Pirc Defense. Black follows up with ...g6 and ...Bg7 reaching a King's Indian like position.

Very flexible line, but Black has to take care he doesn't get squashed. Very much a weapon for counter-punching types of player.

Given the option to take the lion's share of the centre, one might as well take it. Black won't be unhappy about that, though. His plan is to undermine the big centre White establishes. So already the nature of the strategic struggle is being established.

Yes. Alternatives are 4.Bc4, 4.Nf3, and 4.f4.

id=jkarp is thinking of the development principles he has absorbed, and he's not altogether wrong about this. But 4.f4 (Austrian Attack) is quite a playable and aggressive line. With this pawn thrust White hopes to take advantage of Black's non-committal opening play to grab as much of the centre as he can, at the same time preparing an attack in the centre or K-side. As for this Bishop move, well... I'm inclined to think it might be a bit too committal. Probably the most circumspect move is the temporising mobilization 4.Nf3.

No. I don't see any reason for giving black the bishop pair advantage. This also puts your opponent's bishop in a good position.

Here's a thing about captures of this type: you should make up your mind as you play the bishop to the 5th rank what your response will be if the bishop gets hit by a rook's pawn thrust. I looked up this line in the GK World Database, and in the only (similar) example extant, played by a Master level player (2300+ ELO), White played this same capture. As here, White continued d5 after the bishop recaptured at c6. It is a time gainer, but whether White derives much advantage thereby must be a judgement call. I have my doubts, but more than likely it were better not to play the bishop all the way out to b5 after all.

This is the best move. e4 was threatened and the alternatives were worse. Remember that development principles are secondary to safety.

I have to differ from Joe at this point. This advance is clearly indicated by the pressure on e4, and in any case, that Black has to do something about his bishop gains a bit of time for White. Further, it is in White's interest that the centre be closed, adding value to his knights at the expense of Black's bishops.

Yes, but Black has retains a great deal of potential to improve his position. Whilst Black catches up, White should probably be thinking about what sort of plan he wants to adopt, and where to place the undeveloped pieces. I rate the game as close to even, here, and would be as happy playing Black as White.

The issue is not the queen; it is that this move jams the kingside and delays development.

I am supposing Black intends to fianchetto his king's bishop, or else he want's to castle Q-side. Black might have tried 8...g6, followed by ...Bg7, but maybe was a bit chary about White's playing 9.Bg5 is response. A good alternative, if rather restrained, was to play 8...Be2, with an 'Old Indian' type of position.

The generalization "castling Q side isn't as good as K side" is faulty. Positions where queenside castling is better are not rare. Just look at many Sicilian lines.

This doesn't go all that well with previous move, though the idea is OK enough - thematic even. An alternative idea was give White something to think about by 9...Ng4. If White then moves the bishop away, Black might then consider 10...f5. A possible line runs 9...Ng4!? 10.Bg5 f6 11.Bd2 f5 12.exf5 Bxf5 13.Bg5 Qf7 and Black looks reasonably well set up for K-side operations. A third option is to carry out what the previous move prepared: 9...0-0-0.

...h6 would not weaken the kingside.

Yes: pretty harmless as pins go. 10.dxc6 e.p. was also worth a look though Black would have established a central majority after 10...bxc6 (better in my view than ...Bxc6).

But this pin is of even less inconvenience to White than its counterpart. 10...h6 was straightforward enough for Black.

Calling his bluff. Black should probably play 11...Bd7, here, having induced the h-pawn forward and created a target for Black on the K-side. But a good alternative for White was simply to break the pin by 11.Qd3.

But the Queen recapture is a no-brainer, and suddenly the pin upon f6 becomes a bit more serious. Probably Black should immediately play ...h6 and, if Bh5, ...g5. White is fairly likely, though to go for the exchange: 12...h6 13.Bxf6 {Qxf6 14.Qxf6} gxf6. In the resulting 'almost-end-game' White's knight is likely to be the handier piece than Black's bishop.

Breaking the pin. But it will cost a pawn. 12...h6 was certainly called for here. Having said that, if he was going to duck with the queen, ...Qd7 looks slightly better...

No. Black must LOSE a pawn. Black has doubled pawns = 0.1 pawn advantage for you. Black loses a pawn = 1 pawn advantage for you. Keep in mind that losing a pawn is a safety issue, and doubling pawns is a pawn structure issue (much less important than safety). If you want to know more about doubled pawns, visit danheisman.home.comcast.net --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A note on the other comment: The structure is not the issue; SAFETY is the issue. Doubled pawns = 0.1 pawn advantage; loss of a pawn = 1 pawn difference. Would you rather be up 0.1 pawn or 1 pawn? The difference is NOT TINY. If you have a 1 pawn advantage you are winning. In contrast, white's advantage in the starting position is about 0.1 pawn. What is your choice? I would take the one pawn.

No. Not only is this the middlegame where the queen should be used, this move wins material (and that's all what usually matters).

Making a move without considering your opponent's replies can lead to disaster: what did you plan in response to 15...Qb6? ------------------------------------------------------------ Actually, 15...Qb6 isn't so good for you (unlike described in the above comment). If 16.a4, then ...a6 forces the knight to move, then b2 is en prise.----------------------------------If 15.Nb5 is bad if ...Qb6 is played but good if another move is played, then 15.Nb5 is bad. You should always assume your opponent will play the best move. Never play a bad move and hope your opponent will play a worse move.

"Cannot castle" is unimportant. It is a 'tiebreaker' consideration. This is a one move blunder. Saying that black loses his queen because of ...Bxf3 earlier in the game is WRONG. The truth is that black should play ...Qb6 instead, and you lose your pawn and your advantage.

Pity. Instead 15...Qb6!? would have been interesting: 16.c4 a6 17.Nc3 Qxb2 18.Rab1 Qxc3 19.Rxb7 Rg7 20.Rfb1 and White's attack looks worth more than the sacrificed knight. Probably 15...Qd7 was favorite.

Sometimes pawn pushing is brilliant; sometimes it is a blunder. Get a good book on pawn structures such as Seirawan's "Winning Chess Strategies."

An interesting game spoiled by a single moment's miscalculation.