In the Brantford chess club championship I played a rather stong player in the first round, I had a draw all the way through until I made one bad move...

Can anyone recommend a book that talks about the endgames, I'm thinking about getting Silmans complete endgame course.

game will be up momentarily... open up the movelist to get the sidelines...

Silman's book is outstanding -- highly recommended.

Silmans endgame course seemed a little simplistic when I read it for the first time... but I'm starting to wonder if perhaps he's actually making rather complicated things easy!  The whole Rook and Pawn endgames confused me a bit (perhaps he 'overtaught', because I understand it now) and I was dissapointed he didn't include K+Q vs. K+R mating.  But at the same time it's a great book, I doubt you'll find a better one.

Yes, it's worth noting that there are a couple of exclusions in the book -- K+Q vs K+R is missing due to it's sheer complexity, likewise for K+N+B vs K -- the reason for which Silman cites as a combination of it's complexity and rarity.

the game is up could someone analyze it for me?

I are 1804

Croat_1993

Alright I've copied your PGN and added my own annotations.

No.  That's call good teaching.  He has a way of putting concepts into everyman's language.  I like the style lol

thanks for your analyze matt

yeaah.... 1800 is not strong player - 2000 is...

I beat everybody under ELO 1800 and I still have 1573...

that sucks.

I can even beat a NM sometimes, but 1800 IS NOT A STRONG PLAYER

Ancient chess wisdom: If your position is cramped, exchange pieces. If your opponent has a huge center, put pressure on it, and liquidate in your favor or when necessary. If you can't play in the center, play on the wings. You didn't do any of these things.

1) Against black's fianchettoed kings bishop, I sometimes try to play Bg5, Qd2, and Bh6 (before e3 obviously). It's easier to trade that bishop off, rather than having to worry about the long diagonal the whole game. Also, if you don't trade the bishops off, get your heavy pieces OFF the bishop's diagonal. It seems like you knew you should do this, but still decided to not do it.

2) I don't like the move 21 c5. Queenside expansion may be one of the "usual plans" in that opening, but c5 doesn't fit the position. What does it accomplish? It blocks in your most active piece, gives up control of d5, and even makes it hard for you to continue expansion. How  can you follow this move up? b4? and then what? Also, you noted how an immediate b4 is bad because of leaving c4 to your opponent.

Stopping c5 by your opponent is not so important, because then he is giving you d5, while he is not gaining control of d4 for a piece, as it is still controlled by your pawn on e3. That he will kick your knight out is not a big deal, as that knight isn't doing anything there anyway. Also, his pawn is easier to attack on c5, when you can break through and get some counterplay.

21 c5 reduces mobility and gives up d5 without increasing the pressure i.e. it is  a bad move. In short, it fixes (as in immobilizes) your queenside, which makes things easier for your opponent.

3) You developed your second rook on your 29th move. Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, this rook should be developed not much later than move 20. You have 7 Pieces, why use 6?

4) Your play should have been focused on either challenging black's center, or playing on the queenside (where you had a space advantage). h4? Bc1?

5) Don't let your opening book knowledge screw you up. It's better to just play by feel, then to play book moves and then find that you don't know what you are doing. I think that is what happened in this game. If you don't know how to play with a fianchettoed bishop, don't fianchetto the bishop.

6) Were you intimidated by your opponent's rating? I don't know what your playing style is, but in this game you seem timid.

7) Playing for a draw? Really? The irony here is that you are not good enough to play for a draw. Playinng for a draw at out level = playing "safe" ie playing passively, and then you get squashed. Play to win, and leave the the draws to the grandmasters.

I just wanted to mention that an endgame book would NOT help you prevent a loss like this one.  That was a tactical mistake and a lack of a plan as was suggested earlier.  The amateurs mind or reassess your chess would probably be more specific to your situation

^ i got reassess your chess shortly after this game.