(04-02-2020, 06:27 AM)The Real Marty Wrote:

(04-01-2020, 08:16 PM)Sneakers Wrote: OK, that wasn't exactly an aggressive move!  You're down a pawn, but have a much stronger position.....should be a win for white.  I assume the program you're playing notates the game and allows you to return to any move number and replay?  You might find that helpful.

I assume black's last move was P-QB4 (B5)?

PS  When you have that kind of positional advantage, ATTACK!!!  Push the Queen's pawn for all it's worth!

I did win.  I won the way I almost always win.  Not with some pretty checkmate, but by getting a material advantage, trading down, pushing a pawn or two to the end rank, creating a couple of queens and getting an eventual checkmate.  

In this case, I eventually got that pawn to the 8th rank, D8.  

If you look at that position, both his bishops are very badly placed; they have nowhere to go and are effectively out of the action, and black's white bishop is keeping his rook out of action.  Black is in a terrible position, for sure.  There's no way to stop that white pawn from getting to the 8th rank barring some huge sacrifice of material.  

His next move was to move his rook to A7, getting away from my bishop.  I don't remember how it went from there, but looking at the board, I can see playing pawn to d7, and depending on what he does in response, I play pawn to g3, he has to move his bishop, and I take his pawn on e5.  From this position, there's no way an evenly matched opponent can stop me.  Of course, a better opponent could probably wiggle out of it.  

But of course my point was, when I run the analysis on these games, it shows me so many obvious blunders, like this one, failing to see that I could have just taken that rook, that it's humbling.  How can I miss a gift like that?  But I suppose that's just par for the course at my level, which is 1100-1200.

To improve your game, you first need to lose more.  You're playing down to the opposition level you selected (let's admit it, it's fun to win), but that rook never should have been exposed anyway.  Bump your opponent setting up a couple notches and try again.  When you find yourself getting into an unfavorable position, back up to a key move and try again.

When you're considering a move after the first 10-15, how far ahead are you thinking?  At that point do you typically have a clear strategy in mind based on position?

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