This was a pretty clean
game for me. I'm surprised he was rated nearly 900 over a large sample. He or she may have been drinking or something since they appeared well weaker to me than a typical 900. Only a few mistakes that I can see myself, and I like how I finished him off. I had so many pieces it was actually strange trying to make sure I don't pin or skewer myself, as well as trying to figure out the most efficient way to mate him. But I like how I closed.
2. c6. I seem to be having decent success with this little pawn response to his open side Knight development, so I play it again.
He plays 7.Qe2 here which I think is a mistake. He's more developed than me, and he can move his LSB there to protect his Knight, or bring that Knight back to block the check. I think him bringing his Queen out here is the worst option. I continue to develop and I'm surprised when he trades Queens with me, especially since upon capture I am threatening his Knight, which he ends up bringing back anyway (to the same square he could have blocked check with in the first place).
9. d4. I think this is correct here to fork his Knights. He wastes time by bringing his LSB out to threaten my Knight which is protected. It seems I can take either Knight, since neither of them is threatening any of my pieces, and neither can get to a position to backup the c6 square any time soon.
10. dxe3. I decide to take the Knight nearest to his King to try to weaken this pawn structure in front of his King. I think he captures with the wrong pawn here because I think he should take with the other pawn so he can develop his DSB, and keep the pawn wall intact in front of what looks like will become 0-0 castling for him. He must want to get his King's rook out but I think it's way too early for that.
14. Nxe4. He blunders here and I capture his Knight for nothing.
18. Bxa2. Upon reflection I think this is a mistake. In fact, shortly after I played this I felt like it was a mistake. I realize if he plays 20.c3 I'm in a really bad spot. I shouldn't have been this aggressive with my Bishop, since his pawn structure can cause serious problems for my minor pieces. My Knight is pinned now to support that bishop and if he plays this pawn move I have to back my Bishop out of there and I lose my Knight. I'd also then have my other Bishop threatened so I'd recapture and give him a chance to move his LSB, which I wasted tempo threatening, to a square that allows a trade at worst for him. Luckily, he plays the wrong pawn and donates. I kinda wish he played c3 just to get me better practice.
21. Bxc4. He blunders again and I get a Bishop for nothing. And back it out of a threatened square. Bad play by him.
22. f6 is another "big" mistake by me. I noticed several moves earlier that if he moves his Rook he discovers an attack on my Knight. At least I pulled the pawn up because I thought he was attacking with his Rook. Clear play here is Nxe4. Free pawn, center square, evade capture.
24. Nxc2 I only play after I recognize that I can protect my LSB when he plays to pin us which I assume he will (and he does). So this was not an uncalculated play.
From here I think I clean up pretty nicely. I trade Rooks on purpose, then have some fun with the Knight, then bring both Bishops in for the attack and finish him with the Rook.
He played a poor game imo but this was one of my better ones for sure. For where I'm at, I only consider moves 18 & 22 as mistakes that I feel I should recognize during play. But overall these are pretty minor self-nits and I'm very happy with my performance here. Up to 928.