I'll only comment on how you can improve (not your opponent):
- 3. d4 is more principled.
- 5. d4 is to early here. Better is 5. Bb3, anticipating black's 5...d5 idea with tempo.
- 8. Be3 is too early of a development. Although this started as an 1. e4 opening, it now shows the characteristics of a 1. d4 opening. In those openings, white usually holds back on committing the DSB. Also, in terms of flexibility, the DSB has a lot of options (d2, e3, f4) and you should keep those options open. Play 0-0 here instead.
- 9. 0-0. Maybe consider h3 here, safe-guarding the bishop on e3 from Ng4 ideas. Castles is fine though.
- 10. Ba4. This bishop has no future, just play Bc2 and get on the nice b1-h7 diagonal.
- 11. Ne5 seems a bit premature. Consider 11. Re1 getting on the open e-file and placing it across from the enemy's king.
- 12. Nxc6. What do you get from this trade? Nothing! So don't trade. Simply continue development with 12. Re1 or 12. Nd2. The trades that follow only help black who is behind in development (you're trading all your developed pieces; you're trading your advantage).
- 16. Nf3. Consider 16. b3 striking at black's static structure and looking to a) win a pawn, b) open the center rapidly, or c) open some files for your rooks.
- 17. Bd2. Why are you so trade happy?!
- 20. a3 A positional blunder. Severely weakening b3 and ending any idea of striking at the head of black's pawn chain.
Move 24 black is better as a result of the positional folly's above.
- 3. d4 is more principled.
- 5. d4 is to early here. Better is 5. Bb3, anticipating black's 5...d5 idea with tempo.
- 8. Be3 is too early of a development. Although this started as an 1. e4 opening, it now shows the characteristics of a 1. d4 opening. In those openings, white usually holds back on committing the DSB. Also, in terms of flexibility, the DSB has a lot of options (d2, e3, f4) and you should keep those options open. Play 0-0 here instead.
- 9. 0-0. Maybe consider h3 here, safe-guarding the bishop on e3 from Ng4 ideas. Castles is fine though.
- 10. Ba4. This bishop has no future, just play Bc2 and get on the nice b1-h7 diagonal.
- 11. Ne5 seems a bit premature. Consider 11. Re1 getting on the open e-file and placing it across from the enemy's king.
- 12. Nxc6. What do you get from this trade? Nothing! So don't trade. Simply continue development with 12. Re1 or 12. Nd2. The trades that follow only help black who is behind in development (you're trading all your developed pieces; you're trading your advantage).
- 16. Nf3. Consider 16. b3 striking at black's static structure and looking to a) win a pawn, b) open the center rapidly, or c) open some files for your rooks.
- 17. Bd2. Why are you so trade happy?!
- 20. a3 A positional blunder. Severely weakening b3 and ending any idea of striking at the head of black's pawn chain.
Move 24 black is better as a result of the positional folly's above.
I learned something here from you and I really needed it for my game play was struggling to advance .Thank-you Masquerade.
This topic has been archived and can no longer be replied to.