Game Summary: Things go off the beaten path early in this game. Theory goes out the window and I am forced to figure things out on my lonesome.
Your "loving" wife of 18 years just left you for your buddy you've known since grade school and she has won not only the house but custody of your kids, dogs and even your Grandma Irene's ashes. Your job has just been shipped over seas however your house note and car payments are still planted firmly in your wallet. Your recent ex comes up to your work to explain to you that she is in fact pregnant and you're the father, only to be interrupted by your new girlfriend texting you with a message stating solely, "I'm late...". Or if you are me, the ultrasound just showed that in fact the baby boy you were hoping for is indeed a baby girl. Life rarely supplies Mapquest with directions on how to navigate these surprise roads in life but still we must travel them. So......what now?
This now leads me into this game. My opponent played an opening that not even the game explorer of Chess.com can name. I know that most masters in the game of chess state all the time the openings are not all that important and at my level it is rare, with solid play, that you can even notice a difference. I, however, act like what I believe most people at my level do when they see something out the norm in the opening, "What and the....." . However there is no changing what has passed and so it was time to play. Any theory I may know was out the window and this forced me to sit down with most of my moves and ask myself...what now?
And so the game goes....
And already I find myself spending a minute of my 30 minute allotment staring at this position. At first I assumed we would transposition into a more common line, maybe a Nimzo-indian of some sort. The more I thought however I told myself, "Never assume. Just develop normally as many chess videos have instructed you to do." And so I developed as normally as I felt I could.
Now here I sat again staring at the position. What was my goal? What did I want out of life? I wanted a strong pawn chain, keep his pieces from getting active and make a strong center. The best move I figured for this was d5, which as it would have it is not as strong as d6. d6 keeps his f knight at bay and allows my pieces to slowly come alive while keep his pieces out of having any realistic shot at taking the center. D5 on the other hand, my move, does not allow for the open play I prefer and creates some issues as you will see. especially for my Light square bishop.
Here I am asking myself....what now? I got to have a better position right now. My pieces are posed and ready for assaults but I need to get them some more room to work with. I worry about opening it up too soon with my king in the center but I feel the king side is just not safe enough for my king and my queen side is wide open. I give it a long thought and in true cowboy fashion I go right for the gold.
Here I am asking myself what do I want? I got an extra piece but I am down a pawn. He has just won the open file and the semi open file. I need to start and attack and improve my position or I can be facing some serious counter play. So I decide to improve my pieces...
And so the game went.... Now looking at 80 points from my goal and edging slowly closer....
Lessons Learned:
1. Don't Panic. Who am I to go against the handbook?
2. Controlling the center does not always mean having pieces in it.
3. If you see a win don't start playing crazy just cause you think you have it.