I lost this game this-morning and while I'm aware of a couple of misses that ultimately cost me the game, I would greatly appreciate the Chess.com community's input into my play in the rest of this game:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just real quick.  I MUCH prefer 7 nb5, b-c5 8 e-5 with the idea of q-g4

13. Qf3. I prefer 13. f4. This will allow you to lift your rook for a kingside attack Rf1-f3 then to g3 or h3. It also gives you the possibility of playing e5 followed by f5 and f6 severely weaking your opponent's king shelter with the idea of Bh6 and Qg4. Of course, all these plans depend on what black is doing, but 13. f4 grabs more space in the center and kingside and provides more mobility for your pieces than 13. Qf3.

6 Be3! 25 Re2 Qh1# or 25 f3 Qh1+ 26 Bg1(forced) Qxg2# with the R on the 7th & the Q attacking h1 there is no good defense. move 15 may have been the fatal blunder!

Great advice, thanks guys.  I particularly like 13. f4 given the trouble I got my Queen into once I'd pulled it into (and subsequently out of) play.  I guess I was drawn in by the prospect of seting up a discovered attack that was just as easily defended as 13. Bd5.

 

As usual, I appreciate you guys taking the time to look this over for me.

Loomis is exactly right!  Black is trying to gain a spatial advantage on the queenside.  A way to avoid giving him the initiative is f4!.  White gets a spatial plus on the kingside and will get an attack going in the future.  If your opponent fears your attack, he will try to defend his kingside.  Then you will have an initiative and a better game.  Your opponent is a quality player who will not fall for that discovery.  Qf3 not only put your queen in an uncomfortable position, but it blocked your freeing f4!  I'm not sure it is smart to begin an all-out attack after f4, but he is faced with challenges.

Thanks again guys, I think I've just found myself on the doorstep of having to transition from almost purely tactical play, which has served me well up to this level, to a game that takes more positional considerations into account.

Incidentally, I am correct in seeing 14... Re8 as a miss from my opponent, am I not?  Had I not blundered and captured with my Bishop instead of my Queen I would have found myself up a rook and a pawn for a Bishop unless I'm missing something....

That is correct.

14. ... Re8? Does indeed hang material. It also misses the chance to play 14. ... a4 15. Ba2 Qc7 attacking the c2 and h2 pawns, or 15. ... b4 with the potential of b3 next and Qc7 still in the air.

erikido23 wrote:

Just real quick.  I MUCH prefer 7 nb5, b-c5 8 e-5 with the idea of q-g4

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Just to further elaborate.  If 8...a6 then 9. n-a3, if bxa3 then pxf3 and white is clearly better

you guys are a lot better than i am, but i think if your king is behind 3 pawns - you need decent protection above them, and by tangling your queen into an adventure with 16. Bd5, that looked like the biggest killer to me