying the game. But there is still nothing better at forcing an opposing piece to RETREAT than a pawn ......} 16. Nh5 {...... or maybe not!} Nxh5 {I'm happier with fewer pieces on the board, so I'm happy to exchange off.} 17. Qxh5 {Fairly even so it must be time for .....} Qd7 {...... a bunder! I was thinking so hard about exchanging off queens next move, that I missed the fact I was leaving a pawn hanging. What a plonker. } 18. Qxe5 {So I got up, went for a wee, and stood outside with the smokers for 5 minutes to clear my head and get over the disappointment. I don't want to be on tilt!} Re8 {I think this is a good move, I'm only a pawn down despite my blunder, and I get the compensation of being able to push the queen around. As a republican (of the sane Welsh / Scottish / Irish kind not the mental American kind), there's nothing I enjoy more. } 19. Qg5 Qf5 {Now I get to offer the queen exchange, probably, objectivley a poor move as I'm down on material, but I'll feel more comfortable with the queens off, so I'm going to do it anyway. Plus, I might get that c2 pawn back.} 20. Qxf5 Bxf5 21. Rac1 {I dont think that's a great move from my opponent. I would probably have played the rook to d1 to grab the open file. I may be wrong, but tying a rook to the defence of a pawn, seems a bit passive to me.} Re6 {My rooks won't be passive. I had a flashback after losing the pawn to something fatlady wrote about one of my games on these very forums, and tried to activate my pieces whilst my opponent fannied about.} 22. g4 {more fannying, weakening the kingside. I was scared during the game that my opponent would fork my light squared bishop and rook on e6 with a further pawn push to f5. But on reflection, I think my opponents real opportunity here is to activate his rooks and try and get his queenside pawns moving. I think I'd still play white's c rook to d1, even now.} Bg6 {Inviting 23. e4 which I had feared, but which I had a plant to try and counter, 23 .... Re3 and I'd hope to either get two pawns for the bishop and expose the white king, or get my bishop back to h7.} 23. Na4 {Allowing my rook onto the 7th (2nd) rank.} Re2 {Properly threatening the c pawn now} 24. c3 {Defending the c pawn, but doubled and blocked it's likely to be a weakness, and it's also exposed the b pawn, which is only defended by the knight.....} b5 {.....which is now going to have to move} 25. cxb5 cxb5 26. Nc5 Rxb2 {Material is back even, and I'm much happier with my pieces than I would be with his.} 27. a4 a6 {I was feeling quite comfortable with the position, so I didn't take. 27...bxa, would have left us both with a passed pawn and that's too much of a gamble, so I decided I'd prefer it if he took my b pawn and I could take back} 28. Rfe1 f6 {I'd started to get worried about the possibility of a back row mating threat.} 29. axb5 {as I'd hoped.} axb5 {I did consider taking with the rook from b2, but again, I didn't want both of us having a passed pawn, and this way I finally developed my (a) rook, with the possibility of linking my rooks on the 7th (2nd) rank.} 30. Rb1 {This was the second game in a row that my opponent gifted me a rook. Even a patzer like myself stands a chance when people are dropping rooks } Rxb1 {I could have taken with the bishop, but then I'd have been a rook ahead with one rook off the board. Now because of the pin of the white rook against the queen, I'm a rook ahead with both rooks off the board. Thus my opponent has less opportunity to get back into the game.} 31. Rxb1 Bxb1 32. Ne6 Rc8 33. Nd4 Bd3 34. c4 Rxc4 35. Nf3 Rc1 36. Kh2 b4 37. Nd4 Bc4 {White resigns.} 0-1
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