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erikido23

I am especially concerned about how I played the endgame and whether I completely misplayed the opening but it wasn't taken advantage of .  I was hoping to get to play out the endgame as my endgame is rusty.  Anyways, any thoughts.......

 

I am about 2000 rated on here(Have been told I play about expert level, not any more though haha) and have beat a life master in a long time control game.  Quit talking about how I don't need to be looking at openings

erikido23

Damn I was looking forward to pfren telling me how terribly I played lol. 

MSC157

What was time control in this game? :)

Irontiger

Don't take this as an insult, but at your level you shouldn't play the Reti - it is grounded on deep positional ideas that you have no use of as long as you are <1500. (This only applies if your rating is not much under your real level, which might well be the case because you didn't play any blatant mistake in that game).

 

6.cxd5 is not the idea (Nc3 or d3), but it's not terrible either.

8.Nc3 (!) is much better than dxc5, because you are waiting for Black to take himself or to move the Bf8 first (to make him lose a tempo recapturing).

9.Ne5 is not so bad as it seemed at first sight. Here we have some sort of Grunfeld...

I wouldn't recommend 11...c5 (?) because after 12.Qa4+ Bd7 (if 14...Qd7 15.Qxd7+ Kxd7 16.Rd1 Black loses a pawn) 13.Qd1 puts a lot of pressure on d5 and indirectly on the a8 rook. For example 13...Bd6 14.e4 cracks the center open with the black king stuck in it. I didn't check the specific variations, but I have a bad feeling or Black here !

I don't believe in the black activity of your sideline 14...Bxf6. At the end 17.Rc1 (either rook) pretty much kills it all.

15.Rfd1 looks strange, attacking a well defended pawn. Better Rac1 of Nc5.

Your sideline with 17.Bxc5 Na4 might be better than the game : 18.Qd4 Nxc5 19.Qxc5 and White's bishop is way superior to Black's, c6 is weak, the queen is on a great square.

19.Bd4 (?) : huh ? It's not bad, but... why ? Why not Rac1 ?

22.Qc3 'winning a pawn' is good ; but a better decision could be 22.Qxe7 and (1) ...Rc7xe7 23.Rxc6 Rxe2 24.Rxe2 Rxe2 25.Bxb6 axb6 26.Bxd5 with one more pawn (b6 hangs) and less pieces on the board ; or (2)...Re8xe7 23.Bc5 Rd7 (because otherwise 24.Bxb6 and 25.Bxd5 due to the pin Rc1-c6-Rc7) 24.e3 and Black's rooks are tied to their positions. But there is a tiny risk that Black could hold this very passively and patiently.

30.Rd2 seems a bit shy ; maybe better Rcd4 and then you activate the king.

 

Black's resignation is way too early. Rook endgames are extremely difficult, and even if that endgame was won 'with best play' for White (I strongly doubt this is the case), I would probably try my luck (as Black) even against a strong GM.

erikido23
Irontiger wrote:

Don't take this as an insult, but at your level you shouldn't play the Reti - it is grounded on deep positional ideas that you have no use of as long as you are

 

6.cxd5 is not the idea (Nc3 or d3), but it's not terrible either.

8.Nc3 (!) is much better than dxc5, because you are waiting for Black to take himself or to move the Bf8 first (to make him lose a tempo recapturing).

9.Ne5 is not so bad as it seemed at first sight. Here we have some sort of Grunfeld...

I wouldn't recommend 11...c5 (?) because after 12.Qa4+ Bd7 (if 14...Qd7 15.Qxd7+ Kxd7 16.Rd1 Black loses a pawn) 13.Qd1 puts a lot of pressure on d5 and indirectly on the a8 rook. For example 13...Bd6 14.e4 cracks the center open with the black king stuck in it. I didn't check the specific variations, but I have a bad feeling or Black here !

I don't believe in the black activity of your sideline 14...Bxf6. At the end 17.Rc1 (either rook) pretty much kills it all.

15.Rfd1 looks strange, attacking a well defended pawn. Better Rac1 of Nc5.

Your sideline with 17.Bxc5 Na4 might be better than the game : 18.Qd4 Nxc5 19.Qxc5 and White's bishop is way superior to Black's, c6 is weak, the queen is on a great square.

19.Bd4 (?) : huh ? It's not bad, but... why ? Why not Rac1 ?

