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1. e4
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This is a game against a new player on our team that I thought could be instructive for our members. I lost badly but I am not discouraged. I felt I had some nice ideas, but he is a better player and found ways to exploit my mistakes. I did not want a computer analysis to influence my thoughts so I have did not have one run yet but I will after the annotation.
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1... c5
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I am trying to learn the Sicilian Defense so that is all I play right now against 1. e4.
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2. Nf3 d6
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Black uses another pawn move and gets further behind in development but black should still be able to equalize eventually.
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3. Bb5+
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I typically do not see this move so I am already out of my 'book' for the Sicilian Defense. I'm sure this is still in 'book' but I do not like to study openings.
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3... Nc6
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I feel like development is the way to go here even though there is the threat of 4. e5. I would reply with 4....Bd7 instead of getting into trouble with 4....dxe5.
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4. O-O
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I expect white to push the d-pawn out to d4 but this is not a surprise.
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1 comment
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4... Bd7
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I have been burned before with tactics against the c6 square in this situation before so I develop and protect that square further. I don't like that I have nothing on the kingside developed yet but I feel like this has to be done first.
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5. Re1
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Again, I am expecting 5. d4 but my opponent lines up his rook with my king. Possibly to support the eventual e5 central space gaining push.
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5... g6
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My response was probably not the best. For some reason, I did not like the variations I played out in my head after 5....Nf6. I felt my opponent could respond with 6. Bxc6 Bxc6 7. e5. I must have had a blind spot here because I was worried about 7....dxe5 8. Qxd8+ Kd8. The problem with this line is that it is not possible....white's d-pawn is still on the board which is usually not the case in the openings I see often. With my opponent this far ahead in development, I don't think taking two tempos to develop my dark squared bishop is the way to go here but I failed to see the danger.
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6. c3
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My opponent prepares the d4 push and works to build a large pawn center.
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6... Bg7
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Finishing the fianchetto which hits the d4 square a third time. Not enough since white can remove one defender of it any time (Bxc6).
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7. d4
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White gains central space and will enjoy freedom of movement for his pieces.
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7... cxd4 8. cxd4 Nf6
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I have caught up in development with all four minor pieces out. My opponent has 3 pieces out (bishop, knight, and rook) and castled. The important imbalance favors white though. The e4 and d4 pawns give his pieces room to work and restrict mine. My king is still stuck in the center so I must castle before my opponent can get the rest of his pieces mobilized.
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9. Nc3 O-O 10. Be2
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I was expecting 10. Bf4 or Be3 developing the dark squared bishop. I felt like this retreat gave me the chance to equalize but I did not see how. The plan here should have been to add pressure to white's center but that was not my plan during the game.
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10... Rc8
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I decided to improve my rook with this tempo but again I don't feel it was best looking back. I can put pressure on white's d-pawn with 10....Bg4 threatening to remove a defender of the d4 pawn. Controlling the only open file was my plan at this stage...wrong plan when an opponent has a large center.
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11. h3
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I felt like this was a wasted tempo during the game. However it is right on. White is indirectly defending his center and I didn't even realize it during the game. Now the f3 knight is a great piece....it is stable (means it can not be traded anytime soon) and it serves an important offensive role (attacking the e5 square) and defensive role (defending the d4 pawn). Even though the trading value assigned to a knight is equal to that of 3 pawns....this knight is far more valuable due to it's quality. Quality is determined by several factors but stability and role played are two important ones. Again, during the game, I did not even realize it but I'm quite sure my opponent was proud of his great piece.
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11... a6
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All I was working on right now was double my rooks on the c-file. There is nothing there to gain but I thought that was my ticket to winning the game. This prepared my rook lift to Rc7 by keeping the c3 knight from Nb5.
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12. Be3
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Now my opponent strengthens his center further and develops.
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12... e6
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I finally go back to playing in the center of the board but have no decent options. My opponent already dominates there. I checked 12...e5 that allows 13. d5 which forces my knight back to e7 and my pieces have nowhere to go. I checked 12...d5 but 13. e5 has the same effect. I see an opportunity to lose an exchange down the road with rook for knight on c3 then grabbing the e4 pawn to break down his center so I prepare to open that file.
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13. Rc1
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White challenges the c-file.
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