What was the plan for white? - Chess Forums

Euphguy

Jan 10, 2024

0

#1

This game obviously got very sloppy very quickly for me (white), and I can see why my attempt to remove the bishop by sacrificing the knight with 24. c5?? did not work out, but would someone be able to explain to me how I was to proceed in this game/what was my advantage? I did not see the long-term benefit of moves like Na7 past a sequence like Nxa7 Qxa7+ Kc8. I suppose I could have gotten my other rook to the a-file, but otherwise my pieces didn't seem to have much easily-achievable room for improvement.

Thanks for anyone who can help decode this for me! Definitely a game I want to grow from and the engine hasn't helped me get my answers.

dimitrimatteo

Jan 10, 2024

0

#2

after Na7, the attack is too strong, moves like c5 demolish the pawn structure and when the other rook will be over, the game will be too

tygxc

Jan 11, 2024

0

#3

9 Qc2 is a mistake and should have been 9 Qd2. Black has weakened the dark squares on his king's wing with ...g6 and ...e6, so it is logical to prepare Bh6 to trade off Bg7.
8 Bf4 and 10 Be3 loses a tempo, better 8 Be3 right away
8 a4? loses the bishop's pair to 8...Nb4
21 Nb3 what is the knight doing there? Recapture 21 Nxe4
24 c5? loses a piece. This is the decisive error.
24 Na7 does not help: black counterattacks with 24...h3. Therefore blocking with 24 h3 was best, intending to double rooks on the open a-file either Ra2 and Rda1, or Rd2 and Rda2.
27 Rc1 is not the best. Most tenacious is still to double rooks on the a-file either Ra2 and Rda1, or Rd2 and Rda2.

Euphguy

Jan 11, 2024

0

#4

Thank you to both comments! I can see now the value of Na7 is mostly to have a “safe” way to play c5 that doesn’t lose material.