A missed opportunity?

Here is a game I recently finished against a higher rated opponent. I played badly in this one. There are lots of mistakes for you experts to have a good rant at.

However, the reason I'm posting is that, according to the computer analysis, I had a significant advantage at one stage in the game, but failed to see the move that led to this....three times.

Can anyone explain to me why the move c5 is so important, and also should I feel daft for having missed it, because it looked a tough move to find even after the game!? Thanks. Dan

im not an expert, but after c5, you open your way for the white squared bishop to go to a6, which is very threatening

Here is what would probably happen if you played c5 the first time (move 18).

18. c5 is killing black. 

Thanks Steve, I can see the damage now. Shame I'm missing moves like this in my games. 

The idea for c5 is to open the c-file,bring the rook to c1.The pressure on c-file is soo good because the king is castled on the queenside.

One thing you notice here is that you (white) are trying to attack too early, and don't complete your development. Although you did have a winning attack with c5 at various moments, you only ever had this opportunity since black didn't protect the a7 pawn, and didn't see your ideas. Moving your bishop around and playing g3 really wasn't the best way to play.

"One thing you notice here is that you (white) are trying to attack too early, and don't complete your development."
Yes I noticed that.

At move 4. white does not look clever on b4 and d4

I would *like* to play: f4, Nf3, Be2, O-O
but black would be playing: e6, Bb4, d5
That is my clever plan of holding black's king side development blows up in my face.

It follows white has to pick from d4, a3, Nf3

What is happening with your game is as it has developed the foundation principles
have slipped out of focus.
1. e4 e5 or 1. e4 c5 Now why does black do that on move 1, in both cases
it is to prevent 2. d4

So 1. e4 b6, oh I see black is playing Bb7 attacking my e-pawn
I will get ahead of that with the "solid" d3.
Really, as you now know d4 and if it comes to it d5 gaining space
and maybe kicking a Nc6. So you know that d6 (Nd7) and e6 are likely.
Black is setting up on three ranks  giving white four ranks (so grab them).

So we get to move 7.
Personally I am Qd2 (because of Ng4) then Be2
I want to find out about black's king's bishop and castling plan.
I would have met your speculative Nb5 ( #6 ) with 7. ... d5 (8. e5 Ng4)
As black I would rather fancy kicking the knight back to c3 and forking on d4

A little bit of shadow boxing over mutual castling goes a long way.

So we reach white's move 14.
At a guess you saw 14. e4xf5 Bxf3 15. g2xf3
And thought king in the centre, doubled pawns, advancing pawns --- panic
That is in all the excitement Qa8# slipped your mind.
Or maybe you were defending against ... Qc5

I looked at 14. h3 Nxf2 15. Kxf2 fxe4 16. dxe4 Qc5+ 17. Kg3 Bxe4 18. b4 Qc6
and realised white had 19. c5 or 19. Nxe5 or 19. Bxe5
If after a near forced combination white has three good moves
you know the first black move is unsound.
So 14. h3 simply kicks the knight back to f6 and there is a free pawn Nxe5
due to Ng6 fork on queen and rook.

What you are forgetting from basic principles is pawn moves and pawn exchanges
open up new diagonals and files for pieces.
( if you look at my game I sent you in messages when I was thirteen I was *very aware*
that all the diagonals and files changed with ... f5, in my case the simple Bc4+ was killing )

It is very hard to see that ... f5xe4 ; d3xe4 followed by c5 opens it up for the bishop for sure.
Some how you have to get it in your head that is the case before getting down to  variations.
Rather like getting a txt on your phone: Alert - Pawn Structure Change Re-evaluate all my strengths.
A similar thing might apply with 14. d4 but I am not going check if that move is dumb or not
but the intention is c5

 Thanks a lot Darren for taking a look. I suppose there are two issues here, one is that I missed c5, an opportunity to take a good hold in the game that has since been highlighted as to why this is the case. The other issue is that this game demonstrated how poorly I played in the opening and I suppose this is far more important and worth looking at.

