Annotated chess game

Pretty much forced. Early in one's chess playing career, it is not always a simple matter to accept that responses can be forced. Here, White does well to keep the queens on.

Still, you shouldn't give check just because you can. White can block with 12. c3 or 12. Bd2 and then the queen must move again, handing White the initiative. Better was to continue development (11... Bb7) or maybe 11... Bf4, threatening to win a pawn.

This move isn't as bad as all that, but it doesn't really help Black very much. The Queen was OK where it stood - at least for the time being - and Black could start looking to the unmoved pieces. 11...Bb7 (with pressure against g2) or 11...0-0.

Never give check because it's possible, and you can;t think of anything better. 11...0-0 was better, tucking your King in a safe spot. I would add the words of GM Bent Larsen "Don't play moves that are easily defended, look for better." Since your check is blocked easily by 12,c3 11...0-0 was better.

After 12.Bd2 Qxb2 13.Nc4 Qd4 14.Nxd6 Qxd6 - Black has 2 extra pawns and the advantage.

Instead 13.a4 would have driven the queen of the f1-a6 diagonal and allowed White to castle (from where the Black queen stands, White is prevented from castling). This b-pawn thrust is a much less happy choice, as Black can pick up a second pawn, with a clear cut advantage.

Archduke speaks the truth here.

Once the White c-pawn goes, Black with have a hanging pawn-couple in the centre, BOTH OF ARE PASSED. That is a serious end game advantage for Black.

OK, but I would have preferred 14...Bxb4ch 15.Bd2 a5! Also 14...0-0 or 14...a5 would both have been worth serious consideration.

(?) "For now" indeed. Voluntarily giving up castling rights, this ensures the king will remain a target. The better move was certainly 15. Bd2.

Much, much better would have been 15.Be2! chasing off the queen. White ought then have been able eventually to castle into (relative) safety.

(!) A very fine quiet move. Black's active pieces hold the king in place so the blow will do maximum damage, and now Black readies the hammer....

Black is aiming for ...Ba6, hence this pawn move. Castling was a very good alternative.

Black misses the chance to increase the pressure with 15...Be5!

(??) 16. Kf1 was the only way to escape Black's hammer blow before it fell.

id=nuntar is right, even though 16.Kf1 would have shut in the White KR. Black already had a winning game; now it is even winninger.

(?) Wrong check. Everything was set up for 16... Ba6+. Remember, everything stops for check, so White cannot take the queen.

Having prepared the move ...Ba6ch, why not play it? The bishop check would have won at once, as after 16....Ba6ch 17.Qd3 Bxd3ch won the queen, and 17.Kf3 Qf4 was checkmate! White had no other options.

16..Ba6+ is crushing here because the idea is the Q controls the dark square diagonal (e1 to a5) while the B controls the white square diagonal (f1 to a6). This is devastating power and as AP shows the mating variations are awful and white is in a resignable position. If you were worried about axQb4 you shouldn't have because the Bishop check on a6 forces White to deal with that and your Q will not be captured.

Still only safe "for now".

White is busted, though, even having been let off the hook. Very strong now would be 17...Ba6, to lock the White king in the centre.

I think the key idea here for you is to realize that attacks work better, the more pieces you use to do the attacking. I used to tell my students that if you don't use a piece in a game, it doesn't mean you get 3 in the next game.

Good. Black can make use of the open file as well.

(?) Hard to see what this achieves, except for weakening Black's king. 18... Re8 was the logical follow-up to Black's previous move, although, White having left b3 unguarded, another possibility was 18... Be5 19. Ra2 Qb3 20. Re2 Ba6.

Dreadful move, Erika - perfectly dreadful. In general, the pawns in front of the King are best in a straight row on the second rank. There is but one exception: when they form a triangle with the g-pawn forward ONE square, and a bishop filling the hole. So 18...Be5 19.Ra2 g6, followed by 20...Bg7 would have been OK as a defensive measure. But White wasn't seriously attacking, and could not unless and until he could bring a bishop to b2, say. That could easily have been stopped. Black has a winning edge: she should attack. For this I like 18...Be5 19.Ra2 d5, opening up all sorts of possibilities. Probably even stronger at move 19 would be 19...Bc3ch!

Archduke is correct in all respects here

White probably ought to have tried more aggression. Sensible play won't cut it: White is quite lost. No harm, then, in seeing what spanners are lying around that might be shoved into the works. How about 19.h4, in the hope that a K-side attack might develop?

Terrible move: the g4 pawn was safe because of the Q's protection from b5, now this protection is removed by the pawn!

It hurts me just to see this played. Throwing away a fine position

White can't do anything right now, but Black should not be so complacent. If Black's queen were to abandon her guard of b2, then Bb2+ is mate in three. True, White can't do anything now to force this mate. But now Black has to be constantly watchful over that diagonal.

Overconfident that everything is OK. White's resources are too underdeveloped to profit from Black's rather gratuitous weakening of her king's position.