Analysis for a beginner? My thoughts move by move.

Hi everyone. I decided to play a game, and then go back through it move by move, try to figure out what I should have done based on the resulting moves.  I wanted to figure out what I was thinking, and use it as an experience to improve.  When I was done, I also figured that I might as well share it with you guys and ask for your input.

I'm a complete beginner. I've only been at it for a few weeks and my rating shifts around in the mid to high 700s.  Though that might be considered quite laughable, I'm serious about trying to improve.

Anyway, here is that game:

Please don't refrain at all from offering suggestions, criticism, different moves that I should have played, different plans/trains of thought, etc. Thanks in advance!

EDIT: My coordinates in my comments are all backwards and upside down . Beginner mistake.  Please make believe that the 'a file' is all the way to the left of this board and the first rank is at the bottom.  Very sorry haha.

Young man, you actually played fairly well. But get ALL your pieces

out and protect your backrank!

h6 is a very helpful move to stop back rank mates.

You should have played Bd7 instead of Rb3. Those pawns are weak and not going anywhere. With Bd7 you don't have to worry about your back rank and threaten Bb5. Note, that the Bishop on e2 is pinned. So, if White takes on b7 and you play Bb5, White cannot take your Bishop, he'll lose the Queen.

Thanks for the input guys. Not moving that bishop really cam back and bit me in the end.  I only saw the move after I went through the game once it was over.  The very next game I played was very similar.  I would have lost once I had the momentum because of a back rank check mate, but I had pushed one of those pawns so my king had an escape:

I like your comments and game.

Let me also give a move by move commentary, so you can compare with a more seasoned player:

1.d4 d5: Standard queens pawn opening. Both sides take some centre control and open for their queens' bishops.

2.f3 Nf6: White's move is very unusual and blocks his king's knight from its best square. It seems like he wants to play 3.e4. Black develops his knight, which is good.

3.e3 Nc6: I don't like either move to be honest. 3.e3 blocks the queen's bishop (I would have preferred 3.Bg5, 3.Bf4 or maybe 3.c4 or even 3.Nc3 preparing 4.e4). I don't like Black's move because it's usually bad to block one's own c-pawn in double d-pawn openings (it's harder to make the break move c5). I'd prefer 3...c5 or 3...Bf5.

4.c4 e5: I like 4.c4 since it opens lines for White. In principle I also like 4...e5 (it counters Whites d4 pawn), but there are some tactics, that have to be worked out. I'm thinking about: 5.cxd5 Nxd5 (or 5...Qxd5 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.Bd2 Bxc3 8.bxc3) 6.dxe5 Nxe5 7.e4 Bb4+ 8.Bd2 Ne3, where I can't really see the position to clearly. I think Black is ok, mainly because 9.Qa4+ Bd7 10.Qxb4 Nc2+ 11.Kd1 Nxb4 doesn't work for White.

5.Nc3 Bb4: Both moves develop and appeal to me.

6.Bd2 0-0: Again both moves seem reasonable. But 6.Bd2 blocks the queen's control of d4, so maybe there are tactics based on 6...exd4. But that gets very complicated, a sample line: 6...exd4 7.exd4 Nxd4 8.Nxd5 Nxd5 9.cxd5 Bxd2+ 10.Qxd2 Nf5 and I think Black is ok, but it's just a sample line.

7.a3 Bxc3: Both moves seem understandable. Perhaps 7...Be7 was also an idea, to preserve the bishop pair.

8.Bxc3 exd4: I think I would prefer 8.bxc3 to prevent getting an isolated pawn. The bishop behind c3 isn't bad because the c- and e-pawns will move forward sooner or later. I like Black's move. It either gets the bishop pair or gives Black an isolated pawn: 9.exd4 Re8+ 10.Kf2 (or 10.Be2 dxc4 and the bishop cannot recapture due to the pin) 10...dxc4 11.Bxc4 Nd5 and Black is fine.

9.Bb4 Nxb4: White concedes a pawn. I prefer the complicated variations for White rather than the move played. Now Black chose 9...Nxb4, which I like, but there was also another variation (sample): 9...Re8 10.cxd5 Rxe3+ 11.Be2 Nxd5 and again Black is doing more than fine I think.

10.axb4 Re8: White obviously recaptures. But 10...Re8 doesn't work as well now because d4 isn't guarded. 10...dxe3 was better.

11.Qxd4 dxc4: White takes the pawn. I don't like Black's move because developing with threats is more natural to me (sample): 11...Qe7 12.cxd5 Qxe3+ 13.Qxe3 Rxe3+ 14.Rb3 and Black regains a pawn and White has a broken pawn structure on the queenside.

12.Qxe4 Rxe3+: White blunders because he had the posibility to exchange queens and increase his king's safety: 12.Qxd8 Rxd8 13.Bxc4 and White's centralized king is beginning to look like an asset. Black correctly plays 12...Rxe3+.

13.Be2 Qe8: I think White's move was necessary. I don't like 13...Qe8 on instinct! The other rook belongs on e8. The queen should have gone to e7 in order to 1) threaten b4 2) give room for the a8-rook, 3) protect c7 and 4) attack down the e-file. A sample variation: 13...Qe7 14.Rd8 Be6 15.Qd4 Nd5 and Black is very active

14.Qxc7 Rb3: White is living life very dangerously (14.Rd8 was better I think). Black should have tried: 14...Bd7! (threatening 15...Bb5 and also to activate the a8-rook by 15...Rc8 and 16...Rc2 with huge pressure against e2 and the White king. In a position where the White king is centralized and queens are on the board the queenside pawns don't really matter that much.

15.Rd1 Rxb2: White finally activates his rook and Black should have played 15...Be6 followed by Rc8. Instead he misses White's threat.

16.Rd8 Rxe2+: White plays his best move and Black is finished. Be6 could prolong resistance, but the game is over from this point.

My advice: 1) Develop all your pieces (including the c8-bishop and a8-rook) and 2) ask yourself what the opponent is threatening after each move. Finally 3) when there are queens on the board try to attack a centralized king if you can.

Best of luck!

I don't like 3... Bf5 suggested above. White should be okay after Bd3. Can possibly even go bananas with g4, but I would prefer Bd3. 3... Nc6 isn't that bad generally speaking, you develop a new piece, prepare e5. But the problem with Nc6 is that it blocks c-pawn with which you can challenge the central pawns. Also, White can now play Bb5. 3... c5 was definitely a much better move.