My game against ChessvsAliens: Forgetting What I Analyzed

Time control is 45|45. By the end of 36 moves, my opponent gained over a minute in time (46 or 47 minutes left on his clock) while I was getting down to a few minutes. It goes to show that using almost all of your time only counts if you don't blunder. I did have time to analyze most of the game (posted below, with I think the most interesting position on move 18), but I focus instead on the position right before I lose an exchange.

        This was interesting to me because I am exposing a psychological weakness that I have: how I lose concentration while calculating variations. I knew that Rb8 would lose tactically to a fork but I played it anyway.

        I started to think about other possible moves, and completely forgot. I evaluated what positions would look like after I moved and decided that going after the open b-file would be a solid plan. Maybe we can trade down a set of rooks and that would help me challenge his center from the flank, get on the second rank.

This time, tactical vision was not the only reason I fell to a tactic. I think the lesson for me is that I can benefit from a different order of doing things. I should be evaluating the position to get more candidate moves than I'll need, and then check for tactics to narrow them down. Because if I begin with the "he moves there, i move there" mentality, and then try to figure out based on the position where my pieces should go, I have to go back to see whether that move is safe. A waste of time if I remember to double check, and a disaster otherwise.

     I thought ...Re8 would be interesting. But after Rce1 or Rb1, there is not much I can do. White has three pieces in the center, not only self-supporting but also with the c-pawn and the rooks behind. White may even be ready to tuck the king in the corner, off the a7-g1 diagonal and roll the kingside pawns. So, ...Re8 did not seem like an active option.

    ...Bxd4 challenges his center, but after ...Bxd4 Bxd4 Qd7 I thought I would again lose active play with a mighty bishop in the center. In hindsight, this option may have been ok. If this is my best option, then that's a sign my problems started earlier. See my annotations on move 18.

That's it for now, and I'm hoping to catch up with analyzing more of my DHLC games.