The Game I Realized I Could be Decent at Chess...

Believe it or not, Magnus Carslen sucked at chess once. I sucked at chess once. Well, granted, some people are still not the greatest at chess, and that's okay. We can't be the best at everything. However, every average chess player started as below average at one point. When I first played chess back in 2022, I was only 200 rated. Slowly, I climbed up, and by 2023, I was 1200, through reading various chess books and chess videos on YouTube. This game, which I played in 2023 as a 1300, is what made me think, Wow, maybe I can be a good chess player. Now, as a 2100 trying to push to 2200, I'd say that thought was fully realized. Alas, here is the game. As usual, I provide commentary for my game and my thoughts behind the moves played in this game. Now, here is the game:

The game started with an uncommon opening choice after 1.e4 b6, initiating the Owen's Defense. Now, I am a well-known hater of this opening. I don't like the opening for Black. I made a forum about it, check it out if you want. In my opinion, it's too passive, and if you want to play passive, there are better options. Even in 2023, I thought the opening was just straight up bad for Black. Now, I know a little better, but I still just don't like it, which is fine. Anyways, the Owen's Defense prepares for Black's light-squared bishop to fianchetto on the long a8-h1 diagonal, and attack my center from afar. Thus, we continue with 2.d4 e6 3. Bd3 Bb4 4.f4? 

I enjoy playing f4 against the Owen's Defense. I usually follow with Nf3 and O-O and start a kingside attack by marching my e and f pawns towards the kingside. I made it very clear I was going to be aggressive, and my opponent just opened the door for me, let me inside, and told me to trash the place, as made evident by 4...g6?!

Why my opponent played this move, I will never know, but that just allows me to get a development advantage, which is never good for someone playing against an aggressive opponent such as myself. The game continues 5. Nf3 Ne7? 6. O-O?! Bxc3 7.bxc3

My opponent, is obviously way too passive, and amatuer me was very exicted, and I would be exicted even now. My pawn center is almost too good to be true. That's because my opponent has c5, which would ruin everything. Luckily, he did not see it and my center lives for now. My bishops, while look a little dumb, are both one move away from being attacking little beasts, as if the e and f pawns push, the bishops all of a sudden can see a lot of squares. Once again, my opponent plays too passively. 8...d6? 9.e5 dxe5 10.fxe5

Now, e5 was not the correct pawn push according too Stockfish, but amatuer me had the right idea, punish your opponent for being too passive and not developing his pieces or protecting his king. The f5 pawn push was a little more effective for breaking into black's kingside, however. Amatuer me is still in a winning position though, and thank god he played e5 looking back. Then my opponent does the unthinkable:

10...O-O?!

Once again, I am unable to explain my opponent. I was clearly showing all the signs of attacking his kingside, but he puts his king in there anayway and in a position where he is weak, as the dark squares around the king are literally wide open for my bishop or queen, and he does not have a bishop to contest. So, naturally, amatuer me went right to attacking black with 11. Ng4, which was met by 11...h6, attacking my knight and forcing it to move. Or is the knight forced to move? At this moment, amatuer me began seeing things, the thoughts of Magnus Carslen, Bobby Fischer, and Garry Kasparov possesed his mind, and he summoned all of his thought to play:

12.Qg4!!

This might be my most brilliant brilliant of them all. I honestly can't believe I saw this as a 1300! Why does this move work, you may ask? Well, if the knight is taken, then Bxg5, and black is cramped and low on moves to stop the bishop from rotating to f6 and my queen going to h6 to deliever an unstoppable checkmate, as his knight is pinned, his f pawn, if it moved, would destroy the kingside pawn structure, and moving his rook would not help either. Incredible! My opponent, knew that I had some idea behing Qg4!! and played 12...Nf5?! attending to now capture my knight and have his knight prevent any Qh6 ideas. However, then amatuer me was struck again by other stroke of brilliancy, looked anxiously at the board, thought, then delivered another thunderous blow with:

13. Nxe6!!

Incredible! How does this work? It's a little simpler this time. Well, obviously, I'm forking black's queen and rook, so if he wants to not lose material, he needs to take my knight. So what happens if he takes my knight? That's where dificult calcuations come in. You see, what amatuer we saw was by playing Nxe6, after fxe6, his opponent's kingside would be completely crippled, and the g6 pawn is hanging now. So, we continue:

13...fxe6 14. Qxg6+ Kh8

Now, at this point, the only thing keeping black's defense together was his knight, which defended the weak h6 pawn as well as blocking my rook and light-squared bishop from getting into the attack. So, then, amatuer me was struck a third time, this time by Gotham Chess, as amatuer summoned up the courage to sacrifce...

15.Rxf5!!

The ROOOOOOOOOOK!!! Amatuer me become a chess god himself at this moment, and his opponent, more likely than not, was awestruck and sorry he ever play the Owen's Defense against him. I remove the last piece of my opponent's defense and heart, and everything crumbles and collaspes now.

15...Rxf5 16.Qxh6+ Kg8

Now, amatuer me could have taken material back if he wanted too, but amatuer me correctly assesed that he not need to yet and rather force the black king to a certain sqaure.

17. Qg6+ Kf8 18. Bh6+ Ke7 19. Bxf5

Now amatuer me takes the rook, because now if he takes, he loses his queen due to Bg5+, which is exactly what happens.

19...exf5 20. Bg5+ Kf8

Then, his opponent, realizing he is completely lost, resigned the game in shame. Amtuer me was very shocked to see that he got three brilliant moves and wondered, hey, maybe I can do this more often...

Well, that's all for now! Do you like this series? Do you want me to cover more of my games? You let me know! Have a good day and thank you for your time!