Game analysis, thoughts (philidor's defense)

  Hello!  As you can see in this blog post:

http://www.chess.com/blog/Zenchess/new-zenchess-blog-feature-annotated-games

I am planning on analyzing a lot more of my games lately.  I have analyzed my first game, and it is here: 

http://www.chess.com/blog/Zenchess/zenchess-game-analysis-game-1

Please post any analysis of the game in this thread and not on my blog, unless you really want to post it on my blog, in which case, go ahead :)

  Thanks for any feedback, I appreciate it.  

I am not convinced by your 4. Be2 move. You say the purpose of Be2 is to support a Be3 by guarding the g4 square, yet you end up playing 8. h3 to stop Ng4 anyway. Bc4 looks like a more more natural square, although it could be kicked around with d5 or b5 later on. Maybe e2 is the best square, but I do question your logic behind the move.

Also, regarding your g4 mistake, if you were to play that game again would you still want to play g4 in that position, perhaps after a preparatory move like Bf3, or would you just continue to pressure d6 without the g4 move?

Hi Mordecai.  I was not really trying to convince anyone with my Be2 move, just explain why I played it mainly.  The main problem is I do not know if Bc4 really is a bad move.  I just vaguely remember watching or being about to watch a video lecture in which a strong gm was saying how he could 'beat' it.  

  Also the purpose of any move is not just a single task.  So just because Be2 didn't actually stop Ng4 because the Nf3 was blocking it, does not mean that it did not fulfill other tasks.  For instance, the Be2 could have some influence on g4 throught he knight on f3, (a discovery).  Also in the future it could move to f3 like it did in the game.  

  I think it's safer to say that every move has 'properties' (a bishop on e2 has differnet properties than a bishop on c4).  If you originally had a 'goal' for a move, the shifting nature of the chessboard can make the original goal invalid while allowing you new goals. 

  Unfortunately I could not play Bf3 right away in that game either, because Nh4 still attacked the f3 bishop.  So what move would I play?  I'm not sure.  I looked at that position and couldn't figure it out.  I did get some advice from an engine but I don't remember it.  I also analyzed that position with a friend of mine and we both had difficulty suggesting a move for white.