Game 3: Me vs. Nivolet - 6/18/13 on iggamecenter.com

This is the first of 2 games I played with French competitor Nivolet at iggamecenter.

1. c8-c6 h7-f7
2. f8xh6 a4-c2
3. b1-b3 a2-d2

4. d1-f3
Better to be captured than blocked in.

...h5xf3
So far, the opening has been about white trying to block black in, and black escaping, either by moving out, or capturing pieces at the edge of the board. White is in a better position to start connecting.

5. c1xa3 f7-f4
6. f1-d3 h2-e2
7. e1-g3
The only move to avoid being trapped by 7. ...h4-f2 or f4-f2. But black soon uses this move to his advantage.

…a6xd3
(...e2-g4? 8. g8xg4)

8. g1-g4 a5-c3
9. g8-g5

Black tries to separate the 2 pieces on the h file, but he'll have trouble moving the rest of his pieces eastward.

...a7-a5
10. a3-b4 a5-c5
11. b8-e5 c5-d4
12. d8xd4 h3-g2

13. h6-f6??
c6xf3 or e5xe2 would have kept black in the game.

...h4-h3#

I was trounced. Nivolet forced me to make escape moves, and those moves put me in a bad position to connect.