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A collection of games, from an improving amateur. They are nowhere near perfect, but I hope they get better and better as time passes.
1485
1485
Current chess.com rapid rating
1540
1540
Peak chess.com rapid rating
My Best Game Ever - One-sided positional domination
My Best Game Ever - One-sided positional domination
April 12, 2025
White: liumatthew2357 (1392)
Black: lvlvlllnikk (1517)
Opening: Queen's Gambit Declined / Catalan Opening
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Bxd2+ 6. Nbxd2 O-O 7. Bg2 c6 8. O-O Nbd7 9. Qc2 b6 10. e4 dxe4 11. Nxe4 Nxe4 12. Qxe4 Bb7 13. b4 Nf6 14. Qc2 Rc8 15. c5 Qe7 16. Ne5 Rfd8 17. Rfd1 Nd5 18. a3 f6 19. Nc4 b5 20. Nd6 Ba8
1-0 (White won by resignation)
Out of all the games I've ever played, one clearly stands out. This game was won against a significantly higher-rated opponent, in my favourite way to win (a positional squeeze that slowly suffocates the opponent), in my favourite opening of all time (the Catalan, the favourite of former World Champions Vladmir Kramnik, Magnus Carlsen, and Ding Liren.). To the untrained eye, it's hard to see where my opponent even went wrong.
White Accuracy: 98% / Black Accuracy: 88%
My opponent failed to strike at my central space advantage with ...c5, eventually leading me to shut out his light-squared bishop on b7 by playing 15. c5 myself. Then, my plan was to reroute my knight to black's weak d6 square, where it would paralyze the entirety of black's home. My opponent may have thought that 18...f6 and 19...b5 would kick my knight around, but it just supported my plan to move it to d6. That knight was so strong that Stockfish's recommendation was to sacrifice a full rook for it, and my opponent resigned after the extremely sad move 20...Ba8.
Tactics and Sacrifices
Tactics and Sacrifices
July 11, 2024
White: LetangtheMan (1162) -10
Black: liumatthew2357 (1087) +10
Opening: Italian Game: Giuoco Piano Game, Giuoco Pianissimo Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. h3 d5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. O-O O-O 8. a3 a6 9. c3 Re8 10. b4 Ba7 11. Re1 h6 12. Qb3 Be6 13. Nxe5 Nxe5 14. Rxe5 c6 15. Re1 b5 16. Bxd5 Bxd5 17. c4 Rxe1+ 18. Kh2 Qc7+ 19. f4 Rxc1 20. d4 Qxf4+ 21. Qg3 Rh1+!!
0-1 (Black Won by Resignation)
White Accuracy: 74% / Black Accuracy: 88%
In my first 60-minute game with the black pieces, I thought I had blundered a pawn on move 12. However, it turns out I was actually winning due to a stunning bishop sacrifice. And although I didn't see it, and the game was decided by a one-move blunder by my opponent, I was able to sacrifice my rook on move 21 to win my opponent's queen, and force his resignation.
Learning to Play the English Opening
Learning to Play the English Opening
July 11, 2024
White: liumatthew2357 (1078) +9
Black: alexbv077 (1121) -9
Opening: English Opening: King's English Variation
1. c4 e5 2. g3 d5 3. cxd5 Qxd5 4. Nf3 e4 5. Nc3 Qc6 6. Nd4 Qg6 7. Bg2 f5 8. O-O Bd7 9. d3 Nc6 10. Be3 Nge7 11. dxe4 f4 12. Bxf4 Nxd4 13. Qxd4 Nc6 14. Qd2 O-O-O 15. Qc2 Bg4 16. Rfd1 Nb4 17. Rxd8+ Kxd8 18. Rd1+ Kc8 19. Qd2 Be7 20. h3 Rd8 21. Qc1 Rxd1+ 22. Qxd1 Be6 23. Nd5 Bxd5 24. exd5 Nxa2 25. Qa4 Qb1+ 26. Kh2 Bd8 27. d6 Qxb2 28. dxc7 Nc3 29. cxd8=Q+ Kxd8 30. Qa5+ b6 31. Qg5+ Kc8 32. Qf5+ Kd8 33. Qf8+ Kd7 34. Qxg7+ Ke8 35. Bc6+ Kd8 36. Qd7# 1-0
1-0 (White won by checkmate)
White Accuracy: 94% / Black Accuracy: 87%
The English Opening, initiated by 1. c4, is a highly strategic and complex opening. As an fan of the Catalan Opening, I have always been interested by the idea of incorporating a 1. c4 2. g3 setup. However, my extensive experience with 1. d4 left me with limited familiarity with 1. c4. Until now, I had never played the English Opening in a slow time control. While the game wasn't flawless, I was always the one in control.
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