Another Club Game

Played against one of my regular club members in Toronto:

This game looks very odd, wich makes me hard to believe that your opponent was really rated 1820. Also I can't believe your rating is 1550.

move 10:

Easy to win a piece there. Nxd5.

It's weird because later on the piece is getting captured anyway, by bad play of your opponent.

On to move 19:

f6!!! It would have equalized the game because if you pull away the knight then Qh6 (the quiet move) gives checkmate next move. I find it hard to believe that a 1800 player didn't find this.

19...Rh8??

You say it's the best defence there is. I say the best defence is simply f6 and g5 on the next move.

20...Ng8. What's wrong with this move. The kings house is getting an extra piece to defend. he can play rf3 anyway no matter where you put the knight. At this point you were seeing ghosts.

Then on move 29 you had failed to see the mate in 1. Qh3# wich right away gives me my conclusion: You are not a 1500 player.

Nevertheless, you played okay! Understand that I'm trying to help you and not burning you down. Goodluck in the rest of your games.

good play from black

Excuse me, but I'm not a liar. I most certainly am rated 1500, and my opponent was 1800. Just because some better mves were missed in a game, doesn't mean that the players are bad. I understand that the game is far from perfect.

By the way, the time controls were 15 mins., so we didn't have all the time in the world to think of our moves. But saying that just because I missed a mate and checkmated in another way soon afterwards makes me a liar, is not right at all. I understand that you are trying to help me, but saying that I am not 1500 after I have posted that I am is accusing me of lying. That's an ELO rating, not on-line.

Your opponent is either not 1800, or I have been grossly misled about the skill required to maintain an 1800 elo rating.