weakening diagonals

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Avatar of mrkint

Hi this is my first post, hope all is well.
Finished this game earlier today, which i won, which was nice as I've been in some poor form recently. It's a nice mate, and i think it's indicative of how pawn pushes can really weaken diagonals. However, I realise i got very lucky with him playing kh1 and not pushing e5 first.
anywho, if you have any thoughts or suggestions please let me know. I'm under no illusions i am an aspiring novice, so any tips or hints on how i played would help
thanks
sean
Avatar of -waller-

You played the opening really well. First move I can see that I would instinctively disagree with is 10...Nc6. Notice how you moved the knight twice - once to b4, once back, and white only had to make one move to block it? Moving the knight again is not necessary, perhaps Rc8 or Be7 was better.

Ok now I see why you moved it, to attack the queen with 11...Ne5. But it's easily parried. Just developing was better.

15.Kh1 looked like a good move by him. If he had pushed e5 immediately you had Bc5+ getting out of the fork so it was illusory anyway.

But you had a great plan in 16...Bxg2. Not that I reckon it's completely sound, I haven't analysed it too much further, but what was the plan if he played 17.Kxg2? And eg. if 17...Nh4+ Kg3 18.Nf5+ Kf2 seems to get him out of too much trouble, whilst 17...Qg7+ 18.Kf2 Ng4+ 19.Ke1 might also leave you down.

I still liked it though. After 17.Qxg2 which is the natural move he was indeed stuffed, you did a great job calculating. Overall, very well played!

Avatar of mrkint

Hi waller, thanks very much :D

 

Had a look at the positions suggested if 17.Kxg2 was played...must admit, I'd assumed he would go for queen takes.

 

(17...Nh4+ 18. Kg3 Nf5+ 19. Kf2) I think white is still in trouble after 19... ng4+, with the king either forced onto the diagonals of black's queen and dark square bishop, out to attack the knight (which a simple h5 will stop) or back into the centre. Obviously they are not as bad as being mated, but the number of threats posed to white's pieces make it a very precarious situtation.  Same goes if qb7+ after kxg2. 

Avatar of -waller-

You're welcome!

Yeah, I'd tend to agree. Once White has his king back on e1 or e2-d1, it's still quite open, I think White has some work to do to defend definitely, but its slightly more difficult to see how to attack it. I think Black would probably still win to be honest. Very interesting position!