[Event "ICS Rated Chess Match"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.05.09"]
[Round "?"]
[White "xplan"]
[Black "wpegden"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "1543"]
[BlackElo "1489"]
[Annotator "wpegden, MAd"]
[PlyCount "127"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[TimeControl "3600+5"]

{MAd: Hello my handle on FICS is MAd, I am a typical club player with a BCF
rating of 138, roughly corresponding, according to the last survey of the
english federation, to about 1850 FIDE. I dont think I have a particular style,
generally club players claim to have an attacking style when they sacrifice
without really calculating, othewise they define themselves as positional
players.  I just try to play what the position requires. I won't go much into
the theory of the opening of the game, you can find all the lines you want in
any book, but I'll try to mention what are the caracteristics of the position
that one tries to exploit or defend. I will provide a few lines here and there
to show where I think things could have been done better, but I will not
provide long variations with dozens subvariations. I don't think that is
useful anyway, after a few moves it becomes another game and new errors made
by white and black would have to be considered. In the end none of us is a
master and most of our moves is wrong...} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5
a6 $6 {wpegden: at the time, this seemed logical, but now, it seems like
exchanging the knight may lead to a slight advantage for white.white has a
decent position. MAd: Other moves are more common replies. In my database I
have about 10000 games where this position is reached and 4. ... a6 figures in
only 640 of them. Black does not score particularly well with a6, but it is by
no means a losing move. So why is it that players prefer to avoid it? Black is
pretty much offering a Ruy-Lopez Exchange where the moves Nc3 and Nf6 have
been played. In the Ruy-Lopez Exchange after Bxc6 dxc6 white cannot capture in
e5 as Nxe5 Qd4 Nf3 Qxe4 gives black a good game. In our case Qd4 has to be
preceeded by Nxe4 Nxe4 when, after Qd4, white has the time to castle therefore
retaining a good position.} 5. Ba4 ({wpegden:} 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nxe5 Nxe4 7.
Nxe4 Qd4 8. O-O {and white has a decent position. MAd: indeed this is more
common, however the retreat Ba4 is not bad. White is entering a Ruy-Lopez
where he defends the e4 pawn with Nc3 rather than with 0-0 and Re1. This is
slightly less enterprising since he gives up the chance of putting pressure on
the e5-pawn with c3 and d4, but it is very solid.}) 5... Be7 {MAd: a normal
developement move with several alternatives. However at club level games are
rarely won in the opening, and one needs not worrying about them  too much. If
one just takes this game as an example, both black and white make several
judgment and planning errors in the opening, then both make a few tactical
miscalculations and white wins pretty much because it is black that makes the
last error. At our level it is far more useful to concetrate on tactics than
study countless opening books, so I strongly reccomend solving tactical
puzzles, the more one solves the more acute his tactical skills will become.
With time two-moves combinations will become easier to see, then three-moves
and so on. With constant practice one can be able to eliminate bluders from
his game. This is far more helpful than knowing that a line is +/= after 17
moves, especially if one has no idea what to do on move 18. So as far as
simple tactics goes a common mistake I have seen in this of position and one
should be wary of is the attempt to trade the bishop for the knight with b5
followed by d6.} (5... b5 6. Bb3 d6 $2 {
MAd: defending e5 to play Na5 and trade night for bishop} 7. Ng5 {
MAd: Winning a pawn.}) 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 O-O ({
MAd: The position is usually reached via the Ruy-Lopez order and} 7... d6 {
is more common, however there is nothing wrong with castling and the position
is equal.}) 8. Nd5 {wpegden: it seems to me white wasn't quite ready to jump
in the center at this point, unless he is simply hoping for an exhange. MAd:
indeed this looks akward and castling would seem more appropriate, however
Spassky has played once, so it can't be too bad. The idea is, of course, to
trade for the Be7. It is also worth nothing that after the trade white has
again the c3 and d4 plan available, after a few preparatory moves like 0-0 and
Re1. The game is now very much a Ruy-Lopez, with white trying to exert
pressure on e5 and black parrying the treats with a counterattack against e4.}
Nb4 {wpegden: I decide that parting with my dark bishop is okay, as I will
then take the opportunity to control the dark squares with pawns (which
otherwise would have blocked in the bishop). MAd: parting with the
dark-squares bishop is ok, see both Spassky-Nikolic and Van der Wiel - Nunn
below, and you don't really have any choice in that regard since Bc5 is met by
Bg5 forcing a sad retreat to e7. This move however seems a waste of time for
many reasons: 1) You are not forcing white to play Nxe7 (or Nxf6), he will
play it anyway; 2) White wants to play c3 at some point, whether to push d4
too or to avoid trading his Bb3, now it will come with a gain of tempo; 3) The
problms you need to solve in the near future is how to develop the
light-square bishop and how to support the e5 pawn your move does nothing
about eithr problem; 4) you lose the possibility of answering Nxe7 with Nxe7
which truly frees the c-pawn for an eventual c5 hindering any idea white may
have about d4. Moreover  from e7 the knight can hop to g6 to provide help in
any action on the king-side. 5) You offer the possibility of Nxb4, see the
note to the next move. I include a game with d6 and one with Bb7 so you can
have a look at how things may develop.} (8... d6 9. Nxe7+ Nxe7 10. Bg5 Ng6 11.
