Kenzie and I sat down and played a game with each player having an hour on their clock. The goal was to talk each other through our moves and analyze strengths and weaknesses in each others play rather than being focus on the result. I have taken the time to embed the entire game below and do analysis on the game to create a series of puzzles and exercises that can be found by flipping through the game. The answers I provide are not inherently right or the only correct answers. However, I have put a good bit of time into this and believe they are worth consideration. I am pleased with the result and I imagine he is as well since at the time of me writing this both of our ratings have gone up a decent amount since we did this exercise. I hope you all find this helpful. If any of you would like me to play a similiar game to this before our next tournament just let me know.
Exercise 1: Move 2 Bbg7. Stop at this point and consider mine and Mackenzie's opening strategies. Mackenzie is option to play the queens gambit. I have declined to play Mackenzie's gambit by declining to play in middle of the board entirely with my kings indian defense. Spend some time observing the board. What is the importance of Kenzies c4 and d4 pawns? Why is my bishop sitting on g7 on the second move?
Exercise 1 Answer: Mackenzie is looking to prevent me from establishing my centralized pawns specifically, my d5 pawn. My position is set up to allow me to castle early in the game as well as places my bishop on the longest diagonal on the board pointed at Kenzies back corner rook.
Exercise 2: Move 6 white plays e5. This was Mackenzies first mistake and my move prior was my first mistake. Can you find a better move for kenzie than e5?
Exercise 2 answer: Cxd5. Kenzie should have made use of the pawn he established through the queens gambit to gain a free pawn. Mackenzie's move isn't bad, as it forces my knight into worse positioning but he had a stronger move and my move was just terrible.
Exercise 3: Move 9 Black's bishop to b7. This is my next terrible move. Did this move accomplish anything? What about it is bad? What is something more important I could have done instead.
Exercise 3 answer: The only good thing about it is I have put my bishop on the long diagonal. The issue is its extremely congested, my bishop is less mobile (it now has 2 moves instead of 7) and that pawn was already protect by my knight. I should have player knight to c7 to develop the piece and connect my queen and rook. Mackenze decided to take the pawn his next move weakening his own pawn structure and allowing me to minimize my mistake( I didn't I doubled down and gave the gift back to him). The computer thinks mackenzie should begin building a kingside attack with his pawns. Kenzie and I discussed this but a recurring theme throughout the game was kenzie being too timid to capitalize on my mistakes.
Exercise 4: Look closely between move 9 and move 15 ending with me playing Qxc7. Why is this positioning so much better for me than it was at 9? This is a major turning point in the momentum of this game. Not because of a brilliant move or strong combination by me, but because kenzie didn't punish me severly enough for my opening errors.
Exercise 4 answer: My rooks are now connected and all of my pieces are more active. On the contrary, kenzies position is not bad but he hasnt established anymore pieces than he had by move 9, has allowed me to regain critical defense space while I formulate an attack.
Exercise 5: Move 22 Re1. Kenzie and I both thought it was his best move and it turned out to be one of his worst. Can you figure out why this isnt a strong move? What do you think kenzie's strongest move would have been?
Exercise 5 Answer: The main reason this move is terrible is it doesn't accomplish anything. His knight already prevented me from playing e1. We both should have seen a2 which forces my queen to move but neither of us did.
Exercise 6: move 26 black plays axb5. We both were kicking ourselves after this one. Look at this until you find the knight move thats significantly better.
Exercise 6 Answer: Knight forks king and rook on b3.
Exercise 7: Black playes g5. This is the only move I have ever made that chess.com believed to be a brilliant move. Kenzie and I had a pretty good laugh about it, but spend some time considering why this move is important. If you don't see it immediately watch the pawn structures as the endgame unfolds.
Exercise 7: It prevents kenzies pawn from moving or there will be a passed pawn. If he doesn't move his pawn I can play f4 forcing a trade with an unblocked pawn in the endgame.
Exercise 8: Move 42 Noah plays g4. Clearly I didn't understand my own brilliant move. Kenzie has threated to take the pawn so I move it. What if I let him take it instead?
Exercise 8 Answer: its not intuitive but I should let kenzie have my brilliant pawn. If he capturs it my knight can capture c5 then kenzie cant prevent my king capturing his d6 pawn essentially destroying his attack.
Exercise 9: Move 46 Kf2. Kenzie has just blundered his winning game making the move he thought he had to make to prevent the promotion. Can you find a better plan where kenzie guarantees he wins this game?
Exercise 9 Answer: If kenzie plays knight to d4 I am finished. His knight then controls the f3 square which is crital to my escpape and can force an exchange that paralyzes every piece I have on the board. I got out lucky here. Kenzies blunder on 51 is so painful we are going to skip it. It was a frustrating wway for him to end that game.
Exercise 10: Move 72 white plays his only option g2. There is at least two ways to mate in 4(the game didnt like my method but its still a forced mate in 4) See if you can find any mates in 4 from this position.
