Short game... what was wrong?

After move 12 I think you (black) are well on top. You are up a a pawn with a good strong pawn chain. 

I was unsure about 13. ... Nb4. However, the problem is simply 14. ... Bc6. I can see why you played Nb4 and Bc6 (with the plan to play d4 at some point and activate your poor (white-squared bishop). However, Bc6 just leaves the knight with no squares and you lose a piece. After 15. a3 all of your hard work and good opening play is undone. 

I think instead of 13. ... Nb4 you should play Be7, O-O and f6, atacking the e5 pawn.

Thank you. Bc6 was a blunder

white has extra material. he should win. your mistace was developing the light square bishop to wrong square

I have two questions. Why didn't you play Qxe5 on move 11? And was Rc8 on move 22 a mouse slip?

Nb4 was a horrible move. Before that everything is theory, and actually quite a good and reliable line for black, which I incidentally also taught to one of my students recently.

@ The OP Rumo statement towards you was incorrect.

The first inaccuracy happens at move 8 by white.

8.0-0 is the main move.

However, 8.Nc3 in your game didn't effect the position as much.

You ended up transposing into the 8.0-0 line.

The first mistake happened at move 11.Kh1.

At move 11 white defends the undefended e5 pawn.

The common moves which are played are 11.Qe2  or 11.Re1 which defend on e5.

Instead your opponent played 11.Kh1.

Which allows you to play 11...Qxe5.

Black's position is holding.

It looks scary!

However, Black is up 2 pawns and white can't generate the threats here like he would like too.

In your game after your opponent blundered with 11.Kh1?

You than blundered in return with 11...Ne7.

It is a blunder since you could of won another pawn!

Yeah the real culprit is Bc6. It is the last mistake you made which ended the game.

However, you had a couple of others which could of been fixed.

The move Nb4 is an idea in the French.

I think you might of ended up confusing the positions.

Often Nb4 is sometimes played in the below variation:

Yeah maybe you got confused.

Thank you, this was very helpfull !!!

It's a crucial loss of time in a position in which you are not developed. White threatens to play Be3 and f5 next, and the knight, which by attacking e5 does a good job preventing it (and thus defending the king) is put somewhere at the queenside where it's completely useless.

Regarding 11.Kh1, it may not be the mainline, but it's still been played many times, quite a few of them by good players. Taking the pawn may be possible but seems risky, I don't think many good players would go there. No matter what someone's chess engine says. When your opponent is ahead in development you don't go pawn hunting, instead you need to get your pieces into play and provide for king safety.

But how can ...a6 possible be a better choice? But I can't really see why Qxe5 would be bad, because you have a very solid pawn chain protecting everything, and there is no time for white to launch a devasting attack, because black would already had developed his pieces by then

What pin? Cannot see a pin neither do I see how it could become one

I will answer the above question in red first.

The line white is playing is called the Milner-Barry Gambit.

It is a very trappy + attacking line.

Black has to try get king safety while avoiding all the traps and attacks.

However, if black does avoid all of the traps + attacks than they often are winning since they often are up 1 pawn or have a better position.

The below diagram shows you the first trap white sets up in this line all the way to move 9.

As you can see it makes since why they play those moves.

After black plays 7...Bd7 they have successful avoided falling into the first trap of the Milner-Barry Gambit.

However, the game is only getting started.

After move 9...Qxd4 white sets up another trap.

10.Nc3 sets up the e5 trap.

Notice how white's first trap was baiting black to take the d4 pawn so they could win the queen.

In white's second trap they are baiting black to take the e5 pawn so they can try some tactical shots on the d5 pawn against the black king.

Now lets show what happens if black instead of playing Qb8 lets say they play Qd6 trying to defend the d5 pawn?

What happens than?

Yeah it can get real nasty for black if they put the queen on the wrong spot.

Now to answer your other question!

Notice this below diagram!

Why do you suppose black plays a6 in this position?

Well we know what happens if black takes the pawn on e5 with the queen.

Instead of going down that route they play a6?

I wonder why!

Hopefully you can guess the reason why.

The reason why black plays a6 in this position is to prevent white from playing Nb5!

Black wants to take the e5 pawn.

However, once they take the e5 pawn they want there queen on d6 protecting the d5 pawn!

But as we showed in the last few examples white has the amazing move Nb5! hitting the black queen.

Thus, in this position black plays a6 which protects the b5 square!!

The move a6 is a prophylaxis move.

Black is seeing the dangers before they happen.

Black is bascially taking counter measures with a6.

Counter Measures against Nb5!!

Now and only now does white defend the e5 pawn!

They defend it with Qe2 or Re1.

The reason white defends the e5 pawn now.

Is because black is now really threatening to win the pawn!

Before black wasn't threatening since white had nice tactical shots!

The move a6 avoids the second trap!

Thus, white defends the e5 pawn.

How do you like me now white!!!

Black is deactiving the white position.

What happens if white doesn't play Qe2 or Re1?

