This is a 15+10 game I played on
chess.com. I felt like I had the advantage out of the opening, but I struggled to translate it into anything concrete. My opponent played aggressively and managed to get a win. I added an explanation to my moves and what I was thinking and I'm curious to see your analysis of my game:
<iframe width=600 height=371 src="
lichess.org/study/embed/vxpqz5Rm/DF2OVK7g" frameborder=0></iframe>
3...Qe5 is a weird move, especially when compared to the rest of Black's game which he played quite well. Maybe the idea was exactly what happened: Pushing you into a mindset of "I have the advantage" and thus clouding your judgment.
This effect seems to kick in after 7...e6. At this point, your position looks really well. You have made 4 developing moves versus only 2 from Black, and you have a bit more space. But a lead in development is a very fleeting advantage and while your pawn on d4 is nice for controlling central space, it's also immobile at the moment and getting support from the c-pawn will take some time. Don't get me wrong, you do have a slightly better position. Just not "will-basically-win-by-itself" better.
8 Ne5, instead of continuing to develop, is too impatient in my opinion. At the end of that manoeuvre, your tempo lead is gone in return for occupying e5 with a pawn, which as you noticed is a double-edged sword. The game is about equal now.
Unfortunately, you seem to keep trying to "translate your advantage" by somehow attacking the black king.
I don't think that this was the right plan. Your pieces are not really in a position to do much harm to Black's queenside at the moment. He has good control of the light squares and your own pawns block off the dark ones. On the bright side, Black cannot really attack on that side yet either.
Why not continue on the kingside instead? After all, you have just invested some moves to open the f-file. You should either try to exchange the light square bishops (so your knight can go to e4 and pressure f6 directly) or play Bc4 (to put pressure on e6). Your queen will need to get out of the pin (the a1 rook can take her place), too.
3...Qe5 is no more weird than 3...Qa5, 3...Qd6, 3...Qd8, 3...Qd7: the queen goes to c7 anyway. This whole idea of playing 2...d5 to get into a Caro-Kann position was devised by Larsen and aiming to avoid troublesome variations in the Caro-Kann (1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Bf5 5 Ng3 Bg6).
Likewise 7...e6 is perfectly logical: opens the diagonal so as to develop Bf8. It lso is a standard move in the Caro-Kann.
8 Ne5 is logical and thematic. On the other hand 9 f4 makes no sense: you do not even threaten to push f5, so at f4 the pawn only hinders development of your Bc1. Instead of 9 f4 the moves 9 Bf4 or 9 Bd3 make more sense: continue development. With f4 you kind of give black a tempo for free to continue his development.
Well, I've been quick through 21 moves and I'm enumerating a few things:
9. f4 was playable, but 9. Bf4 develops (and also eyes enemy queen) and also doesn't open king-side when we're unsure whether the center is going to remain (semi)open/close for most of the game. Bf4 can be backed up with Qd2 and your development is over. Bf4 limits your bishop (and leaves less flexible) in your territory for the rest of the game where opponent has too much to pile-up on you, like ..f6 or ..Bd6.
You couldn't manage to bring your queen out for too long and replied to opponents threats which gives initiative to opponent and leaves you (your team) paralyzed.
At move 15, you're allowing black to penetrate into your position by accepting capture, which lets him call more force to your assault. Re1 could have been better.
17. b4 leaves a3 , c3 and c4 weak. Blockade of h-pawn could have been better as ..Ng6 wins you a rook by Bxf6.
..h4 ends everything and the h-file now belongs to black.
I think after move 17, you consider some threats that are not real. You made some decisions/moves by your emotions and Kh1 was little late. Your queen is still on d1.
Was the root of all this evil in Ne5/f4? -- Let's ponder!
I think you did your castling too early.
No, castling was fine. It is nearly always a good move. F4 is the root of all evil.
