ANNOTATED GAME

Team match
cognomen (1409) vs. kirbde (1390)
Annotated by: skyeman (2217)
Chess opening: Giuoco Piano (C50)
Interactive Show all comments All annotated games View chessboard as:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. d3 Bg4 7. Na4 Bd4 8. Be3 Bxe3 9. fxe3 Bxf3
There is no reason to capture the knight. You should maintain the pin until White plays h3 and then retreat it to d7. Later you might consider Qc8 and Bxh3!

 
10. Qxf3 h5
You should only play this move if there is a pawn or piece on g3 to attack. Alternatively, it can support the advance of your knight to g4, but that wouldn't achieve anything in this position. The best move was 0-0, or, if you were feeling adventurous, 10...Qd7 followed by 0-0-0.

 
11. d4
If White had a rook on d1 this would be a good move!

 
11... exd4
If that rook had been on d1, it would be better not to capture.

 
12. exd4 Nxd4 13. Qd3 c5
This is the move that lost you the game! It weakens your d-pawn, providing an easy target for White's heavy pieces. Better to move the knight immediately.

 
14. c3 Nc6 15. Qg3
Targeting both your weak pawns.

 
15... g6
15...0-0 may be better, but that weak pawn on d6 is still a problem. Try to avoid backward pawns on open files.

 
16. Rad1 Nxe4
You could have tried 16...0-0 or 16...Qe7, but I think White is winning whatever you do.

 
17. Bxf7+ Ke7 18. Qxg6 b5 19. Qxe4+ Ne5 20. Nxc5 Rf8 21. Ne6 Qb6+ 22. Kh1 Rxf7 23. Qxa8 Rxf1+ 24. Rxf1 Kxe6 25. Qe8+ Kd5 26. Rd1+ Nd3 27. Qxh5+ Ke4 28. Qg6+ Ke3 29. Qxd3+ Kf2 30. Rd2+ Ke1 31. Qe2#
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