Chess Pundit

I've been playing the King's Gambit as white against e5. It's fun opening and win or lose, it is an interesting game. It is hard to determine how well it is working for me because the opponents who play e5 thus far have been either 200+ points better than me or 200+ points below me. IT seems that either only beginners or experts play e5. Everyone else, including myself, has their own system. I've done "as expected", losing against the tougher opponents, and beating the weaker. I've glanced over this line, but it seemed to play itself, so I didn't really pay much attention to it. I, of course, could have played it better.

White: Me (1843)
Black: Francisco (2117)

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d5 4. exd5 Nf6 5. d4 Nxd5 6. Bc4 Be7 7. O-O Be6 8. Ne5 Bf6 8. Bb3 would have been better here. 9. Bxd5 Qxd5 10. c4 Qd8 10. Nc3 is better. There isn't enough time to play c4 but it was soooo tempting. 11. Bxf4 Nc6 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. Be3 Bxc4 14. Re1 O-O 15. Nc3 Re8 16. Kh1 Qd7 17. b3 Ba6 18. Na4 Qd5 19. Nc5 Bc8 20. Qd2 (preventing Bh3) Bf5 21. Rac1 Bg6 Now I am getting some couterplay on the "c" file. 22. Na6 Qd7 23. Nb4 Be4 24. Bf2 Qg4 (threatens Bg5 & mate) 25. Be3 Qd7 This the last decsion point in the game. I'm down but far from out. I'm trying to play on the c5 file, but also wary of a lot of threats. There are a lot of threats involving Rxe3 or Bxg2. I thought Qc3 would hold, but it doesn't. In hindsight, Na6 was probably the best move here.



26. Qc3 Rad8 Oh boy. I can't take on c6 like I had hoped. 27. Nxc6 Bxc6 28. Qxc6 Qxc6 29. Rxc6 Bxd4 30. Bd2 Rxe1+ 31. Bxe1 Bf2! and I lose the bishop. Nonetheless, nothing else is better. Moving one of the rooks allows for

27. Red1 c5 28. Nc2 Bxc2 at this point I am toast and just played out a few moves. 29. Rxc2 cxd4 30. Bxd4 Bxd4 31. Qg3 Qf5 32. Qxc7 Bb6 33. Rxd8 Qf1#


I think, or at least wishful, that I can play at expert level positionally, and possibly tactically. Part of my problem is that I need to study the opening more. When you exit the opening being in a worse position, you have to fight tooth and nail to get some action.



1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d5 4. exd5 Nf6 5. d4 Nxd5 6. Bc4 Be7 7. O-O Be6 8. Ne5 Bf6 9. Bxd5 Qxd5 10. c4 Qd8 11. Bxf4 Nc6 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. Be3 Bxc4 14. Re1 O-O 15. Nc3 Re8 16. Kh1 Qd7 17. b3 Ba6 18. Na4 Qd5 19. Nc5 Bc8 20. Qd2 Bf5 21. Rac1 Bg6 22. Na6 Qd7 23. Nb4 Be4 24. Bf2 Qg4 25. Be3 Qd7 26. Qc3 Rad8 27. Red1 c5 28. Nc2 Bxc2 29. Rxc2 cxd4 30. Bxd4 Bxd4 31. Qg3 Qf5 32. Qxc7 Bb6 33. Rxd8 Qf1#