Earlier this evening I played in the 1st round of the Eastern Chess Congress, U1500 section.
Amazingly, I played the exact same fellow that I played last yeat at this same event last year - in the 1st round of the U1300 section. What are the odds!?
At any rate, just like last year I lost. Below is the game - no time for annotation, however i post game analysis my opponent thought that my 15. ... e4 was a losing move. In fact, it was the top engine move! I found the best move and was slightly winning in that position - I just didn't find the correct follow up.
(You don't get "partial credit" in chess, but that's something at least!)
As far as why I lost overall - please refer to my previous blog post, specifically the point "I don't think enough about pawn structures, or endgame plans." Once again this was my downfall.
Also, my opponent played the Catlan. I had no response to that. Should I be trying to play "hedgehog" or "stonewall" structures against unfamiliar d4 openings? Something to think about.
