Games, 8/18/06

Today's game:

Loss: likesforests(1489P)-CASSAM(1477)

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4 Nc6 4. Nf3 Bb4 5. d3 O-O 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 d5 8. e5 Nd7 9. cxd5 exd5 10. d4 Re8 11. Be2 f6 12. O-O fxe5 13. Bg5 Nf6 14. Bb5 exd4 15. Nxd4 Bd7 16. Nxc6 Bxc6 17. Bxc6 bxc6 18. Re1 Rxe1+ 19. Qxe1 h6 20. Qe6+ Kh7 21. Be3 Qe8 22. Qxe8 Rxe8 23. Bxa7 Ne4 24. Re1 Ra8 25. f3 Nxc3 26. Re3 Rxa7 27. Rxc3 Ra6 28. Kf2 Kg6 29. Ke3 Kf5 30. Kd4 Ke6 31. g4 g5 32. Re3+ Kd6 33. h3 c5+ 34. Kd3 Rxa3+ 35. Ke2 Rxe3+ 36. Kxe3 c4 37. f4 gxf4+ 38. Kxf4 Kc5 39. g5 hxg5+ 40. Kxg5 c3 41. h4 c2 42. h5 c1=Q+ 43. Kg6 Qg1+ 44. Kh7 d4 45. h6 Qh1 46. Kg7 Qxh6+ 47. Kxh6 d3 0-1

5.d3? was a miscalculation. I rashly defended my e-pawn with 5.d3, but 5.e5 Ng4 6.d4 would have claimed d4 with all pawns safe.

14.Bb5 was the wrong plan. It lost a pawn, but only threatened doubled pawns (worth at most... one pawn!)

15-19's exchanges and simplifications are the wrong plan. Those help Black, since he's already a pawn up.

21.Be3 was a miscalculation. I thought 21.Qf5 would fail due to 21...g6, but then White could simply play Qxf6.

24-25. threatening the knight was the wrong plan. I should have pushed the passed pawn, a more dangerous threat.