If it's true that "bad things come in threes" (see "Struggling" and "Tactical Sloppiness") that would be a good explanation for the following win that I recently scored. It's the kind of game you might as well have if your opponent is going to have difficulty with the clock...
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Re8 12.Bd2 Kg8 13.Rae1 Bg4
A rarely-played move (according to The Database) in a standard position. Rybka and Fritz8 almost always suggest Nc3-d5 now for White, but I was lured by the opportunity to start my Kingside pawns moving "for free". Instead, I chased the Black Bishop back to a better square.
14.h3 Be6 15.g4
Like I said in the note to move 13, better was 15.Nd5. The reason has little to do with the weakening of White's pawn structure, and more to to with dropping the c-pawn.
15...Nb4 16.Qg3 Nxc2 17.Re2
This should cost the exchange after 17...Bc4.
17...Nd4 18.Rg2 Qd7 19.f5
I figured at this point that whatever chances I had to save the game (slim & none, actually) would lie in a Kingside attack.
19...Bc4 20.Re1 Nc2
Much better was 20...Qc6.
21.Rc1 Nd4 22.g5 hxg5 23.Bxg5 Rf8
Another lucky break for me: Black believes that my attack is worth worrying about. He should have simply smashed my center with 23...Nxe4.
24.Bxf6 Rxf6 25.Rd1
Missing a key tactical point that would have almost equalized the game: after 25.b3 Black's Bishop has nowhere safe to go (even 25...Ba6 allows the strong attacking 26.Nd5 with threats to c7) so after 25...d5 26.Nxd5 Bxd5 27.Rxc7 Nf3+ 28.Kh1 Rc6 29.Rxd7 Rc1+ 30.Rg1 Rxg1+ 31.Qxg1 Nxg1 32.exd5 Ne2 Black's advantage is much smaller than in the game.
25...c5 26.e5
There is nothing but bluff in this.
26...Rxf5 27.exd6 Rf6 28.Ne4
Simply hoping to keep Black busy enough until his flag falls.
28...Rh6
Unfortunately this reduces his chances to a draw, while 28...Nf3+ would have killed.
29.Nxc5 Qxd6
Dropping the whole point, which seems unfair.
After the game Rybka suggested instead 29...Ne2+ 30.Rxe2 Qf5 with a possible continuation being 31.Re5 Qc2 32.Rde1 Rf8 33.Ne4 Qxb2 34.Re7 Bf7 35.d7 Rg6 36.Ng5 Qd4+ 37.R1e3 Qd1+ 38.Re1 Qd4+ drawing. Not easy to see with a few seconds left.
30.Qxg7 checkmate
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