1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. c4 Nf6; 4. e5 Ng4; 5. Qe2 Qc7; 6. Nd4

6. ... Ngxe5

I'll give it a shot. Or you could just teach me. :)

You mean school you? :-) j/k

The e pawn has fallen and your knight is getting chased. No real biggie. Now just develop around it. Try to use the open e file as a strength if you can. Positive thinking...you have an open file to get your rooks into the game. I don't. Right now you're not playing a pawn down, you're playing a rook up.

Not exactly true, but that's how you have to think about it, and you have to do everything in your power to either make it happen or create a different imbalance that works in your favor.

I don't wanna say too much...just let you play. I'll try reserving comments until after the game, and will call it like I see it afterward.

Chris

Ngxe5 I'm sure the g tells me this somehow, but which Knight did you just move?

Thanks,
Clones

As I study it a bit more...the Knight on the g file is the one that moved???

Clones

As I study it a bit more...the Knight on the g file is the one that moved???

Furthermore if the g does mean Knight in the g file, how does the notation look if you have two Knights in the g file who can both move to the same position? Kg3f5 for instance?

Thanks for the schooling,
Clones

As I study it a bit more...the Knight on the g file is the one that moved???

Yes. If I moved the other one it would be Ncxe5

Furthermore if the g does mean Knight in the g file, how does the notation look if you have two Knights in the g file who can both move to the same position? Kg3f5 for instance?

You only use the number, and note that it's N, not K (which I'm sure was just a typo)...

If there were a knight on g4 and one on g6, then you use the numbers. If I wanted to move the one on g4 to move to e5, the notation would be N4e5. But if the N on g4 wanted to move to e3, it would just be Ne3 because the N on g6 can't move to e3. Got it?

I was confused with this notation at first too, until I realized you think of it like this:
N4e5
"The kNight on 4 moves to e5."

Hope that clarifies...

Chris

1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. c4 Nf6; 4. e5 Ng4; 5. Qe2 Qc7; 6. Nd4 Ngxe5;

7. Nxc6

1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. c4 Nf6; 4. e5 Ng4; 5. Qe2 Qc7; 6. Nd4 Ngxe5; 7. Nxc6

Good move.

7. ... bxc6

That's about as good as you could have hoped to come out with I think. Kind of ironic that it comes just as I started the discussion on doubled pawns, and now I have some on the c file myself, eh? So you've got doubled black pawns to work with as your first notable imbalance. :-)

Nice work coming out of that with as little damage as possible and creating your own imbalance to work with...

Chris

Thanks!

1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. c4 Nf6; 4. e5 Ng4; 5. Qe2 Qc7; 6. Nd4 Ngxe5; 7. Nxc6 bxc6;

8. Nc3

I saw your doubled pawn post when I was making my move. I thought we'd have chance to play it. :)

Clones

1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. c4 Nf6; 4. e5 Ng4; 5. Qe2 Qc7; 6. Nd4 Ngxe5; 7. Nxc6 bxc6; 8. Nc3

8. ... e6

Thought about d5, but that does nothing but give my material back and give your knight some nice activity... Still not sure if I can/will do it to attack your c pawn...it puts a big fat bullseye on my c6 pawn...

I feel very closed in this position. Gotta get out of it...

- C -

I hate closed positions unless I have the most room to maneuver. I'd rather open it up and fight, even if I get my block knocked off.

1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. c4 Nf6; 4. e5 Ng4; 5. Qe2 Qc7; 6. Nd4 Ngxe5; 7. Nxc6 bxc6; 8. Nc3 e6;

9. f4

Thanks for the running comments. This will help me lots in the long run.

Clones

1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. c4 Nf6; 4. e5 Ng4; 5. Qe2 Qc7; 6. Nd4 Ngxe5; 7. Nxc6 bxc6; 8. Nc3 e6; 9. f4

9. ... Ng6

Maybe what I'll do for comments is tell you why I don't make a move more than comment on your side of the game in general. That way you can still get some good insights, but I'm not cheating for you...

Glad I didn't play 8. ... g6? as originally planned! I woulda missed an f4 advance winning my knight! Those are the types of mistakes I commonly make...

