00032.5.17 Analyzed by Candidate Master Daniel Waite

Caro-Kann Defense

1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 d5

4. Ne5 Nf6 5. f4 Bc5

(Both sides have mishandled the Opening. Black misses

the golden opportunity to cramp White "almost"

permanently with …d4. From now on White has to play

"catch up." In some fine restaurants putting

"ketchup" on your steak means the cook did a poor job.

In chess playing "catch up" in the Opening,

especially as White, means you've done a poor job.

The move, 5. f4 is "almost" losing. After 5…d4 the

Knight has to move. The idea for Black is Nxe4, Bd6,

and Qc7. This game of "ketchup" should be fatal for

White.)

6. d4 Bd6

(White gets back on track. While the move 6. d4 is

not the best, it is an attempt to put some pressure on

the Black center and keep disaster a move or so

further down the line. It stuffs the Black idea of

…d4. 6. Nd3 is an odd move that seems to work.

This strange move attacks the Bishop and keeps it off

b4 at the same time! The problem is that it is a "one

move" solution that blocks the Bishop and will

probably have to move again. The idea is to find as

permanent solutions as possible in the opening. Black

now as the golden opportunity to play 6…Bb4 completely

disrupting the White center.)

7. Bd3 O-O

(White misses the simple, and possibly equalizing,

idea of 7. Nxf7! Kxf7 8. e5. Always consider the

check. A check is a free move. How many times would

you like to move more than once? Here is the chance,

consider the check - ALWAYS. From the defense's

perspective it helps to not give away free moves.

8. a3 d6xe5

(White takes leave of his senses. A lesson in White's

mistaken 8th move is to evaluate the threat before you

move. The suspicion is that White is playing 8. a3

for one of two reasons. Either White does not have an

idea [plan] or White fears the move ….Bb4. The

problem with White's move it is that it opens the door

for Black to capture on e4. Either …dxe4 or Nxe4 is

strong.)

9. f4xe5 f6xe4 10. Qh5 Nd7

(Now Black runs out of ideas. I know that it looks

like Black should develop but there are more pressing

issues at hand - like survival. The move, 10. Qh5

introduces a very dangerous idea that must keep Black

on guard. It is necessary for black to play …f5. The

result of this is that the Bishop on d3 is permanently

taken out of the game. If White tries 11. exf6 [en

passant] then 11…Nxf6 covers the vital h7 square and

tackles the Queen on h5. The White attack fizzles.

This game can be a lesson in handling dangerous ideas

casually. On defense you must be aggressive!)

11. b4 g6

(White "baits" Black into taking at c3. In the

process, White drops the piece. The Black move of g6

is correct.)

12. Qh6 e4xc3

(Black picks up the piece. This is correct. However

there is a short lesson to be learned in this move.

Whenever you capture material, you in essence give

something up. In short, you give up two moves [one to

capture the piece and one to put the capturing piece

back on the square you want it]. You must weigh the

cost of the time against the material won. In most

cases take the piece but think it through first. If

you are in doubt that you will survive the coming

attack - don't grab the material. At this point the

material grab is safe and gives Black a huge

advantage.)

13. Bg5 Qc7

(Black loses immediately. Now Black must play 13…

f6. The best White can hope for now is the perpetual

check [or draw by three-fold repetition]. However the

game is far from over. White's initiative is still

very dangerous. For example, 13. Bg5 f6 14. Bxf6 Nxf6

15. exf6 Rxf6. Then there is 15. Bxg6 hxg6 16. Qxg6

Kh8 and White gains the draw by repetition [perpetual

check]. On 15 Bxg6 Nce4 16.exf6 Nxf6 17. O-O Qe7 18.

Rxf6 Rxf6 Black wins easily. On 14. exf6 Nxf6 Black

should still be safe - but under pressure.)

14. Bf6 d7xf6 15. e5xf6 Qe5+ 16. d4xe5 g5

17. h6xh7++

(You asked a question at the beginning: "I have been

playing for about

12 years. I have only got serious about my chess in

the

last 2 years. I have a strong love for chess and I

played

at least 2 games everyday for the last 2 years. I

don't

have a rating, but I feel I am pretty good. I have no

one

to play but the computer. So, I am self-taught in

everything

I know. please tell me if I'm on the right track."

Answer: First, I am glad you love chess. The

fact is that chess is plain fun. I really does not

matter what your skill level is if you can enjoy what

you are doing. I did not win a game the first two

years that I played, but I had fun anyway. There are

several ways to gain a chess rating. You can go to

United States Chess Federation rated tournaments.

These are official ratings. You can play chess

on-line and gain a rating that is not official but can

give you an idea of your strength [I know these

ratings are debatable but…]. You can play a chess

program that will rate your level of play. Remember

that the "rating" is only a measure of relative

strength.

As far as being "self taught" is concerned, we

all need help at times. There are many good books

that can help teach us. Silman's "Amateurs Mind" and

"How to Reassess your chess" are the best at this

point in complete instructional manuals for most

players (under the Master level). There are many

places on-line that offer instruction. If you love

chess, then you will find the study of chess enjoyable

when there is no opponent around. It is also fun to

hit your unsuspecting neighbor with something you just

learned in your studies. There is a problem with

studying chess, the better you get the less

competitive the neighborhood games become. In other

words, it becomes less fun if you do not have a

serious challenge. One method of correction for this

is what my first chess teacher once said, every chess

player has the moral obligation to help teach others

the game. Teaching kids in the schools is a great

chance to stretch yourself.

About being on the "right track," that depends on

what you want to accomplish. If you want to beat your

neighborhood you are fine. Cut back on the mistakes

and learn to play with your pawns and you will give

most of your local friends fits. I think the critical

element in your immediate improvement is to understand

pawn play.

In the game as Black, you gave yourself a "Bad

Bishop." That is a Bishop where the central pawns are

on the same color as the Bishop. In essence this is

playing a piece down. Part of the reason for the

Opening you chose [the Karo-Cann] is to avoid the bad

bishop. For the most part you need to play the Bishop

to f5 before you play …e6. The Bishop is technically

"bad" but it is active [useful]. Remember that pawn

will dictate your strategy both offensively and

defensively. Use them to create space, permanent out

posts and create weakness in your opponent's camp.

Remember chess is war, these pawns are the foot

soldiers. You can not win a war without putting

troops on the ground and winning as much space as

possible.

To get an accurate "track" a coach would have to

examine at least 50 games over several years time

period. What you are looking for is an improvement.

By that, look to understand what mistakes you commonly

make. Then eliminate them. This will make you much

stronger by virtue of the fact that you are not

helping your opponent! Also there are set of basic

applications that a chess coach will look for that

includes pawn play, piece interaction, and pattern

recognition [et. al.]. The goal is to improve over

time. The painful thing is that this process takes a

fearless moral inventory, something that few have the

courage to do. Still, keep at it. Enjoy the game.

Teach someone else.)