Picked Apart

I put what i have learned playing puzzles and reading up on the game here to the test.  I am quite pleased with how i was able to capitalize on my opponents mistakes and stave off his attacks... thanks chess.com!

I am not very well versed in openings, if someone would care to comment on that it would be much appreciated!

constructive criticism? 

It would be nice if you had made comments on at least some of the moves... you know, tell us what you were thinking and trying to do.  As it is, your opponent played very, very badly and didn't put up much of a fight.

I like 3...Nf6 more than c5 because the former develops a new piece and sets you up for castling.  Unless white has played d4, your c5 has less meaning.

I really don't like 5...Ne7.  Nf6 is the more aggressive, centralized way to develop your King's knight--but you couldn't play that because of the fork at e5.  Therefore, 4...Nf6 and 5...Be7 would be my prefered move order.  If the white pawn advances to e5, then your knight comes back to d7 and aims at the dark central squares.  From here you've set up a target and have a plan to undermine the white center with c5, Nc6, Qb6, etc.

Once White plays the dumbell Ng5 and Qh5 mating attacking, there's not much more to say.

In the future, concentrate on games that you lost, or at least those where your opponent is nearly your equal..

This one is more interesting!  Here are my thoughts:

 White and black follow nominally French lines through the first few moves.  A ridiculously closed game ensues with Black aiming to expand queenside and White obliged to advance his f-pawn.  White gains an advantageous imbalance after the dark-squared bishop exchange, and once Black seals off the queenside White is free to pursue his own plans.

 What Black really needed to do was to undermine the White pawn chain, and the last chance for this was 14...f6!  Instead, Black succombed to "king-safety-disease" and feared an immediate kingside checkmate from White, shaming his queen into the role of kingside defender.

 1. e4 e6 2. Nf3

White is playing as if he saw 1...e5.

2...d5 3. e5 c5

Here I actually like c5 because d4 can be expected. 

4. c3 Nd7

While Nd7 attacks the important point e5, it doesn't pressure d4 at all.  In order to remain consistent with c5, Nc6 was correct here.

5. d4 c4

{ In for the long haul Closed Center...  } 

This advance takes the pressure off the White pawn chain.  Rather, a plan like Ne7-Nc6-Qb6 would build Black's c5.

6. Be3

A wasted move.  Does d4 need to be strengthened? 

6...b5

On the right track again.  Black must attack the base of the White pawn chain at c3.  In turn the b-file will open in favor of Black occupation because of his superior queenside space and mobility. 

7. Bg5 Be7?

{ Offer exchange for development of knight/castle  } 

In a closed game like this castling speed is not as important.  Worse still, Black will be very weak on the dark squares without his dark squared bishop, but White will not be correspondingly worse on the light-squares because he retains his king's bishop. 

8. Bxe7 Nxe7 { The en-passant capture dilemma  }  9. b4

The en-passant capture should be accepted.  Where else but the queenside will Black ever play?  The advance is a poor one by White;  Be2 and 0-0 were required. 

9...a5

Good.

10. a3 a4? { This leaves the Queenside at an impass.  }  11. Nbd2 Nb6 { Wasted move...  }  12. Nh4 Nc6 { Wasted move 2.  }  13. g3 O-O { Castled out of habit more than wisdom...  }  14. Qc2

{ Opponent is on it.  }  Way too much credit for seeing a one move threat.

14... Qg5 { Here i look to get my Queen into trouble... for no real reason in retrospect.  } 

Why not f6?  The eventual f5 makes things worse.

Here is another game that was fun to play... unfortunatley the opponent misclicked and blundered the game but it was a great match untill that point.

 Here it is...

Thoughts?  Points of interest?

Who was this with?

It's funny how beginners (no offence but I can't call you an advanced player ) often tend to trade as much as they can, and often without looking at the consequences.

For example in the above game, white plays 13. Qb5? offering a queen trade, while it loses a piece, and after 17. Nbd4 you're trying to take it as fast as you can.

Or in the game above the last game, white plays 22. Ng5, and you take it, without looking at what the consequences are of him recapturing with the pawn. You could have also played 22... Rf8, defending the knight, or 22... Nd8, moving the knight away (ok, both moves don't look appealing, but losing a queen is worse).

When looking a number of moves ahead (calculating), always at least look at possible captures and checks. So in the game above, check if after 22... Nxg5 white has any captures (obviously he does with 23. fxg5) and see how that changes the position. And in the game above the above game, white should have looked at 13... Qxb5 when he considered playing 13. Qb5, and he would have seen that then he has to play 14. Nxb5, and that then after black plays 14... Bxb2 he can't recapture it and thus loses a piece.

Wow