What could I have done to improve?

Hi guys!

I'm pretty new here, but not to chess. However, I still have A LOT of room for improvement. Take the game below:
http://www.redhotpawn.com/core/playchess.php?gameid=2041989

Although I won the game, I tend to analyse each game at the end to find out what I did wrong and what I did right (I think I know most of what I did right).

However, I am more interested in what I could have done to improve my chances of winning. I have already picked out some of the mistakes:

*I could have done the bishop check discovered attach with the queen much earlier
*Some people say that I should not have made him do a bishop-knight exchange. However, my opinion is that I don't value my knights as much as my bishops. Also, if you notice, most of my pawns were positioned in chains on the colour of his other bishop, and hence made that bishop useless. Some people said that it was the reason why although there was an exchange, I had a higher material value than him.

What else would you guys suggest that I should have done?

Originally posted by aommaster
Hi guys!

I'm pretty new here, but not to chess. However, I still have A LOT of room for improvement. Take the game below:
http://www.redhotpawn.com/core/playchess.php?gameid=2041989

Although I won the game, I tend to analyse each game at the end to find out what I did wrong and what I did right (I think I know most of what I did right).

However, a higher material value than him.

What else would you guys suggest that I should have done?

When you post, look at the bottom of the block you write in. It says insert link into game, press it and past the gameid into there:

Game 2041989

You made to many pawn moves. Make a couple of pawn moves and get your pieces out, castle so your king is safe and then go after him. You are the general of your army. Pawns a soldiers, rooks are cannons, knights are knights etc... Why fight with soldiers only? when you can use your whole army.

One more thing. Don't move your f pawn so early. It leaves your king exposed to checks.

Sorry about that. Like I said, I'm not that familiar with the forum interface.

Thanks for the tip.

On move 6 or 7 you wanted to play d5 and control some central squares, you couldn't do it before, but once white had given up the bishop it was ok. Also throwing pawns forward when your king has nowhere safe to go is not normally a good idea.

Originally posted by DeepThought
On move 6 or 7 you wanted to play d5 and control some central squares, you couldn't do it before, but once white had given up the bishop it was ok. Also throwing pawns forward when your king has nowhere safe to go is not normally a good idea.

That's very interesting. I was considering that move in my notes. I was acutally planning to move the queen onto that file, and hence, moving d5 would cause me to win material. But, as you saw in the later game, I alligned my bishop with his queen and moving d5 would block the discovered attack.

I think if he HAD moved his queen out of the range of by bishop, I would have moved d5. Would you have made d5, or alligned the bishop, keeping d5 empty for a surprise attack on the queen if you were in my position?

thanks a lot for your time

This isn't comments for your game but after I looked at It, I think this will help you. Page 2 half way down I post my advice. Read through that and the link I provide.

Thread 39309

Thanks a lot for the link Rahim. I have Chessmaster 10th edition at home, and I practice with that.

I really like your post about the openings, as usually, I'm in a mess during opening, and am usually dependant on the oponent making their move and then countering it.

Do you suggest that I learn some of the openings from Chessmaster, since I can see exactly what is going on?

Thanks

Originally posted by aommaster
Thanks a lot for the link Rahim. I have Chessmaster 10th edition at home, and I practice with that.

I really like your post about the openings, as usually, I'm in a mess during opening, and am usually dependant on the oponent making their move and then countering it.

Do you suggest that I learn some of the openings from Chessmaster, since I can see exactly what is going on?

Thanks

CM 10th edition. I have that too but not right now. My computer is way to slow to run it 🙁 It's a great program.

I suggest you go through all the drills, puzzles etc in CM. They can help you a lot. Then watch all the lectures. I love the Josh lectures and I must have seen the same one 5 times at least and I still watch them. They are so good.

BTW, I found some new lectures in CM which I didn't know about. In the Kids academy there are some Josh lectures there. Some of them are repeat though, but i think the first 3 are new ones.

Thanks a lot Rahim. I will go through them.

By the way, Chessmaster rates me about 1200, so, I still have a looong way to go 🙂

I havn't looked at Rahim's post (his are usually excellent) but basic opening ideas are what you were lacking.

