Redoing your Own Analysis

This is a thirty minute game in which I’m playing white. I am going through some of my old games to see how my analysis now compares to my analysis then. It seems to be a mixed bag. I make different mistakes than before, but there just as many gross errors. I recommend doing this to see how many moves from your old games you remember. Every game that doesn’t end in a draw has an inferior move in it somewhere. Don’t make the same one twice!

1. e4 c5 2. c3 {The c3 Sicilian is a good choice for white to avoid the Open
Sicilian. Unless you’re a professional chess player you stand a good chance of
having to discover a move in the latter that cannot be pieced together over
the board.} Nc6 3. Nf3 d6 4. d4 cxd4 5. cxd4 e6 {I enjoy a modest spacial
advantage. I do not have to attack black’s king and this setup has some
flexibility.} 6. Be2 {The bishop should go to d3 instead, a more active square.
Be2 is for attacking the king and defending a bishop on e3 against the king’s
knight.} Nf6 7. Nc3 Be7 8. Be3 O-O 9. h3 {d5 was also fine where the knight
gets ejected and I can control the c-file} a6 10. a3 {This is just a waiting move.
Although I know that this is no more correct than black’s last move, I want to
see how he’ll commit his pieces before I tip my hand.} Qc7 11. O-O b5 12. b4 {I’ve
decided to defer to black about how he’d like to strike in the center. I can
then choose to closer or open the game.} Bb7 13. Rc1 Rfc8 14. d5 {Wins a pawn}
exd5 15. exd5 {Nxd5 was an exceptional move that I did not see. The knight, at
the end of the variation, will be uncomfortable on c3. If white forces the
knight trade the newly won d-pawn is easier to defend.} Ne5 16. Nxb5 Qd7 17.
Nc3 Rc7 18. Bb6 Nxf3+ 19. Bxf3 Rc4 20. Qd3 {With the plan to trap the rook…
which doesn’t actually work.} Rac8 21. Bc5 {?} Rxc3 (21… dxc5 {! Even more
crushing} 22. Qxc4 cxb4 23. Qb3) 22. Rxc3 dxc5 23. bxc5 Rxc5 24. Rfc1 Rxc3 25.
Rxc3 Nxd5 {Allows me to win the knight. I have all the time I need to
reorganize. The dark bishop cannot help in the defense of the piece. The pin
will endure!} 26. Bxd5 {? Not noticing the strategic idea} Qxd5 27. Qxd5 {?
Thinking that I have an easy backrank mate.} Bxd5 28. Rc8+ Bf8 {! The two
bishops should be able to win easily.} 29. Rd8 {I plan to harass the bishop
vertically until it goes to b5, and then I’ll play a4, trading the pawns. I
feel more comfortable with the pawns all one side. Of course, if I keep these
pawns on the board I have double the chance to trade down to a wrong bishop
endgame…} Bc4 30. a4 f6 31. Rc8 Bd3 32. Rd8 Bc4 33. Rc8 Bb3 34. Ra8 Bxa4 35.
Rxa6 Bb5 36. Rb6 Bc4 37. Rc6 Bf7 38. Rc8 g6 {Black must break out of his box
to make progress} 39. f3 Kg7 40. Rc7 f5 41. g4 fxg4 42. hxg4 {I like fxg4
better in retrospect because I am not playing for a win. I’d like to deny
black a passer.} Bd6 43. Rd7 Bf4 44. Kg2 Kf6 45. Ra7 h5 {? =} 46. Ra6+ {Not
the best but a neat trap} (46. gxh5 {Speaking of wrong bishop endgames, here
we are! I forgot about my plan.} gxh5 47. Rxf7+) 46… Kg5 47. Ra5+ Kh4 48.
gxh5 gxh5 {? More than I hoped for!} 49. Rf5 Be6 50. Rxf4+ Kg5 51. Kg3 {
Perhaps black should try to put pressure on the f-pawn.} Bd7 ({Fritz 12:} 51…
Bd5 52. Rb4 h4+ 53. Kf2 Be6 54. Ke3 Bf5 55. Rb2 Bd7 56. f4+ Kf5 57. Rh2 Kg4 58.
Rg2+ Kf5 59. Rg5+ Kf6 60. Kf3 h3 61. Rc5 Kg6 62. Kg3 Kf6 63. Kh2 Bf5 64. Rc6+
Be6 65. Ra6 Kf7 66. Rb6 {1.83/22}) 52. Rd4 Bc8 53. Rd5+ Bf5 54. f4+ Kf6 55. Kh4
Bg4 56. Ra5 {It’s a better defense to move the bishop over and over. Allowing
me Kg5 makes my job easier.} Ke6 (56… Bd1 57. Kg3 Bg4 58. Rg5 Bd1 59. Kf2 Bg4
60. Ke3 Bd1 61. Rd5 Bg4 62. Ke4 Be2 63. Rd6+ {This is the only way. Notice how
white’s king and rook work together to deny black the diagonal he needs.}) 57.
Kg5 Kf7 58. Ra6 Kg7 59. Ra7+ Kf8 60. f5 Ke8 61. f6 Kf8 62. f7 {? Looks good
but the pawn will drop!} Be6 {?} (62… Kg7 63. Rb7 Be2 64. Rd7 {Using Zugzwang
} Bc4 65. Kxh5 Bxf7+ 66. Kg5 Kg8 67. Kf6 Bh5 68. Rg7+ Kh8 69. Rg3 Be2 70. Rc3
Kh7 71. Rh3+ Kg8 72. Re3 Bd1 {The king is in the right corner}) 63. Kf6 Bxf7
64. Rxf7+ Ke8 65. Rh7 h4 66. Rxh4 Kd7 67. Rh5 Kd6 68. Re5 Kd7 69. Re6 Kd8 70.
Re7 Kc8 71. Ke6 Kd8 72. Kd6 Kc8 73. Rd7 Kb8 74. Rc7 Ka8 75. Kc5 Kb8 76. Kb6 Ka8
77. Rc8# 1-0

 

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