1. e2-e3 e7-e6
Okay, right from the beginning, you need to play with some ambition. 1.e3 (you don't need to include the starting square unless it's ambiguous) e5! Seize control of the center.
It's not a "French" just because you play 1. ... e6. But the bigger problem is that 1 ... e6 suggests that you don't understand what the french is about. THe purpose of the french is to support -d5 to attack the e4 square. No pawn on e4, no reason to support a pawn to attack it. If you want a pawn on d5 you can play that right away. If you don't, then play e4.
2. b2-b3 d7-d5
3. d2-d4 g8-f6
You've transposed into a Colle system variant.
4. Nb1-a3 Bf8-e7
WHite is developing slowly here. a3 is not a good square for the knight. This means you can afford to play more aggressively, to plan on opening the position.
5. Bf1-b5+ c7-c6
The game previous the guy would take my pawn and keep me in check, then I would take his bishop but my pawn structure would be out of wack. HOw do you keep him from coming down there with the bishop. Or is there a way to exploit him without the bishop Can I castle earlier?
This is why I like to see people annotate their games, because, wow, this note reveals all sorts of problems that the game itself doesn't.
The first is the value of the pieces: pawn = 1, N=B=3, R=5, Q=9.
Those are aproximate, but what does it tell you about your opponent playing Bxc6?
It tells you that you should jump for joy. Your opponent is handing you a huge material advantage. Sure, you've got a weak pawn, but you've got AN EXTRA PIECE which is mcuh more important.
This is slightly more sophisticated, but two other things to point out, one strategic, one tactical.
The first is that notice how, in this game, your light-square bishop never does anything good because it's trapped by pawns on light squares. It doesn't partake in the battle (more on this in a bit). Therefore, it's almost like you're a piece down.
That's bad.
But if you played 5 ... Bd7 here, then Bxd7+ Nxd7 speeds your development, which is good for you, and trades off a problem piece.
THe truth is you prefer this check to him playing Bd3 at once, because it gets you a move in for free (c6). eg, if he played Bd3 (instead of Bb5+) and you played c6, you'd have the same position, with him on the move rather than you.
So Bb5+ is a good move for you.
Now for the tactical issue:
6. Bb5-d3 o-o
You were in such a rush to castle that you missed an easy win here.
6. ... Qa5+ with double attack on his Na3, winning it. (eg 7.Bd2 Qxa3, 7.Qd2 Bb4!, 7.Kf1 Bxa3 etc).
7. c2-c3 b8-d7
8. b3-b4 b7-b5
This is where you start getting into serious trouble. What are you pushing these pawns for? Right now his center is constraining you. You need to do something about it. Instead of 7. ... Bd7, you need to play Nd7 here. Why? Simple - that move helps you attack his center.
Then Nd7 8.b4? e5! and all of your pieces come to life (9.de Nxe5 is strong, or 9.Ne2 e4 and it's white who's cramped on the kingside.
But b5 doesn't do anything to help you. Again, you need to hit as his center. THe two ways to do that are ...c5 and ...e5. Honestly, you're already in a bit of a hole but a5, Na6 (which makes sense now to support c5) b6 and c5 to hit back against his center seems like a reasonable plan. Or Bd6 and e5 - probably that one, actually.
9. Qd1-f3 c8-a6
He also did this the 3 games I played him. When I would castle kingside he would attack my kingside flank
Well, you make it easy for him. His attacks are successful because your development is backwards and you keep making moves that don't do anything for you. What's your N do on a6 here? You need to find a way to break through in the center, to distract him form your kingside.
SO long as you play passive moves, he can do whatever he wants. 9. ... Bd6 followed by e5 is still strong here - FREE YOUR PIECES.
10. e3-e4 h7-h6
And you're basically complicit in your own slaughter because you weaken your kingside and miss the kingside bind he's going to put on you. You can't allow e5 here, it's too deadly. But you have two choices:
10. ... dxe4 or 10 ... e5!
It's amazing to me that it's not too late for the later, but it still works - largely because white has neglected his development and king safety.
Check out some of the variations: 10 ... e5 11. dxe5? dxe4! 12.Bxe4 Bg4! 13.Qe3 Qd1++; 11.exd5 Nxd5 (probably not best) 12.Qe4? (tempting, but loses) f5 13.Qxe5 Re8 14.Ne2 (else a bishop moves pins the queen) Bxb4! and black has all the acrds.
This illustrates one of the most important principles in chess: the correct reaction to an attack on a wing - especially a premature attack on the wing (and you know his attack is premature because he hasn't finished his development) - is a counterattack in the center.
11. e4-e5 Nf6-e8
Probably better is to jettison a pawn with 11. ... Ne4 (because Bxe4 dxe4 Qxe4 removes one of his key attacking pieces, and also frees the d5 square for your knight, after Na6-c7-d5. I'm not sure it's enough to hold, but it at least puts up a fight.)
Now, you get squashed in short order.
12. Qf3-g3 Ne8-c7
Probably the wrong knight. Getting your other knight into the fray improves things some. In any event, why on earth would you move this knight away from the defense of the key square g7?
13. Bc1xh6 Nc7-e8
14. Bh6-d2 g7-g6
YOu're pretty much done, but this doesn't help things. Maybe Nac7 followed by a5, with the idea of counterattacking on the queenside. It's not much of a lifeline, but it's an active plan, and you need an active plan.
15. g1-f3 e8-g7
16. h2-h4 g7-f5
Seems kind of pointless, since you know Bxf5 is coming. What are you trying to accomplish?
17. d3xf5 e6xf5
18. h4-h5 f5-f4
19. g3xf4 g6xh5?
It was pretty much over here
20. f4-g3+ Kg8-h7
21. h1xh5++
So any tips would help on how to explot the queen coming out to my king side. I like the french it gives a good postion but just need to work on planning and more tatics.
I think you and I have a different idea of the phrase "good position." You need to read Chernev's "Logical Chess, Move by Move."
French Defense (In Game help)
Linear Mode
