Annotated chess game

This is one of my favourite defences: the French. One needs a bit of patience with it, but it can lead to exciting games.

A little bit of an oddity, this. It is hard to see that it does much of anything, as Black can chase it around a bit. On the other hand, so Black gets to chase it around a bit: then what?

Attacks the e-pawn.

Doesn't defend the e-pawn. Is White playing a gambit?

This could get serious if White isn't alert. Here 4.d4! would be a very good move.

Leaves the e-pawn undefended. Better was 4.d4, chasing off the bishop, and establish a broad pawn front. After the bishop moved, one could follow up with e4-e5.

Would have been better earlier. Instead, Bd3 or Ba4 were indicated.

Oops: Black is over-complicating matters!

BAM! That's what I'm talkin' about. White wins a piece - the knight or the bishop.

Good play. Black is in real strife, now.

Good enough for a huge advantage, but even stronger would have been 9.Bxh7ch, with a heavy attack: 9.Bxh7ch Kh8 10.Qh5 Bxg5 11.Bxg5 ... when the threat of mate induces 11...Qxg5 12.Qxg5 Kxh7 and White has won the queen at the cost of a minor piece.

White ought not to allow herself to be distracted. Now, it is true one must be alert to whatever nefarious schemes the enemy might get up to, but one has to judge whether they require a response - and if so, what response. White's pawn thrust is no threat to White, so she might as well continue to bring her pieces into the action: Bf4, Be3 or Nd2.

OK, but there was no need for this.