1. Control the center (usually by playing e4 and/or d4 - e5 and d5 if black)
2. Develop your pieces,
3. Secure your king (castle)


f6 is almost never a good idea in the opening (all rules are made to be broken). Take this for instance

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 f6
3. Nxe5 fxe5
4. Qh5+ g6
5. Qxh8

I can't stop hitting myself. This is what I normally (notice, NORMALLY!) do:
Move the king pawn forward.
Move the two knights so that they are attacking the middle section.

I was suggested this by Chessmaster a long time ago and I normally use it.

Only thing was that this time, my opponent was going for Napoleon's Move (Fool's mate as many know it), and for some reason, I started to panic. And from there on, my whole style of playing changed!

Thanks a lot for your advice guys.

Originally posted by aommaster
That's very interesting. I was considering that move in my notes. I was acutally planning to move the queen onto that file, and hence, moving d5 would cause me to win material. But, as you saw in the later game, I alligned my bishop with his queen and moving d5 would block the discovered attack.

I think if he HAD moved his queen out of the range of by b ...[text shortened]... ty for a surprise attack on the queen if you were in my position?

thanks a lot for your time

Against an opponent who puts his queen on f3 on the second move you may be right.

2. Qf3 is bad, and 2. ... f6 is also not a great idea as if he retreats his bishop rather than just exchanging it on move 5 you have a problem trying to castle and the knight is deprived of that square. If your opponent had played 2. Nf3 then 2. ... f6 (Damiano's opening) is more or less losing.

3. ... c6 looks ok as long as the knight can get to d7, 4. ... b5 gains some space, doesn't prevent a future ... d5 and forces the bishop to move, but it also leaves your king with nowhere to go, I think that this outweighs all the other considerations, kingside castling is no longer an option so if lines are opened you have no pawn cover for your king.

Over the next few moves the position became a mess. You had both given yourself development problems by sticking the wrong things on f3/6. White played 7. Nh3, and you are more or less forced into making flank pawn moves. Sticking the pawn on d6 earlier would have made sense as the bishop is bad anyway and isn't made much worse by letting the knight get to d7. If white had castled kingside and opened up lines in the centre instead of locking up the queenside pawns then I think you'd have found yourself losing.

The problem with trying to maintain X-ray pressure on the queen like that is that your d-pawn ended up backward, and the queen's knight ended up utterly out of the game on a6. If your opponent doesn't fall for it you're left with some weaknesses it could be hard so sort out.

Other than that there didn't seem to be any serious tactical problems in your game, just look up some openings. In that game 2. ... Nf6 is reasonable as your opponent is probably hoping for 3. Bc4 and 4. Qxf7# and that stops him and puts pressure on e4 and d5. There's no need to protect e5 yet as it hasn't been attacked.

I see you thought he was going to play fools mate, so I understand why you played 2...f6 now. The way you prevent fools mate is develop a knight of c6 so he can protect the e5 pawn.

For example: 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 (some dumb move by black) b6 3.Bc4 g6?? 4.Qxe5+ picking up the rook on h8. So for this you notice you have to defend the e5 pawn. Try again

1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 Nc6! 3.Bc4 g6 (notice the e5 pawn is protected now) 4.Qf3 trying for mate on f7 again. 4...Nf6 or Qf6 Which ever you like.

White has nothing here, his queen takes away the knights best spot on f3. White wasted a whole bunch of pointless moves with his queen. You can play 4...Nf6, Bg7,0-0 and start your attack.

So Let's play your game again now.

1.e4 e5 2.Qf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6

Look at the position. White's knight can't go to f3(the best square for the knight mostly) , his queen isn't really doing anything.

Look at black now. Both knights are out, He's controlling the center, you can play Be7, 0-0, d6 or d5 depends, and you will like this part: play Kh8 unpinning the f-pawn and play f5 next move and blast open the position and attack him. It will take white several moves to castle and finish developing and by then you will have started your attack already.

Well time to go eat now.

Thanks a lot for your post Rahim. I'll try to use that next time in doubt. I usually move my knights out anyway after I advance the king pawn so that I have control of the four central squares, but, as I said before, I panicked for some reason!

Thanks a lot for your time guys!

Originally posted by aommaster
Thanks a lot for your post Rahim. I'll try to use that next time in doubt. I usually move my knights out anyway after I advance the king pawn so that I have control of the four central squares, but, as I said before, I panicked for some reason!

Thanks a lot for your time guys!

We've all been there one time or another. I remember getting checkmated twice like that during blitz maybe 1 year ago and i'm a decent player. Hehe I suck at blitz.