Lets say they play 11.Kh1 like in the OP game!

We take e5!

I want you to get the full visual!

Look at the position from the black side.

It looks scary that white has all there pieces developed.

However, how do they plan on crushing you?

They have no pawns.

We are up 2 pawns.

If we win another pawn that is like being up a full piece.

My gosh that is like serious!

In this position we can be Trolls!!!

Yes lets be Trolls!

As a joke lets sacrifice one of our minor pieces for another white pawn.

White would than have 1 extra minor piece vs our extra 3 pawns.

Materially it would be equal exchange.

I think that would be kind of funny.

We are winning all there pawns.

I find it hilarious.

It might not be sound to sac a piece for another pawn here.

However, it would be troll-ish funny.

Could you imagine the look on whites face!

Would be priceless.

I have played this game 3 minutes blitz, so I didnt analize too much.

It was the first time when I was played 11. Kh1 and I wasnt prepared for that, being afraid to take the pawn on e5. It seams that whitebhas a great position, but must play very precise or can lose in a few moves. I think now I have a much better understanding of this position.

You should not make the mistake of listening to a little kid with a big chess engine, giving you bad advice. Strong chess players including grandmasters have refused taking the pawn on e5 in this position. One reason is pure common sense: When you are behind in development and ahead in material, grabbing more material is a bad idea most of the time. The other reason: White does have a potentially dangerous initiative after playing Re1, Qf3 and Bf4. Does he have sufficient compensation for the two pawns? Objectively speaking he doesn't, a good engine should be able to fend of white's threats and convert the material advantage into a win. But no human has the calculation and defensive abilities of a chess program. Human decisionmaking in chess and engine evaluations are two very different things.

What Rumo fails to realizes is the moves I recommended are the standard book moves.

They are theory moves.

If we use the same common sense Rumo is proclaiming in his text.

You could solve it with out an engine.

At move 11 white plays Qe2 or Re1.

Both are the book move.

In your game your opponent played 11.Kh1.

Now if you use common sense and say " What is Qe2 or Re1 doing that the move Kh1 isn't doing"

You will than come to the conclusion Kh1 isn't defending the e5 pawn like the moves Qe2 or Re1.

After which black can decide to take on e5 if they chose too.

Since Rumo feels as if I am using a big engine.

I will turn on my engine and tell you what stockfish evaluation is in this position.

Depth 25

Stockfish evaluates this position as −/+ 1.40 with 13.Qf3 as top move

The second place move is −/+ 1.46 with 13.a3

The third place move is −/+ 1.55 with 13.Rb1

Basically the big bad engine thinks white is getting slaugthered.

It see's the win.

@Bogdanz

Whether you decide to take the pawn on e5 or not to take the pawn on e5.

The decision you make will have justification.

If you don't take on e5 no one would blame you since you could come under attack.

By not taking you save time and allow yourself the chance to develop some more.

If you do take on e5 no one would blame you since you could try to be materialistic.

You could take the pawn to have white prove the compensation for his loss.

White will attack you since they are down 2 pawns. White only chance is to attack at that point.

As for me my own personal opinion would be to take on e5.

After taking on e5 I would probably get slaugthered.

However, I feel as if Kh1 is a blunder.

Since I feel Kh1 is a blunder I would take on e5 and tell white to do his worse!

I will try to hold fast.

At least now you understand the position better and can make that decision for yourself.

To take or not to take for that is the question?

I can help you to make such mistakes away. Feel free to contact me =)

Not that short, really.  A decent game, white made some mistakes that you didn't take advantage of

Between FM Rumo and X_Player, I take X_Player's view in this position - take on e5, let white do his worst. 

I'm no grandmaster (FM Rumo says that GMs avoid taking that pawn because they appreciate the dangers) - so this is a great way for me to learn and to acquire more experience in all matters pertaining to the particulars of attack and defense. Material vs. development and initiative...

For strong players, the initiative is everything..

But some other strong players like to grab material and subdue their opponents' initiative. 

The argument is, what's the verdict on this position. I say take on e5 :-)

- - - - - - - 

The computer eval (-1.40) is some encouragement that it should be possible to defend...

I lost many games in this variation, after taking on e5 - but I also won plenty, and I'm not convinced either way. It is definitely interesting to play. 

IM Pfren's input is very interesting as well - but I think that we're now talking about capturing on e5 on move 11, after we've already played pawn to a6.  

We can always vote. lol

Right. The computer, the engine and the gentleman that goes with it.

@Solskytz

Indeed!

I feel the same way!

11...Qxe5, let white do his worst!

11.Kh1 is what krushi123 played!

What a ballsy little 1600 player!

Pure slap in the face if you ask me!

I don't even care if it was a GM playing white.

I would still take that pawn!

White is purely taunting black in this position!

 The main moves 11.Qe2 & 11.Re1 have been played forever!

Rumo wants black player's to get all scared that white attack is coming!

Well I say white player's should get all scared because black has 2 pawns coming & 1 has a high chance of queening!