h4 Nf4 12. h5 Nxg2+ 13. Kf1 Nf4 14. Bxf4 exf4 15. Qd2 Bg4 16. Qxf4 Bxh5 17. Nh4
Kh8 18. Re1 Qd7 19. Re3 Qg4 20. Qh2 g5 21. Ng2 Rae8 22. f3 Qd7 23. f4 Qg4 24.
fxg5 Qxg5 25. Qf4 Rg8 26. Qxg5 Rxg5 27. Nf4 Bg6 28. Ke2 Nh5 29. Rh4 Nxf4+ 30.
Rxf4 Kg7 31. Bd5 Rg2+ 32. Rf2 Rxf2+ 33. Kxf2 b4 34. Rg3 Re5 35. a3 a5 36. axb4
axb4 37. c3 bxc3 38. bxc3 Rh5 39. Ke3 f5 40. exf5 Rxf5 41. Bb7 Kf6 42. d4 h5
43. Bf3 h4 44. Rg1 Bh5 45. Be4 Rg5 46. Rf1+ Ke6 47. Rf4 d5 48. Bh1 Bg4 49. c4
dxc4 50. d5+ Ke5 51. Re4+ Kd6 52. Rxc4 Rg7 53. Rc6+ Ke5 54. Rh6 h3 55. Be4 Bd7
56. Rh5+ Kf6 57. Kf4 Rg4+ 58. Kf3 Rg1 59. Kf4 Rg4+ 60. Kf3 Rg5 61. Rh6+ {
1/2-1/2 Spassky,B (2560)-Nikolic,P (2585)/Reykjavik 1988/CBM 010}) (8... Bb7 9.
O-O Na5 10. Nxe7+ Qxe7 11. Nh4 Nxb3 12. axb3 d5 13. Nf5 Qe6 14. f3 g6 15. Nh6+
Kg7 16. Qe1 Nh5 17. Ng4 Rfe8 18. Qh4 f6 19. Bh6+ Kh8 20. exd5 Bxd5 21. Rae1 Qf7
22. Qf2 {1/2-1/2 Van der Wiel,J (2540)-Nunn,J (2625)/Amsterdam 1988/CBM 009}) (
8... Bc5 9. Bg5 Be7 {MAd: and white has gained a tempo.}) 9. Nxf6+ {
wpegden: I expected him to take the bishop, but this seemed okay to me as well.
} (9. Nxb4 Bxb4+ 10. c3 Bd6 {MAd: this is an interesting possibility for white.
Black Bd6 cramps his position and no counterplay against the e4-pawn is
possible for a while, so he can calmly castle and decide what to do later.
