The Lost Series, Number 2

Just another game that could have gone the other way. Read on...




1. d4 g6 - classified as Modern (or Robatsch) Defence. The idea is that white will overextend itself early, and Black can exploit. The fianchetto is sure to be a prominent fixture here.

2. Nf3 Bg7 - White's 2nd and 3rd move are considered interchanged in terms of "acceptable" move.
3. e4 e6 - Black's move is not preferred over d6, which will allow freedom for Bc8 and counter an e5 of White.

4. Be2 d5

5. e5 Nc6 - instead of clearing up the center, I decided to hem things in for now, mostly because I was thinking that he wanted the center cleared up and played against expectations.

6. Bb5 Bd7 7. Ng5 a6 8. Bxc6 Bxc6 9. Qf3 Qe7 10. O-O Nh6 11. Nc3 Nf5 12. Be3 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 Qxg514. Rae1 O-O-O 15. Qxf7 Bh6 16. Qxe6+ Kb8 17. Be3 Qh5 18. Bxh6 Qxh6 19. Qg4 Qg7 20. f4 h5 21. Qg3 Rde8 22. Qd3 Qd7 23. Qxg6 Reg8 24. Qd3 h4 25. e6 Qg7 26. f5 Qxg2#Black Win

The momentum of white is there (in my opinion) throughout the game, but it was abruptly ended by the mistake. I guess the greatest lesson is the most obvious one. Read More......

The Lost series, Number 1

This would be the first in this series. All of the games here are analyzed and opening books are consulted only after the games have ended. Although opening books are allowed to be used during games, I have limited myself to consulting them only after the end of a game for personal reasons, primarily that I retain more of the lessons learned that way. Your feedback and additional insights on the game are highly appreciated.

White resigned

1. ...Nf6 - a response to black that I just found out now to be King's Indian (I have a lot to learn indeed, as I hardly know the repercussions of this)

2. c4 - hardly any other move I can think of that time, but which, upon consulting an openings guide, turns out to be a proper and preferred move, and which will eventually lead anyway to my plan of doing Nc3 to contest for center pawn control, which I eventually did in move 3

2. ...g6 - still following the standard King's Indian line

3. Nc3 Bg7 - prepared by the previous moves and quite by the book so far

4. e4 - surprisingly, this is a book move, which I thought was one of my weaker responses

4...d6 5. Nf3 - surprisingly, still a book move and along the classical lines at that!

5...O-O

6. Be2 Bg4 - another surprise is that black's move is hardly a preferred move, not even considered a proper move by book openings. This is due to the theory that after Black's castling, he must move at once to dismantle the center formation of white. Eventually he will be doing it
in his next set of moves

7. O-O e5

8. dxe5 - not considered a good move, should have done d5. I guess I was too eager to clear up the center

8. ...dxe5 9. Qxd8 Rxd8 10. h3 Bxf3 11. Bxf3 Nc6 - QxQ should have been a second option

12...Rd7 - after the threat to R has gone, I should have considered his next move Nd4

15...Nxf3+ should have been considered earlier on as a real possibility and one where I am more likely to lose out on position

21...Bxa1 - I guess after this error, I don't have much choice but to resign. My N is trapped for quite some moves and black will be able to take on my pawns by the time I get myself untangled. It was proper to let go already.

Based on the above, I guess I can say I can trust my instincts for the opening moves, at least for this type of openings. Of course, that's not to say that I had not been doing some efforts to understand openings lately. It just feels good that it somehow pays off. Hopefully I can analyze games much deeper soon.

Read More......