Ouch, he did really well to get out of that one. I cannot see were you could have changed it, as i would have probably made the same moves.
First Tournament, First Game
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I think your main problem was the passive queenside rook.
If you'd used it on g, your other one on h for which you had plenty opportunities.
Besides that I think you should plan your attack more accurately.
I think you played very well.
ps. why do you always do one step with your unmoved pawns?
Dec 7, 2009
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#4
Crazy game...tides shifted both ways. Here's some notes of my own and from the Crafty analysis:
- Crafty likes 9. Bb1 for you because it said I should have played 9...d3 in response to your Bc2. I didn't see d3, but that looks pretty good.
- I thought a long time before 14. O-O and you're right, I had ideas of a queenside attack and wanted to tuck the king away.
- 18...h6 was a big mistake on my part. Crafty showed that as 0.42 pawns in white's favor while 18...Rfe8 would have been 1.36 in my favor.
- Crafty thinks 20. Bxg7 was 1.87 pawns in my favor, while 20. f4 would have given you a 0.5 pawn advantage.
- The engine likes 21. Rg3 (-1.86) vs. 21. Rh1 (-3.67)
- I really wanted the f3 pawn for 21... but I thought it was risky and I decided to get into a "circle the wagons" mode. However, the engine likes Qxf3 a lot, -3.75 vs -1.46 for Qe6.
- The engine didn't like 23. Rh8+ but it also expected me to take it. I had been thinking Kf7 for a long time before your move (some safety and to open up room for the rooks), and just made the move, not even noticing that I could have grabbed the rook. The engine liked 23. Rg1 but it still considered it losing for white.
- Crafty favored 26. Qh1...it saw Bg5+ coming. I had been eyeing that diagonal check for a couple moves but didn't think I'd get to play it.
Overall good game, we both made mistakes. It happens!
Mike.
I think that game was the best/most exciting game of the tournament for me. I put the game into Fritz earlier. I think you covered all the big points it suggested as well.
Interesting game, here's my thoughts...
I think the main comment to make is what has already been said about not utilizing both rooks. You had a few opportunities to do this. I think the best one was the very first time you are taking the G file. Rdg1 there instead of removing your h rook. That h pawn can be advanced for a really good lever later in the game since you are safely castled queenside. Basically any time you touched your other rook would have been a great opportunity to move in the d rook.
Also, with a critical sac move like Rh8+, you should take the time to calculate variations, especially in a 2 hour game. After Kxh8, what is there?
Qh6+ Kg8
Rh1 Kf7
and the knight protects against Qh5 so the king can easily escape, or can just stay in the corner as there isn't the possibility of a real threat there, even if none of his pieces move. There is the possibility of winning the knight with Qh6 and then Rg1, but trading a rook for a knight isn't great. I was really hoping for your rook on d1 to move in to the attack on that move instead of Rh8+. Rg1 might have been nice, threatening to attempt to win the pinned knight at the very least.
I didn't really like 26. Rh1. I don't believe it's a good idea to trade off pieces when you are already behind in material. With a rook and queen you have a chance of mating, but with just a rook, it will be difficult.
Your pawns are most safe on the 2nd rank when you castle. It's generally a good idea to castle into fully backward pawns, though you'd think the opposite watching some GMs play!
I think the most important thing to reiterate is just to sit back and take a good long think when you think something might be hidden in a position. There might just be a series of checks or forced moves that allows you to build up pressure or win a piece. Look for these intermediate moves that you can make to increase your advantage and calculate.
It wasn't a bad game at all though. That was a fantastic pawn capture on h6. I think that could have really been a turning point. I certainly did not see at a glance that the queen could capture on f3 after Rh1 to keep protection on the knight. Even with that, you are looking very good with Rdg1 and two active rooks pointing at the black king.
So I went to my first chess tournament this weekend. Here is my first game, I thought I had him until 22... f6. Here's my analysis, let me know if I missed anything!