A 1300 annotates his own game
This morning I had a game against a guy who chose the Tarrasch variation (Nd2) against my French (e4 e6 d4 d5), but then he immediately exchanged when he saw my reply, immediately neutralizing. The opening remained bizarre throughout and I thought I had the advantage at first, but after some key poor choices I was in a rough spot and finally dropped a piece!
I am still a beginner so your additions to the analysis are welcome! I didn't check it very thoroughly, it is, besides a couple of positions (noted) my beginner thoughts reviewing the game.
Key moves to learn from:
(tactics) I evaluated 8...Nc6 9. Qxb7?? as dropping an exchange or a piece. Instead, 9...Bc8! which I didn't find in-game or in analysis (computer found it).
(tactics) In 19...O-O-O?? I gave up the piece, failing to find the best way to continue. There was a way to defend e7 with 19...Ng8 but I didn't see it in game or in analysis (computer again). Blind to this strange move. I didn't think hard enough that I must defend e7 and then really check every way to e7.
(thought process) I played 15...Bf5 so that he would Qxe7+. This is not good thinking. It's "hope chess." I should look for better moves he has, especially with Queens which I frequently neglect. This kind of thinking is passive as well. It's lazy to act like a move is forcing when it isn't--this bad habit leads to bad moves.
(planning) 14...Be7? fails to recognize that development on the kingside will be slower and Be7 will bring the KB and KN to squares where they don't do much. 15...h6? and 16...b6? were passive and did not do anything about the best plans on the board (for white, to bring the rook to pin the KB to the black King--for black, to get the king off this open file with time to move the Bishop to safety). Going straight for castling Queenside could have even got black the file with tempo. 17...Nf6? was pointless here. Should see that only the king defends e7. I made 3 pointless moves because I failed to see the plans of this position.