Black has to spend a few moves to disentangle his position anyway.}) 9... Bxf6
10. c3 Nc6 {wpegden: the only retreat. Of course, I knew this move was going
to have to be made. Unfortunately, (and this I wasn't thinking of) the c3 push
is useful to him anyways, so he gains a tempo. MAd: exactly. Note that you
also have lost the chance of trading the Nc6 for the Bb3 now.} 11. Be3 {
MAd: It is  probably time to pause a moment and consider what white and black
can do here. Both are still undeveloped: white needs to put the king to safety
before taking any action in the center or his majesty can end up in big
troubles. His dark-square bishop needs to find a new home, but it is not quite
clear where that is. It may go to e3, but that would make a d4-push more
difficult since the e4-pawn can no longer be defended by a rook in e1. So
should it instead go to d2? but then what would it do there? We can't put a
piece on a random square and call it developed. Maybe it is a good idea to
wait a little to decide. On the plus side white has a very solid center and
and he just needs a couple of moves to be able to break with d4.  Black king
instead is absolutely safe, but the e5 pawn is a bit shaky. If white can
organize d4 exd4 cxd4 black can be in troubles. The light-squares bishop is to
be developed as well: a possibility can be then d6 (which incidentally
supports e5) and then decide for a square on the c8-h3 diagonal. Another plan
may involve Bb7 and Re8 to answer to a d4-push with exd4 uncovering an attack
one e4. In the end the whole game revolves around white wanting to play d4 and
black wanting to keep the push inoffensive. To this aim Be3 seems premature,
while it supports d4, it also makes the Bb7, Re8 plan more effective.} Na5 {
wpegden: now his bishop has nowhere to run... except an unfortunate retreat to
c2 MAd: the retreat to c2 is not unfortunate at all. True the bishop sits
behind two of his own pawns, but it is not useless there. First of all it
provides a support to the e4-pawn when d4 is finally played, second it is
aimed at black king-side. Maybe it is time to stop a moment to discuss this
d4-push and why it is so important. White dream goal is to play d4, force
black to take exd4 and take back with cxd4, and then manage to roll the two
pawns kicking away the black pieces from the 6th rank, and gaining space for
an attack on either side. Black of course doesn't want to hear any of that and
he will try to stop with any possible means. He can for example control the d4
square with as many pieces as possible, starting with the Nc6, but also
bringing the bishop to f6. He can also attack the Nf3 that controls d4,
typically with Bg4 (that's why h3 at some point is so commen in the Ruy-Lopez).
His other option is to attack e4, white main weakness, hoping to divert enough
white forces to that task to make d4 impossible. To attack e4 black can play
the light-square bishop to b7 and the rook to e8, and of course a knight to f6.
A third option is to allow d4 exd4 cxd4 and then attack white center with c5,
d5 or f5. The majority of Ruy-Lopez follow either of the three plans or a
mixture of them. Such a volatile situation also means that tactics of all sort
are always present and one has to be wary of that. It is also worth to
remember that after the d4 push white can try to continue with f4 opening the
f-file and the b1-h7 diagonal on te black king. Many a Ruy-Lopez have been
decided by the Bc2 coming alive after a d4/f4 push. Supporting your center
with d6, or developing a counter-attack against e4 with Bb7 and Re8 would have
been a good choice. However your idea is not wrong at all since after Bc2
black can take advantage of the white king and strike in the center with d5.
It is clear now that Be3 was an error and castling should have been played
instead.} 12. d4 $2 {wpegden: it seems like this exchange is much in blacks
favor. MAd d4 at this stage is plain wrong. White has lost control of the
position and has let enthusiasm carry him.} (12. Bc2 d5 13. d4 exd4 14. cxd4
Nc4 {MAd: and black seem to have equalized altough some care is still required,
for example:} 15. O-O Nxb2 16. Qb1 Nc4 17. e5 Be7 18. Bxh7+) 12... Nxb3 13.
Qxb3 d6 {wpegden: I still didn't want to take on d4 here, because he ends with
a strong center. This frees the bishop. MAd: he ends with pawns in d4 and e4,
but they are not strong. The e4-pawn in particualr is undefended so any attack
will force e5 which makes the white center rigid.} ({MAd:} 13... exd4 14. cxd4
Bb7 15. e5 Be7 {and now castling can be dangerous:} 16. O-O Bxf3 17. gxf3 {
and black can open the f-file with d5 (to remove the pin) and f6. Compared to
the note to move 12, I think this position favours black, showing that 12. d4
was an error and 12. Bc2 had to be played.}) 14. O-O Be6 {wpegden: developing
the bishop, and making the queen move. I might end up moving this bishop again,
but even if/when that happens, we'll be even in tempo... in the meantime, I
hold a big diagonal (unchallenged, since he lacks a white squared bishop). MAd:
You are still in time to play exd4 this time followed by Re8 with pressure on
e4. The Be6 forces the queen to move, but in the end she was useless in b3,
while from c2 she can support the e4-pawn. In a way you're lucky he plays it
to d1. The Be6 also masks  the e4-pawn from an attack by a Re8. The position
is pretty even, white main weakness is e4 and you should attack it with all
your migtht. From e6 the bishop dream of an attack to the king-side  which
will never be.} (14... exd4 15. cxd4 Re8 16. Qc2 Bb7 17. Nd2 Qe7 18. f3 {
MAd: and black is probably already slightly better.}) 15. Qd1 (15. Qc2 {
MAd: was probably better. From here the queen keeps an eye on the weak e4
(just think of what will happen in the game) and on c7 which may become weak
after exd4 cxd4.}) 15... c6 {wpegden: supporting a potential d5 push... the d
and c pawns, though a bit "backwards" dont' seem to very threatented... MAd:
Finally hitting the right tune. White weakness is e4 and pushing d5 is the
only practical way to attack it now.} 16. Qd2 {MAd: waste of time. Bg5 is not
a threat and the queen is better in c2, supporting e4 and leaving the d-file
for a rook.} h6 {wpegden: the straightforward response to white move, I think.
