Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Upon Reflection




Every once-in-a-while I get the sense that I am learning from my mistakes and using in later games what I learned from earlier games. Upon reflection, this gives me a small sense of accomplishment.

perrypawnpusher - smarlny
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+


4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8

Black is content with the material advantage that he has, and backs his King away from danger. Let White do what he will!

I am always tempted now to play 6.Qh5, the Banks Variation (after Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks) but I am still uncertain how to best meet 6...Qe7.

6.Nxc6 dxc6 7.0-0 Ne7



The alternative, 7...Nf6, is as old as Jerome,A - Brownson,O, Iowa, 1875 (½-½, 29).

7...Bd6 was seen in perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 18) and 7...Be6 in perrypawnpusher - CorH, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 74).

8.d3

After the game Rybka 3 pointed out that here White can already "punish" his opponent for his inaccurate 7th move by playing for a draw with 8.Qf3+ Kg8 9.Qb3+ Kf8 10.Qf3+ Kg8 11.Qb3+, etc.

As if.

8...Ng6 9.Be3 Bd6



Not wanting to open the f-file for White's Rook with 9...Bxe3, Black positions the Bishop on the attacking diagonal b8-h7.

The piece continues to shuffle from square to square, however, and I wonder if, upon reflection, my opponent would have preferred to simply have exchanged it.

10.f4 Qh4 11.Nd2 Kf7

To castle-by-hand, but, somehow, this never happens.

12.Nf3 Qe7 13.e5 Bc5 14.d4 Bb6



15.Qd3

Preparing f4-f5, but the move was playable immediately, thanks to a tactical trick that would not have been too hard to find, if I had looked for it: 15.f5 Bxf5 16.Ng5+ followed by 17.Rxf5.

15...h6

Obviously my opponent saw the Knight check from g5. This gives the "Jerome pawns" time to rumble, however.

16.f5 Nf8

This game was beginning to feel like my game against irak: comparing White's Rooks (linked) and Black's Rooks (on their home squares, two pieces between them), there has to be an attack coming.

17.f6 gxf6 18.exf6 Qe6



Taking the pawn on f6 would have been deadly, but the danger remains.

19.Rae1 Qd5 20.Ne5+ Ke8 21.c4 Qa5



White now has a number of ways to win. The flashiest would be to sacrifice two pieces with 22.f7+ Kd8 23.Bg5+ hxg5 24.Nxc6+ bxc6 25.Qe3 and mate is inescapable.

I found something simpler.

22.Bd2 Qxa2 23.Ng6+

I thought that the loss of a Rook would prompt my opponent to resign, so I looked no further, missing all of the fun that could happen after 23.f7+.

23...Kd8 24.Nxh8 Qxb2 25.Nf7+ Black resigned


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