Practicing Tactics are really helping me.

I'm black. Move 19 isn't something I would have looked at before. For me it's counterintuitive to capture a protected minor piece with my queen. I think I missed mate in one on the second to last move.

I've only been casually practicing tactics on chesstempo here and there on my iPhone. Is it worth buying a premium account on that site?

playing the orang Utan

basically black stakes a claim in the centre by advancing the d pawn.... the mainline continuation is 1 b4.....e5 2 bb2 bxb4 3 bxe5 which white will know well.....

IM GARY LANE SUGGESTS THIS

the best policy is to give black immediate problems to solve in the opening by constructing a pawn centre..

black plays 1 d5 followed by moving queen out to d6 where it not only targets the b4 pawn but also supports the central advance e7-e5. The middle game plan is to develop the kingside swiftly and bolster the pawn centre. A short, sharp game will be enough to catch a glimpse of how black should handle the opening.

yes i got a knight fork queen swap in much the same way recently (after grabbing a minor piece). I think this came directly from doing tactics puzzles.

I paid for the subscription and was trying to do some every day or every other day, but really I never got much better, and i have given up for a bit. I was happy to pay some money as a contribution.

I think you get a bit more information as a subscriber. Its important (but difficult) to not get hung up on the points rating I think.

I learned that recapture by practicing at the emerald chess site. I understood it like this: you can't fork a knight with a knight, but it is a forking square if you replace the knight. 😀

Just make sure what you trade for the replacement is worth it. 😀