Around 1700 rating, I face a lot of king’s gambit opening (1.e4 e5 2.f4). I haven’t set time to study this opening, so when I face it, I just wing it, without really understand its goal and so I found myself many times with a lack of space and underdeveloped, struggling to find counterplay.
Game
Master’s games top response to 3.Nf3 from chess.com
and from Wikipedia: Joe Gallagher writes that 3.Nf3 Nc6 “has never really caught on, probably because it does nothing to address Black’s immediate problems.”
Points to take 1. Better understanding and a new response to king’s gambit is required. (This post helped me with that) 2. Make exchanges wisely, piece activity and positional aspects are sometimes more important then winning an exchange.
Opening 1. When looking at computer analysis and players’ history, 5. ..Qf6 is the most common move, so I will move to that. This adds pressure d4 and prevents tempo if Nxc3. Also, the queen can go to g6 and after white’s kingside castle, d5 followed by Bh3 attack on g2. See the optional flow above. 2. 7. ..Nf6 is just a waste of time since 8. e5 will force the knight back.
Middle game 1. 20. .. Kf8 is a big mistake that happened because of a lack of calculations. I am already a big time difference here, so it got an effect on me. 2. After 25. Qg7, I missed a free pawn Bxd5 3. And after 41. Kf3, I missed Rxh1 when I only had 20 seconds left vs 1:51 for my opponent. The decision took 1 second. Eventually, I lost because of “time blunders”
Points to take 1. Improve my calculation, even on time pressure 2. A better way to play the scotch.
From now on, instead of using the chess.com engine, I will work with stockfish, komodo, and deep fritz inside ChessBase. This will be more accurate and allow better analysis.
Opening 1. Whenever white plays 4.Nc3 after 3.Bc4 it allows 4.. Nxb4 and after usually 5. Nxe4 d5 and a fork, so good for me. The correct flow from white should be 6.Bd3 dxe4 7. Bxe4 and position is equal computer wise. However, I like it since it improves the black’s center and gains tempo, and it’s what my coach says :). Here white made a mistake. 2. 7. .. Ke8 is a problem according to all engines. I think that it keeps the king in the center and allows future pinning by Qe2. 3. 9. ..e4 and 10 .. dxe4 were a big mistake, where I missed 11. Nxe4.
Middle game 1. 17. ..Qf6 and 18. ..Qd8 were both blunders. Nc7 just waiting to happen. 2. On 30. Bb2 I missed tactics of 30. .. Qd2. If 31. Qxd2 Rxd2 and threat on mate in Rd1 with bishop hanging on b2 and black is winning. I can relate this mistake to time pressure. I had 1:20 vs 5:24 for my opponent and I made the move in 7.5 seconds. 3. On 32. .. Qh6 white missed 33. Re7
Endgame Eventually, I was under time pressure and my opponent wasn’t so I did many more mistakes and lost on time, even though I would have lost anyway.
Points to take 1. Remember Kf8 at the opening to avoid pinning, 2. Better calculations to maintain an advantage 3. Tactics and calculations need much more improvement, especially on time pressure.
Mistakes 1. 14. Nb5. In this phase, there is a threat fxe4 with fork losing a piece. I am offering to sac a knight and then mate in 3 (Qa3+, Qa7+, Qa3#). I didnt calculate what happens if my opponent will not take the byte, which obviously happend. 2. After that, I had another miss calculation hoping cxd6 followed by Qb6 (which happened), but I missed Nc8 to disolve the attack.
Points to take 1. Try to evaluate objectively as possible and dont rely on opponent to make mistakes. 2. Improve my calculations
Opening 1. Didnt need to wait to 11.d4, 10.d4 would have been ok as well, since I have bishop on c2. This was an auto-play that usually protects e4 pawn.
Middle game 1. 17. dxc6 is a mistake. No need to allow Nxc6 with a tempo. Instead I should have waited to cxd5, exd5. 2. 28.Nxe7+ is a BIG mistake and Im losing advantage I had from 26.. Nd4 mistake. My though was that I need to have check in order to prevent 28.. Nxd1 but I missed that I can threat the queen and gain the same tempo. So I missed taking higher ranked piece. 3. At the end, 35. Qc5 was a blunder. I didnt calculate the exchange and the fact that there will be no pawn of f2 for easy promotion by black.
Points to take 1. Need to improve my calculations and visualisation. 2. Timing: Second mistakehappened after 5 seconds, so no calculations whatsoever and third mistake happened after 30 seconds which were misused.
