Why don't you check your opening moves on a database? You are allowed to do that in a correspondence game. You can answer your quite reasonable question legally.
You won a piece on move 11 and then picked off some more pawns. It didn't really matter than much what you did by move 20.
20 f4 wasn't the best. He could have played 20.. Rxd5 and then 21 ..Nxd3. But he didn't.
23 Rbd1 was good but you are exaggerating the risk. The computer scores you +12 at that point.
I mean, I know I was ahead but I don't think I had the game in the bag.
When Black played 21...Re8 I genuinely thought I was in trouble and had made quite a big mistake in not taking control of the e-file.
What move do you suggest in place of 20. f4?
I mean, I know I was ahead but I don't think I had the game in the bag.
When Black played 21...Re8 I genuinely thought I was in trouble and had made quite a big mistake in not taking control of the e-file.
What move do you suggest in place of 20. f4?
Move the bishop to e2, c2 or c4.
I checked the database myself. In the Chessbase database and the Game Explorer here, nobody played 4 e3. 37 players played 4 Nc3, probably in order to hit the bishop with the e pawn. 2 players played Qa4 and then after 4..c6 or 4.. Nc6 were able to take back the c4 pawn with their queen.
Since nobody played 4 e3, nobody got the chance to take on b1 but I agree with you that it surely gives white the advantage of the two bishops for nothing.
This is a good example of an extremely consistent heuristic I've noticed: that after one side wins material, that player usually must go on the defensive for a while. In that period of defense, the player ahead in material merely perseveres, avoids tactical situations, tries to trade off pieces (but not pawns), then eventually emerges into a won endgame.
I believe 22. h3 was a typical lost tempo move. Let's look at the position before that move: Black has no immediate threats, although ...Bc5 and ...Nb4 or maybe ...Nc5 could be annoying, whereas White has some dangerous potential threats such as Bg5+ ...Kh5?? that could run into Ng7+ that wins Black's rook or even mates with the g-pawn in some cases. White can't safely move his outposted knight unless it can check or make some serious threat because his e3-pawn would immediately fall and allow Black to invade. Therefore the knight probably must stay. However, the knight is protected only by an overextended c5-pawn that can be undermined by ...c6, which is another threat by Black.
Given the situation--White ahead in material but needing to be on the defensive for a while, White's knight must stay, upcoming knight or bishop threats at b4 and c5, Black's threat of undermining the knight by ...c6, White's hanging e3-pawn, and desire to trade down, I probably would have played 22. Bd4, which covers almost all of those threats at once, and invites piece trades at c5, which channels the game into the won endgame that White desires.
I believe 22. h3 was a typical lost tempo move. Let's look at the position before that move: Black has no immediate threats, although ...Bc5 and ...Nb4 or maybe ...Nc5 could be annoying, whereas White has some dangerous potential threats such as Bg4+ ...Kh5?? that could run into Ng7+ that wins Black's rook or even mates with the g-pawn in some cases. White can't safely move his outposted knight unless it can check or make some serious threat because his e3-pawn would immediately fall and allow Black to invade. Therefore the knight probably must stay. However, the knight is protected only by an overextended c5-pawn that can be undermined by ...c6, which is another threat by Black.
Given the situation--White ahead in material but needing to be on the defensive for a while, White's knight must stay, upcoming knight or bishop threats at b4 and c5, Black's threat of undermining the knight by ...c6, White's hanging e3-pawn, and desire to trade down, I probably would have played 22. Bd4, which covers almost all of those threats at once, and invites piece trades at c5, which channels the game into the won endgame that White desires.
Agreed, 22. h3 was a poor move and I really like Bd4, I didn't see that move at all.
I was seriously worried about losing the e3 pawn and then Black being able to drive right through my defence and put me under pressure. The Bd4 move helps to alleviate a lot of the pressure. I really like that move.
@notmtwain - Agreed, 4. Nc3 makes much more sense than 4. e3.
Eh, I'm not so sure now. ...c6 still looks strong. It's a rough position, unless maybe White has come clever mating attack using Bg5+, or h3 and g4, or some way to force the c-pawn through to queen by some sacrifices. White might need to take a tempory hit on some material points in order to trade down.
After 21...Re8 black is already super dead, rook for nothing down, and had pitched peice in opening for nothing. 22Rf3 threatens mate, which looks hard to prevent without giving up even more material. You really going to start learning the Nadjorf poisioned pawn?! umm good luck with that.
Hey guys, just posting a game I have recently finished.
Thoughts and analysis are very much appreciated. Especially around 20. f4 and 23. Rbd1.