MAd: White is not threatening anything, Bg5 would be welcome as it is not so
good. Pushing h6 if anything gives white a hook for an attack to the king and
now all sort os sacrifice ideas can come to his mind.} ({
MAd: Let's see what happens when black "passes" and white plays Bg5:} 16... Kh8
17. Bg5 Bg4 {Now black threatens to win a piece with Bxf3 and Bxg5. White has
two main alternatives to defend.} 18. Bxf6 (18. dxe5 Bxg5 19. Nxg5 dxe5 20. Qe3
Qf6 {exploiting the Bg4 controlling d1 to try to win the d-file or force f3.
In both cases black is slightly better.}) 18... Qxf6 19. Qe3 {
forced to defend both f3 and d4, and black is ok.}) 17. Rfd1 Qc7 {wpegden: I
d been hoping for a d5 push, and this move was intended to defend the e5 pawn
after the push. MAd: If you do not remove the queen from d8 any d5 push will
most likely end in a heavy pieces trade along the d-file and and even endgame.
Moreover it is a good idea to occupy the file with a rook before opening it so
the queen move seems to make sense. However you forgot that white can open it
too, especially since he is already occupying it with his queen and rook, and
we will see this next move. You hit the right spot: e5 might be weak when
things open up, but rather than defending it with Qc7, you might have attacked
one of its attackers.} ({MAd:} 17... Bg4 {
and black profits from an attempt to open the d-file:} 18. dxe5 dxe5 19. Bc5 (
19. h3 Bxf3 20. gxf3 {with an evern position.}) 19... Qxd2 20. Rxd2 Rfd8 21.
Rad1 Rxd2 22. Rxd2 {and black is fine.}) 18. g3 $2 {wpegden: apart from
undefending the knight, this move also precludes any h3 push to move a bishop
off the g4 square. The knight is asking to be pinned to the rook. MAd: This
move is simply bad, moreover I  don't see what white is trying to achieve with
it, if he wants to move the knight to play f4 then h3 followed by Nh2-g4 would
have been better. Nh4 will always be answered by Bxh4 when white pawns are
horrible. All g3 does is weaken the knight and the white squares around the
king. White misses his chance to take control of the d-file as mentioned
before.} ({MAd:} 18. dxe5 dxe5 19. Bc5 Rfd8 20. Bd6 Qc8 (20... Qb6 21. Qe2) 21.