22.Qc3 'winning a pawn' is good ; but a better decision could be 22.Qxe7 and (1) ...Rc7xe7 23.Rxc6 Rxe2 24.Rxe2 Rxe2 25.Bxb6 axb6 26.Bxd5 with one more pawn (b6 hangs) and less pieces on the board ; or (2)...Re8xe7 23.Bc5 Rd7 (because otherwise 24.Bxb6 and 25.Bxd5 due to the pin Rc1-c6-Rc7) 24.e3 and Black's rooks are tied to their positions. But there is a tiny risk that Black could hold this very passively and patiently.

30.Rd2 seems a bit shy ; maybe better Rcd4 and then you activate the king.

 

Black's resignation is way too early. Rook endgames are extremely difficult, and even if that endgame was won 'with best play' for White (I strongly doubt this is the case), I would probably try my luck (as Black) even against a strong GM.

Thanks for the analysis...

 

PS.  My rating is higher than yours is I think the reti is quite fine

erikido23

rfd1 was to prevent the push of the c pawn.  More important (in my mind) to prevent the mobility of the c pawn than to allow a trade of a bunch of pieces. 

 

B-d4 was to set up the tactics on the long diagonal(maybe threatening to bring it back to b2 or just q-c3 as in the game rerouting the queen out of the front and creating threats at the same time) With the queen in front on the c file I don't seem to be winning that pawn any time soon. 

 

At the end of your line With 26 bxd5(and you mention less pieces on the board)...b-h3!? and there are some threats- for instance if 27. f4, rxa2 28. rxb6, r-a1+ 29 k somewhere, r-a2+ and black either equalizes materially or has perpetual. 

 

30 r-d2 was to maintain pressure against the queenside pawns. 

erikido23

Oh and msc this was a cc game with no use of books, computers etc  allowed

helltank

A 1280 playing the Reti? Don't copy grandmaster moves just because they're theoretically the best! Play good, solid openings. Nothing against the Reti, of course, but I'd suggest you learn more common openings.

4..dxc4 and regaining the pawn is going to be a hassle for White, during which Black can develop.

8.dxc5 develops the opponent's bishop and weakens your centre, so you were correct in not choosing that move. It's not "a matter of taste".

11...c5 allows White to pressure the d5 pawn, which may have scared off Black. It's a perfectly solid move though. Black was probably just paranoid.

There was some weird knight maneuvering to c5, after which it gets chopped off by an inactive bishop. Then there was the queen/bishop battery attempting to lay siege to the a-pawn, which probably lost too much time.

24.Bxd5+ is the best move. If there are no immediate tactical ramifications or Black getting, say, a strong attack, then give in to your inner greed(at least that's what Silman says.

33...gxh5 is perfectly solid. I dunno why he didn't play it. Yes, you can regain it by force, but he could have spent the tempos you give up regaining the pawn attacking the queenside pawns with his king and rooks instead.

After 35...fxg4 36.Kxg4 his king and maybe a rook on f7 would cut off your entire kingside counterplay. ]

37..c6 and you'll have to fight fairly hard for your win. I agree, he resigned too early.

erikido23
helltank wrote:

A 1280 playing the Reti? Don't copy grandmaster moves just because they're theoretically the best! Play good, solid openings. Nothing against the Reti, of course, but I'd suggest you learn more common openings.

4..dxc4 and regaining the pawn is going to be a hassle for White, during which Black can develop.

8.dxc5 develops the opponent's bishop and weakens your centre, so you were correct in not choosing that move. It's not "a matter of taste".

11...c5 allows White to pressure the d5 pawn, which may have scared off Black. It's a perfectly solid move though. Black was probably just paranoid.

There was some weird knight maneuvering to c5, after which it gets chopped off by an inactive bishop. Then there was the queen/bishop battery attempting to lay siege to the a-pawn, which probably lost too much time.

24.Bxd5+ is the best move. If there are no immediate tactical ramifications or Black getting, say, a strong attack, then give in to your inner greed(at least that's what Silman says.

33...gxh5 is perfectly solid. I dunno why he didn't play it. Yes, you can regain it by force, but he could have spent the tempos you give up regaining the pawn attacking the queenside pawns with his king and rooks instead.

After 35...fxg4 36.Kxg4 his king and maybe a rook on f7 would cut off your entire kingside counterplay. ]

37..c6 and you'll have to fight fairly hard for your win. I agree, he resigned too early.

