Many days since posting to this blog... I was wondering why I ever started playing the CaroKahn? I'm sure it was the vast diversity of openings you can face after e4 e5 and really 2. f4. Also I have some hatred of the french and I don't know why. I'm drawn back to look at e5 after returning to chess.

Me vs chessmaster Thorian (1183)

I played this game at G30 time control. My goal is to get used to playing that speed so when I go to play in a G30 quad I will be ready for it.

Here are my notes...

Personal Grade: B-

I thought I was still reacting to phantom threats but I didn't blunder and I considered what my opponent could do to me each move. I rushed a but after I got up because I was worried about running out of time and just took "good enough" moves and tried to keep it simple.

Overall I didn't like my position early in the game I felt cramped. That being said I pounced on the g4 move when it was presented and did a decent job of limiting my opponent's counterplay.

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1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 g6 4. Nf3 Not sure what is book... (ok this is book) 4...  Nb4 this has to be a mistake... I recognize the idea... I get tied to that c2 pawn and kicking the knight is difficult after Qa5 so maybe the correct idea is to just play an earlier... d3 and escape my bishop... or play b3 now and fianchetto the bishop... I think I am troubled with where to put the white bishop... as well... of course I want it on c4... but... it will just get kicked with a6 and b5 5. Be2 ( 5. a3 and althought I recognize the issue... tactics work out in my favor... moves not best for black but the idea is illustrated 5... Qa5 6. Bc4 a6 7. d4 b5 8. Be2 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Bg7 10. Nb3 +- ) 5...  Bg7 6. O-O Nh6 7. e5!? ( 7. d4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 ) 7...  Qb6 8. Kh1 Nf5 9. a3 Qa5 10. Ne4 d5 11. exd6 exd6 12. g4 perhaps a loosening move... but the tactics looked good for me... and I figured if the pawn made it to d5 I was in big trouble... 12...  Qb6 ( 12... Nh6 13. Nxd6+ And despite my g pawn hanging... his king either needs to step into the middle or box in his rook.perhaps even trading the knight for the light sqare bishop wouldn't be a bad idea either. ) ( 12... Ne7 13. Nxd6+ ) ( 12... Nd4 13. Nxd4 this was my idea.. but Nxd6 right away looks to be better according to fritz... and c3 is suppose to be event better ( 13. c3!! An amazing move that 1 if I would have seen the possibility it would have taken me at least 10 minutes to calculate far enough to see it was ok.. and then longer to decide if it was better than say Nxd6 13... Nbc2 14. Nxd6+ Kf8 15. cxd4 Nxa1 16. Ne5 cxd4 17. Ndxf7 Be6 18. Nxh8 Bxh8 19. b4 ) 13... cxd4 14. Nxd6+ Kf8 15. d3 ) 13. gxf5 Bxf5 14. Nxd6+ ( 14. axb4 Bxe4 seams to be more restrictive and allow white to maintain that ugly pin on my knight... but perhaps this was better. 15. d3 Bxf3+ 16. Bxf3 ) ( 14. Ng3 I didn't consider this at all because I was so worried about Bxc3... hmmm... phantom threats... didn't even look to see if that was good for me. I think I was worried about getting into time pressure and since I was already a knight up... 14... Bxc2?! 15. Qe1 ) 14...  Qxd6 15. axb4 O-O 16. Ne5 ( 16. bxc5 ) 16...  Bxe5 17. fxe5 Qd5+ 18. Bf3 Qxe5 19. Re1 Qf6 20. d3 Also was considering Bxb7 as I had to get it off the f-file ( 20. bxc5? Bxc2 21. Qxc2 Qxf3+ = ) 20...  cxb4 21. Bd2 Rae8 22. Bxb4 Bd7 ( 22... Qxb2 I had Rb1 in mind here... ) 23. Bg2 ( I saw this during the game 23. Bxf8 Rxe1+ 24. Qxe1 Qxf3+ = ) 23...  Rxe1+ 24. Qxe1 Bc6 ( 24... Re8 this is what I was expecting. 25. Qc3 ) 25. Bxf8 Kxf8 26. Bxc6 Qxc6+ 27. Kg1 Qc5+ 28. Qf2 Qg5+ 29. Kf1 Qd5 30. Rxa7 Kg7 31. Ra4 Qh1+ 32. Ke2 Qc6 33. Qd4+ f6 34. Rc4 Qg2+ 35. Qf2 Qd5 36. Rc7+ Kg8 37. Qxf6 Qg2+ 38. Qf2 Qg4+ 39. Ke1 Qf5 40. Qxf5 3:15 left on my clock 40...  gxf5 41. Rxb7 h6 42. Re7 Kf8 43. Re5 f4 44. b4 Kg7 45. b5 f3 46. b6 Kf6 47. d4 Kg7 48. b7 f2+ 49. Kxf2 h5 50. b8=Q h4 51. Qb6 Kf7 52. Ra5 Kf8 53. Ra7 h3 54. Qd8# 1-0

2. f4 Caro Kahn

I took a 8-9 month break from chess. I wish I had not done that as almost all my opening knowledge is gone. I played this game on fics (unrated) the other day and well...

After playing this game and vaguely remembering how to deal with f4 I decided to look this up.

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1. e4 c6 2. f4 d5 3. e5 h5 4. Nf3 Bf5 5. d4 e6 6. Bd3 Bxd3 7. Qxd3 Qb6 8. f5 Nd7 9. fxe6 fxe6 10. Qg6+ Kd8 11. Ng5 Kc7 12. Nxe6+ *

I should for more information on this line check out this article http://www.jeremysilman.com/chess_letters/040306_2f4_caro_plus_colle.html