I've mentioned this before but I'll say it again. I'm not the greatest in the world at calculating Chess moves. I tend to depend on what I've seen, notes that I've taken while watching video commentators and the books I've read.
So to get hit with this was like, "Oh, No!". I've never played the Petrov before and I think I've seen it once, so I was on my own with this one. That opening image is often thought of as a signature image of a Petrov opening.
I opened with White, normally against an opponent I've never played before, and he copied my first few moves until I broke that chain with a sacrifice of a knight against his King. I hate doing that! (more in a bit). I was thinking to break his ability to Castle, but got the added benefit of a Queen attack.
I was expecting him to move his King to a less accessible spot but he intervened with a Pawn and attacked my Queen. I was ready for that, just not expecting it. But I got in another Check move, and then another until my opponent got the idea to get his King out of the way!
I played a Pawn to support an exposed Bishop I had used to attack his King and got the added benefit of opening the line for my other Bishop, still on the back row.
My opponent played a standard Knight move on the other side, maybe to draw play away from his King? This left me in a dilemma. I had to think about it but I found the weakness in his Knight and moved to the line created by my Bishop on the back row.
Reviewing it, the game was over here but I don't think either of us realized it. There I go, not calculating very well (again).
My opponent moved his Bishop to give his King an option to move away, but it was too late. I got him with my Queen, supported by my back row Bishop and my light squared Bishop cut him off from his White squares.
GG, all in 10 moves.
Here it is for you to review for yourself.
So why don't I like the sacrifice move? Actually, I don't like trades at all. A safe capture and I still have my piece? Sure! But sacrifice and trades? No, not really.
Early on I saw and heard the words, "To Take is a Mistake" and I thought, "Ok, I'll try to avoid that" but didn't know why it was a mistake. Nobody said that part to me, at least early on. It was a couple of years later I was watching a video (Anna Cramling) who showed me the light.
It's tough to win a game of Chess if your pieces are sitting at the side of the board, and not on the board! Wow, did that make sense and now I avoid trades with the exception of the Queen trade. When I have that possibility I always make a little bet with myself.
Am I a better player than my opponent, without my Queen, than my opponent is and he/she doesn't have a Queen either? I've backed away from more than a few Queen trades because of that little bet.
Let's hear from you. Do you have any interesting openings or good games recently?