4...dxc4 is fine...But, playable for both sides.  White can either make it a real sacrifice or even regain the pawn immediately with q-a4+. 

 

8.dxc5..you are correct about that.  I was looking at that with end of graveyard eyes lol...

 

The "weird" knight maneuvering is natural and takes control of the dark squares, immobilizes the hanging pawns  and wins the bishop pair. 

 

The queen bishop battery which "lost time" won the pawn and would have forced concessions in structure otherwise. 

 

33. gxh5 is almost lost.  34. r-h4(how does your king attack on the other side- or the rooks for that matter.  they don't-the king can't get past the rook on the d file)with time on the king as rxh5 would be check also winning the h5 pawn if you try something on the queenside. 

erikido23
Irontiger wrote:

Don't take this as an insult, but at your level you shouldn't play the Reti - it is grounded on deep positional ideas that you have no use of as long as you are

 

6.cxd5 is not the idea (Nc3 or d3), but it's not terrible either.

8.Nc3 (!) is much better than dxc5, because you are waiting for Black to take himself or to move the Bf8 first (to make him lose a tempo recapturing).

9.Ne5 is not so bad as it seemed at first sight. Here we have some sort of Grunfeld...

I wouldn't recommend 11...c5 (?) because after 12.Qa4+ Bd7 (if 14...Qd7 15.Qxd7+ Kxd7 16.Rd1 Black loses a pawn) 13.Qd1 puts a lot of pressure on d5 and indirectly on the a8 rook. For example 13...Bd6 14.e4 cracks the center open with the black king stuck in it. I didn't check the specific variations, but I have a bad feeling or Black here !

I don't believe in the black activity of your sideline 14...Bxf6. At the end 17.Rc1 (either rook) pretty much kills it all.

15.Rfd1 looks strange, attacking a well defended pawn. Better Rac1 of Nc5.

Your sideline with 17.Bxc5 Na4 might be better than the game : 18.Qd4 Nxc5 19.Qxc5 and White's bishop is way superior to Black's, c6 is weak, the queen is on a great square.

19.Bd4 (?) : huh ? It's not bad, but... why ? Why not Rac1 ?

22.Qc3 'winning a pawn' is good ; but a better decision could be 22.Qxe7 and (1) ...Rc7xe7 23.Rxc6 Rxe2 24.Rxe2 Rxe2 25.Bxb6 axb6 26.Bxd5 with one more pawn (b6 hangs) and less pieces on the board ; or (2)...Re8xe7 23.Bc5 Rd7 (because otherwise 24.Bxb6 and 25.Bxd5 due to the pin Rc1-c6-Rc7) 24.e3 and Black's rooks are tied to their positions. But there is a tiny risk that Black could hold this very passively and patiently.

30.Rd2 seems a bit shy ; maybe better Rcd4 and then you activate the king.

 

Black's resignation is way too early. Rook endgames are extremely difficult, and even if that endgame was won 'with best play' for White (I strongly doubt this is the case), I would probably try my luck (as Black) even against a strong GM.

Just noticed the note that 6.n-c3 is (one) the idea.  Seems as though after d4 black has gained space for no particular concession.  I would call black immediately = with the slightly easier position to play.  What are your thoughts/ideas there?

Irontiger
erikido23 wrote:
Irontiger wrote:

 

6.cxd5 is not the idea (Nc3 or d3), but it's not terrible either.

Just noticed the note that 6.n-c3 is (one) the idea.  Seems as though after d4 black has gained space for no particular concession.  I would call black immediately = with the slightly easier position to play.  What are your thoughts/ideas there?

I didn't even noticed this. But after 6.Nc3 d4 (?) 7.Nb1 (Nb5 leads nowhere after a3, and the knight wants to go to d2)- diagram :

 

White has a position with many KID or Benoni ideas, and despite his space disadvantage he is very slightly better. The main idea is to play to push b4 and storm the queenside in relation with the 'dragon' bishop on g2, but there can be variations ; for example, if Black does not play ..e5 then playing e3 to trade the e pawn vs. the c pawn is an idea, to get a queenside majority.

 

Even if the maneuver Nb1-c3-b1 to induce d4 has lost some time, it is played (from the black side !) by many KID players. White has saved some tempi here compared to the standard line because 1- they moved first 2- Black will probably play ...e5 making ...e6 a gift of tempo .