Difference now is that your f pawn is under a lot of pressure. It looks to me like you're trying to establish lots of space, so my game may quickly turn into one where I try to overextend you to make it impossible to defend all your pieces...

Course that requires my playing in a closed position, and I'm like rinjr, I hate that...

Chris

1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. c4 Nf6; 4. e5 Ng4; 5. Qe2 Qc7; 6. Nd4 Ngxe5; 7. Nxc6 bxc6; 8. Nc3 e6; 9. f4 Ng6;

10 Qf3

1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. c4 Nf6; 4. e5 Ng4; 5. Qe2 Qc7; 6. Nd4 Ngxe5; 7. Nxc6 bxc6; 8. Nc3 e6; 9. f4 Ng6; 10. Qf3

10. ... Bd6

Also thinking about 10. ... d5; we'll see how this works out.

- C -

I'm glad you made that move. I had your d pawn moved instead of your e from move 8. I'd hate to lose from my poor notation reading instead of your superior skill. :) This makes things look a bit different. LOL

Clones

1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. c4 Nf6; 4. e5 Ng4; 5. Qe2 Qc7; 6. Nd4 Ngxe5; 7. Nxc6 bxc6; 8. Nc3 e6; 9. f4 Ng6; 10. Qf3 Bd6

11. g3

Clones

1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. c4 Nf6; 4. e5 Ng4; 5. Qe2 Qc7; 6. Nd4 Ngxe5; 7. Nxc6 bxc6; 8. Nc3 e6; 9. f4 Ng6; 10. Qf3 Bd6; 11. g3

11. ... 0-0

- C -

1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. c4 Nf6; 4. e5 Ng4; 5. Qe2 Qc7; 6. Nd4 Ngxe5; 7. Nxc6 bxc6; 8. Nc3 e6; 9. f4 Ng6; 10. Qf3 Bd6; 11. g3 0-0

12. Ne4

1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. c4 Nf6; 4. e5? Ng4; 5. Qe2 Qc7; 6. Nd4 Ngxe5; 7. Nxc6 bxc6; 8. Nc3 e6; 9. f4 Ng6; 10. Qf3 Bd6; 11. g3 0-0; 12. Ne4

12. ... Ba6

Thought about 12. ... e5, but that looks like a losing proposition after 13. Nxd6 Qxd6 14. f5 because then you chase my knight, forcing him to retreat, and with my queen in front of my d pawn you have a free move to try to turn my d pawn or my e pawn into a glaring weakness, and with your queen out I'm not willing to bet that you couldn't do it.

As it is, I'll take your bet that I can't turn my knight into a more powerful piece than your bishop! So far my edge in material hasn't helped, but hopefully it won't take too much longer. We'll see...you've played exceptionally well since your 4. e5? move!

Chris

1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. c4 Nf6; 4. e5? Ng4; 5. Qe2 Qc7; 6. Nd4 Ngxe5; 7. Nxc6 bxc6; 8. Nc3 e6; 9. f4 Ng6; 10. Qf3 Bd6; 11. g3 0-0; 12. Ne4 Ba6

13. Nxd6

you've played exceptionally well since your 4. e5? move!

Thank you! I told you before that move, that that was one part of the game I really have trouble with. The beginning game, getting opened up.

Clones

1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. c4 Nf6; 4. e5? Ng4; 5. Qe2 Qc7; 6. Nd4 Ngxe5; 7. Nxc6 bxc6; 8. Nc3 e6; 9. f4 Ng6; 10. Qf3 Bd6; 11. g3 0-0; 12. Ne4 Ba6; 13. Nxd6

13. ... Qxd6

1. e4 c5; 2. Nf3 Nc6; 3. c4 Nf6; 4. e5? Ng4; 5. Qe2 Qc7; 6. Nd4 Ngxe5; 7. Nxc6 bxc6; 8. Nc3 e6; 9. f4 Ng6; 10. Qf3 Bd6; 11. g3 0-0; 12. Ne4 Ba6; 13. Nxd6 Qxd6;

14. f5

Gad this is fun!
Clones