I've been stalled out for a couple weeks. I haven't made time for PCT or playing since all the stuff that needs doing at home (why did I let my wife convince me to repaint the bathroom in December, again?) and work (low income energy assistance, where every call is a crisis and there aren't enough dollars in the budget to solve them all!) has been kicking my butt.
I'd been planning on posting about the IECG, but right after they confirmed my membership, their site registration expired and it took a couple weeks to get back online. Tonight, the pairings for my first event, a 7-player class tourney, came in. 6-0 would be a nice start :P
I do have this game I'd like feedback on:
It was G30, my opponent about 120 points higher than me, I lost on time. I think exchanging the Queens when offered at 24. ... Qe6 would have kept a draw, but I didn't want to undouble his pawns; I felt they were my main advantage to me without the Queens on the board.
I let Crafty look at the game right away but it gave no imporvements, which surprised me, so I let it go again for a awhile longer. Still nothing, so I guess I missed no tactical chances.
I'm really stumped where I could have done better, other than 1) something other than the Exchange Variation or 2) maybe my Ne5 was premature.
Usual disclaimer: I'm a class C, so if a stronger player contradicts me, listen to him.
ReplyDeleteI don't know a whole lot about the French Defense. The Exchange Variation may be drawish due to the symmetric pawn structure, but it won't lose you games. (Derek Slater of Reassembler hates the Exchange because it's so insipid.)
On move 22, your opponent should have made the Knight capture.
Passing over most of the game to the Queen/Pawn endgame, starting on move 24.
In G/30, there simply isn't have enough time to expect to play this ending with any sort of decency.
I do like your position is better, but:
1. Queen/Pawn endgames can be devious.
2. Black's doubled Pawns probably aren't enough to give you a real chance to win here.
26: At first, I was going to recommend f4. The idea was to eventually trade Queens and keep Black's King tied to the Kingside b/c you could threaten his weak h-Pawn. Then your centralized King would help breakthrough on the Queenside. I couldn't get this plan to work.
28 and 33: These moves give Black chances to activate his Queen, which allowed him to greatly improve his position. Picking off Queenside Pawns probably isn't the right idea here.
50: Time must have been running really short here; you'd probably have seen Qb8 gives you a perpetual check.