Qe3 Bg4 {looks quite complicated but was surely better. As I mentioned before
white takes his chance to open the d-file before you can play d5.}) 18... Bg4 {
wpegden: I put off my d5 plans for this obvious move. Now, the Qc7 was even
unecessary.} 19. Kg2 d5 {wpegden: I considered something like Qd7 here, to go
for action on the c8-h3 diagonal, but decided it would be fruitless. MAd: d5
in itself is not bad, but you kind of missed the point. The knight is pinned
to the rook and defended by the king alone, why not try to attack it with a
second piece? And what piece can we use? Well the Rf8 is already there, all it
needs is removing a couple of obstacles from her sight...} ({MAd:} 19... Be7 {
preparing to push f5} 20. dxe5 dxe5 {
white takes control of the d-file while he can.} 21. h3 {
White does not wait idle and removes the bishop before f5 comes.} Be6 {
White position is still full of holes: h3, f3, e4... His only asset, the
d-file, can be easily contested. Black can play f5 at any time with a very
dangerous attack on the king.}) 20. exd5 $2 {His pinned knight can't accept a
black pawn on e4. MAd: This simply drops the exchange.} ({
MAd: white can defend the e4 pawn with his queen} 20. Qc2 {
The whole Qb3-d1-d2 manouvre has proved useless...}) 20... Bxf3+ {wpegden: here
I missed the obvious e4, which would have won a piece. His pinned knight was
restricting is options, but I failed to capitalize. MAd: This is a pretty bad
error for two reasons: first of all you miss your chance of winning the
exchange, secondly this move is contrary to the spirit of the position. White
king side has lots of weaknesses, all of them on light squares, the Bg4 is the
one piece you need to exploit them, why do you give it up?} (20... e4 21. Ne1
Bxd1 22. Qxd1 cxd5 {MAd: and black is winning.}) 21. Kxf3 exd4 {MAd: at this
point you can easily end up losing a pawn. On the other hand white king is in 
the middle of the board so you can try to organize an attack rather than a
trade.} (21... cxd5 22. dxe5 Bxe5 23. Qxd5 Rad8 24. Qc5 Qb7+ 25. Ke2 Qe4 {
and the threat of Qc2 forces a draw.} 26. Kf1 ({
if white "passes" black gaines the upper hand:} 26. h3 Qc2+ 27. Ke1 Bf6 {
White can only defend b2 with Qa3 when the queen is out of play and black has
a good compensation for te pawn.}) 26... Qh1+) 22. Bxd4 Bxd4 23. Qxd4 Rad8 $2 {
wpegden: greedily hoping to get back the whole pawn.... MAd: taking in d5
hoping to organize an attack on white king was the safer option. With this
move you allow a passed pawn in d6 and you need to be very careful.} 24. d6 Qb7
({MAd:} 24... Qd7 {Blocking the pawn and keeping an eye on f5, who knows the
queen may manage to invade white back with Qf5-c2. You have no other weakness,
let white prove he can win this.}) 25. Qc5 Rd7 {MAd: this is the start of a
very passive defense. You may have tried Rfe8 instead with the idea of Re6} (
25... Rfe8 26. Re1 Qd7 27. Rad1) 26. Rd4 Re8 {wpegden: the open file matters
more than the pawn, now, I decided, since I can't win it anyways. MAd: your
problem is that after Rd7 one of your rooks cannot move, and on top of that it
blocks the queen. White has a couple of moves "for free" to organize himself.
Your choice is probably as good as it gets in this position.} 27. Re4 {
wpegden: White agrees. MAd: and in this makes an error. This leaves the pawn
weak and  you now have time to regroup.} (27. Kg2 Re6 (27... Re2 28. b4 {
and the rook has to go back to e6 since it has nothing to do in e2.})) 27...
Rdd8 {wpegden: I no longer have to block the pawn, so I defend the rook. MAd:
White can easily take the e-file now and aim to bring a rook to e7 since you
are not putting any pressure on the d6 pawn.} ({MAd:} 27... Rxe4 28. Kxe4 Rd8
29. Kf3 Qd7 {and it is up to white to prove he can win this.}) 28. Rae1 Qb8 $2
{wpegden: this invites 29. Re7, in hindsight. 28... Re6 was needed. I
considered this in spite of missing 29.Re7, and decided against it, since I
certainly didn't need to isolate any pawns. MAd: this is bad because it is the
prelude to losing another pawn. So far white had to prove that he can push the
d-pawn. You have no other weakness he can exploit so it is a complicated task
facing him. Now you let him win a second pawn, gaining a lot more options as
you have to be wary of that one as well.} ({MAd:} 28... Re6 29. Rxe6 fxe6 30.
Qe5 {and white is winning, for example:} Rf8+ 31. Kg2 Rf6 {White can make is
way by pushing the f-pawn when either e6 falls or white queen enters the 7th
and 8th rank.}) (28... Rxe4 29. Rxe4 Qb8 30. Qxc6 Qxd6 {
and you're still a pawn down but you haven't lost just yet.}) 29. Qxc6 Rxe4 30.
Rxe4 Qa8 $4 {MAd: This is the real mistake and it loses badly, white enters
the endgame two pawns up, and with your king cut off by the white rook.} ({MAd:
} 30... Qxd6 31. Qxd6 Rxd6 {and you reach the same position as in the previous
note. Someone once said "all rook endgames are draw". White still has to prove
he can win this.}) 31. Qxa8 Rxa8 32. d7 {MAd: this is hasty. the pawn from d6
is making life hard for black as the king has no access to e7, so it is
difficult to attack the pawn. Moreover the white king can come relieve the
rook from any "pawn defence" duty faster when the pawn is in d6. A better idea
was to support the pawn with the king and only then push it. White can also
create new weaknesses in black position with a4, exposing the b5 pawn.} Kf8 33.