You are right when you say : What is happening with your game is as it has developed the foundation principles have slipped out of focus.

The move d3 was really bad, something I would point out straight away to a beginning player in that I've already restricted my bishop and given up important central squares.

At a guess you saw 14. e4xf5 Bxf3 15. g2xf3
And thought king in the centre, doubled pawns, advancing pawns --- panic
That is in all the excitement Qa8# slipped your mind.

I do remember looking at that exact set of moves and you are spot on. Qa8# was completely missed by me, yes.

So 14. h3 simply kicks the knight back to f6 and there is a free pawn Nxe5
due to Ng6 fork on queen and rook.

Another basic tactic missed. It's been a good game to go over and over, at least 6 or 7 moves that needed a re-think before committing I'd say.

I'll have another look over your game and try and make sense of what you're saying, thanks again. Dan

My game from 1974 is only useful for the transition from say 1400 ELO to 1600 ELO.
I blunder a pawn on move 7. ( undefended check ). I then develop the pieces I still have (basic chess foundations). Meanwhile my opponent's "plan" is wait for another mistake.
Next is the positional, tactics and combination on f5, should I push, exchange, move my knight.
Due to his pawn move, the dynamics of the diagonal  has changed, so I get the intermediate check move in (comes over as way stronger OTB than on computer playback).
--- the lesson for you is on my 18. it is not Ng5, Nd4, e4xf5, g4xf5, e5, g5 but the positional consideration of what black has done to his e6.

The only other thing I can see in your game is surely 13. ... f5 took you by surprise when either ... d6 or ... Qc5 had to be what you were expecting.
Not knowing the time controls or how much thought went into that move has a major influence.
Since I only play OTB and long time controls "my" move 14. would be a fifteen minute job.
Kingside under threat, possible tactics in the centre, queenside not fluid but where chances exist.
It might be worth you while to stare at the board [real thing not computer] before 13. ... f5 for a minute or two and then stare at it for fifteen minutes after.
Your position was several magnitude of complexity above mine: how do I send his king side attack packing, can I turn the tables on the centre tactics and how can I get my queenside attack going.

Darren it was a game where I had 24 hours to make a move. I rarely post anything less than this time control in the analysis forum as mistakes are often made because of time pressure and doesn't dignify a response from the better players.
I do remember thinking about this move and was very reluctant to take the pawn back because of the weakness around my king. I think throwing in an attack on his queen was some sort of attempt to distract him but it looks pathetic now.edit: no I remember I want his queen to move and hoped this would tempt him into taking my bishop with his and then once my pawn took back my rook would look pretty good on the a file supporting the queen. He did take my bishop later in the game - once I'd castled!!!! 

#11 WTF.

The game can drive you insane. 15. g3 is not a terrible move because it draws black into Qf7 which as a move leaves the queen undefended and exposes the overloaded square a6
The other way to look at the game is to show:
"2kr1b1r/Qbpp1q2/1p5p/4p1p1/1BP1P1n1/P4NP1/1P2BP1P/R3K2R b KQ - 2 17"
to players and ask what would you play as black on move 17.

On the bright side if anything like this comes up again you will know.
It kind of deserves a place in 1001 check mates ( I know it is not mate ).

An interesting and instructive game.  The value of the c5 move is that it opens a line to the threat of Ba6+ with mate to follow in many lines.  There was even an interesting winning line after the loss of the rook to the knight fork.

#13 Wow! I did not think to look further.  21. Nd4 Qg6 22. c5 b5 ( 22. ... Bb7 ? 23. Ba6 ! ) 23. Ba5 Bd6 --- Eventually I would end up counting material.

My pleasure, LuckyDan.  This game is just as instructive as some grandmaster games.  Time spent on tactics can help with recognizing patterns such as the one on the board after 17...Bxe4.  Seeing your queen so close to a rather exposed Black King should start the process of looking for ways to bring more pieces into the attack.  Then your eye would notice the Be2 followed by the only thing keeping it from playing Ba6+, that pawn on c4.

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