Punch...Counter-Punch

nice game.19...e5 was a playable move too,guarding the knight.

You sure seem to play wild chess.

Just a couple thoughts from the game. I find your comment on move 7 puzzling: does it really matter if the knight goes to b5 - after all black can then kick it back with a6. 7... a6 is a usefull move in itself though maybe you could play 0-0 first as there might be some lines where you can do without a6. My chess education makes me lightly sceptical of moves like 9... Ra7 altough you manage to make use of this rook placement in some variations. I would rather play 9... Rb8 but maybe instead any rook move you could consider 9... Ne5.

On move 14 I would rather put the Queen on b6 or even a5 and preserve c7 for the rook. I think that after 20... Qh5 white should have some advantage. Maybe 22. Nxd6!? or 24. Nxd6! 19... e5 might be met with 20. Rxc8 Rxc8 21. Qxg4 altough after 21... Rac7 this variation still needs some further analysis. Is there some specific reason not to play 19... h5?

That was a nice game, Hammerschlag!

Well, I was not quite sure how to proceed after 9... Ne5 as there are actually many ideas. Exchanging the bishop is certainly one possibility as the bishop pair might be very nice and also Bc4 is very important piece if white intends to attack on the kingside (and he probably does as he has already played h4). Actually exchanging the bishop could have been carried out also without a6: 7... 0-0 8. h4?! (I'm not convinced about this idea actually but it's similar to the game) Ne5 9. Qg3 Nxc4 10. Nxc4 d5 obtaining good play in the centre. Now that a6 has been played another idea might be to play b5. So let's suppose white answers 9... Ne5 with 10. Qg3(Qe3 is another possiblity but doesn't look as natural to me) and then something like 10... b5 11. Bb3 c4!? 12. dxc4 Nxe4 might be played - meeting white's flank attack with a counter attack in the centre.

I don't know what computer thinks here either. I think you learn more from your games by analysing them without computer and even if you use one it would still be good practice to do some brainwork before switching the machine on.

I don't think that 7... a6 is a bad move but as I said I found the explanation bit suprising. Qc7 idea explains this better altough now I wonder why you would want to put your Queen on c7 here.

I felt that 14... Qc7 was bit clumsy getting in the way of your rook and later it of course get attacked by the white rook when the c-file was opened. So, I thought that if you are going to move your Queen, then b6 might be more active and harmonious placement. It might help against whites d4 ideas also.

22. Nxd6 Bd7 23. Qxg4 (23. e5 is also logical but then 23... Nxe5! 24. dxe5 Bxe5 might be irritating for white) looks to be an improved version of the game for white as after 23... e5 your f7 is very weak: both 24. Qf3 and 24. Nxf7 look promising at a quick glance.

24. Nxd6! Bg4? 25. Qxg4 Rxd6 (i suppose this was the idea) 26. e5 must be winning for white. At the very least 24. Nxd6 must be better than what white actually played and now I notice that you actually mentioned that move in your original commentary. To me it seems like a strongest move in this position and that's why I awarded the exclam: even after the superior 24... Be6 25. e5 (25. Bxe6) I believe white should be somewhat better, because he has quite good centralization and of course an extra pawn altough his advantage may not be that big.

19... e5 was mentioned in post #2. I just wanted to point out that it's not at all so simple for black. Actually I doubt that 19... h5 should be the best move at this point. Yes, it might weaken your king somewhat, but I don't think that white is in position to launch any sacrificial attack there and on the other hand it might also help to protect your king by preventing white from playing h5. Plus I don't really like the look of 19... d5 or the game continuation.

Maybe you forgot Ne2.