How to Beat Me, Lesson #3: Lock Your Back Door

Beating me gets easier all the time, but some opponents insist on losing. This game demonstrates how simple it is to get a winning advantage over me, only to piss it away due to what can only be described as pawn greed.

My opponent opened with a very aggressive center attack, which I managed to parry, leading to this very even position on move 20.

I wanted to prevent Nc4, so I played b3. Unfortunately for me, I failed to notice that my g pawn was pinned by his rook. So Nf3+ lost me a rook for his knight.

He quickly brought his other rook into play and a few moves later we had this position.

At this point, I'm -5.4 and in complete defensive mode. But I have a prayer. I just need to control the d7 square. Luckily enough, the move that does it also attacks his d file rook and leaves my c pawn hanging. All he has to do is keep his rook in the d file somewhere and he's golden. Alas, he takes the c pawn and presto!

Re8#.

I've been on the receiving end of one of these many times, and it's no fun. When you're playing a sneaky bastard like me, remember that no matter how big your advantage is, your first thought should always be king protection. Don't let me pull a rabbit of my hat.

Previous entries in the "How to Beat Me" series:

There's No Secret to Beating Me - Here's How
How to Beat Me, Lesson #2: Never Resign