OTB Game Analysis 12

This game is from the first round of a recent OTB tournament. My opponent was rated in the 1300s and I arrived 5 minutes late to the round since I didn't expect that it would start on time. Because of this, I found it quite difficult to focus on the game during the first 10 moves or so.

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4 c5 4.e3 cxd4 5.exd4 Bg4 6.f3 Bd7

I have prepared against the Jobava London for a game a couple of months before this one but my preparation ended here and I had no idea how black continues.

7.Bd3 (7. Nb5 Bxb5 8. Bxb5+ Nc6) During the game I mainly thought about this line which also explains my next move

7...a6

This is unnecessary but I just wanted to prevent Nb5
7...Nc6 8.Nb5?! (If white plays something else, it is clear that 7...a6 in the game was a waste of time) 8...Rc8 9.Ne2 a6 10.Nbc3 White has lost a tempo compared to the game and black is even slightly better

8.Nge2 e6 9.a3?!

I'm unsure why White played this move. Developing with 9.Qd2 or starting a kingside pawnstrom with 9.h4 or 9.g4 looks more logical

9...Nc6 10.Qd2 b5 11.Nd1 Be7 12.Nf2 Rc8 13.O-O Qb6

This move probably isn't ideal since white wants to play c3 anyway.

14.Be3

14.c3 feels more natural

14...O-O 15.c3

Playing 15.c3 after 14.Be3 is a bit redundant. White could have played 14.c3 without spending a tempo to move the bishop to a worse square

15. g4!? (Using the fact that black doesn't have many defensive pieces on the kingside) 15...b4 16.g5 Ne8 17.Ng4 bxa3 18.bxa3 Nd6 19.Kh1 Nf5 The position is certainly complicated and white has good attacking chances

15...Na5 16.Bc2?!

16.Qc2 Nc4 17.Bc1 This would have kept the two bishops

16...Nc4 17.Qc1 Nxe3 18.Qxe3

18...Bd6?!

Around this point I didn't know what to play. 18...Bd6 has no goal in mind and it isn't even clear if the bishop is better on d6 than on e7.
18...a5! 19.b4 axb4 20.axb4 e5! (20...Bxb4?! 21.Bxh7+! An important Zwischenzug for white 21...Nxh7 22.cxb4) 21.Qxe5 Rfe8 22.Qf4 Bxb4 23.cxb4 (23.Bxh7+?? This doesn't work now because the knight on e2 is just hanging 23...Nxh7 24.cxb4 Rxe2 -+) 23...Rxc2 Black is slightly better

19.Qd3 g6 20.Rae1 e5

20...a5 (Continuing with the minority attack looks better since black doesn't have to force things in the centre) 21.b4 (21.Qd2 b4 22.axb4 axb4) 21...axb4 22.axb4 Ra8 =+

21.Bb3

21.dxe5 Bxe5 22.Qd2 I felt that opening the position should help black since they have the bishop pair and white's pieces aren't very active currently

21...Bf5 (21...a5 22.dxe5 Bxe5 23.Bxd5? Bf5 24.Be4 Bxe4 25.fxe4 Ng4! and black has a strong attack) 22.Qd2 e4

23.Bxd5?

I missed this but fortunately it turns out to be a mistake
23.fxe4 Nxe4 24.Nxe4 (24.Qh6!? Qc7 25.Nd3) 24...Bxe4 This was my intention during the game

23...e3! 24.Bxf7+ Rxf7 25.Qxe3 Re8 26.Qd2 Rfe7 27.Ng3

27...Bf4!

I really enjoyed this move and the next one

28.Qd1 Bc2 29.Qxc2?! (29.Qa1 Be White has 3 pawns for the piece but black's pieces are much more active and therefore black is winning 29...Rxe1 30.Nge4 Rxf1+ 31.Kxf1 Bxh2 32.Nh3 (32.g3 I saw that this move actually traps my bishop only after I have taken on h2 but luckily for me, black is a rook up and can give back the bishop 32...Bxg3 33.Nxg3 Re3 34.Kg2) 32...Nxe4 33.fxe4 Qf6+ 34.Ke2 Qe6 35.Ke3 Qg4 36.d5 Be5 0-1

Conclusion

At the beginning of the game, I found it very difficult to focus on the moves. I played quickly in the opening and when I tried to slow down I couldn't calculate well.
After the opening, I got a bit impatient and tried to force things too quickly with 20...e5. I didn't even look at the possibility of playing a5 followed by b4.
My main takeaways from this game are that I need to find a routine which gets my head into the game at the start of each game or if I get distracted during the game. I also need to be more patient when playing against lower rated players.