Rookie Review: Episode 1

Intro

Hello and welcome to the first episode of my new series "Rookie Review" where as an intermediate player, I analyse games submitted to me by players from any skill level, from absolute beginners to top grandmasters. If you want to be in an episode, send me a link to a game that's longer than 40 moves and I'll analyse it whenever I can. I will post once every few days so make sure to keep track of my blogs and without further ado, let's get into today's game!

The Game

Today, I'm going to review a blitz game submitted to me by @squid who's rated 2343 and managed to pick up a strateigic victory! Here's the match:

What Could Beginners Learn From This?
Every game has its flaws, and every game has its learning experiences! Even though this game is played by 2 very experienced players, there are still stuff beginners can learn! Here are 3 things beginners could take away from that game:

Aggressive Attacks - If you see a gambit being played and it has been accepted, you should be prepared for a bunch of attacks coming, as gambits give up a pawn to get ahead in development. In the game, White didn't do this very well and if White kept up the attack, they could've won much earlier. If you're attacking, you should, in most cases, avoid a queen trade, as that'll be your major attacking piece and the opponent's queen won't be very useful either.

Taking Advantage Of Weaknesses - Whenever you're in a pretty positional game, you should try to look for weaknesses in the opponent's position, such as an isolated piece, doubled pawns, etc. Black failed to take advantage of some of these, such as White's doubled, isolated pawns on the f-file. If you find out your opponent's weaknesses, you'll know what your aim is and what to do, helping you decide better moves.

Don't Strike Stealthily - If you see a big threat against a move that ensures a winning advantage, don't take chances. It's quite likely your opponent will see your threat and just slide a piece to defend it. For example, when White took with the knight instead of the rook, that was bad because gave a worse position, even if there was a threat, and Black knew what it was.

This Episode's Puzzle
Every episode will have a puzzle of a different difficulty based on the day of the week it is. Today is Saturday so be prepared for a hard puzzle! See if you can solve it without help. Good luck!
MATE IN 4, WHITE TO MOVE:

This Episode's Chess Meme
Finally, here's a funny Chess meme to end things off. I hope you liked this episode and I'll see you next time!