Help Analyzing OTB Tourney Games

Hello everyone,

I recently played in a 6 rd swiss in the class B section (although most of my opps were also class C lol--too many ppl played up) and got 3.0/6. I know I couldve done a lot better for sure especially on day 2 where i blundered away a win in time pressure (reaching move 30).

The next few posts will have all my games.

That game ended very very late and I barely had time to eat or do anything before round 2 unfortunately :(

Now onto Round 2:

The next day I made some atrocious blunders from slightly better or even winning positions in time pressure before the time control...I really feel like time pressure is preventing me from improving and rising through to class B/A.

This next one (Round 4) Im completely winning but in time pressure I drowned in some complications.

So as you can see--I tended to get the most tactical positions in time pressure while nearing move 30. And I made horrible decisions in dealing with them. I went for complicated lines that I shouldn't have gone for even if they were winning.

I really need help figuring out what I need to work on in terms of time management/tactics. I regularly do problems from Dan Heisman's Back to Basics: Tactics but I feel that time pressure is keeping me from rising through. I can outplay opponents sometimes all the way but then time pressure gets to me.

Ok now onto the last 2 games

Round 5:

This one I almost threw it all away on move 30 too....ugh but I got lucky in the ending. Also, on move 30. I saw potential for the move d5/Bxd5+ but was really afraid to play a move like that in time pressure.

Round 6: My shortest game/quick draw

So the last day went ok but as you can see, I am very prone to throwing the game away in 1 move near move 30. The time control was 30/90 SD/60.

The one that needs most attention would probably be my loss in Round 3 or my loss in Round 4--both which were outright tactical blunders in time pressure.

I need to train myself to not go for such complications in time pressure. But a move like Bf3 was really tempting and I thought I calculated correctly but I missed that the f3 bishop hangs after Qd3+ Bd4.

I noticed I calculate too much during games and it is times like these where I am prone to just 1 simple oversight that kills my win.

A quick look at Rd.4 makes me wonder if you considered Rfc8 around move 20.  Also, I know the Game Insert makes no allowance for Time Control, but could you let us know what it was?

@your3rdgame you could have taken on d3 and played your bishop to g5, taking away the c1 square for whites rooks. After Nc6 you are still fine.

Instead of Bg4 you could have played Kc7 or Bc4. Also, if you are up just trade off pieces in general, lol.

How to win (I think but i probably included some freakin terrible blunder somehwere in there but i hope not)

^Kf7 works as well on move 60 as it does on move 63. 

The time control was 30/90 SD/60 with a 5 sec delay throughout. And this tourney was an annual Labor Day Championship @ SF.

@doduobird

I did look at the h5-h4-h3 (I assume you meant this and not a5-a4 a3 lol) but I felt that even if my pawn did get all the way up, white could always play g3 and has enough pieces to defend. White's queen was able to defend g2 and participate in the attack. But Kc7 would have been better for sure--I just felt that Bg4 was ok too since I could go back to c8 to defend but I was tempted by a tactic that didnt exist with Bf3 and totally missed the eventual fork.

I had also rejected Bc4 since I didnt see any follow up after something like Qb2 followed by Rab1.

In the 4th round also, I did consider 20. Rfc8 but went by the principle don't counterattack when up in material. (Even though I sort of broke this rule later on and thats basically what ended up getting me in mild complications later on)

bump....

Mainly what steps should I be taking to take my game to the next level. I do tactics puzzles every day from Back to Basics: Tactics and I have looked at some of Reassess Your Chess (but not all of it yet).What is the best way to train time management (5-min blitz games havent helped too much with that)

Gah too many games quick lowdown on everything:

Round 1:

9. Ne5 looks like it's good. Threatens to win a pawn via Nxc6 bxc6 Bxc6, and stuff like 9. Ne5 Nxe5 10. dxe5 Nd5 11. Bxd5 Bxd2+ (11...exd5? 12. Qxb4) 12. Nxd2 exd5 13. Qxd5 looks good for white.

18. Rc2 preparing to double rooks. Try to get all your pieces into the fun. Position your pieces well, then look for pawn breaks, then nice things should follow.

52. f5 is a simple win, as is 53. gxh5 gxh5 54. f5. But you have a choice of wins so it's all good.

Round 2:

No need to try and refute 7...e5 too violently. Just play solid chess and whatever happens, happens.

19. Rxc6 is quite the stunner. I'd say after that line, 22. Qe3+ Be7 23. Qe4 is the way to proceed going after a8 for a clean rook rather than just the exchange.

26. Rb7 h6 and this time ...Rd2 comes for real. I'd say the endgame is pretty drawish if both sides aim at f2/f7 and keep things solid.

Round 3:

I hate insane messes and I think yourself and others covered it pretty well already.

Round 4:

I hate messes, but I agree with your notes to the game. A real pity, underestimating the strength of white's counterplay (perhaps 21...Rfc8 or 21...Qb7-Be4 dealing with the counterplay before pushing your pawns was better. I like safety above all else.)

Round 5:

36. Rd8 Kf7 37. Ra8 looks fine now.

39. Bxh7 g6?! 40. Bxg6 Bxg6 41. Rxg6 b3 42. Rd6 going in front of the pawn. Rd1-b1 is the idea, and if 42...Re1+, 43. Kf2 Rh1 44. Rd2 (or Kg2) should be fine.

Round 6:

!!??? Draw, huh. Well, OK, everyone's tired. And how can you play the Catalan and not know the corresponding theory as black? It's exactly the same set of moves, just that you're on the other side. Play whatever normally gives you the biggest headache to face.

Overall: Time management? Try slightly longer games, perhaps with increment. 15|10 standard here, or maybe 10|0 blitz. For myself I find 10|0 is enough to think at critical moments only, and 15|10 good for long thinks in the opening to middlegame.

Just a couple of things:

In game 1, white's move 18, you say you're a bit lost on how to continue.  I think 18.Qa4 is what you're looking for--it still pressures c6 and now a7, you have the nice fork at c4 available, and the idea is to play Rc2, Rfc1, e3 (to protect the weak d4 pawn) and munch all black's q-side pawns.  Nc4 isn't a cheapo, it's a strong threat.  You just need to execute it a little better.

Game 4: Have you ever looked at 3....e5 here?  If 4.dxe5, d4; 5.Ne4, Qa5+ and Qxe5 with a more open game than you usually get with the Slav.  Black's 21st: I don't really like pushing the a-pawn here.  While it's true that passers must be pushed, look at the material on the board--white has a Q, two Rs and two minors--this is still a middle game.  "Rooks belong on open files" is another truism, so I'd go more with Rac8 here and Rc7--there's a potential fork at d7 if the black N/f6 moves, but the fR is protecting the k-side, so I'd move the aR to help out on the 7th, prepare to double on the c-file, etc.  Once you swap off some majors, then I'd think about pushing the passers.

You've done some good analysis on your games, and you've gotten some good advice from others, so enjoy the feast of chess ideas.

As far as eliminating your weaknesses, half the fight is finding out where they exist--you can't fix what you don't know is broken.  And the only way to find that out is through painful losses, and the only way to eliminate them is through hard work.  Good luck.