00029.5.14 Analyzed by National Master Corey Russell

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6

This move is playable, but rather passive. Now your

dark-squared bishop can't be deployed to an active post.

I would recommend the more active ...Nc6.

3. Bc4 Be6 4. Qe2 a6

While getting space is a laudable goal, in the early

phases of the game, you want to get your pieces mobilized.

...Nc6 would do that, plus help restrain the d4 advance that

white would like to do.

5. Nc3 b5 6. Bd5 c6 7. Bxe6 fxe6 8. d4 exd4 9. Nxd4 e5

10. Qh5+ g6 11. Bg5 Nf6

Actually, 11. ... gxh5 12. Bxd8 Kxd8 would have won a piece.

Would've went a long way to help black win the game.

12. Qf3 Bg7

This misses white's threat. White has 2 pieces on the knight

at f6 -- white will now a tactical idea called "removing the

defender", which should have won the game for white. Black's

only defense is ...Kf7. It wouldn't be too bad in this position,

because if needed, black can always castle "by hand" by playing

...Be7, ...Rf8, ...Kg8.

13. Ne6 Qe7 14. Nxg7+ Kf7 15. Bh6 Rg8 16. g4 g5 17. Nh5

This gives black a chance. If white would've taken the

post near the center (Nf5), and followed up with h4, O-O-O,

white would have soon won.

17... Rg6 18. Qf5

This does nothing. 18. h4! would have soon won the game..

too many threats. For example, if 18. ... Rxh6 19. hxg5 Rg6

20. Nxf6, and black could safely resign.

18... Qd7 19. Bg7 Qxf5 20. exf5 Rxg7 21. O-O-O d5 22. f3 Nxh5

23. gxh5 g4

This is wrong. Black's queen side isn't developed. Should

be a top priority, because the more pieces you have involved

in the battle, the more likely you will succeed in breaking

through. Even ...Kf6 is a superior move. The king can be

(and often is) a fighting piece in the endgame.

24. h6 Rg5 25. Rhg1 Rxf5 26. fxg4 Rf4 27. Rdf1 Rxf1+

28. Rxf1+ Kg6 29. Rf5

White threw away his advantage with this move. 29. Rf8 Kxh6

30. h4 would have paralyzed black, and white would have all

the time he needed to work on his own plans. After this, black

gets developed and has the better game because of white's weak

king-side pawns and black's formidable pawn mass in the center.

29... Nd7 30. Rh5 Re8 31. Ne2 e4

This is playable, but 31. ... Nf6 (attacks the rook on h5

and pawn at g4) 32. Rh4 Kg5 would win 2 pawns and the game.

32. Nf4+ Kf6 33. g5+

This was a serious error by white. White's only plus is

his king-side pawn majority, so he should've looked for a

way to mobilize them. The way to do that was 33. Rf5+ Ke7

34. g5, which would make it a lot harder for black. Notice

black couldn't even have tried 34. ... Rf8? in that variation,

because white's pawns are too fast. e.g., 34. ... Rf8

35. g6! Rxf5 36. gxh7 Rf8 37. Ng6+ Kf7 38. Nxf8, and black

can't stop white from playing h8Q. This illustrates the

power of the advanced, passed pawns.

33... Kf5 34. Ne2 Kg6 35. Nf4+ Kf5 36. Nh3 e3

Instead, 36. ... Kg4 would have forked the white's rook

and knight, winning a piece.

37. Kd1 Kg6 38. Nf4+ Kf5 39. Nh3 Kg4

This is winning for black, but because of low time, both

players agreed to a draw. So in conclusion, get your pieces

developed in the early stages. Also, when calculating

variations, see what you get vs. your opponents, to see

if you could win material. Early in the game, black could

have gotten Q & B, while white would get black's queen.

Only by using all your forces will you have good chances

of success.

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