Finally player a tournament

So this is my best game from the tournament. The opponent was an 1800 USCF Junior so is probably anywhere form 100-200 points higher than that in actual playing strength.

Almost a model game for the course. Good opening prep. I am on my own after 13 ... Qb6. By this time white has a huge advantage. Black King caught in the enter.

Before playing 23 Bb4 I checked to see what defences Black might have and did not move until I had found a resource for the 23 ... Bd5 retort.

2 Extremely instructive games Thankyou

I am only in month two so i can be mistaken but although in the given line of game two black may have the more active pieces he still has to be carefull that white doesn't eat his queenside pawns up after 42. Rb1 Nf4 43. Kh1 Rxg2 44. Na7 or 42. Rb1 Rxb2 43. RxR NxR 44. Na7 because above all white is already a pawn up.

For game one, this is really a very instructive game, thanks for showing it to us.

Thanks for the analysis but if you look closer R+N working together do significant damage. Yes it requires concrete calculation, and remember after 43 ... Rxg2 is check. Black has really good winning chances. The active white knight and passive rook is not as effective and the combination of blacks rook and knight. After 44 Kh1 Rf2 45 Na7 Nh3+ white is in trouble.

Well in your variation 45. ... Nh3+ is wrong since it isn't check since the king is standing on h1. I guess i would be more afraid in that variation if the knight could stand on f3 since then Rh2 is mate.

Interesting discussion. What I see from this though is that we are beginning to analyse much more deeply than X is a pawn up or y has better pieces. Clearly analysis involves much more. I have spent over half an hour (analysing myself and then with fritz10) analysing the end position & would strongly recommend some time (maybe only 20 mins) for any of you doing the same. Even Fritz took a fair bit of time concluding which moves were best.

I won't waste it for you but there is no doubt who is winning (or is it a dead draw) when properly analysed.

Thanks fot the input. I feel that a discussion on a position can be very valuable for all who actively participate.

OK let me revisit this (I do this analysis without a board so please forgive any errors in calculation - I think it is good training)

My contention was I feel that my game move ... Ne6 failed to appreciate this power of the R+N cooperation versus the passive Rook e1 and isolated Nb5 (positional evaluation). So let us calculate:

42 Rb1 Nf4 43. Na7 Rxg2+ 44 Kh1 Rf2 45 Nxb5 Rxf3 intending Rxh3+ is one line (or maybe 45 ... Nxh3 with the idea of Ng5 and Nxf3). I could be wrong but either way I would say clear advantage to Black.

It seems to me that black pieces are more active and coordinated that White's. I would say that the positions that arise after 39 ...Qd2 are far better for Black than after 39 ... Ne6

So for me the lesson I think I taught myself still stands. I would argue that ... Ne6 is an error in chess thinking and that ... Qd2 is the product of a more cogent positional evaluation. Black is better after ... Nd3! even if he is going to a pawn down for a while. However if others think differently that is fine. It would be a boring world if we all thought the same way.