I'm usually pretty good with my openings and alright in the middle game; it's the endgames where I tend to get beaten. However, I just finished a game where I was decimated in under 20 moves. Where was the decisive mistake?
Game 7122604
Your mistake was ...e6? Willingly pinning your knight and allowing e4! Better alternatives are Ne5 or Nc6. According to Fritz, Nc6 equalizes completely. After ..e6 white unfortunately already has a big advantage. Also, like Ajuin said, be7 limiting your losses is def better than cxd4 and you might have been able to hold with accurate play.
Originally posted by Maxacre42White has an advantage after 7.... Be7?
Your mistake was ...e6? Willingly pinning your knight and allowing e4! Better alternatives are Ne5 or Nc6. According to Fritz, Nc6 equalizes completely. After ..e6 white unfortunately already has a big advantage. Also, like Ajuin said, be7 limiting your losses is def better than cxd4. White needs some really accurate play to keep the advantage in that line.
Wherein lies it?More active pieces and space?
I jumped the gun when I said white had a big advantage, but Be7 is the only move and black's walking on eggshells from then on, he has a half-dozen only moves in a row. There is a lot of tension in the center and black doesn't have much support there. For one thing white can start by taking on c5 and black needs to wreck his pawn structure to maintain some balance. The other move for white is to take on d5. Of course this is all meaningless computer analysis 😉
Originally posted by Maxacre42Ah GM level 😀
I jumped the gun when I said white had a big advantage, but Be7 is the only move and black's walking on eggshells from then on, he has a half-dozen only moves in a row. There is a lot of tension in the center and black doesn't have much support there. For one thing white can start by taking on c5 and black needs to wreck his pawn structure to maintain some ...[text shortened]... other move for white is to take on d5. Of course this is all meaningless computer analysis 😉
Yes,a computer would rip us to shreds in that position.But then it does that from any position
Black's centre is a problem indeed,but to me it looked like one of those typical positions where black might lose a pawn,or gets an isolani,but can hold the game.And white still has to prove he can find the correct moves of course.
I also find 3.... c5 a bit strange.Dunno why really.It looks like something I would do therefore it can't be good 😉
Originally posted by AjuinYour right that ...c5 is an unusual move in that position, g6 is the mainline here. I don't think c5 is too bad though! It's the kind of move I would have made too. But ...e6 is very dubious, on any level.
Ah GM level 😀
Yes,a computer would rip us to shreds in that position.But then it does that from any position
Black's centre is a problem indeed,but to me it looked like one of those typical positions where black might lose a pawn,or gets an isolani,but can hold the game.And white still has to prove he can find the correct moves of course.
I also find 3 ...[text shortened]... bit strange.Dunno why really.It looks like something I would do therefore it can't be good 😉
Originally posted by Maxacre42Obviously I should have looked at the position a little longer. I played e6 to protect the d5 pawn. My thinking was that after 4...Nc6, white would play 5.dxc5, 6.Bxf6, and finally 7.Qxd5. I overlooked the simple 4...Nc6 5.dxc5 d4.
Your mistake was ...e6? Willingly pinning your knight and allowing e4! Better alternatives are Ne5 or Nc6. According to Fritz, Nc6 equalizes completely. After ..e6 white unfortunately already has a big advantage. Also, like Ajuin said, be7 limiting your losses is def better than cxd4 and you might have been able to hold with accurate play.
Hi Der Bayer,
Lets begin 🙂
First things first, your opponent should take a ruler to the back of his hands for
blocking the c pawn so early. Especially when black has played d5. But, to each there own.
Bg5 does not increase pressure on black - and 4...Ne4 is problematic for white, where
white will either lose his dark bishop early or will lose the QN leaving a horrible light
square weakness, without having to trade away his dark bishop!
White should be rethinking Bg5 right about now
Bd7? - Relieving the pin on the king? - No.
Be7 releases Bg5's pressure, accelerates a Kingside castle, and develops the piece
to an accurate square. Your problems would have been stiffled - and things rather
even with this very simple developing move!
After Qh4, black is presented with a problem. He's going to be behind in material.
What tricks lie in blacks arsenal?
The b2 pawn is weak, whites king safety is relatively low, and his rooks are not
connected. Hmmm... Whats wrong with Qb6? or even Qb8! - dubious! (there is something
wrong..but its sneaky!)
Now, the accurate response here is Nxd5! - Any other move, begins to add up to
black equalizing, in an open game, with a nice pawn chain
Its a gamble... I'd have rolled the dice 🙂 (and maybe been destroyed for it?)
Accurate play would have been Be7
Now things are already...disastrous... but Qxc3+ is clearly best!
(OK, it doesn't matter... but... it does... mentally you should see this first)