it's hard to make any strategic comments about your game because both you and your opponent missed so many essential tactics and made many many counting errors. (counting is the evaluation of trades and captures).
examples:
8...Nxe4 - a no-brainer
19.bxe5 - why not??
22.Bxd8 - much better
and many more tactical errors after these.
studying tactics is the FASTEST and EASIEST way to improve your chess when you are sub-1800 level.
It's only recently I got back into chess, so I am looking to improve and I'm currently waiting on some books to arrive so I can work my way through them. Thanks for the comment.
This is a game from the Birdie Song Tournament, right? I participated in that tournament and beat blend75 twice using the Blackmar-Diemar Gambit. There are some articles in opening theory that could help you defend against it.
Also you can try to use your Tactics Trainer to help with your games.
This is the best game I've had on here so far, with a couple of blunders from both of us leading to a pretty open game and quite a tense endgame. It went from me having an advantage to a draw situation, to white having the advantage. Enjoy! I'd love to hear what people have to say about the game, and if they can offer any insight into my opening or midgame technique. Cheers.
My own notes :
3. dxe5 dxe5
This ended up working out alright for me even though I'm not a big fan of exchanging queens early, my king had plenty of space to navigate round to a safe position and it set me up for pushing my pieces into white's half of the board nicely.
22. Rd2 ...
Biggest mistake by my opponent I think, allowed me to take the pressure off my rook
26. Be4?? ...
Another blunder hangs the bishop, but turned out alright due to my blunder on 27. This is the big turning point, and I should have won from this, so I'm a bit disappointed, but was a great fun game anyway.
27. ... Rd1??
This was a huge mistake on my part, I'd just come back to the game after a while and forgot completely about the threat to my rook. In hindsight I'd probably play Rc1 now.
44. ... Kf5??
Second big mistake, took my eye off the board for a second, I think mostly because I was thinking about getting the draw. Bc2 might have helped, followed by Kf5, Kg4, and the draw after that.