My Favorite Game

Redhotpawn.com is an online correspondence chess site which I joined sometime last year. I've played many games since then...won some, drawn some, lost some. Here I share what I was thinking during the games. So, here's my first game. It's my favorite (what do you expect, I won). I'm playing white...


1. d4 d5 2. c4

Why did I like to play queen's gambit? Believe me, words are powerful. I had just read something about the opening where the author used emotionaly charged words that made an impression on me.

2 ...dxc4 3. e3 Ng8f6 4. Bf1xc4 Bc8f5 5. Qd1b3 e6 6. Ng1f3

I want to take the b7 pawn. But let me develop first. Probably my opponent was sacrificing the pawn for some kind of advantage. So, don't take it now.


6 ...Bf8d6 7. Qb3xb7

He's still hanging the pawn? I think I can take it and get away with it

7 ...Nb8d7 8. Qb7b3 O-O

Yep, I got away with it.

9. Nb1d2 I think I should just have castled here instead of playing this move.

9 ...Ra8b8

Time to pay for taking that pawn??

10. Qb3a4

Attack the a7 pawn. Remember these were things I was thinking I about. Qd1 would have saved me all this stress.

10 ...Rb8b7 Covering the pawn and preparing to double on the b-file. I know the concept of doubling on a file but...

11. a3 ...I don't feel comfortable around pins (they're sharp objects!).

11 ...Qd8b8 12. b4 Nf6e4 13. Qa4b3 a5 14. Nf3h4 axb4 15. Nh4xf5 exf5 16. Ra1b1

Please note that I'm an amateur player. I was happy to see queen and bishop attacking f7 more importantly I prayed that my opponent would make the mistake of taking the a3 pawn.

16 ...Rb7b6 Awww. Covering the rook. now the a3 pawn is hanging so...

17. a4 ...Move it away

17 ...c5 18. Nd2xe4 fxe4

19. a5

Is that a passed pawn?

19 ...Rb6b7 20. Bc4d5

Tactics! forking rook and pawn. Now I'm going to win a pawn

20 ...Rb7a7 Not. Exchange they say is no robbery

21. Bd5xe4 Ra7xa5 22. g3

I didn't feel safe with the bishop on e4 so I decided to fianchettoe

22 ...Qb8b6 23. O-O At last. At long last

23 ...Nd7f6 24. Be4d3 Honestly, I still don't remember why exactly I played this move.

24 ...Rf8a8 25. Bd3c4

I was almost sure my opponent longs for Ra3...oops! he can't. How about Ra2 oh no. 2 rooks and pawn for a queen (...Ra2 then Bxf7+ then Qxa2 ...Rxa2. Bxa2) I didn't feel any kind of relief though.

25...Qb6a7 Confession: I got scared when I saw this move. Even an amateur like me knows that when major pieces are trebbled on a file, that can spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E

26. Rf1d1

Again, I was still confident he couldn't come to a3 or a2. How about a1? So...

26 ...Qa7e7 27. Bc1b2 Cover the a1 square

27 ...Qe7a7 28. Rb1a1 Nf6e4 29. Ra1xa5 Qa7xa5 30. Bc4xf7 Another confession: I saw this move and the next few moves only because I had just read something on tactics.

30 ...Kg8f8 31. Bf7d5 I really felt proud of myself after I played this move.

31 ...Ne4f6 32. Bd5xa8 Qa5xa8

From here on, I felt relaxed and confident.

33. dxc5 Bd6xc5 34. Bb2d4

I guess even I don't know my strength. I intended to take an extra pawn after ...Bxb4 then Qxb4+ followed by Qxd4

34 ...Qa8c6

Black should have resigned after playing this move. Remember I had just read something on tactics so I played...

35. Rd1c1 Nf6d7 At first I felt disappointed when I first saw this move. so I just took the Bishop intending to exchange pieces since I was piece up.

36. Bd4xc5+ Nd7xc5

Yes I shouted when I set up the board and saw Qxb4. Double attacking the knight and at the same time pinning the knight to the king.

37. Qb3xb4 Black resigned. 1-0

I hope you enjoyed the game.