6. a4 is a trap to get the bishop with 7. a5. but you blocked it with 6.a5! - which was nice. typically when you are up by so much material you should just trade off pieces so it is easier to queen the night. nicely done and congradulations with your win!
White failed to develop the pieces, plain and simple. I wouldn't spend too much time trying to figure out why white played the moves that were played since they weren't that good. As pointed out 6. a4 is just a cheap try for a trap.
There's nothing wrong with 4. ... Bc5. You develop a piece and control a diagonal. Your opponent wastes time attacking this bishop with pawns.
At move 12, I prefer 12. ... f5 rather than f6. Your opponent is behind in development. You are prepared to attack, not white. By playing a defensive move when it wasn't necessary you give time back to your opponent. If 12. ... f5 13. c4 black has 13. ... e4 followed by ... Nf6.
13. ... c6 doesn't really do anything for your position unless you're planning to bring your bishop to c7.
You said 21. Qg3 is not a good move for white. What do you think the alternative was? I don't see anything that doesn't simply lose material.
After 29. Kg3 you say "sensibly fighting on". I disagree here. Resignation was mor ethan appropriate here. White should try to queen something? Queen what? Wait for black to make a mistake? Black needs to make 3 serious blunders (lose a rook, a piece, and the b-pawn) in order for white to even dream about an equal position. White's knight can't even move! It's time to throw in the towel at this point.
Thank you Loomis and shuttlechess, I really didn't know to expect such a considered and helpful reply - I'm grateful and touched.
I thought that 21 Ra2 would be better, even though there may be counter moves.
I have to admit that I couldn't see why white didn't resign earlier - I should have said that I do admire people who continue to try even when it is tough, since I often play but without full spirit of determination - and I wish I didn't. I conceed you are quite right - there was no point other than perhaps hoping I would time out on him.
Shuttlechess, you're quite right, it is a simple bishop trap! Perhaps I did see that at the time, but it does take a long old while to play correspondance chess, and I didn't take a record - perhaps that would be wise.
Thanks to both,
Jim
21. Ra2 Bxa2 doesn't save the rook.
I feel bad now because my first attempt at using the comment feature on here ended up looking like a five year old did it, and yours looks like you invented the software. Not only do all the annotations appear along with the moves to which they refer, but they all totally make sense too! Which just strikes me as very mature and instructional. What's it like to have a purpose behind every move? Mostly I'm just thinking "The queen rook would look good on that square" or "It's time to try for a cheap trap by advancing the QRP on move 8." God do I love chasing bishops with pawns during the opening! It's irresistable.
Anyway I found this play by play to be valuable. It hit upon numerous principles with an economy of phrasing that many chess authors should try harder to emulate.
You played well. One thing I would like to point out-- at one point you say "I don't care what white plays here" or something like that. True, your material advantage was huge but this type of thinking often leads to lost games. When you have an advantage, offer your opponent no counterplay, ie no chances to draw/win. You should not have allowed white's knight to take everything, even though it didn't matter in the end. Just something to remember for your future games :-D
Two minor things
31 ... BxN put him out of his misery. Whenever you are up like this and faced with long sequences (no mates) then exchange pieces. Keep it simple. It doesn't matter in the end, but it's a rule you should follow.
35 ... Rg1+ saves a tempo.
Loomis - right again - thanks. I'm a lucky man to fall into good tactics like that! Seriously, though, it often happens that when I lose and it feels like the choices are poorer, it is because the build up to it was less well considered than my opponent, if that isn't a truism. So I got lucky, but made some of the luck.
Illyria, don't worry. I like computer things and others join Amnesty International, save kittens, invent solutions to global warming or make great fudge. I bet you've got a few great talents. Thanks for the compliments.
Sparta - funny you should say that. I have lost games taking a tea-break after having "won". Defeat is just a few good tactical moves away.
xMenace. Sounds right to me. I'll take your advice and keep going with exchange. Even a small advantage early in the game means more with each exchange, I know.
Thanks all.
