Annotated chess game

This is the Caro-Kann; similar to the French defense but with the support coming from the queenside instead of the center.

Ethan's right; caro-kann is completely sound. In fact i'm worst against it than any other opening ((((

tag's developing like Black normally does in a caro-kann game, wheras you've used a unusual opening. Both openings so far are quiet but sound.

This is okay, but Ng3 forces the bishop away and leaves the f3 square open for the knight.

Indeed; Ng3 is more normal, and the threat on the bishop means it doesn't lose you time. I don't like 5. Be2, purely because of 5. Bxe4, forcing the queen swap which will create a drawish game. As white you should be looking to win...

Again this is normal caro-kann style, quickly ensuring both bishops are involved...

This was the only reasonable move.

Your Qf3 move doesn't look very good here; the queens doing nothing effective there and it prevents the knight reaching f3; it's only potentially effetive square...

Gotta get your pieces out somehow. Ne2 blocks the queen in an uncomfortable position. Development isn't just about getting your pieces out; it's about getting them out with a plan!

I like Ne4 more; gets it onto a decent central square and looks to remove blacks bishop pair.

Agreed; this doesn't really do anything, i think you were hoping his w bishop would somehow stop covering f7... Nf4 and Ne4 were both better, getting one of the knights more active...

Ne5 is better, forces the queen to scuttle back to d1 (preventing castling) or e2 (blocking in the bishop...) either one slows down white's development, which is not complete...

You seem to have a lot of these tics... i can't work out what you were trying to achieve here, it just wastes time...

Aren't you glad you left the e2 square open? If you had played Be2 instead, last move, where would your queen go now? (Answer: graveyard.)

You can see again how poor the Qf3 is; its preventing white devloping the bishop to it's only avaliable square; e2...

Moving the queen back confirms the Qf3 move was wrong; at least you can now play Be2... but black has the better position; his development is almost complete wheras your behind because your moving the same pieces too often... that shows how useful to get your pieces onto the RIGHT squares, then you don't usually have to move them again in the near future...

Loading up on the Ng3.

Sensible... But you still haven't moved the knight from it's useless g5 square. I'd have moved it onto e4 now, get it over and done with...

Notice how your knights are pretty far-flung and you're still two moves away from castling on either side.

Tag's last move wasn't the best, if he'd castled queenside as well as getting the king castled it threatens 13. Nxd3! 14. Bxd3 Bxg3 (wins a pawn) and the threat on the pinned white bishop can't be defended. Although white could have stopped Nxd3 with 13.d4, black can still keep up his good tempo.

I`ve been in this situ before against an Irish Apache called Tom `O` Hawk.