Chess log 2021-01-20

I decided to go back into chess. I haven't really played in years because most people I know are either *really good* at it, or complete newbies, none of which make for interesting partners. I also, for some misguided reason, was against playing humans over the internet, I felt some sort of anxiety for being in such competition. It wasn't until late December that I realized Elo scores are precisely meant to put me among people that are approximately as bad as I am, so it *should* make for more interesting games for me.

So I jumped in with both feet and have found myself slightly addicted to blitz chess (3 minutes per side, no time increments). This has given me both the excitement of a competitive game, but not enough time to worry over. Six minutes and it will all be done, is what I've been telling myself. And I've played terribly, but it has been fun, which is my ultimate goal.

So here's a more or less faithful reproduction of what went in my head as I played this game a few hours ago. Raw and annotated PGN files at the end. Feel free to comment.

  • Event: Rated Blitz game
  • Site: https://lichess.org/cm3AEUz4
  • Date: 2021.01.20
  • White: blckvultr728
  • Black: andycyca
  • Result: 0-1
  • UTCDate: 2021.01.20
  • UTCTime: 18:29:30
  • WhiteElo: 948
  • BlackElo: 793
  • WhiteRatingDiff: -26
  • BlackRatingDiff: +47
  • Variant: Standard
  • TimeControl: 180+0
  • ECO: C21
  • Opening: Danish Gambit
  • Termination: Normal

  1. e4 e5
  2. d4 exd4
  3. c3
r n b q k b n r
p p p p . p p p
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
. . . p P . . .
. . P . . . . .
P P . . . P P P
R N B Q K B N R

Why this? I was a bit baffled because this move didn't seem to be any real advantage to it, other than threatening my most advanced pawn. Postgame analysis says I should have taken the pawn on c, but I don't understand why. Moving on.

  1. ...Nf6
  2. Bd3 Bd6
  3. cxd4 O-O
  4. h4
r n b q . r k .
p p p p . p p p
. . . b . n . .
. . . . . . . .
. . . P P . . P
. . . B . . . .
P P . . . P P .
R N B Q K . N R

Again, what? I know that in the early game, control of the center is crucial and this gives nothing of substance. For the second time I suspected either there was something fishy or I was really above this person. More control!

  1. ...Nc6
  2. g4
r . b q . r k .
p p p p . p p p
. . n b . n . .
. . . . . . . .
. . . P P . P P
. . . B . . . .
P P . . . P . .
R N B Q K . N R

No, definitely just moving pieces around to see what sticks. Stockfish suggests I should have gone with a Bishop check, followed with a Knight block, maybe to pin it?

  1. ...Nxd4
  2. g5 Ng4
  3. Qxg4 Nc2+
r . b q . r k .
p p p p . p p p
. . . b . . . .
. . . . . . P .
. . . n P . n P
. . . B . . . .
P P . . . P . .
R N B Q K . N R

Yes, maybe I should have retreated the Knight, but it seemed safer and more threatening here. Of course it wasn't.

  1. Kd2 Nxa1
r . b q . r k .
p p p p . p p p
. . . b . . . .
. . . . . . P .
. . . . P . Q P
. . . B . . . .
P P n . . P . .
R N B . K . N R

I saw a fork and felt irresistibly attracted to it. Stockfish told me that a Bishop check would have been better, and the only reason this didn't backfired is because neither my opponent nor I saw the capture on c2.

  1. e5 Bb4+
  2. Nc3 d6
r . b q . r k .
p p p . . p p p
. . . p . . . .
. . . . P . P .
. b . . . . Q P
. . N B . . . .
P P . K . P . .
n . B . . . N R

At this point I genuinely believed he would go for the exchange.

  1. g6 Bxg4
r . . q . r k .
p p p . . p p p
. . . p . . P .
. . . . P . . .
. b . . . . b P
. . N B . . . .
P P . K . P . .
n . B . . . N R

He did not. I... what's the word? "Capitalized" on it.

  1. h5 dxe5
  2. gxh7+ Kh8
  3. Rh4 Qg5+
  4. Ke1
r . . . . r . k
p p p . . p p P
. . . . . . . .
. . . . p . . P
. b . . . . b q
. . N B . . . .
P P . . . P . .
n . B . . K N .

And now comes the part that I call "Andy doesn't know how to tie things up". Apparently, I could have forced a mate with 18...Qxc1#

  1. ... Qxh4
  2. Kf1 Rad8
  3. Bc2 Nxc2
  4. a3 Bc5
  5. Kg2 Rd3
  6. Nce2 Ne1+
  7. Kf1 Nf3
  8. Be3 Rd1+
  9. Kg2 Nxg1
  10. Nxg1 e4
  11. Bf4 Qxf2+
  12. Kh1 Qxg1#

0-1

. . . . . r . k p p p . . p p P . . . . . . . . . . b . . . . P . . . . p B b . P . . . . . . . . P . . . . . . . . . r . . q K
Raw PGN
[Event "Rated Blitz game"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/cm3AEUz4"]
[Date "2021.01.20"]
[White "blckvultr728"]
[Black "andycyca"]
[Result "0-1"]
[UTCDate "2021.01.20"]
[UTCTime "18:29:30"]
[WhiteElo "948"]
[BlackElo "793"]
[WhiteRatingDiff "-26"]
[BlackRatingDiff "+47"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[TimeControl "180+0"]
[ECO "C21"]
[Opening "Danish Gambit"]
[Termination "Normal"]

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 Nf6 4. Bd3 Bd6 5. cxd4 O-O 6. h4 Nc6 7. g4 Nxd4
8. g5 Ng4 9. Qxg4 Nc2+ 10. Kd2 Nxa1 11. e5 Bb4+ 12. Nc3 d6 13. g6 Bxg4
14. h5 dxe5 15. gxh7+ Kh8 16. Rh4 Qg5+ 17. Ke1 Qxh4 18. Kf1 Rad8
19. Bc2 Nxc2 20. a3 Bc5 21. Kg2 Rd3 22. Nce2 Ne1+ 23. Kf1 Nf3 24. Be3 Rd1+
25. Kg2 Nxg1 26. Nxg1 e4 27. Bf4 Qxf2+ 28. Kh1 Qxg1# 0-1