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1. e4
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One of my favorite games on this site since I rejoined in August 2022, principally because of the rook sacrifice toward the end of the game.
I almost always open 1. e4 but this was a themed mini-tournament so the first two moves by white (and first move by black) were set. |

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1... e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Bg5 Bxc3
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I didn’t mind having doubled pawns after this recapture because it gave me some control over the d4 square. |
1 comment
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8. bxc3
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The doubled pawns… |
2 comments
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8... Be6 9. d4
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Initiating a break in the center that would undouble my pawns |

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9... h6
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This imo is a blunder by my opponent because it allows a pawn fork |
1 comment
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10. Bxf6 Qxf6 11. d5
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The fork… |

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11... a6
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Challenging my bishop and trying to avoid loss of material |

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12. Bd3
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Retreating my bishop to a square where it’s free from a further immediate challenge and where it supports my e4 pawn.
This bishop will be little more than a big pawn for much of the game, but it plays a key role late in the game when it delivers a discovered check on the black king. This bishop also delivers checkmate. |

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12... Bd7
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Makes sense. Bishops are generally slightly more valuable than knights. |
1 comment
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13. dxc6 Bxc6
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Glad my bishop is on square d3 to support my e4 pawn! |

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14. Re1
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Lending further support to my e4 pawn and getting one of my rooks into the game |
1 comment
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14... b6
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Not sure why my opponent made this move |
1 comment
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15. h3
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Giving my king the ability to escape a back rank mate, but my main reason for playing this move was to redirect my knight to square g4 (via square h2) to challenge the black queen |
1 comment
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15... a5
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Not sure why my opponent played this move. Seems like a waiting move. |
1 comment
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16. Nh2
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The first step in my plan to place my knight on square g4 to challenge the black queen |

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16... Qg6
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Seems like my opponent recognized my plan but I thought he was also planning a counterattack on my center with …f5 |

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17. Qg4
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Since I’m up the equivalent of two pawns, I thought trading queens was a good idea. Plus, I didn’t like the black queen directly opposite my king on the g file |

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17... Qf6
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He declines the queen trade, which didn’t surprise me as a general rule is not to trade material when behind in material |
1 comment
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18. c4
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Trying to prevent …d5 by my opponent, but this move turns my bishop into a big pawn |
1 comment
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18... a4
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Possibly trying to activate the queen’s rook via square a5 |
2 comments
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