Where do I go wrong?

I know that I'm not a very good player. But I do believe that my openings are often pretty solid. Here is an example of a game I played against shredder set at a very high level. I feel like I was in good shape for a while, and then I just lose my way . . .

Playing from the positions that I created early on, what could I have done better? What should I be pursuing throughout the middle game? What major weaknesses do you see in my play and my thinking? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Ted

3.bg5 and 4.bxf6 are a favorite of mine as I don't fair very well against oposing knights.

10. At this point I really don't know what to do. I'm guessing that qd3 is iffy at best??

11.qb5 seems reasonable at this point?

15.nxd5 feels really good. Thoughts?

19.b4 is an effort to "gain space", is this the wrong way to think at this point?

21.At this point black has repositioned towrads the center. I've probably made a bunch of mistakes by now . . .

Again, any help, or comments would be very helpful.

Thanks!

Ted

21. a5? was your most significant error. Your operation started by 19. b4!, known as the minority attack, intended on playing b5 to undermine the c6-pawn and isolate it, after which you would have the better endgame due to the permanent weakness created by your minority attack. 21. a5 removed all possibility of concluding this plan and therefore left you with no play whatsoever.

Would you mid telling me a little something about a minority attack? That is a term/concept/tactic that I'm not familiar with. I'm really not well versed in any chess fundamentals and I'm really excited about having a place like this to learn.

Thanks!

Ted

Losing your way during the middle game is something only too familiar to me. But I guess the best thing to do if you are short of new ideas is to go to the basics and play safe till a new idea reveals it self or your opponent allows you some initiative to be taken!! Going on the offensive without a clear plan could be disasterous!!

Well that s what I think!!

bascially minority attack is you trade off the weak a and b pawns for theirs and then their pawn on the queen side is weak instead of yours that you can attack. and you can start to push the kingside majority.

Thank you eaglex.

Could I get someone to comment on:

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 4. Bxf6 exf6

It is far and away my favorite opening to play as white. And I'm wondering if it is really an opening that can be played at a decent level. While I don't need to concern myself with championship play, I'm wondering if that early bishop for knight trade is something that can work for white . . .

Thanks!

Ted

Such a trade tends to be more effective if Black has played ...c5, since then there is a hole on d5. In any case, Black will have no problems if they take back with the bishop.

Thank you for the response. But would mind trying to explain what you wrote? I'm new to some of the chess short-hand and I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean my opening would work better if black played c5 as his/her 1st move? If so how does that move by black create a hole on d5? 

Thanks!

Ted 

hello Krames

 your problem started from step 25 if u are black

did u  use analyze tool before making this move ?

your opp... must have i think tjats your problem if not

If you don't understand the strategem, you just might be better off with something simple e.g. the Torre Attack. To answer your question, a hole on d5 would be created since Black's e-pawn that has been pulled to f6 could no longer go to e6, and a pawn on c5 would be unable to return to c6. Assuming that Black's pawn would still be on d7 or d6, one could say that Black would have a hole on d5.

In addition to what tonydal said, 25.Nb3 is a tactical error, allowing black to do...Well, exactly what he did.

Almost any other normal move keeps you in the game, even if the position is inferior.

Up until move 3 that's a Torre attack you were playing. An opening I play for the moment almost exclusively as White and one I have studied reasonably thoroughly. Your move 4.Bxf6? is an incorrect choice. Remember that in general and especially in the opening a Bishop for Knight trade is only to be recommended if you are getting some other additional gain as compensation, e.g. a gain of tempo, or in this case a weakening of his pawn structure. You managed to accomplish that in this case, but only because Black made the inferior decision to take with the pawn. However in such a Torre line as this one: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bg5 g6?! the trade is in fact the correct way to gain a comfortable advantage 4.Bxf6 exf6 5.e3 Bg7 6.c4 dxc4 (6.c3 and the d5 pawn will be too weak) 7.Bxc4 and White is much better mainly due to his uncontested central pawns and Black's passive Bishop on g7. White can soon develop and expand his play on the Queen-Side, while Black has no apparent active plan.. In the line after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bg5 Bg7 the best move is in fact 4.Nbd2 where White maintains his Bishop on g5 putting pressure on Black's Knight and is trying to induce Black to push d5 or else White will play e4 next move. 4.Nc3 would have been far inferior due to fact that in Queen's Pawn games White will often want to keep the option of pushing his c-pawn at some point..

Hello Krames,

You can get yourself really bogged down when you're a novice players and asking for advise from chess experts.  At "our" level, try studying the opening(s) that you come up against most as well as the ones you like to play.  For instances, I like the Kings Gambit, so I studied about three or four of the lines as white and the same for black to counter.  The most popular counter against the Kings Gambit (denied) is the Faulkbeer Counter-Gambit, so I studied that too.  Soon,  You'll start to recognize patterns and begin to understand the motive(s) behind them.  Minority, majority, a5 over b6 and all that other stuff IS important, but you can get discouraged if you need to get exponential explanations.  Once you get the hang of that, then you can try moving into some of the tactics these guys are talking about.  Good Luck!

Sounds like GREAT advice. Thank you!

-Ted