If you guys could help me with a couple of games from a correspondence tournament, I'd appreciate it (bear in mind that I'm a total fish):
Game 1
(I'm Black in this 17-move ugliness)
I probably lack the strategic knowledge to play this variation, and before I knew it my position was lost (I don't think I had played 7...Nf6 before).
Other than that last blunder with 17...f5?? (miscalculation), I'm a bit clueless; was 14...Bxe5 the worst mistake? Or maybe instead of 11...Nbd7 I should have developed the bishop and castled sooner? When is the right time to go ...c5?
Suggestions (another defence against 1.e4?) and improvements are welcome (variance: my opponent timed out).
Game 2
(I'm Black again)
I don't think I'd played this h6/g5 variation before, but my opponent made it easy for me and I think I had an easier game out of the opening. Maybe 16...f4 was better?
The main thing I'd like help with in this game is around moves 24/25. Especially 24...a5, it feels as if I made that move because I didn't know what my plan was. Was 24...Ra5 the way to go about targeting the queenside pawns?
From move 27 onwards White basically self-destructed.
Thanks in advance.