Monday, June 24, 2013

Did I Play Well Here Or Did My Opponent Blunder?

It's not a rhetorical question, I don't know. I played White:

1. e4 e5 2. ♘f3 ♘c6 3. ♗b5 ♘ge7 4. d4 exd4 5. ♘xd4 ♘e5 6. O-O c6 7. ♗a4 d6 8. ♘f5 g6 9. ♘xd6 check 1-0 {Black resigns}

This was all very familiar to me until Black's 5th move, ...♘e5. 8. ... ♗7 instead of ...g6 could've headed off disaster for Black, at least temporarily, although it gives him a rather cramped position. I assume that after 9. ♘xd6 check Black assumed, correctly, that after 9. ...♔d7 (Black's only move) I intended to play 10. ♘xb7 check and 11. ♘x♕, and reasonably retired rather than play down a Queen for a Knight 11 moves in. Black was rated over 200 points higher than I, and that's what makes me wonder whether 5. ...♘e5 is more than just an uncharacteristic bad idea. So mark it 5. ...♘e5?! for me for now, pending further study.

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