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1. b3 e5 2. Bb2
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The Nimzo-Larsen Attack. This is not the strongest opening, but may offer psychological advantages. I feel comfortable playing this opening. |
  3 comments
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2... Nc6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Bd6
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Black blocks his d-pawn. He should have either advanced the e-pawn or played d6. If black had played d5 on move 3, he would not have this trouble. |
1 comment
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5. d4 exd4
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I don't agree with this move. I feel that black should have advanced to e4 and retained at least some hold on the center. Now white can gain control of the center. |
1 comment
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6. Nxd4
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It would be foolish to take with the bishop instead of the knight first wouldn't it? We definately don't want to give up that bishop so easily; it is the star of the Nimzo-Larsen opening. |
1 comment
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6... O-O
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Black has more pieces developed, but his pawn on d7 is cramping up his position and white has a stronger center. |
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7. Bd3
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Developing and getting ready to castle. It is more common to play Be2 or Bb5 in the Nimzo-Larsen, but this is a somewhat strange position for this opening. My light-squared bishop is now eyeing h7. |
1 comment
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7... Nxd4
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The pressure! The knights were just looking at each other waiting to see who would take first! |
2 comments
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8. Bxd4
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The theme bishop of the nimzo-larsen. |
1 comment
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8... Nd5
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This move serves to block in the d-pawn even more. Of course the knight is also looking at a nice seat on b4. Right now, black's light-squared bishop is blocked in, so white's bishop is that much more dominant. This means that white's light-squared bishop is a good target! |
1 comment
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9. Bxh7+
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Wow! So much more attacking that bad boy. In this position, I was mainly looking at the variation Kh8 which wreaks havoc on black's position. For some reason, I thought that it was also really bad to take the bishop. One of those lapses of tactical vision. |
2 comments
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9... Kxh7 10. Qh5+
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However, now I can win back the material. I think this was a good choice of moves though. Black's knight could really become a nuisance on b4 and now I've gained an extra pawn and loosened up the black King's position. |
2 comments
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10... Kg8 11. Qxd5 Qe7
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Lining up with the bishop. The only thing obvious for black now is using his bishop on the a3-d6 diagonal. But then black needs to chase away the white Queen if he wants free up his light-squared bishop. |
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12. h4
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I didn't want to castle kingside. I wanted an attack on the black King since his position is softened. And it looked like black was aiming at my kingside. Maybe I should have developed my queen's-knight and castled queenside first, but I wasn't sure how I wanted to develop my knight. |
1 comment
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12... c6
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starting the kicking out of the Queen. |
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13. Qg5
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I was happy to trade queens becuase I believed that I could mount an attack on the black kingside (by developing the knight and castling queenside) before black could get his remaining army setup to defend. However, I forgot about the move... |
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13... f6
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which chases my Queen again. It also defends against the immediate threat, possibly shuts the theme bishop down, and alows the black King a possible escape square. |
1 comment
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14. Qf5 c5
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I'm not sure of black's intention, but I do know that I can simply retreat and now there are some more holes in black's position. |
1 comment
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15. Bb2 Bc7
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preparing to advance the pawn with attack. |
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16. Nd2
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I finally developed that knight. Now I can castle. |
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16... d6
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Chasing the white Queen yet again. She must be really attractive :D. I want to station my Queen on d3, but I have some other ideas first. |
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