Ke3 {MAd: With the pawn in d7 the king cannot come to his support but white
was still on time to attack white queen-side pawns.} ({MAd:} 33. a4 Rd8 34.
axb5 axb5 35. Rb4 Rxd7 36. Rxb5 {and the two pawns will surely win the game.})
33... Rd8 34. Re8+ Rxe8+ 35. dxe8=Q+ Kxe8 {wpegden: white has a
straightforward endgame now, that I <think> I played correctly. Unfortunately,
white did okay too! MAd: this endgame is dead won for white, it was worth
playing a few more moves to make him prove he can win it, maybe not all the
way till the end...} 36. Kd4 Kd7 37. Kd5 g6 38. b3 f5 {
MAd: This loses even faster since now white can easily create a passed pawn.} (
38... Kc7 39. c4 bxc4 40. Kxc4 {MAd: makes white work harder.}) 39. c4 ({MAd:} 
39. f4 a5 (39... h5 40. b4 {and black has no moves.}) 40. a4 bxa4 41. bxa4 {
and white wins.}) 39... bxc4 40. bxc4 Kc7 41. c5 (41. Ke6 {MAd: is even faster.
}) 41... g5 42. f3 ({MAd:} 42. f4) 42... a5 43. Ke5 Kc6 44. Kd4 g4 45. fxg4 ({
MAd:} 45. f4) 45... fxg4 46. a4 {MAd: and black should really resign here.} h5
47. Kc4 Kb7 48. Kb5 Kc7 49. Kxa5 Kc6 50. Kb4 Kb7 51. Kb5 Kc7 52. c6 Kb8 53. Kb6
Kc8 54. c7 Kd7 55. Kb7 Kd6 56. c8=Q h4 57. Qxg4 hxg3 58. Qxg3+ Ke6 59. Qf4 Ke7
60. Qf5 Kd6 61. Kb6 Ke7 62. Kc6 Ke8 63. Kd6 Kd8 64. Qf8# {MAd: Some final
comments to the game. It seems to me you missed the min features of the game,
in particular that white tries to push d4 and black has to do something about
it. In itself this is not horrible, we are all bad players and fail to grasp
the basics of a position, however it seems to me you spend the first 10-15
moves wanderig around with your knight without a clear aim, at most with
one-move threats like playing Na5 to trade knight for bishop. That Na5 was
also meeting the requirements of the position is a typical example of
serendipity. Again though you moved the Be6 because it was wit hgain of time,
without worrying if e6 was the right square for the bishop. At this point you
decided to push d5, probably because you had the bishop in e6 anyway. What I
mean is that you did not play Be6 because you wanted to support a d5 push, but
you decided on a d5 push because the bishop happened to be there. Here you got
worried of Bg5 and a couple of moves later failed to notice white could open
the d-file with a complicated position. A few blunders on both sides meant you
ended up allowing a passed pawn rather than being an exchange up, and you got
scared of it and played passively missing a good chance to achieve a draw and
making it easier for white than it should have been. In the end white managed
to convert the pawn endgame and won. This is the description of the typical
game between club players: the only difference between a 1400 and 1800 is that
the 1800 makes a litte less blunders and plans a little more. This is where
you should concentrate your efforts: start by making sure you no longer miss
winning the exchange like you did. That you tactical skills need a bit of
effort is also shown by your notes: you thought you would win a piece while
you were only winning an exchange. Solve problems from magazines and books,
when you have finished go back to them again and check if you solved them
faster than the first time. Then do it again. Your tactical senses will be
more awake during games and you'll win the exchange without even thinking
about it. When your tactics starts improving have a look at games on the
openings you play: pick a good player that plays one of your lines and look at
what he does, don;t learn his moves by heart but try to figure out what he is
trying to do, what weaknesses in the opponent he tries to exploit, which ones
in his position he tries to defend. I strongly suggest you pick classic
openings like the Ruy-Lopez or the Queen Gambit Declined, they are best to
learn about developemnt, piece coordination etc... Anyone who plays traps and
sidelines can gain a few rating points fast but the he stops. But most of all
do not get discouraged by losing, you learn a lot more and improve a lot more
by losing to a better player than by trashing a weaker one. Feel free to
contact me online on FICS if you want to discuss about the game more in
details.} 1-0

