Some Games

I have finally reached the stage in my chess development where I can play games I feel are worth sharing. The last few months, my game has changed dramatically. I no longer focus purely on static advantages but take on dynamic ones if and when I feel it's appropriate. This is a big step forward for me and feels like the 'last step' I need to take towards getting good at strategy. It's worth noting the step is more of a psychological change than any great jump in skill - I'm just prepared to try things that I previously wouldn't have risked doing

The shift is mainly thanks to a sparring partner I've been working with the past four months. He is a refugee from Syria who has been as high as 2300 FIDE. He hasn't been graded since moving to Berlin but he must have dropped since then because I can take the occasional game from him - he's fairly old and probably the stress of fleeing a war torn country takes its toll. He has a very strong understanding of endgames and a somewhat solid positional style. I think one weakness in his game is a willingness to trade off pieces even if it's at a positional cost.

Here's a quick one we played a week ago. Admittedly he didn't help his cause here but there are some nice moves anyway that I wouldn't have had the guts to play just a few short months ago. I'll post some more in the coming weeks if I feel like it