Annotated chess game

I think the problem with analyzing blitz games is that they are blitz games. One can not hope for huge accuracy of play, so it comes hard to be critical of mistakes - even blunders.

Not truly blitz if there is an increment.

2...Bf5 is a bad move. 3.Qb3 will give White an early Advantage !

I agree. As I can recall, Capablanca introduced it and encountered by Qb3 played his bishop to the original square again.

Taking with the queen allows for White to win a pawn on d5.

Aside from the tactical point observed by kv-ly, the pawn capture is not that bad. It strengthens the centre, and opens a file against the White King should it castle short.

Maybe Qb3 is better? Same idea of taking back with the queen, but putting the question to the bishop on b4 - take or retreat? It also avoids putting the queen and king on the same diagonal as the enemy bishop.

It probably would have been, but I tend to move relatively quickly in this part of a blitz game, so that when it gets to be more difficult I have more time.

7.Qb3 was better, right....and instead of 8. Qd2 you could try Nd2 ! The idea of this move is to get the Square e4 in your hand. The second move from black Bf5 is weak, but if you do nothing against this bishop, he is strong on f5. The Plan Nd2,f3 e4,Bd3 gives you advantage !

Plus you are ahead in the attack over the queen side. Black hasn't started the king-side attack yet.

The double pawn on f is not weak, because the g line is in hand of black. I would say the position is equal, no advantage for white ?

The position seems to me dynamically even - chances for both sides, Or should i say, the balance could easily tilt one way or the other with just the slightest inaccuracy.

Qe7? White capitalises correctly I think, and black's doubled f-pawns are surely a permanent weakness. dc looks better instead.

Bb5 seems better!

Qe7 ? Now after your best move cxd5 the double f pawn is weak. White has advantage now ! I prefer Rg8 instead of Qe7 !

Black wanted to castle long, by the look, but he rather rushed it. 10.Rg8 would have inhibited the development of White's K-side - always worth thinking about! Then I might have followed up with ...Qd7, retaining a watch over d5, but also setting up some interesting possibilities along the c8-h3 diagonal after an eventual ...e5 move.

Doesn't want to swap off any more material, I'd say. But yeah, it's an ugly bishop alright.

He needs his bishop is he still wants an attack..

White could have played Ba6 instead of Bd3, but it is very difficult to see this great move in a 3 min. blitz game  

Maybe better would be moving it to g4 or d7. That's very true  

12.Ba6 Rb8 13.Bxb7 Rxb7?? (...Nd8) 14.Qxc6ch etc.

Yeah, black can't really launch a pawn storm with those pawns. It's not so much that they're doubled - they're isolated as well.

I would have stayed on mid. Black has g-column for his rook, and always can play Bg4 or Bh3 so white must be careful on king-side.. but if you play 13. b4 instead of castling, Black has Nothing to attack and you are already attacking the Queen side!

I rate White's chances as the better, the open g-file for Black notwithstanding, as his mobile Q-side minority has plenty of targets to aim at, beginning with the knight on c6. Black is threatening ...Rg8 then ...Bh3, but it doesn't look at this stage that his pawns will be able to get much leverage.

b4 !! the best move .

Maybe Kh1 instead? h3 allows black to attack you with the h-pawn! Plus now you have some troubles on white squares

make no defense moves, if they are not forced, if you had castle opposite sites. b5 was very much better.

That is the real trick with opposite wing castling: you have to go all out to try and force the opponent onto the defensive (I've lost a lot of such games through my failure to achieve this). After 15.b5 Nb8 16.Rfc1, Black looks already to be in trouble; instead 15...Bh3 16.Nh4 threatens 17.Bf5ch, combining defence and attack, bearing in mind 17.bxc6 is also still threatened...

Nh4 had a good look, but then you realize that after f5 you must play f3... with complications not likely to be good for white!

16. Nh4 f5 17. Ng2 seems to work also, so you can use your bishop for the attack. Also you should calculate 16. Nh4 f5 17. Bxf5+ Bxf5 18. Nxf5 Qf6 19. Qd3

b5 was possible, as i said before, attacking is the right way.

I wouold certainly have preferred 16.Nh4 over the text move, but as klauno observes, 16.b5 was worth at the very least more than a passing glance. Let's see what might have happened: 16.b5!? Bxf3 17.bxc6 bxc6?! (This looks very risky: Black would have to come up with something better than this, but what?) 18.Qxc6 Rd6 19.Bf5ch and White wins after 19...Re6 (there's nothing else even this good) 20.Qa8ch Kd7 21.Qxg8 ... (It is probably better not to play 21.Bxe6ch, as after 21...Qxe6 22.Qxg8, Qh3 would be acutely embarrassing. In any case, the pin is worth keeping) If now 21...Kd6 (to break the pin) 22.Bxe6 Qxe6 23.Qd8ch and Black is completely busted.

Maybe b6 immediately? 18. b6 axb6 19. a5 Seems to be a good attack!

Rfc1 or Qa5 is stronger. A pawn attack against opposite King can only be successful, if one of the opposite Kingpawns moved min. one time.

Other possibilities: Rfc1, Rfb1, b6, a5 You have a huge attack!

Whatever, I feel this particular rook move is mistimed. I'd leave it on a1 and bring the other one across to c1. This goes to a useful principle: 'Move the piece that is doing the least.' The f1-rook is certainly underemployed. The a1-rook is likely to find something interesting to do on the a-file.

19. ... hg? I don't like this. h3 looks better, with the threat of Qe4, winning a piece. White's position is quite secure now.

Black should probably try 21...Rh8, now. Even so, the attack seems to me too slow.

See? Rb1 weren't a good move. Now you miss your rook in a-column.

b6 is a mistake. now you get a open file.

Faced with a close assault against the king, never, ever, an you value your life, move a pawn in front of the beleaguered King. All it does is weaken his position, and offer a target to the attacker. Now White simply exchanges pawns, and invades via the opened a-file. [Note: Of course things will reach a point at which you absolutely must move a pawn, usually to capture or recapture something hammering at the gates. Wait until then. Otherwise, if you think you are going to panic and move a pawn, sit on your hands.]

The right place for your rook from the beginning: Rfc1 and Ra1. Here nstead of Ra7 maybe Ra8 is better! How he can protect his knight in b8? You can play: Ra8, Qa3, Qa7 as a plan to check mate!

Rg7 gives the game away. Kb7 has same small chances for a draw ?

If Black wanted to continue attacking, how about 25...Rh8?