White's next move?

[Guest Ben]

Dear Sir,

 

I would be extremely grateful if you could offer some advice on a game I'm playing. I'm white and after what looked like an awful opening from black has cost me a minor piece. Where did I go wrong and what is my best course of damage limitation?

 

 

(would 8.Bh4 have been the correct move?)

 

Many thanks,

 

Ben

[Javier]

Ok, a couple of things:

 

1 - It's much easier to get support if you actually register at out forums.

2 - I do not offer advice if you're currently playing a game against someone else, it's unethical and unfair on the other person.

 

I can, however, comment on some of the mistakes you've made: your main problem is, in one word, "captures". You have to pay attention to all possible captures after each one of your opponent's moves and each one of your moves (before you make them!).

For example, when you played 7.Nd5, you saw that you were attacking c7 with your Knight, which is good, BUT did you see that your pawn on e4 could be taken by the black Queen? I don't think you did...

 

To limit damages, have an internal dialogue with yourself everytime your opponent makes a move: "What is he threatening?". And before your moves: "If I make this move, do I leave anything hanging which he can take with one of his pieces?"

 

Cheers!

[possession]

Many thanks for your time. I indeed failed to take account of the pawn's vulnerability after 7.Nd5 and with my opponent noticing the possibility of a fork, the entire of the Queens side has been pretty much locked up. I fear that after my errors in 7.Nd5 and 8.c3 the best I can play for is a draw. Is it generally better if you are down a minor piece to try and play for further exchanges so as to reduce the eventual mating power of the opposition or does this just serve to amplify the impact of the material discrepancy?

 

ps. On your two points you will see that I am now registered and I should note that in the game from which these questions are drawn, both me and my partner are consulting with others (we are but humble novices in need of guidance). Though I agree I have probably gone one step further than he will have by consulting with someone above master level!

[Javier]

Many thanks for your time. I indeed failed to take account of the pawn's vulnerability after 7.Nd5 and with my opponent noticing the possibility of a fork, the entire of the Queens side has been pretty much locked up. I fear that after my errors in 7.Nd5 and 8.c3 the best I can play for is a draw. Is it generally better if you are down a minor piece to try and play for further exchanges so as to reduce the eventual mating power of the opposition or does this just serve to amplify the impact of the material discrepancy?

 

Yes, your 8th move was a major blunder indeed.

Generally, the player who is winning the game due to a material adventage will wellcome exchanges. Instead, you should try to complicate the game and avoid exchanges.

You will soon be a piece down, but you have some active pieces, use your initiative to create threats. What's your opponent's main weakness? try to exploit it.

 

ps. On your two points you will see that I am now registered and I should note that in the game from which these questions are drawn, both me and my partner are consulting with others (we are but humble novices in need of guidance). Though I agree I have probably gone one step further than he will have by consulting with someone above master level!

 

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