Terrific game

Here's a great game that I think I did rather well in.  My opponent played very well too.  He stayed in it longer than I expected.

I played as white.  I won.

Hey for your level that was a really good job.  I've played some 1000 rateds so I have a frame of reference a few pointers though (I don't play d4 or the English, but just some "general tips")

3.  e4?  Is this a Book line in the English opening?  It seems odd as it weakens your d4 square really early... but I don't know. playing 1. c4 is a very positional opening, but you attack!  Try opening with 1.e4 instead and learning a few openings and stick with them for a while.

5. f3??  I think blocking the bishop with Nf3 would have been good.  I know it pins a piece but it's developing pieces... and if he wants to give away his good bishop for your knight, that's fine.. he gave away one of his developed pieces  to develop your queen(once you take it back.

6. g4 is suicide.  It worked out in this game, but be very very weary about playing g4 because it opens up a vulnerable diagonal to your king when he is uncastled.

13. Ke2 was really good!  I'm impressed that you knew not to give away your good knight for his terrible bishop... he wanted to trade!

I don't usually do well when I open with e4.  c4 on the other hand, I play much better games with it.

I knew that my d4 square would be a problem and I tried to fix it as best I could.  I didn't panic when he attacked with that knight and the bishops.  I think that's why I came out of that mess as well as I did.

One more thing, I think the worst thing he could have done was trade queens.  Now he has no diagonal attack whatsoever and his knight is kept in check by my pawns.

Don't shy away from it because you get bad results... that could be a matter of who you are playing.  It's solid because positions from e4 e5 games are good for learning basic tactics and stuff.  But, it's up to you.

Don't get me wrong, I've had some good success with e4, but I just can't seem to do good continuations.  I'm still looking into it though.

Also, I've recently been studying the Dutch Defense as black against d4.  I didn't know it very well to begin with and when I used it I got destroyed, but now that I understand it more, it really looks like a formidable defense.  Yes, it does weaken the kingside, but from the position it shows, white has an uphill struggle to make something of it.

See it's weird because the English 1. c4 and the Dutch 1... f5 would appear similar but they are two TOTALLY different openings.  The Dutch is very dynamic and the English is a very slow and positional opening.  The Dutch is a really good long term weapon (I play it).

I see you looked at that game where I severely punished the guy for developing his queen early.  I was impressed with myself for seeing those later moves.  Especially the second queen and knight fork with the rook.

I play my dad sometimes at chess.  He's good at it.  He taught me not to always rely on the queen to fix situations and he also taught me not to be afraid to exchange pieces.  I played very conservatively when I start playing (which was about 7 months ago) and now I make calculated captures and sacrifices, like I did with my rook this game.  I knew that if he took that rook, it would be over for him.

You've heard of the poisoned pawn?  That was the poisoned rook! :)