Unless I am missing something, 31. Rxf7 was a huge blunder that should have lost the game after 37...Qg8! which forces the trade of Queens, thereby simplifying into what should be an easy win for Black.
a bad run with f4!
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Dec 21, 2008
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#3
Ahhh, forgive my error. While inputting the game I gave the win to white and not black. Apologies for the error. Black definitely won this game. I have corrected my blunder :). 0-1 Black.
I had played the Birds a couple of time. One option to deal with the bishop on c5 is to delay the push of the d pawn, and not push it at all until the opening stage has finished if possible. If you want to do this, you can fianchetto your queens bishop, which i find to work quite well.
I will tell you I think against 1...e6 and 2...d5 you are better not to choose the Leningrad setup. There are other choices, but you are aiming your bishop against a pawn wall that you will have to work to tear down a bit. I would have chose the e3 variation. A good idea when you see the ...e6 plans is to play 1. f4-Nf3 and then e3, opening the diagonal for both the queen and the bishop. From here, you have options to prepare the b3/Bb2, which is effective if you study the setups, or if you want more solid control of the center, you can play the Stonewall with f4/Nf3/e3/d4/Bd3, or even the Classical setup. I think early placement of White's king's bishop affects your setup in the Bird, and I am flexible in my choices. I only try the early g3 systems against Black's ...g6 setup. Not to say that you couldn't have made it work, but that is my experience with the Bird. With e3 commited and not g3, White still has plenty of options, and he later can play g3 if necessary.
after 28... Rxf3 did you consider Qg2? It may cause him to think to come up the only move he could do which would be Qd8, might be something to analyze though?
This is a game from a friday night quad OTB tourny I played on friday night. I've never beaten my opponent, we've played several times, I've given him some good games but had yet to push f4. I think with my entry level experience of the opening it was a little cocky and I probably should have planned on playing something more standard like the Ruy which I've had some success with lately. But anyway. Please take a look at the opening and tell me how I can better play the bird which I love so much. The Bishop on c5 is a threat I have concerns about with the bird. Any thoughts on how to address the threat?