This is a game I played against one of the people at my school. If you have any useful advice, I could really use it.

1. ... d6 is very passive. 1. ... d5 fights for the center more directly.

 

5. Bxc6+, white gives up a very strong bishop. Materially it's a fair trade, but there is no need for white to trade these pieces, he'll do better to keep a bishop that is covering so much ground. 

 

You can probably see from the game that after 15. Bxa2 the bishop gets trapped. Black needs to be more careful with what he takes. 17. ... f5, why not at least get something for your bishop with 17. ... Bxb3. White should have played 18. gxf5.

 

16. ... c5? This pawn moves blocks in your own bishop. How about 16. ... Ba3+. This forces 17. Nb2 and then you can play17. ... a4 which will save your bishop.

25. ... Rxh3 as you see loses the rook. 

i assume you're playing Black. your game's not bad maybe even winning with the 2Bs and an open b-file to attack W's K at move 15. 15...Bxa2? loses the best attacking B for 2 pawns. better would be 15...Rb8 or 15...c5 to get your attack started. 17...f5? hangs the B & the P. 20...e3 gives away another pawn. 25...Rxh3?? allows the N fork.

Don1 wrote: i assume you're playing Black. your game's not bad maybe even winning with the 2Bs and an open b-file to attack W's K at move 15. 15...Bxa2? loses the best attacking B for 2 pawns. better would be 15...Rb8 or 15...c5 to get your attack started. 17...f5? hangs the B & the P. 20...e3 gives away another pawn. 25...Rxh3?? allows the N fork.

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 Don, I'm not so sure that 15. ... Bxa2 actually loses the bishop. After 16. b3, white has 16. ... Ba3+ 17. Nb2 a4

Nice line, Loomis. In fact, it looks like if he played any other move but 16. ... c5, he might have been able to play 17. ... Ba3# as long as the other player kept focusing on getting that bishop on a2.

Loomis wrote: Don1 wrote: i assume you're playing Black. your game's not bad maybe even winning with the 2Bs and an open b-file to attack W's K at move 15. 15...Bxa2? loses the best attacking B for 2 pawns. better would be 15...Rb8 or 15...c5 to get your attack started. 17...f5? hangs the B & the P. 20...e3 gives away another pawn. 25...Rxh3?? allows the N fork.

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 Don, I'm not so sure that 15. ... Bxa2 actually loses the bishop. After 16. b3, white has 16. ... Ba3+ 17. Nb2 a4

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 nice catch Loomis but i see you missed it also at move 15 but caught it at 16. so the bad move wasn't 15...Bxa2 but the follow-up 16...c5?? so at move 15...Bxa2 is probably the best move? the only other possibility after 15...Bxa2 is 16 Rxd6 folloed by 17 g3 to trap the B.

One error is that you should NEVER advance the pawns in front of a castled king. It makes the king more exposed and led to checkmate.

One error is that you should NEVER advance the pawns in front of a castled king. It makes the king more exposed and led to checkmate.

I tend to disagree with the never part , there are certain instances when it is safe and necessary to do so .

I agree, smother mates on the back rank are quite common, so it's good to have some space for your king.

I think you all missed that 16. ... Ba3 is mate!

Kingfisher wrote: I think you all missed that 16. ... Ba3 is mate!

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no, look at the other comments & the board closer, 17 Nb2 blocks the check.

Yes, It is good to push your H or G pawn to avoid back rank mates, but as a general rule, you shouldn't push them all the way up the board and strip your king of it's cover.