Day 31: The Early Qb7
When you play the London a lot, you have to be ready for the early Queen to b7. I was not.
This is how it all started. According to the engine, White has a slight advantage. In order prove that advantage, one needs to know what to do.
I messed up. In this position it is critical to move the Knight on b1 in order to protect the rook on a1. This can be done either before or after Black takes the pawn on b2. There are 3 possible moves, Bd3, Kd2, or Kc3. I played Kc3.
Why is that a mistake? It seems obvious after the fact, but the reason is that after Kc3, Black can take on b2, which now threatens the undefended Knight, forcing it to move away. This then allows Black to continue development and bring in their bishop with check. Like this:
From here, White is just constantly on the back foot. The best move is to escape the check by bringing the King to e2, meaning that is now stuck in the middle forever. I covered the check by moving the Knight again and then just got myself into all kinds of trouble after that.
Lesson learned!
