[Event "Analyzed Games"]
[Site "ChessDoctor.com"]
[Date "?.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "W32"]
[Black "B32"]
[Result "?"]
[ECO "?"]

{ 00032.5.17 Analyzed by Candidate Master Daniel Waite 
Caro-Kann Defense } 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Ne5 Nf6 5. f4 Bc5 { Both sides have mishandled the Opening. Black misses
the golden opportunity to cramp White "almost"
permanently with ...d4. From now on White has to play
"catch up." In some fine restaurants putting
"ketchup" on your steak means the cook did a poor job.
 In chess playing "catch up" in the Opening,
especially as White, means you've done a poor job. 
The move, 5. f4 is "almost" losing. After 5...d4 the
Knight has to move. The idea for Black is Nxe4, Bd6,
and Qc7. This game of "ketchup" should be fatal for
White. } 6. d4 Bd6 { White gets back on track. While the move 6. d4 is
not the best, it is an attempt to put some pressure on
the Black center and keep disaster a move or so
further down the line. It stuffs the Black idea of
...d4. 6. Nd3 is an odd move that seems to work. 
This strange move attacks the Bishop and keeps it off
b4 at the same time! The problem is that it is a "one
move" solution that blocks the Bishop and will
probably have to move again. The idea is to find as
permanent solutions as possible in the opening. Black
now as the golden opportunity to play 6...Bb4 completely
disrupting the White center. } 7. Bd3 O-O { White misses the simple, and possibly equalizing,
idea of 7. Nxf7! Kxf7 8. e5. Always consider the
check. A check is a free move. How many times would
you like to move more than once? Here is the chance,
consider the check - ALWAYS. From the defense's
perspective it helps to not give away free moves. } 8. a3 Bxe5 { White takes leave of his senses. A lesson in White's
mistaken 8th move is to evaluate the threat before you
move. The suspicion is that White is playing 8. a3
for one of two reasons. Either White does not have an
idea [plan] or White fears the move ....Bb4. The
problem with White's move it is that it opens the door
for Black to capture on e4. Either ...dxe4 or Nxe4 is
strong. } 9. fxe5 Nxe4 10. Qh5 Nd7 { Now Black runs out of ideas. I know that it looks
like Black should develop but there are more pressing
issues at hand - like survival. The move, 10. Qh5
introduces a very dangerous idea that must keep Black
on guard. It is necessary for black to play ...f5. The
result of this is that the Bishop on d3 is permanently
taken out of the game. If White tries 11. exf6 [en
passant] then 11...Nxf6 covers the vital h7 square and
tackles the Queen on h5. The White attack fizzles. 
This game can be a lesson in handling dangerous ideas
casually. On defense you must be aggressive! } 11. b4 g6 { White "baits" Black into taking at c3. In the
process, White drops the piece. The Black move of g6
is correct. } 12. Qh6 Nxc3 { Black picks up the piece. This is correct. However
there is a short lesson to be learned in this move. 
Whenever you capture material, you in essence give
something up. In short, you give up two moves [one to
capture the piece and one to put the capturing piece
back on the square you want it]. You must weigh the
cost of the time against the material won. In most
cases take the piece but think it through first. If
you are in doubt that you will survive the coming
attack - don't grab the material. At this point the
material grab is safe and gives Black a huge
advantage. } 13. Bg5 Qc7 { Black loses immediately. Now Black must play 13...
f6. The best White can hope for now is the perpetual
check [or draw by three-fold repetition]. However the
game is far from over. White's initiative is still
very dangerous. For example, 13. Bg5 f6 14. Bxf6 Nxf6
15. exf6 Rxf6. Then there is 15. Bxg6 hxg6 16. Qxg6
Kh8 and White gains the draw by repetition [perpetual
check]. On 15 Bxg6 Nce4 16.exf6 Nxf6 17. O-O Qe7 18.
Rxf6 Rxf6 Black wins easily. On 14. exf6 Nxf6 Black
should still be safe - but under pressure. } 14. Bf6 Nxf6 15. exf6 Qe5+ 16. dxe5 g5 { You asked a question at the beginning: "I have been
playing for about 12 years. I have only got serious about my 
chess in the last 2 years. I have a strong love for chess and I
played at least 2 games everyday for the last 2 years. I
don't have a rating, but I feel I am pretty good. I have no
one to play but the computer. So, I am self-taught in
everything I know. please tell me if I'm on the right track." 
 Answer: First, I am glad you love chess. The
fact is that chess is plain fun. I really does not
matter what your skill level is if you can enjoy what
you are doing. I did not win a game the first two
years that I played, but I had fun anyway. There are
several ways to gain a chess rating. You can go to
United States Chess Federation rated tournaments. 
These are official ratings. You can play chess
on-line and gain a rating that is not official but can
give you an idea of your strength [I know these
ratings are debatable but...]. You can play a chess
program that will rate your level of play. Remember
that the "rating" is only a measure of relative
strength. 
 As far as being "self taught" is concerned, we
all need help at times. There are many good books
that can help teach us. Silman's "Amateurs Mind" and
"How to Reassess your chess" are the best at this
point in complete instructional manuals for most
players (under the Master level). There are many
places on-line that offer instruction. If you love
chess, then you will find the study of chess enjoyable
when there is no opponent around. It is also fun to
hit your unsuspecting neighbor with something you just
learned in your studies. There is a problem with
studying chess, the better you get the less
competitive the neighborhood games become. In other
words, it becomes less fun if you do not have a
serious challenge. One method of correction for this
is what my first chess teacher once said, every chess
player has the moral obligation to help teach others
the game. Teaching kids in the schools is a great
chance to stretch yourself. 
 About being on the "right track," that depends on
what you want to accomplish. If you want to beat your
neighborhood you are fine. Cut back on the mistakes
and learn to play with your pawns and you will give
most of your local friends fits. I think the critical
element in your immediate improvement is to understand
pawn play.
 In the game as Black, you gave yourself a "Bad
Bishop." That is a Bishop where the central pawns are
on the same color as the Bishop. In essence this is
playing a piece down. Part of the reason for the
Opening you chose [the Karo-Cann] is to avoid the bad
bishop. For the most part you need to play the Bishop
to f5 before you play ...e6. The Bishop is technically
"bad" but it is active [useful]. Remember that pawn
will dictate your strategy both offensively and
defensively. Use them to create space, permanent out
posts and create weakness in your opponent's camp. 
Remember chess is war, these pawns are the foot
soldiers. You can not win a war without putting
troops on the ground and winning as much space as
possible. 
 To get an accurate "track" a coach would have to
examine at least 50 games over several years time
period. What you are looking for is an improvement. 
By that, look to understand what mistakes you commonly
make. Then eliminate them. This will make you much
stronger by virtue of the fact that you are not
helping your opponent! Also there are set of basic
applications that a chess coach will look for that
includes pawn play, piece interaction, and pattern
recognition [et. al.]. The goal is to improve over
time. The painful thing is that this process takes a
fearless moral inventory, something that few have the
courage to do. Still, keep at it. Enjoy the game. 
Teach someone else. } 17. Qxh7# ?