I can't convert early game advantages

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SneakyWalrus
 
This is becoming a common theme for me when I play (I've noticed it OTB and on other sites too). I do pretty well--for my standards--and usually secure a good advantage. Sometimes it's a pawn, sometimes even a piece or more. But then I just *#%^ it all up when all the pawns go away in the end/end of the middle game phase. Is there anything I can do to not let this happen?

I'm just so sick of blundering away my advantage and totally losing the position.
 
*Note, this was a 3|2 game so time pressure was a factor, but I shouldn't be messing up a position like this that I clearly have won.

 

urk
Oooh yeah... the knight was pinned.
Didya forget?
corum

You played quite well until move 17. But after that it was pretty awful to be honest which I think you already know. It seems to me that you missed pins two or three times which makes me think you need some tactical practice. Can you use tactics trainer on chess.com?

 

 

 

Ninjakiwi17

You were completely winning until the last move

LuckyDan74
I enjoyed reading this post because I'm forever doing the same thing. If you take away the pressure of time - you said it was a factor yourself - you should notice improvement. You'll often get good advice from the better players on this forum as well who will question why you made certain moves. Pay attention to any advice given. Good luck.
Rat1960


14. ... Qc6 ??

Prior to even considering your candidate moves
check if any of your pieces are hanging.
I even go one further than that ( imagine white queen on g5 )
and look for any of my pieces that are not protected.
That is both before and *after* the move you select.

If so, defend or move the piece, is already
a filter on the candidate moves.

13. ... Qc8 ( !? ?! )

I would not have been flash/complicated either
at move 13. ... Qc8, you play QxB I play ... QxB

17. ... Nh5 ?
Your knight is covering the centre on f6.
I know what you are doing
(a) blocking the h-file
(b) meeting d5 with Qc4 and Qf4+ to exchange queens.

Better is 17. ... Nd5 because
(a) knights might exchange
(b) f2 is attacked
(c) the knight on d7 can go to f6 to meet Rg3, Rh3
- yes I know the rook is covering h7 but that is the knight's job!
(d) d4-d5 is blocked from securing the e6 square.

Now, imagine you considered (a) (b) (c) above
then 17. ... Ne4 looks sexy.
Opps,
18. d5 ( interfers with the queen defended knight )
... Qc4 ( queen is attacked, knight needs defending )
19. Rg4 Ndf6
20. Rdg1

Since the isolated f-pawn weakness is not going away
A logical move is 17. ... Raf8
Yes, the queen is unprotected but she is also short of squares.
 

Arctic7

You know you can run Stockfish computer analysis on your games, right? If you go to your Rapid, Blitz, or Bullet games and click on the total played, then on a game. To the left of the move forward, move backward buttons, there's a sign/button for the computer analysis. Click it and you'll get Stockfish to recommend moves for you. 

 

I did it with your game vs bpk102, and you were eg. 7,xx ahead if you had moved Qh6 (your best move) in move 25.

 

With 25. Qh6 you most importantly pin his queen!, double up in the h-file etc. Just ignore his Nxe7+ attack. Exchanging queens in this kind of situation is a good idea, and you pin his queen with 25. Qh6, and he doesn't have time to get out of it. He would have to move his king first.

 

AIM-AceMove

I will use this thread and hopefully some high rated player (~2000 blitz) could explain what he would do without comp analys...

Problem is i often overpress my opponent when i have obvious advantage but is not that great and it requiares a technique that i lack.. but how to do it.. what to play in this position.. Thing is white is like joking.. look terrible weak pawns, 2 bad knights and exposed king, HOW DID  I NOT MANAGED TO WIN AND INSTEAD  I LOST OMG ....



Sqod

AIM-AceMove,

In case you're interested in my opinion, it looks to me like White's king is very well protected, so 1...Qh3 ultimately doesn't do anything except get your queen into a crowded corner, out of play, and out of touch with the rest of the board. White's king's pawn cover also looks pretty solid, with no holes, so I don't see that your knights have any potential outposts on the kingside. The only slight weakness is the g3-pawn, but as you saw, White can protect that with knight and king, so that pawn is not a good target, either. Your queen also has no good invasion threats on the e-file that I can see. So basically there's nothing you can do of value on the kingside (that I can see).

That suggests targeting the queenside. ...c4 would drive off White's queen to where it might become misplaced to give your queen better access on the e-file, it would expand your space on the queenside, especially if followed by ...b5 and ...a5, and would deny White's queenside knight access to the b3-square for a while, though you'd have to keep an eye on your backward d5-pawn. It's just an idea, and it's more than I would be able to figure out in one minute, at least without more experience.

CHESSISFORTHEDOGS
[COMMENT DELETED]
AIM-AceMove
Sqod wrote:

AIM-AceMove,

In case you're interested in my opinion, it looks to me like White's king is very well protected, so 1...Qh3 ultimately doesn't do anything except get your queen into a crowded corner, out of play, and out of touch with the rest of the board. White's king's pawn cover also looks pretty solid, with no holes, so I don't see that your knights have any potential outposts on the kingside. The only slight weakness is the g3-pawn, but as you saw, White can protect that with knight and king, so that pawn is not a good target, either. Your queen also has no good invasion threats on the e-file that I can see. So basically there's nothing you can do of value on the kingside (that I can see).

That suggests targeting the queenside. ...c4 would drive off White's queen to where it might become misplaced to give your queen better access on the e-file, it would expand your space on the queenside, especially if followed by ...b5 and ...a5, and would deny White's queenside knight access to the b3-square for a while, though you'd have to keep an eye on your backward d5-pawn. It's just an idea, and it's more than I would be able to figure out in one minute, at least without more experience.

Lots of thanks my friend. You are right, my queen got stuck... and i had nothing there. Thing is i don't believe in positional chess if you are below 2 000. Maybe some players have talent about it and are very strong but still 1600 lets say, because they lack other aspects... but i think most importhant thing is to win and the easiest and fastest way is just to attack the king. Your opponent will make a blunder faster than if it was queen side positional game. And look, as you mentioned his g3 and f3 pawns are weak but somehow everything was protected by miracle.

I havent check with comp yet , really want some master or something to tell me i am wrong or i am right about the kingside in this position.. looks so weak to me.. My king better, My knights are togheter, his are seperate (but somehow cordinated wtf?) My queen is on open file and ready to attack, my pawns are better at kingside and even at queen side...DAMN i hate when i lose like that...  I have no problem dropping for free piece even after 50+ moves battle, but is extremely painful to lose like i did this game.

White players just ... fck waited.. waited like he was old wise man, waiting his opponent to make blunder ... and that exactly what happened.. so i had to move my king left and right just to wait him and do nothing.. I just simply can't do that :/.. i want energy, i want fight, i want attack...