Hello,
I am curious to hear what wiser players have to say about this game that I played with correspondence time controls:
I felt I played well until I overlooked the possibility of 24. Bd3+, after which I kind of lost enthusiasm for the game and played too fast, with some blunders.
I thought my position was better than Stockfish evaluates it after 19. Rxf2. I thought I had an edge because of the pin on the rook on f2 and my pawns approaching his kingside, but apparently I underestimated the strength of white's pawns in the center.
Stockfish doesn't like 21... Nf8. My plan was to go to Ng6 to get my knight closer to white's king. Any thoughts about what a better plan in this position would have been?
What do I have to say? I can't understand how people hang pieces left and right in correspondence. At a certain point, it's nigh unthinkable to hang a piece unless you're in extreme time trouble in tournament chess. Correspondence? I don't get it.
I mean, once there are blunders to that extent, the game becomes significantly less valuable to analyze. Usually.
I would appreciate discussion of the game leading up to move 23. I think that would be helpful to me, and maybe others - that's what this forum is about.
Everybody blunders. It's great that you blunder less frequently than I do. But if "Don't blunder" is all you have to contribute, why bother?
I play Meises variation of the Scandanavian or Center Counter on a regular basis. Begining with your very early move c6, you allowed white too comfortable a game. Only move c6 when the moves d3 or d4 and Bd2 have been played. No threat to the queen until then. Also you have to choose the best square for your light squared bishop. You answered his d3 with Bf5, when the bishop in that line bites on granite. In your game Bg4, pinning is much better. Only make the Bf5 move when there is the possibility of threatening the c3 pawn or swapping light squared Bishops. Otherwise its Bg4 pin with a possibility of winning a pawn on d4, after the queen has let's say moved back to d8. Anyway, there are many lines to this opening, including gambits. There is also Meises variation which if played correctly is very solid. I know lots of ins and outs. This opening is richer than most people realize. Hope that helps.
Move 7: e6 is needed to develop the bishop, but I would consider Bg6.
Move 10: Nd5 looks better. Nd6+ is a problem.
Move 14: Did you ever think about castling? After throwing your pawns forward, you stop to throw in this bad check. Your problem is the weakness on the dark squares. I would suggest Bg7, but Ne4 follow by Nd6+ looks really bad.
Move 18: Your pawn pushes have left you with a very weak f7 pawn. This position is close to lost.
Move 21: Nf8 feels bad. c5 looks best, but e5 looks interesting.
In this line, c6 is played early, even before there is a threat. I don't like Bf5, as the queen is shut out from the kingside. When I played this variation, I would try to trade my LSB, because the pawns on c6 and e6 limit this bishop. Another note on Qb6+, if intended to pick up b2, it is almost always a bad idea to capture this pawn. The open lines only help white, especially if you castle queenside.
Thanks for the helpful responses.
The point about Bg4 instead of Bf5 is well taken, and I hadn't considered that.
I'm guessing you want to consider Bg6 instead of e6 because it addresses the threat on f7 and also hits the knight with the queen, which may be useful later? It seems to me that this isn't so useful because there's no guarantee my queen will stay on a5, but I'm definitely going to want to develop the DSB. Is there another argument for Bg6 that I've missed?
I see how Nd6+ is a threat, but I don't see how Nd5 really addresses it.
My plan was the pawn storm with tempo when I had that opportunity and then castle queenside. I figured once I started pushing those pawns that I was not going to castle kingside.
You make a point about weak dark squares - the pawns on c6 and e6 are pretty typical for the scandinavian, aren't they?
I am glad to see this topic :) The Scandinavian is one of my absolute favorite openings, as fun for me to play against as it is for me to play it. As often as I go into it, I can't pretend I know all the theory behind it. I have my own little rules to it that I abide by. I would like to say I think you played a great game. A blunder not capitalized on by your opponent is not a blunder. Please continue to support the Scandi friend!
Move 10: The point of Nd5 is not to prevent Nd6+, but to get a greater control of the center after a possible Nxd5 cxd5.
Move 14: The remark about castling was really sarcasm. But went advancing the pawn this way, the king does become a target in the center.
There's no real point about Bg6. There are many tricks where Nxf7 is possible and the bishop is hanging after the Kxf7. The knight isn't really threatened as the bishop protects it, but I do like being able to transfer the queen to h5. There is a slight possibility of being able to play e5.
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1018629 Anand has problems with this bishop, and that's why I prefer to exchange it.
As I stated, when I played this line I did play the e6 and c6 moves. This does weaken d6, but mostly I am able to get control before white can play Bf4.
7. Ng5!? interesting, quite the rare idea.
8. Bf4?!. Looks weird, the bishop seems to not be doing anything on f4
10.. g5? weakening, only to chase a bishop that was already not ideally placed, neglecting development
11. Nxf6+?! Nd6 was the best way to take advantage of g5
13. Qe1?! Strange move
14. f3?! h3 is less weakening
17.. 0-0-0?! the king is probably safer in the middle for the moment or on the king side even tho black has weakend his king side.