This game is interesting to me because it seemed like my position was a bust early on and I was pretty much resigned in my mind to losing. But I continued to look for “impossible moves” (those we often dismiss as terrible without investigating the consequences) and was able to “pull a rabbit out of a hat” at the end.
6. Bf1d3
White’s bishop takes up residence on a good diagonal.
6... c5
I probably should have played ...dxc4 to make white’s bishop move again. I think that’s a pretty common move after white spends a tempo developing his light-squared bishop to d3.
7. cxd5
White decides to keep his bishop on a good diagonal and leave me with an isolated pawn.
7... exd5
Even though I’ll end up with an isolated central pawn, a diagonal is opened for my light-squared bishop.
8. O-O
I didn’t expect that. I figured white would play dxc5 and then start developing pressure on my isolated pawn.
8... Nb8c6
Routine development and the logical square for my queen’s knight.
9. h3
Restricting the mobility of my light-squared bishop and guarding square g4 from being occupied by my knight (and bishop.)
9... Nc6b4
I’m beginning not to like white’s light-squared bishop and wanted to get rid of it.
10. Bd3b1
This preserves white’s light-squared bishop, but it really hems in the white rook on square a1.
10... Bc8e6
The only good square for my light-squared bishop. Adds protection to what I figured would eventually be an isolated pawn and clears square c8 for my queen’s rook, which would have an open file after ...cxd4
