4. Qa4+ loses time because 4.-c6 and 4.-Nbd7 are productive moves for Black in this sort of position and the queen is misplaced on c4. 4. e3 with the idea of Bxc4 is the typical way of reclaiming the pawn. His response squanders that though.
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Originally Posted by A-Rod's Cousin
8.e3. I hate this spot b/c it allows 8...Ne4 but I figure it's still a bookish move.
Along with "advanced pawn chains", you overvalue knight jumps to the central fifth-rank squares (i.e., see them as a good thing inherently instead of conditionally). They can be useful but are dangerous only when they happen to be dangerous. Ne4 is a total waste of a move in this position.
Quote:
Originally Posted by A-Rod's Cousin
13.Qb5 is a waste of time. I totally forgot he can just castle. lol. DERP.
I don't dislike it. Having to castle queenside looks like a concession for Black.
Quote:
Originally Posted by A-Rod's Cousin
14...g5. Another bad pawn move by him. f6 is now weak for him.
Seems fine -- f6 can't realistically be occupied by a piece. Getting dynamic play going would be easily worth a slight weakening anyway.
Quote:
Originally Posted by A-Rod's Cousin
18-23. I'd planned these moves and the huge liquidation and had these all set as Conditional moves. His responses were almost immediate and these dozen moves were played in about 2 minutes. lol.
18. Nxa6 is an example of a good non-speculative piece-for-two-pawns sac (you can calculate it to a material win or mate).
Move #22 is an instructive sort of position where Black is "frozen" in the pin. He has no productive moves (22.-Bg7 develops the bishop to a useless diagonal) and can't stop the exchanges on d7, so you can win a tempo by first developing a rook to c1 and then swapping.
Cleanest conversion is something like 26. Rc2 Be7 27. Rac1 Rc8 28. b5 winning the pawn and probably leading to more exchanges. But up a clean exchange and two pawns, anything that isn't bad or impatient is fine, so good finish.