[FEN ""]
[Date "6/9/2018"]
[White "Opponent"]
[Black "Me"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2217"]
[BlackElo "1874"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e4 dxe4 8. Nxe4 Bb4+ 9. Ned2 O-O 10. a3 Ba5 11. Qc2 Nd7 12. O-O-O c5 13. Ne4 Qf4+ 14. Kb1 cxd4 15. Rxd4 Nf6 16. Nd6 1-0
My rating: 1874
Opponent's rating: 2217
This was an odd game with a quick blunder but I found myself not understanding much of the opening. Feel free to go over the following points or any other important pieces of analysis that I left out:
- I understand from looking over some of the theory that it's best to play c5 sooner than later. 9...c5 would have been straight to the point or maybe even I could have played 10...Bxd2+ 11.Qxd2 c5.
- Perhaps 10...Ba5 was a mistake because if white played b4 then he would have superior control over the c5 square
- Once again 11...c5? Or is playing Nd7 first plausible?
- White's queenside castling almost comes unexpected to me because of all the open space there. Should my plan still be to play c5 like I did in the game or should it shift to something else with perhaps a b5 push? I feel like white may be the one who is now better prepared to handle c5.
- 13...Qf4+ seems a little odd, maybe Qe7 instead?
- Maybe I can try holding with 14...b6 instead of taking so soon in the center? With the rook on d4 I find that my only actual safe square is b8.
- Obviously 15...Nf6 seems to be a blunder and I should have pulled my queen out of harm's way immediately.
Also, no computer analysis please unless there's something that can hardly be explained or justified without it. Thanks!